Homers power Beach Bums
Published on June 23, 2006 under Frontier League (FL)
Traverse City Beach Bums News Release
The Traverse City Beach Bums got a pair of third inning homeruns off the bats of Kevin Gergel and Steve Young helping to power the Beach Bums to a 12-2 win over the Florence Freedom.
The win was the team's seventh in a row at Wuerfel Park and fourth in a row overall.
The Beach Bums jumped all over Freedom starter Joey Watts scoring four runs in the first innings. With one out, Nathan Gravley hit a lazy fly ball to right. However, Reggie Watson and Jerred Novotny were unable to communicate on who should catch the ball as Watson wound up dropping the ball allowing Gravley to reach second. Nick Batkoski then singled to send home Gravley and make it 1-0.
However, Traverse City was not done there. Brad Vericker was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Following a fly out by Doug Garcia moving Batkoski to third, Al Roach walked to load the bases. John Engers hit an infield single to score Batkoski and make it 2-0. A walk to Kevin Gergel forced in another run to make it 3-0. Justin Holmes capped the scoring with a single, plating Roach and giving TC a 4-0 lead.
Florence would score a run in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. However, the Beach Bums put the game away in the bottom half of the inning as they broke out the power sticks in a big way. Doug Garcia led off with a single. After he stole second, Al Roach ripped a double into left field, scoring Garcia giving Traverse City a 5-1 lead. After a pop out, Kevin Gergel crushed a Joey Watts fastball for a no doubt homerun, his first of the season and a 7-1 TC lead.
A pitching change did not help the fortunes of the Freedom as Justin Holmes worked a walk off of reliever Mike DeMark. Steve Young, who had gone 0-for-2 against Watts turned around to the left side of the plate to hit off the right-hander DeMark. Young then turned around on a DeMark fastball as he muscled up on his first homerun since August 23, 2004 giving the Beach Bums a 9-1 lead.
The fifth inning saw the Beach Bums up the lead again. The big shot that propelled Traverse City was a two-run double by the newest Beach Bum, Brad Vericker to make it 12-1 Traverse City. Florence tacked on a run in the sixth with the help of a hit and a Beach Bums error to make the final score 12-2.
Steve Shippey (4-1) picked up the win for the Beach Bums as he went six innings, allowing one earned run. Kory Bucklew came in and pitched the final three innings for his first professional save.
Frontier League Stories from June 23, 2006
- Two Run Rally Ends with Bases Loaded Walk as Rascals Fall to ThunderBolts 4-3 - River City Rascals
- Thunderbolts walk off with a win - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Chillicothe shuts out RiverHawks, 4-0 - Rockford RiverHawks
- Otters lose to Kings - Evansville Otters
- Grizzlies lose third straight - Gateway Grizzlies
- Homers power Beach Bums - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Local Charities to Win Big at Champion Window Field - Florence Y'alls
- Beach Bums Trade Outfielder Kevin White - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Florence Swept by Rockford - OSC Original by Andrew Kappes
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