Mequon, WI — The Traverse City Pit Spitters (4-2) stole the show from the Lakeshore Chinooks (3-2) Sunday afternoon. After Lakeshore got out to a two-run lead, Traverse City responded with four-run and three-run innings to bury the Chinooks in too deep a hole to crawl out of, leading to an 11-4 loss for Lakeshore.

Sunday was an exhibit of the trials and tribulations of the Northwoods League season, as the prior night, the Chinooks looked invincible.

Game one against the Pit Spitters looked to be trending the same positive direction for Lakeshore in the first. Pitcher Jack Savitch tossed a scoreless inning in the first, buoyed by a beautiful throwout from C Vidal Colon on a double-steal attempt by Traverse City.

Then, in the bottom of the first, CF Griffin Cameron led off with a single to right. He wouldn’t stop there. The Kentucky speed demon stole second, and then in a high IQ play stole third later in the at-bat on an excellent, wide slide.

“I think base running is an underutilized part of the game, and if I can stick to what I’m best at then I’ll continue to do good things,” the base stealer said.

He did good things on the bases, then SS Brady Counsell did a good thing at the plate with an RBI single through the gap to left. Then, after getting to second, Counsell would come home on an RBI single to left, this time from younger brother Jack Counsell.

Traverse City banged back into the game. The travelers started a two-out rally with a hard-hit single and two free passes, and then two separate 2-RBI singles from the Pit Spitters flipped the script on the Chinooks.

In the top of the fourth, the ‘Nooks slipped. Several hustle plays by Traverse City saw an RBI bunt single with no outs, a double to left, another bunt single and a well-executed intentional pickle to score a runner from third while sacrificing a runner ‘stealing’ second. All of a sudden, it was a five-run deficit for Lakeshore.

The Chinooks appeared to be feeling the ill effects of a short rest after returning from Madison Saturday night, and in the sixth, the Pit Spitters reconfirmed their big lead. Eight-hole hitter Ethan Belk absolutely unloaded the longest home run of the season at Moonlight Graham Field, making it 8-2 Pit Spitters, before teammates added on for two more later in the frame.

From there, the Chinooks were able to calm the storm. Right-hander Tyler Deleskiewicz pitched a solid outing to keep the contest respectable, finishing with 2.2 IP, 1 ER and 3 Ks.

Unfortunately, Lakeshore offense came too little, too late.

Opening the eighth, Cameron drew a walk and scampered to third on an erroneous pickoff attempt, exhibiting another example of his gamebreaking speed. He would eventually come around to score when Brady Counsell roped another RBI single to left. Then, repeating the first, Jack Counsell brought his older brother in on an RBI single, giving Lakeshore four runs on the day.

In the Pit Spitters half of the ninth, Chinooks RF Billy Scaldeferri continued a torrid hot defensive stretch. He had two outfield gun-downs Saturday in Madison and Sunday, he nabbed another runner to end the inning. But, Lakeshore couldn’t start a rally and ended up falling 11-4 to Traverse City behind a barrage of Pit Spitters scoring opportunities.

The Chinooks get a chance to bounce back against Traverse City in the series finale tomorrow, as first pitch against the Pit Spitters is set for Monday at 6:35 p.m. (CST) at Moonlight Graham Field.

Article written by David Jacobs.