FROM STAFF REPORTS
KALAMAZOO -- Josh Short singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday night to lift the Kalamazoo Kings to a 5-4 Frontier League win over the Traverse City Beach Bums.
The Beach Bums (38-47) led 4-1 going into the eighth inning.
The first-place Kings (53-32) tied it in the eighth on RBI singles by Destan Makonnen, Amos Ramon and Matt Maloney. It was the first blown save this season by the Traverse City pitching staff.
Reliever David Hurst retired the first two batters in the ninth before Brendan Murphy, Makonnen and Short all singled to produce the winning run.
Starter Jason Kiley pitched a strong game for the Beach Bums, allowing one run on six hits in 6.2 innings.
Traverse City jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second when John Alonso and Andrew Franco singled to start the frame. Mike Victor was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brian Lapin singled to drive in Alonso. Franco came in on a wild pitch.
Short homered in the fourth to cut the lead to 2-1.
It stayed that way until the seventh when Traverse City's Brad Miller doubled, moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on an error. It went to 4-1 in the top of the eighth when Robby Alcombrack, Jorge Araiza and Miller put three singles together to score a run.
Traverse City finished with 14 hits. Araiza had three hits -- his first as a Beach Bum -- while Lapin, Miller, Alonso and Franco added two. Alonso has had 20 hits in the first seven games of the road trip.
Mike Epping set a club stolen base mark in the eighth when he was part of a double steal. It was his 39th swipe of the season, eclipsing the team record he set at 38 last year.
The teams resume their series tonight with Kevin Reese (7-6, 5.02) pitching for Traverse City and Tommy Meija (4-2, 3.96) for Kalamazoo.
