Traverse City Record-Eagle

Beach Bums

August 21, 2011

Bums fall to Slammers 5-3

Beach Bums trail Lake Erie by 1.5 games

From staff reports ----

Traverse City dropped a 5-3 decision to East Division leader Joliet, but the Beach Bums' playoff hopes remain alive and kicking.

The Beach Bums fall seven games out of first with the decision.

But the real fight now is for second place, where Traverse City trails second-place Lake Erie by 1.5 games. The Crushers dropped a 5-4 contest to Windy City, allowing TC to avoid losing more ground in the playoff hunt with 13 contests remaining. Nine of those 13 are at home and six are against last-place Rockford, so the schedule is beneficial.

Traverse City scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames.

Tom Zebroski led off the fourth with his third home run of the season and Chase Burch belted his 11th an inning later. Stephen Schults doubled in Zebroski in the sixth.

Josh Flores had an RBI double in the second for the Slammers, while former Beach Bum Kyle Maunus hit a two-run homer after Erik Lis' RBI single.

Neither starter lasted past the fifth inning. Traverse City's Bryan Banes went 4.2 innings and surrendered 10 hits and four runs, while his counterpart, Kevin Cirmmel didn't come out for the sixth. Crimmel allowed seven Beach Bums hits in five innings.

Joliet tacked on another run in the eighth to go into the ninth up 5-3.

Traverse City threatened in the ninth. Zack Pace started off with a lead-off hit by pitch, Burch struck out and Hall was also hit by a pitch. Jopse vargas and Matt Brown then struck out swinging to end the game.

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