07/09/2007

Beach Bums open homestand with win over Sliders

Brown 3-for-5 to extend hitting streak to 7 games

TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Beach Bums opened a 13-game homestand with a 9-4 win over the Slippery Rock Sliders in front of 4,544 at Wuerfel Park on Saturday night.

The Beach Bums opened a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the second off of Slippery Rock starter Nick Tracy. Jeff Vincent led off the inning with an opposite-field double and Ben Ramsey followed with a single to put runners at first and third. With one away, Justin Holmes gave the Bums the lead with a single up the middle.

In the top of the third, Slippery Rock pushed across two runs to grab their only lead of the game. Nate Yoho drove in a run with a single and Phil Butch lifted a sacrifice fly to give the Sliders the momentary edge.

The Beach Bums pushed across five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-2 lead.

Ramsey and Sam Orr singled to start the frame. Holmes attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt but Slippery Rock pitcher Nick Tracy threw the ball away at third, allowing both Orr and Ramsey to score and give Traverse City the 3-2 lead. Zack Kalter drove in a run with a single and stole second following a Jeff Brown hit. Steve Young drove in two runs with a single up the middle and the Beach Bums were in control.

Traverse City added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. After three straight two-out walks issued by the third Slippery Rock pitcher, Jason Cline, Brown singled home a pair to extend the lead to 8-2.

Slippery Rock was able to pick up two unearned runs off of Bryan Rembisz in the top of the eighth to pull within 8-4, but an RBI double from Orr in the bottom of the inning ended the scoring.

Jack Nelson earned the win with two scoreless innings in relief of Phil Tognetti, who lasted four innings in his third start. Rembisz tossed two innings and struck out four, while Tyler Meigs threw the ninth, striking out two.

The Beach Bums finished with 14 hits in the game and every member of the starting lineup reached base at least once.

Brown was 3-for-5 with two RBI to extend his hitting streak to seven games and was named the player of the game. Kalter had two hits, a stolen base, an RBI, and a run scored. Young, Vincent, and Orr also finished with a pair of hits. Young was chosen as the defensive player of the game.