Late Beach Bums Rally Falls Short
Published on August 31, 2007 under Frontier League (FL)
Traverse City Beach Bums News Release
TRAVERSE CITY, MI - The Traverse City Beach Bums rallied late, but suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Windy City ThunderBolts at Wuerfel Park on Friday night in front of 5,233.
Windy City opened a 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the second inning. Rob Marconi drove in the first run with a single and Wes Long came through with a two-out, two-run double off of Tony Casoli.
The ThunderBolts added another run in the fourth inning as Mike Coles drove home Amos Ramon with a basehit. Tony Casoli would leave the game in the fifth inning to a standing ovation from the crowd. Casoli officially announced his retirement effective at the end of the season. He threw 4.1 innings and struck out six in the veteran's final start for the Beach Bums following two seasons. Casoli was the Frontier League Pitcher of the Year in 2006 following a 13-3 season for the Beach Bums.
Phil Tognetti took over for Casoli and was unhittable. Tognetti pitched the final 4.2 innings and did not allow a hit. He walked two but posted a career best eight strikeouts and was chosen as the Beach Bums Player of the Game. Between Casoli and Tognetti, the Beach Bums posted 14 strikeouts, the most this season in a single game.
Shawn Phillips started for Windy City and kept the Beach Bums off-balance, allowing just two hits. Phillips left the game following seven innings despite having thrown under 100 pitches. The Beach Bums took advantage. Justin Holmes led off the eighth with a double down the left field line off of Mike Causey. With one out, Jeff Brown was hit by a pitch to place runners at first and second. Frontier League Reliever of the Year Matt Petty entered and R.C. Dickerson was able to reach on an error to bring the tying run to the plate. Zack Kalter drilled a triple into the right field corner to clear the bases and bring the Beach Bums within 4-3. Petty induced a ground out off the bat of Curtis Ledbetter to end the eighth, and struck out the side in the ninth to preserve the win and tally his league leading 25th save.
Traverse City finished with just four hits in the game as Curtis Ledbetter's team record and Frontier League high 25-game hitting streak came to a close.
The Beach Bums are down to just two games to play in 2007, both at Wuerfel Park. Windy City visits again tomorrow night for a 7:05 pm game. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Beach Bums Season Memories Poster, and following the game the players will be available for the final autograph session of the season. LHP Tom Thornton (2-2, 4.64) starts for the Beach Bums against RHP Billy Phillips (8-5, 3.20). Tim Calderwood will broadcast the game on The Fox FM beginning with the Beach Bums On Deck Show at 6:45pm.
Frontier League Stories from August 31, 2007
- Rascals Take Home Finale From Gateway - River City Rascals
- Rascals Get Past Grizzlies - Gateway Grizzlies
- Late Beach Bums Rally Falls Short - Traverse City Beach Bums
- RiverHawks Survive 4-3 - Rockford RiverHawks
- James named to league's postseason all-star list - Rockford RiverHawks
- Two Rascals Awarded By Frontier League - River City Rascals
- Redmon and Basham Pickup Frontier League Awards - OSC Original by Andrew Kappes
- Haines Named Frontier League Manager of the Year - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Truck Raffle Better Bet Than Stocks - Gateway Grizzlies
- Grizzlies Nab Five Post-season Awards - Gateway Grizzlies
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