07/18/2007

Beach Bums rally from 4-0 deficit for win

Team dedicates victory to Nelson

BY JAMES COOK

jcook@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Brad Vericker came through in the clutch, launching a game-winning, walk-off single to halt a three-game Traverse City Beach Bums losing skid.

And it couldn't have come at a better time.

With the bases loaded and in a game the team dedicated to recently-retired reliever Jack Nelson, who left the team to be with his cancer-striken father, the Bums won 7-6 in a contest in which the Vericker capped off a 3-for-5 night with a single over the head of Rob Vernon to end the game.

"I've been struggling pretty much all year long,” Vericker said. "Any time you can help your team win, it's a good thing. We wanted to do this for Jack and his family.”

Vericker worked a full count with the bases loaded, then located a Gus Hlebovy fastball down the middle to end the come-from-behind win in front of 3,388 fans.

"We played our best game of the year,” Bums manager Jon Cahill said. "Tony (Casoli) started rocky, but he came back to shut them down.

"Those key hits we got, we weren't getting them earlier in the season. And we got them from some guys they weren't coming from as well.”

Traverse City scored three times in the final two innings to complete the comeback.

"Emotionally, it's a big win for us,” Cahill said. "I know Jack's family listens to all the games on the radio, so we were just trying to win some games for Jack and his family.”

Justin Holmes greeted Washington closer Hlebovy by lashing a two-run triple down the right-field line to give the Beach Bums their first lead of the game in the bottom of the eighth.

Washington knotted up the game in the top of the ninth, as Vernon scored on a fielder's choice by Matt Sutton.

TC loaded the bases in the ninth on a fielder's choice, a single by Sam Orr — his third hit of the game — and a hit batter to set the stage for Vericker.

"We've been losing a lot of close games, too,” Vericker said. "So it was good to pull one out. Hopefully this gets us going.”