Traverse City will host Great Lakes West Champions, Madison Mallards tomorrow in TVC

 

Traverse City, Mich., — The Kalamazoo Growlers fall to the Traverse City Pit Spitters 5-4, on a walkoff single by Mario Camilletti (Oakland).

The Pit Spitters notched their first run in the first on a fielder’s choice by Andrew Morrow (MSU) to score Camilletti. 

Traverse City extended their lead to 4-0 in the fifth, with an RBI triple by Riley Bertram (Michigan), single by Camilletti and Morrow. 

The Growlers were able to scare off the Northwoods League Pitcher of the Year, Andrew Hoffman (Oakland), in the sixth as the Growlers scored three runs to pull within one. 

Hunter Thorn (Purdue Northwest) and Jarrett Smetana (Kent State) both had RBI singles to score Miko Rodriguez (Texas A&M) and Jimmy Sullivan (UVA), respectively. 

Anthony Cocco (GVSU) also scored as Shea Kramer (Utah) grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

Kalamazoo tied up the game in the eighth on a single by Kramer to bring home Cocco.

Eamon Horwedel (7-2, Ohio) retired the Pit Spitters in order in the bottom half to send the game to the ninth.

In the final frame, Joe Pace (1-1, Michigan) struck out the side, sending Traverse City to the dish with a chance to walk it off.

Camilletti grounded a ball past Cocco at second base, to allow Daniel Head (New Mexico State) across the plate for the win.

Horwedel notched his second loss of the summer, while Pace got his first win

The starter for the Growlers, Christian Johnson (1-1, Gustavus Adolphus) went 4.2, allowing four runs on six hits. Johnson also struck out two Pit Spitters.

The Kalamazoo Growlers season is now over, while the Traverse City Pit Spitters will take on the Madison Mallards tomorrow at 7:05 p.m., for the Great Lakes Championship.

 

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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Currently in its’ 26th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, over 200 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.