The story of Friday night’s contest was scoreless baseball and a pitcher’s duel, with the score knotted at 0-0 through six innings. Pitching into double plays and inducing weak contact worked well for the Jackrabbits until dreaded the ninth inning rolled around.

The play that sealed the deal came when Traverse City’s Carter Hain stepped into the batter’s box in the ninth. The score tied 1-1 and a runner on first, Hain sent a fly ball opposite field over the reaching glove of JJ Dutton, and ultimately over the right field wall for a go-ahead two run home run.

As soon as the ball left Hain’s bat, Kokomo’s defense knew they had come up short yet again, as Hain gave Traverse City a game-sealing 3-1 lead. Hain’s two-run shot to right was Traverse City’s second extra base hit of the game, but was saved for just the right time. 

Before Hain closed the door on the Jackrabbits, the seventh inning broke the silence that had mounted for six innings. 

Traverse City’s Ethan Belk sent a line drive into left field for a leadoff double. Two pitches later, Trent Reed laid down a sacrifice bunt along the first base line, advancing Belk to third. With one out away, the following at-bat allowed Carter Hain to hit a sacrifice fly to shallow center field, scoring Belk from third on a close play at home.

With the Pitt Spitters up 1-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Jackrabbits felt the pressure, and scored a run of their own to tie the game.

The momentum shifted back on Kokomo’s side when Aidan Mcaskie sent a fly ball slicing into deep left field for a one out double. Then, following an Ethan Rossi flyout to right, Michael Flaherty responded with two outs. On a two-strike count, Flaherty sent a blooper into right field allowing Mcaskie to reach home, and tie the game at 1-1. 

Leading up to this exciting back and forth affair started with great pitching from both sides. Kokomo starter Collin Fischer made his first start in a Jackrabbit uniform, pitching 7  innings, striking out four on five hits, with his lone earned run coming in the seventh. Despite Fischer’s phenomenal 102 pitch outing, it was Kokomo’s offense that was indeed too little too late.

The Traverse City Pitt Spitters won 3-1 over Kokomo on Friday, with a rematch ensuing on Saturday, July 13th for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch at Kokomo Municipal Stadium. 

Article written by Charlie Huiras