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Green Bay Rockers defeat Traverse City 15-14 to advance to 2023 Summer Collegiate World Series

Jordan Puente, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·5 min read

Aug. 17—TRAVERSE CITY — What a roller coaster of emotions it was for Traverse City Pit Spitters fans in the final home game of the 2023 season.

After Traverse City attempted to walk it off in the ninth inning with the tying run at second, the Green Bay Rockers came away victorious 15-14 to claim their first Great Lakes title in franchise history at Turtle Creek Stadium on Wednesday and advance to the 2023 Summer Collegiate World Series.

"It was a tough way to end it, but on the flip side, our guys battled their hearts out," Pit Spitters manager Josh Rebandt said. "In a 15-14 game, you never know what is going to happen. You could run through a bunch of plays, and I wouldn't remember half because there are so many bats tonight. I am incredibly proud of our guys and what they did."

Traverse City had runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth inning, but Michael Tchavdarov struck out to send the Rockers to St. Cloud to face the Rox for the Northwoods League on Friday.

Traverse City led 10-4 heading into the third inning, but Green Bay regained the lead for the first time since 2-0 in the first by tacking in nine runs in the sixth and seventh innings to go up 15-11, but Traverse City didn't go away.

"Both teams (chipped away) because nobody wanted to go home," Rebandt said.

The Pit Spitters cut into the Rockers' lead with three runs in the sixth to make it 15-14. Traverse City had a tying run on third in the seventh inning after Tchavdarov missed the fences by an inch, but the Rockers got out of the inning by striking out the following batter.

The Rockers had their way early with right-handed Pit Spitters' City pitcher Josh Lanham in the first inning, by tacking in two runs to go up 2-0. Lanham's day was cut short as he only went for 1.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits, walking three and striking out two.

It was that type of night for the Spitters' bullpen Wednesday. Traverse City unleashed four relievers to help guide them, but Rockers batters collected 12 total hits.

The TC bullpen combined for 10 earned runs on eight hits, striking out five and walking nine. The Pit Spitters came off a playoff series-clinching win Tuesday in Kalamazoo and immediately transitioned their focus to Green Bay.

"I know none of our guys' intentions was to go out there and give free bases," Rebandt said. "It's a competitive high leverage situation, every single pitch, whether it 10-4 run game every single pitch is high leverage."

Tchavdarov and Devin Hukill got things rocking in the bottom half of the first with bases loaded and zero outs with back-to-back walk knot things 2-2.

Shortstop Camden Traficante, in his 199th game as a Pit Spitter, finished his outing going 2-for-5 with five RBI. Traficante guided Traverse City to their first lead, going up 4-2. Zachary Johnson followed that performance with a run to give the Spitters a 5-2 lead.

"We were hoping to get 200 for him," Rebandt said. "That's why he is Mr. Pit Spitter. He's been an incredible player to coach. We're going to miss him."

The Rockers added a pair of runs in the second to cut the Pit Spitters' lead to 5-4, but Traverse City responded with five runs to go up 10-4. Colin Summerhill's RBI single brought home Andrew Mannelly to extend the lead. Evan Orzech and Cole Prout walked to set up Tchavdarov's RBI single.

Traficante tapped a sacrifice bunt near the first base line to bring home Prout, Johnson added to his stat sheet with an unearned run to add to the Pit Spitters' lead.

Traverse City didn't tack another run in until the fifth inning to go up 11-9, but the Rockers tacked in nine runs in two innings to go up. Traverse City remained scoreless after scoring a run in the sixth to inch closer to the Rockers.

Traverse City will watch the championship at home for the third straight season, but the Pit Spitters have done more than what most Northwoods League clubs have done.

"I am just grateful for the opportunity to lead this team, and we have an incredible coaching staff," Rebandt said. "We have incredible players, and we've been fortunate enough to win a lot of games and have players who've gone to play professional baseball."

Traficante finished his third season on Wednesday by tacking in five RBIs and chants from all across Turtle Creek Stadium every time he stepped in the batters' box.

His legacy in Traverse City is something future Pit Spitters can follow. After concluding his third season in Traverse City, the Florida native said he couldn't be happier to represent the Cherry Capitol of the world.

"The amount of love that every has here, very few places have an atmosphere where people care," Traficante said. "They're not here to go to any old baseball game or get a beer and a hot dog, they are here because they love the kinds of people the Pit Spitters put out on the field."