Otters lose to Bums
Published on August 4, 2006 under Frontier League (FL)
Evansville Otters News Release
Evansville, IN- Tony Casoli (11-2) made sure that the Traverse City Beach Bums (40-26) got out of town with at least one as Casoli threw his league leading sixth complete game of the season as Traverse City won on Friday at Bosse Field over the Evansville Otters (31-34) by a final of 6-2.
Casoli threw 114 pitches in his nine innings, allowing just two unearned runs to Evansville on six hits, three of which came in the last two innings for the Otters. Otter starter Landon Brazell (4-5) took his third straight defeat meanwhile as both he and the Otters continued to struggle with their control as Brazell went five and two third innings, allowing six runs (four earned) with four walks and four strikeouts. The two teams combined to use just three pitchers, with Otter lefty Eric Shaffer going the final inning and a third, allowing no runs on three hits.
Traverse City was the team on Friday that set the tone early, scoring a run in the first against Brazell and the Otters. A one out walk to Clay Blevins was followed by a bouncer up the middle that with the runner in motion, put men at first and third for Nick Batkoski, who hit one of his two sacrifice flies of the night to bring home Blevins for the game's first run.
The Beach Bums had their biggest inning of the series however in the second, as the frame started with a hit batter and a bloop single to put runners at first and second with no one out. Nathan Gravley then hit a come-backer to Brazell in what looked to be a double play ball. Landon's throw to second base was low however, allowing a run to score and keep the runners at first and second. After a bunt moved the runners to second and third, Mike Reese hit a two run scoring single to center to put Evansville in a sizeable hole early, down 4-0.
Casoli would dazzle the Otters for the next few frames, allowing just one hit in his first five innings on the hill. He did not face more than five batters in any of his nine innings and it took until the Otter eighth inning before he allowed more than two hits in a frame.
Evansville did plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, when down 1-0 with Kyle Smith at first and one out, Brian McKenna hit a chopper to third that looked to be a sure out. Batkoski was wild with his throw to first however for a three base error, sending Smith home and putting McKenna at third, where Jeff Goldbach brought him home from with a sacrifice line out to center.
Frank Scott was the only Otter on the night to have a multi-hit night, going 2-3 in the losing cause. Scott has now hit safely in nine straight games, the second longest streak of his 2006 season. Traverse City center fielder Doug Garcia was 3-5 meanwhile to lead the Traverse City offense.
Evansville still took the series two games to one with their wins on Wednesday and Thursday, and now prepare for their second Michigan team of the home stand, the Kalamazoo Kings who are of course the defending champs of the league. Evansville was swept in Kalamazoo from June 23-25 in a series that saw the Kings hit ten home runs in the three game set, compared to just two for Evansville. It was also the site of the evening in which Evansville's bullpen was hit for a four run ninth inning to lose a game the Otters led 7-3 going to the last frame.
The Otters will start left-hander Cody Blackard on the hill in the opener of the series. Cody is coming off of a win in Rockford in his last start. The Kings meanwhile are being very tight lipped about their rotation, so it will be a wait and see kind of opener on Saturday at Bosse Field.
Frontier League Stories from August 4, 2006
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