Traverse City Record-Eagle

Beach Bums

June 7, 2012

Bums rout RiverHawks

Whitmore comes within two outs of complete game win

from staff reports ----

TRAVERSE CITY — There was no need for Scott Mueller on Wednesday night.

The Beach Bums ace closer got the night off as Traverse City pounded Rockford 12-2 in a Frontier League game at Wuerfel Park.

Bennett Whitmore (1-1) came within two outs of a complete game victory. He gave up two runs on seven hits before Jason Mattilla came in to finish. Ziggie VanderWall (1-1) took the loss for Rockford.

The Beach Bums, who have now won four in a row and are 4-1 at home, broke open a 3-1 game with six runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Theron Minium had come to start the frame for Rockford and he hit the first two batters he faced. It didn't get much better for the RiverHawks. That inning included an error, wild pitch, walk and passed ball. The Beach Bums had two hits in the frame, an RBI single by Kyle Colligan and an RBI double by Chase Burch. Brian Heere and Jeff Flagg each drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Burch's double down the rightfield line was his 200th hit as a Beach Bum. He's the fourth player to accomplish that feat, joining Steve Young (217), Matt Brown (208) and J. T. Hall (202).

Traverse City put it away in the eighth with three more runs. Two came in on a bases-loaded single by Sean Gusrang. Marcus Nidiffer singled in the other.

The Beach Bums (11-6) collected eight hits, one a home run by Jose Vargas. Burch led the attack with two hits. Burch, Gusrang and Heere all drove in a pair of runs.

The Beach Bums will go for the sweep today. They'll send Jacob Clem to the mound opposite Cody Hallahan.

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