ALIA HOMERS, BEACH BUMS FALL

7/25/2010 - KALAMAZOO, MI – A homerun by newcomer Jonathan Alia was the highlight of the game as the Traverse City Beach Bums fell to the Kalamazoo Kings 3-1 on Sunday night. John Russell file photo.

The Kings got on the board in the bottom of the first inning as J. J. Sferra scored an unearned run, coming in on a sac fly off the bat of Brendan Murphy for a 1-0 Kalamazoo lead. The Kings pushed the lead to 3-0 in the fifth when a throwing error and another sacrifice fly, this time from Eric Suttle, put Kalamazoo up 3-0. The Beach Bums avoided further damage in the inning when Matt Brown, for the fourth time this season, gunned down a runner at the plate trying to score on a flyout. It was Brown’s ninth overall outfield assist on the year.

Traverse City cracked the scoreboard in the seventh when Alia took an 0-1 pitch over the left-centerfield wall to cut the Kings’ lead to 3-1. That was as close as the Beach Bums would get, however, as Bernard Robert (2-6) closed the door in that inning. Kalamazoo then got two good innings out of the bullpen to preserve the victory.

Michael Moore (5-2) took the loss for TC going 4.1 innings allowing one earned run. Trent DeLazzer came in and was fantastic, going 3.2 scoreless innings allowing just one hit.

Offensively, Michael Diaz had two hits and Matt Brown reached base three times, extending his team record streak to 34 consecutive games in which he has reached base via either a hit, a walk or a hit batsman.

Game two of the series comes up on Monday as Ryan Platt (7-1, 2.20) takes the mound for the Beach Bums against Joe DiPietro (3-7, 6.44) for the Kings. The Beach Bums return home for Grandparents’s Day and a Winning Wednesday against the Oakland County Cruisers on Wednesday evening. For more information or tickets, call 943-0100 or log on to www.tcbeachbums.com.