Beach Bums Dropped In Extras

Published on August 23, 2009 under Frontier League (FL)
Traverse City Beach Bums News Release


O'FALLON, Mo. - The Traverse City Beach Bums suffered an 11-inning defeat at the hands of the River City Rascals in the final game of a three-game series on Sunday night, falling 7-6.

Traverse City wasted no time in taking an early lead. Mike Epping homered on the first pitch of the game from River City starter Jake Laber to put Traverse City ahead. John Alonso added his 13th homer of the season with two outs in the frame. The Rascals were able to get one back in the bottom of the inning. Scott Houin was hit by a pitch to start the frame, stole second, and scored on a base hit by Ernie Banks.

River City chased Beach Bums starter David Dinelli with five runs in the second to take the lead by sending 10 men to the plate. Chris Colton led off the inning by homering to left to tie the score. JoJo Batten came to the plate with the bases loaded and tripled into left-center. Chad Maddox drove in Batten with a single over the drawn in infield. Dinelli lasted just 1.2 innings in a no-decision.

The Beach Bums rallied to tie the game, getting a run in the fourth as Brian Lapin capped a string of three straight singles with a single into the leftfield corner to plate John Alonso. Three runs crossed in the fifth to tie the score. Brad Miller led off with a double and scored on a single to right off the bat of Michael Campbell. John Alonso hit his second homer of the night to tie the score, depositing a 2-0 offering over the wall in right.

Both teams had opportunities to win the game in regulation but each club's bullpen was outstanding as Ryan Kruszka, Shawn Joy, and B.J. Hagen threw 8.2 scoreless innings before the contest ended when Chad Maddox hit his 11th homer of the season on an 0-1 pitch, clearing the wall in left off of B.J. Hagen. The hit was his fourth of the night.

Offensively, the Beach Bums finished with in the game. John Alonso had four and drove in three runs while Mike Epping, Brad Miller, and Mike Victor each added two.

The Beach Bums will have an off day tomorrow in Kalamazoo before opening a series with the Kings on Tuesday night. RHP Jason Kiley (6-8, 5.25) will start for the Beach Bums in the opener while Kalamazoo counters with RHP Joe DiPietro (7-6, 4.08) in the final road series of the season. The contest can be heard live on The Fox FM.

Sandbox Bits

The run scored off of B.J. Hagen snapped a string of 22.2 scoreless innings; It was the first run he allowed in the second half

John Alonso's multi-homer game was his second of the roadtrip and the fourth by the Beach Bums this season, who had only two multi-homer games in franchise history entering this year; Alonso has three four-hit games on the trip and has totaled 18 hits in the six games of the trip so far to go with five homers

Mike Epping's leadoff homer was the 16th of his Beach Bums career, tying him with Brad Vericker for the team's career mark

Andrew Franco pinch hit for Brandon McArthur in the 11th and struck out; McArthur had his five-game hitting streak come to a close; Andrew Stafford entered defensively in the bottom of the inning

The Beach Bums have posted 79 hits in the first six games of the trip, having put 10 or more on the board in all but one game

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Frontier League Stories from August 23, 2009


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