Bums Fall in Extra Innings to Joliet

May 21, 2016 - Frontier League (FL)
Traverse City Beach Bums News Release


TRAVERSE CITY, MI - The Traverse City Beach Bums'(2-5) lost their first extra inning game of the 2016 season to the Joliet Slammers(4-5), by a final score of 6-5 in 10 innings.

The Beach Bums got on the board early with a quick first inning burst, started by a one out double by Will Kengor. Two batters later, Steven Patterson ripped an RBI single by up the middle to plate Kengor. Brandon Thomasson made it 2-0 when he slammed an RBI to right-center field to score Patterson.

After both teams went scoreless in the next four innings, the scoring resumed in the sixth and didn't stop until the end. Joliet's Marc Flores reached on a one out error by Patterson and then Boo Vasquez blasted a two run homer over the right field wall, tying the game in one swing. The Bums fought right back in the bottom of the frame as Ryan Bottger was walked and Wesley Wallace was hit by a pitch. Reliever Chris Rice came in to pitch and struggled with his command, walking Jeremy to load the bases, and Jeff DeBlieux to give the Bums the lead. Just a few pitches later, with Kengor at the plate, Rice fired one to the backstop, and with that wild pitch, Wallace scored to make it 4-2 for Traverse City.

In the 7th, Joliet started to chip away at the deficit. Melvin Rodriguez hit a one out single, followed by walks to Charlie White and Phil Bates, loading the bases. Alfredo Rodriguez then hit a fly ball to left, scoring Melvin Rodriguez on the sacrifice, cutting the Bums' lead in half. Joe Staley led off the top of the 8th with a single and Boo Vasquez walked, putting more pressure on the Bums. Carter hit a short bouncer on the left side of the infield but the throw ticked off of Jose Vargas' glove, allowing Staley to score from second and tie the game.

The Slammer took their first lead of the night, in the top of the ninth, as White led off the inning with a single. Phil Bates, trying to bunt White over to second, beat out the throw from the pitcher for a single. After an Alfredo Rodriguez pop-out, Marc Flores hit a fly ball to medium left field. Ryan Bottger charged it as he caught and fired to the plate, but White scored and gave Joliet a 5-4 lead. With one out in the bottom of the inning, Brandon Thomasson hit his second double of the night then came in to score when Nate Causey rolled a single into right field to tie the game. After Tyler Peterson came in to run for Causey, he tried to make it to third on a Bottger single but was thrown out, effective killing the rally, and sending the game into extra innings.

Carter Bell, in the tenth inning and with one away, got on base with a single to right field. Then, two batters later, Melvin Rodriguez hit a shot down the right field line, giving the Slammers a 6-5 lead. After two quick outs in the bottom on the inning, Kengor slammed the Bums' first triple of the season into the right-center field gap, but that's as close as they would come. Jose Vargas came up and hit the ball hard up the middle but it was slowed down by the pitcher, right to the second basemen, who threw to first to end the game.

Kevin McNorton(1-0), who blew the save in the 9th, earned the win by hanging on in the 10th. Luke Barker gave up single runs in both the 9th and 10th, suffered his first loss of the season, dropping to 0-1. Dylan Stoops got the start for the Bums and went a solid 5 2/3 innings, allowing two unearned runs and striking out four.

The Beach Bums return to action tomorrow evening for the rubber game of this three game series against Joliet. On the mound for the Slammers will be Spencer Medick, and Michael Shreves will take the hill for the Beach Bums. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05pm. Tom Willms will have the Miller Lite Pre-Game Show at 4:45pm, on 101.9- The Bay. Gates open at 3pm, so get your tickets at tcbeachbums.com.



Frontier League Stories from May 21, 2016


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