08/17/2006

Roach delivers game-winning hit in 11th

BY DENNIS CHASE

dchase@record-eagle.com

Record-Eagle/Douglas Tesner
Despite a plea by Rockford's Jason James, he's out at second base in front of Beach Bums' Justin Holmes (14).

TRAVERSE CITY — Al Roach was waiting for a fastball.

And that's what Jason James delivered.

Roach ripped a James fastball into the gap in left-center field to score Nick Batkoski in the bottom of the 11th inning Wednesday night to give the Traverse City Beach Bums a 4-3 win over the Rockford RiverHawks at Wuerfel Park.

"I was looking for a fast ball on the first pitch because that's what he was throwing the entire inning," Roach said. "He was trying to get ahead (in the count) with a fast ball — and I was sitting on it."

The win keeps the Beach Bums in second place in the Frontier League's East Division behind Chillicothe. Traverse City and Rockford meet in the third and deciding game in the series tonight.

"Hopefully we can do the same thing (today) that we did tonight," Roach said.

Batkoski led off the 11th with a walk. He advanced to second on Brad Vericker's sharp grounder to second. After Doug Garcia was intentionally walked, Roach drilled James' first offering in the gap.

"Huge," Beach Bums manager Jeff Isom said in describing the hit.

Isom said he was not surprised that the RiverHawks elected to walk Garcia.

"The base was open," he said. "It was lefty (Garcia) against lefty (James), but they were going to take a chance for a double play. Roach got a pitch that was up and he drove it. It was probably the hardest hit ball we had all night.

"This was a great all-around team win. I was happy with everybody's efforts."

Hunter Davis, who pitched a 1-2-3 top half the 11th, earned the win. Davis was the third pitcher Isom used in the game. Ryan Gehring went the first se ven innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits. Steve Shippey followed with three shutout innings.

The eighth inning nearly proved to be Traverse City's undoing — again. Former Detroit Tiger minor league prospect Bo Flowers scored on a wild pitch with one out to give the RiverHawks a 3-2 lead. But the Beach Bums rallied to tie it in the bottom half the frame when Steve Young singled, moved to second and third on pitches that eluded catcher Gooby Gerlits and scored on Vericker's grounder.

"It was a little scary," Roach admitted. "We only had six more outs. But we were able to get one in the eighth and finish it off in the 11th."

"We showed some resiliency," Isom added. "The chips were down, but our guys didn't hang their heads. They got it right back."

Vericker had a big night at the plate, collecting three hits and three RBIs.

The RiverHawks touched Gehring for two runs and eight hits in the first four innings.

The Beach Bums got one back in the bottom of the fourth. Batkoski's seond hit of the game opened the inning. Vericker then doubled him in.

Traverse City eventually tied the game in the sixth when Justin Holmes singled, took second on Young sacrifice and scored on Vericker's two-out single.