The Royal Oak Leprechauns were able to come back and steal a win by coming through in the eighth inning for the second straight day, scoring three runs in that frame during their 4-3 victory over the Traverse City Pit Spitters on Wednesday night. Royal Oak has now scored 10 runs in the eighth inning alone across its last two games after plating seven in the frame during a 16-13 victory over the Kalamazoo Growlers on Tuesday.
“We love it,” said Leprechaun field manager Chris Faust after the win. “We got shut down all day. We got shut down by their starter; he was great. He kept us off-balance and no one seemed to square him up.
“And then as soon as we get to the eighth inning, we start swinging. We got some runners on (and we) cashed in.”
After scoring 26 total runs in its first two games of the season, Royal Oak’s offense looked completely different in its first game against Traverse City. The Pit Spitters’ starting pitcher, Jack Griffiths, went the first seven innings and allowed just one run — which came in on a balk in the first — and surrendered just three hits.
Fortunately, the Leprechauns’ pitching staff was able to keep the home squad within striking distance, even though Royal Oak allowed 25 runs during the two-game set against Kalamazoo. Starter Grant Bradley (Michigan), Luke Coll (Appalachian State) and Colton Jones (Florida Gulf Coast) all handed in multiple innings of work and each gave up just one run apiece.
Trailing 3-1 going into the bottom of the eighth, Traverse City was finally forced to go to its bullpen due to Griffiths having 106 pitches on the day. Northwoods League rules require a pitching change if a pitcher ends an inning with greater than 100 pitches.
TVC reliever Kellen Roberts entered the game in his place. The rally began with Dylan Larkins getting hit by a pitch. After Roberts earned a strikeout, that’s when Royal Oak struck. Jack Dauer (Yale) and Devan Zirwas then hit back-to-back RBI doubles to tie the game up at three. One batter later, Chase Van Ameyde came up with the chance to bring in the go-ahead run in his Leprechaun debut. On a 2-2 count, Van Ameyde hit a ground ball that Traverse City third baseman Colton Roquemore was able to snag, but his throw pulled the Pit Spitters’ first baseman, Aiden Brunin, off the bag. Zirwas, the only Leprechaun with multiple hits in the game, was hustling the whole way and was able to score and give Royal Oak its first lead of the game right there. He said after the game that he didn’t even know Van Ameyde was safe until he crossed home plate.
That meant that the Leprechauns were going to need to survive one more inning, though. Faust put the ball in the hands of Van Ameyde, who had been playing third base during the first eight innings. At Notre Dame, being a relief pitcher was his role, and that’s what it became again in the clutch.
After hitting the first Traverse City batter with an 0-2 pitch, Van Ameyde was able to quickly recover, as he forced TVC’s Brandon Sanchez into a textbook, 4-6-3 double play that began with Max Orozco, who had just subbed in at second after starting the game as the team’s designated hitter. The final out of the game was also handled by Orozco in a more simple 4-3 fashion, giving Royal Oak’s starting third baseman a save and the team its second straight come-from-behind victory.
“The fact that we were able to score three runs in the eighth and I was able to shut it down, that was sweet,” Van Ameyde said. “That was electric.”
The Leprechauns, now 2-1, will now look to sweep this two-game set against 0-3 Traverse City on Thursday, with first pitch set for 11:05 a.m.
“It’s fun playing with these guys,” Zirwas said. “It’s fun being here and it was great to come back again and hopefully we can keep this rolling.”
