08/01/2007

Beach Bums outlast Otters

Garza's sac fly in 12th wins it for Traverse City

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Record-Eagle/
Douglas Tesner
Evansville’s Matthew Reynolds is called out while trying to steal home, despite knocking the mask off TC catcher Curtis Ledbetter.

TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Beach Bums are going to have a hard time walking off to August.

Aaron Garza tagged up and scampered home on a 12-inning fly ball from Jeff Brown as the Bums turned the calendar by claiming their fifth walk-off victory of July, 4-3 over the Evansville Otters on Tuesday night at Wuerfel Park.

Traverse City improved its record to 27-37, while the visiting Otters fell to 24-40.

The Beach Bums' bullpen came up big, as the trio of Nick Pepper, Tyler Meigs and Jared Locke combined to pitch six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Each hurler went two frames, with Pepper allowing two hits, Meigs none and Locke four.

Locke (1-1) was credited with the win after working out a huge jam in the top of the 12th. Evansville's first three batters reached base, but Locke got out of it with two pop-outs and a strikeout.

The Otters stranded 13 batters — six in scoring position in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings.

They out-hit Traverse City 10-6.

The Bums made the most of their opportunities, scoring single runs in the second, third and fourth innings on an RBI triple by Kyle Bradburry (celebrating his birthday), an RBI single by Curtis Ledbetter and a suicide squeeze by Brown that scored Aaron Garza.

Garza had two hits in the contest.

Jon Lewis (2-3) was the losing pitcher.

Phil Tognetti started for Traverse City, allowing three runs in six innings.

The teams complete their season series tonight at 7:05 p.m.

TRADE COMPLETED: The Beach Bums completed a trade with Gateway for Jeff Vincent by receiving right-handeder Jeremy Dow from the Grizzlies as the player to be named.

Dow was 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in 14 games for Gateway.