08/25/2007

Bums get 'walk' off win over the Paints

TC pushes across run in eighth to top Chillicothe

FROM STAFF REPORTS

TRAVERSE CITY — A disputed ball-four call pushed across the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning and gave the Traverse City Beach Bums a 3-2 baseball win over the Chillicothe Paints on a rainy Friday night at Wuerfel Park.

The Bums have won six of their last seven Frontier League games to improve to 41-46, the closest they've been to the .500 mark since June 21.

Chillicothe is also 41-46.

After the visiting Paints tied the game 2-2 on Travis Garcia's RBI double in the top of the eighth inning, Traverse City loaded the bases with one in the bottom half of the frame.

Brad Roblin singled, Brad Vericker was intentionally walked and Aaron Garza reached on an infield single. Following a force out at the plate, Sam Orr walked on a 3-1 pitch to score Vericker. Chillicothe pitcher Eric Teall argued that the pitch was low, and Teall was eventually ejected along with teammate J.T. Thomas, a former Beach Bum.

Tyler Meigs (1-0), who allowed Garcia's game-tying double, got the final three outs in the ninth to seal the victory. He struck out Travis Storrer with the tying run aboard to end it.

Traverse City jumped out a 2-0 lead in the sixth. Jeff Brown singled, moved to second on an error, went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Steve Young's single. Then Young swiped second and eventually scored on a throwing error.

Jon Poterson's RBI single in the seventh off TC starter Ryan Gehring pulled Chillicothe to within a run.

Gehring allowed one run and eight hits in seven innings before being relieved by Brett Bostelman.

Prior to Friday's game, the Beach Bums activated pitcher Tony Casoli from the injured list. Casoli, the 2006 Frontier League Pitcher of the Year, will start Sunday at Rockford.

Casoli is 3-6 with a 6.31 earned-run average in 13 starts. To make room for Casoli, the Bums placed left-handed reliever Jared Locke on the injured list.