Traverse City Record-Eagle

August 20, 2012

Bums win series finale

TC erupts for five runs in 7th inning to break open game

from staff reports
----

TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Beach Bums erupted for five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning Sunday to beat River City 6-2 in the finale of a three-game Frontier League series at Wuerfel Park.

The Beach Bums were nursing a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh when Matt Serna singled in two runs to give the Rascals a 2-1 edge.

That lead did not last long, however. In the bottom half of the seventh, Kyle Colligan singled in Jeff Flagg, who reached base on an error, to tie it. Then, after Sean Gusrang walked, Kyle Eveland delivered a two-run triple to give the Beach Bums a 4-2 lead. Traverse City added two more runs in the inning, plenty of cushion for reliever Matt Miller, who earned his sixth win.

The Beach Bums finished with just four hits in the contest. One was Flagg's 19th home run of the season, a solo shot in the fourth.

Reid Kelly started for Traverse City and worked into the seventh when he gave way to Miller with two on and two outs. Miller surrendered the two-run single to Serna, but then held the Rascals in check.

Traverse City won two of the three games in the series and finished a nine-game homestand 7-2. The Beach Bums own the league's best record at 55-29. They lead the East Division by 5 ½ games over Southern Illinois with 12 games left to play.

Traverse City now goes on the road for six, starting Tuesday at Normal. Jacob Clem (6-4, 2.85) gets the start for the Beach Bums, Ross Davis (1-0, 0.00) for the CornBelters.