Jun. 25—The Traverse City Pit Spitters swept the Kokomo Jackrabbits in a day-night doubleheader at Kokomo Municipal Stadium on Thursday. The losses dropped Kokomo to 12-13 overall and 4.5 games behind Great Lakes East Division leader Traverse City (16-8) in the division standings.
In the afternoon opener, Traverse City opened up a 2-0 lead through two innings and led throughout in an 8-3 victory over the Jackrabbits.
Traverse City led 8-1 after eight innings before the Jackrabbits rallied for two more runs in the bottom of the ninth. Dylan Dennis and T.J. Fondtain had RBI singles for Kokomo in the ninth inning. Camden Vasquez plated a run with a ground out in the third inning.
Gavin Grant led Kokomo’s offense in the first game, going 2 for 3 with a double and a run.
Kokomo starter Cooper Omans (0-2) took the loss.
In the evening closer, Kokomo went up 5-0 through two innings but Traverse City came back to top the Jackrabbits 7-5.
Kokomo starter Kyle Wade, a former Kokomo Wildkat athlete, had an effective outing, throwing six innings with two hits, two walks, two runs (one earned) and five strikeouts. He shut out Traverse City through the first five innings before TC picked up a pair of runs in the sixth.
Rio Britton relieved Wade to start the seventh inning and took the loss. Traverse City scored four unearned runs in the seventh inning to take the lead. Traverse City tacked on a run in the ninth. The Pit Spitter pitching staff kept Kokomo off the board the final seven innings.
Chase Meidroth led Kokomo at the plate in the second game, going 3 for 5 with a run and an RBI. Fondtain was 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI. Chris Santiago and Vasquez each doubled.
Kokomo scored four runs in the first inning to take the early lead. Fondtain drove in the first run with a bases-loaded walk, Luke Spillane plated a run with a sacrifice fly, Santiago plated a run with a double, and Ryan Ellis had an RBI groundout. Meidroth had an RBI single in the second inning.
The Jackrabbits and Pit Spitters play the final game of their four-game series today at 6:30 p.m. at KMS.