Casoli notches sixth CG, Beach Bums win series finale
August 4, 2006 - Frontier League (FL)
Traverse City Beach Bums News Release
Tony Casoli won his eleventh game of the season, a complete game effort and Doug Garcia had three hits as the Traverse City Beach Bums won the final game of their series against the Evansville Otters 6-2.
The game was key for the Beach Bums in the East Division playoff race as Chillicothe beat Windy City 3-2 in 11 innings. Washington made things even tighter than before as the Wild Things swept a doubleheader from the River City Rascals. The East Division now has the top three teams separated by just one game, Chillicothe leading the Beach Bums by half a game with Traverse City ahead of Washington by half a game. It also gave TC a season series win over Evansville as they went 4-2 against the Otters in 2006.
The Beach Bums plated the first run of the game as it looked like the Traverse City of old in the first inning. Batting second, Clay Blevins drew a one out walk. With a 3-2 count of Brad Vericker, Blevins broke for second. The hit-and-run worked as Vericker singled through the moving infield and putting runners on the corners with one out. Nick Batkoski then hit a deep fly ball to right field. The sacrifice fly was deep enough to plate Blevins and give the Beach Bums a 1-0 lead.
Traverse City increased the lead in the second inning thanks to some timely hitting and some shaky defense from Evansville. Kevin Gergel led off by getting hit by a pitch. Jaziel Mendoza singled into centerfield to put runners on first and second. On an 0-1 count, Nathan Gravley, grounded sharply back to the mound. Evansville pitcher Landon Brazell fielded cleanly but then bounced his throw to second past shortstop Brian McKenna and into centerfield. When the dust had settled, the Beach Bums had runners on first and second with no outs and a 2-0 lead as Gergel scored on the error.
The next batter Steve Young sacrificed the runners to second and third where Mike Reese made sure that Evansville would not be let up off the mat for their defensive miscue. Reese singled sharply into centerfield, scoring both Mendoza and Gravley, giving Reese RBI numbers 24 and 25 on the season and a 4-0 TC lead.
The Beach Bums would extend the lead again in the sixth. The inning with one out and Mike Reese on first base, Clay Blevins knocked a single into right, moving Reese to third. An ill-advised pickoff attempt to first base to try to get Blevins from Otters' pitcher Landon Brazell went wide of first base, allowing Reese to score and moving Blevins to third. Brad Vericker walked to put runners on the corners with one out.
Coming up in the same situation that he was in for his first inning plate appearance, Nick Batkoski turned in the same result; a sacrifice fly to drive in Blevins and give the Beach Bums a 6-0 lead. For Batkoski it was his 46th RBI of the season, tying his with Doug Garcia for the team lead and for fourth in the league.
Evansville got their pair of runs in the sixth inning with the help of a throwing error and a sacrifice fly by Jeff Goldbach.
Casoli (11-2) went the route for the sixth time the season, tying him with Aaron Ledbetter of River City for the Frontier League lead. He allowed six hits and two unearned runs in going six or more innings for the 36th time in 42 career FL starts. Doug Garcia had a good game for the Beach Bums with three hits on the night for TC raising his average to .293. Mike Reese had a pair of RBI and his 27th stolen base of the season, the 70th of his career, putting him just one shy of 10th place all-time in the Frontier League.
Up next: The Beach Bums will make the short trip from Evansville to Florence for a three game series against the Freedom. Traverse City will send Ryan Gehring (5-4, 3.18) to the mound against a TBA starter for Florence. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. with coverage on 94.3 The Fox FM starting at 6:45.
Next home game: The Beach Bums will come home on Friday, August 11, where it will be a FANtastic Fireworks Friday. The Beach Bums will also give away the third in a series of five commemorative first year posters to the first 1,000 fans. For tickets, call 943-0100; stop by the Wuerfel Park ticket office 10-6 on non-gamedays or 10-2 on gamedays or log on to www.traversecitybeachbums.com.
Frontier League Stories from August 4, 2006
- Otters lose to Bums - Evansville Otters
- Washington Completes Doubleheader Sweep - Washington Wild Things
- Washington Breaks out the Brooms After 3-Game Sweep of Rascals - River City Rascals
- Casoli notches sixth CG, Beach Bums win series finale - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Eleventh inning error costs Bolts in Chillicothe finale - Windy City ThunderBolts
- RiverHawks lose to Florence for first time, 3-1 - Rockford RiverHawks
- Grizzlies drop finale to Kings - Gateway Grizzlies
- Wild Things Take Game One of Doubleheader over Rascals - Washington Wild Things
- Freedom Fall In Extras - OSC Original by Andrew Kappes
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