BEACH BUMS DRUB KINGS WITH SEASON HIGHS

7/27/2010 - KALAMAZOO, MI –- The Traverse City Beach Bums saw Jonny Bravo go a career long seven innings and C. J. Ziegler drive in a single game, team record seven runs and as the Beach Bums recorded season highs in runs and hits with a 19-5 schellacking of the Kalamazoo Kings. Jonny Bravo is prctured in a John L. Russell file photo.

After both teams missed out on chances in the first quartet of innings, the Beach Bums finally cracked the scoreboard in the fifth by loading the bases in front of a Matt Brown single to score Andrew Marshall and Jason Codiroli for a 2-0 Beach Bums lead.

It was only the beginning for Traverse City as one of the most surreal innings that anyone would ever see transpired with the Beach Bums plating 12 runs on six hits. Kalamazoo would commit five errors, walk four batters, throw two wild pitches in an inning that would last 42 minutes and see the Kings use three pitchers. Among the hits in the inning was an RBI double from C. J. Ziegler. Every Traverse City player would score at least one run in the frame as the Beach Bums batted around twice.

TC would tack on a run in the sixth as Andrew Marshall, playing in front of several members of his friends and family, hit his first professional homerun leading off the inning to stretch the Beach Bums lead to 13-0.

The Kings would rally four five runs in the eighth inning on five hits to slice the Traverse City lead to eight runs.

Traverse City would get the runs back and more in the ninth as the Beach Bums scored six runs, highlighted by a Ziegler grand slam to go up 19-5.

Nearly lost in the offense was a tremendous pitching performance by Jonny Bravo (3-0) who went a career long seven innings, shutting out the Kings on four hits. Guido Fonseca, Jr (1-5) took the loss for Kalamazoo.

Offensively, each of the 11 Beach Bums who stepped into the batters box scored at lease one run. Matt Brown, Ziegler, Jonathan Alia, Andrew Marshall and Chris Engell all had multi-hit games while Marshall, Ziegler, Brown and J. T. Hall all drove in multiple runs.

The Beach Bums return home for Grandparents Day, sponsored by Hope Village on a Winning Wednesday against the Oakland County Cruisers. Kevin Reese(6-6, 4.15) will start for the Beach Bums. The Cruisers’ starter has not been announced. For more information or tickets, call 943-0100. Business offices open at 8:30 am Monday through Friday, with the ticket office opening at 10:00 am.