06/30/2007

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Traverse City Beach Bums second baseman Jeff Brown scoops the ball to first baseman Brad Vericker (17) for an out during Friday night's game.

ThunderBolts zap Beach Bums' bats

TC swept in the four-game series

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Traverse City Beach Bums' Jeff Brown breaks his bat while grounding to second base in Friday's game against the Windy City ThunderBolts. The Beach Bums were held to four hits and suffered their first shutout of the season, 3-0.

TRAVERSE CITY — In the first three games of their Frontier League series against Windy City, the Traverse City Beach Bums were kept off the scoreboard until at least the seventh inning.

The ThunderBolts were two innings better on Friday night at Wuerfel Park.

Windy City shutout the Beach Bums for the first time this season, limiting Traverse City to just four hits in a 3-0 victory to complete a four-game road sweep.

The Central Division-leading Bolts (29-7) got all the runs they needed in the third inning as Scott Balster homered to right field off Tony Casoli (3-4). It was the first of the season for Balster.

Windy City tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth inning.

Phil Hawke led off the inning with a walk and Scott Billak followed with a single to left. Gilberto Meija advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt to chase Casoli. After an intentional walk to Josh Horn to load the bases, Brett Bostelman surrendered a RBI single to J.P. Lowen and then walked John McCarthy to force in another run.

Brock Hunton (4-0) pitched the first seven innings for Windy City. He limited Traverse City (13-23) to just three hits to Traverse City, but he did surrender five walks.

Mike Causey worked the final two innings to earn his second save.

With all the walks, Traverse City was able to get runners on base. But Windy City turned three double plays and left nine Bums stranded on the base paths.

Prior to the game, the Beach Bums announced the signing of rookie right-hand pitcher David Nathanson. To make room on the roster, Traverse City released left-hander Tim Dugan, who took the loss in a 17-1 loss in the first game of the series against Windy City on Tuesday. The game was the only action Dugan saw for TC.

Nathanson, who went 9-3 with a 3.04 ERA for Rollins College this season, will get the start for Traverse City on Sunday at Kalamazoo.

Traverse City will face the Kings in Kalamazoo tonight as well for the first of four meetings between the two rivals, the final two of which are Monday and Tuesday at Wuerfel Park.

Left-hander Ryan Gehring (2-3, 5.10 ERA) will get the start for Traverse City tonight. He'll be opposed by a familiar face as former Traverse City hurler Steve Shippey (0-4, 11.29) makes his first start for Kalamazoo after being released by the Beach Bums on Monday.