FROM STAFF REPORTS
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TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Beach Bums completed a sweep of Kalamazoo, gaining another game in the playoff race in the process Thursday.
Oakland County (49-38) defeated Windy City 5-4 in 10 innings. That result keeps the Beach Bums (49-38) in a second-place tie with the Cruisers, but also pulls them within two contests of the first-place Thunderbolts. Former Beach Bums player Kyle Maunus scored the winning run on a Luis Fernandez RBI single.
The Beach Bums start an important home series today against Oakland County, followed by a three-game set with division leader Windy City.
Chase Burch was 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run to lead off the sixth inning. The homer set a new single-season franchise record, breaking John Alonso's mark of 15 bombs set last season.
In the first inning, Mike Diaz singled and Burch walked. Diaz came in on a wild pitch by Joe DiPietro before Brad Miller doubled in J.T. Hall.
Kalamazoo added a run in the eighth before Scott Mueller came on to lock things down for his 14th save of the season.
Michael Moore improved his record to 8-5, throwing six scoreless innings and striking out four. David Slovak surrendered one run in 1.1 innings of work.
Jonathan Alia had a triple for the Beach Bums.
Charlie Lisk drove in three runs Thursday for Gateway, so Burch's homer also kept the Beach Bums' slugger in the league RBI lead by one.
