07/10/2007

Beach Bums are bloodied by Sliders, but not beaten

Kalter's walk-off HR ends it; Orr sent to hospital

BY JEFF PEEK

jpeek@record-eagle.com

Record-Eagle/Tyler Sipe
Traverse City's Sam Orr is assisted off the field after being injured in a collision at first base Monday.

TRAVERSE CITY — Sam Orr got clobbered.

Seven innings later, Zack Kalter delivered an even bigger blow.

Orr, making his first start at first base for the Traverse City Beach Bums, received a deep cut to his head and had to be taken to the hospital after a collision with Slippery Rock outfielder Jon Dandridge on Monday night.

Orr, who needed 10 stitches to close the cut, was on his way back to Wuerfel Park and was listening to the game on the radio when Kalter led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk-off home run to defeat the Sliders, 4-3.

The win completed a three-game sweep for the Bums, who enter the All-Star break with an 18-28 record.

"I was just looking for something to hit,” said Kalter, who ripped a 2-0 fastball over the fence in right and was mobbed by his teammates afterward. "The funny thing is, when I came to the plate the umpire said, "I won't be mad if you hit a home run right here.' And I said, 'I wouldn't, either.'

"It happened so fast,” Kalter said. "I've only had one other walk-off homer in my life, and that was in high school.”

The home run sent the crowd of 3,231 home happy and capped a big night for the former Toronto Blue Jays prospect. Kalter went 3-for-5 and tied the game 3-3 with a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth inning after the Sliders committed an error to keep the inning alive.

Too often this summer, that scenario has been reversed.

"We've had some bad breaks,” Kalter said. "But the whole season can't go against us.”

Orr was injured during Slippery Rock's two-run second inning. D.J. Dixon and Bernie Dennis led off with back-to-back singles against TC starter Tony Casoli. John Dandridge then layed down a bunt to Casoli, whose throw to Orr was off line — and into the path of the 6-foot-6, 240-pound outfielder.

Dandridge and Orr collided, and Orr hit the dirt face first. Orr said he wasn't sure what had happened until he saw blood pooling inside his cap and on the ground.

Orr's wife, Kristen, who also works for the team, looked on in horror. Kalter, one of Orr's best friends on the team, ran in from right field to check on him.

"All I saw was blood,” Kalter said. "I thought, 'This can't be good.' But once he sat up and started talking, it was the same old Sam.”

Orr said he was more worried about the condition of the sunglasses he was wearing — he borrowed them from teammate Brad Vericker — and the fact that his plans for the All-Star break were ruined.

"No wake-boarding for me, I guess,” Orr said.

Casoli allowed one earned run in 6&1/3 innings and didn't figure into the decision. Relievers Jared Locke (1&2/3 innings) and Brett Bostelman (1 inning) followed and didn't allow a hit the rest of the way. Bostelman earned the win, his first as a professional.

In addition to Kalter's performance, Ben Ramsey went 2-for-3.

Traverse City and Slippery Rock play another three-game series at Wuerfel Park beginning Friday night.