KENOSHA, Wis. – The Kokomo Jackrabbits (11-9) defeated the Kenosha Kingfish (6-13) 3-1 at Historic Simmons Field on Saturday night to secure a series split.

Kingfish starting pitcher Keith Kutzler (Wisconsin-Whitewater) had his best outing to date this season, going four innings and allowing no runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six.

Mike Jarvis (San Diego State) gave Kenosha its first baserunner in the fourth inning with a leadoff walk, but he was stranded there.

Ryan Knernschield broke up Kokomo starting pitcher Blaine Traxel’s (California State-Northridge) no-hitter with one out in the fifth inning.

Knernschield went 2-for-4 on Saturday night.

Kingfish reliever Ben Stephens (Eastern Illinois) found himself in a jam with runners on first and third with nobody out in the fifth inning, but he picked Logan Jarvis (Belmont) off first and cut down Evan Albrecht (Purdue) at the plate on a comebacker before retiring Jack Kraus (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) to escape unharmed.

Vinnie Costello (Hofstra) jogged home in the sixth inning following a bases loaded walk to give Kokomo a 1-0 lead.

The Jackrabbits scored two more runs on bases loaded walks in the seventh inning to extend their lead to 3-0.

RJ Pearson (Oral Roberts) put the Kingfish on the board with an RBI single to right field, but Ryan Boyer (Pittsburgh-Bradford) relieved Traxel and escaped a bases loaded one-out jam with a pair of strikeouts to keep the score at 3-1.

Traxel finished with 6 1/3 innings pitched and allowed one run on five hits.

Boyer retired the last eight Kingfish – including six strikeouts – to earn a save and secure a 3-1 Kokomo win.

Traxel improved to 1-1 in his tenth appearance of the season, while Stephens fell to 0-2.

The Kingfish will travel to Battle Creek to take on the Bombers at 1:05 EST on Sunday.