BEACH BUMS THROTTLE CRUISERS

7/28/2010 - TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Chris Engell drove in four runs and Jonathan Alia hit a two-run eighth inning homer as the Traverse City Beach Bums took game one of a three game showdown against the Oakland County Cruisers by an 8-1 final. John L. Russell captured Chris Engell hitting his 8th inning 2 RBI double in the above photograph.

Held hitless into the bottom of the third, the Beach Bums made the most of their first opportunity as Jason Codiroli doubled down the leftfield line, followed by an Engell single to put TC up 1-0. Oakland County would tie the game in the succeeding half inning as Robbie Tolan tripled home Luis Fernandez to tie the game at 1-1.

The Cruisers threatened again in the fifth as Zach Pace led off with a single and moved up on a sacrifice. Jeremy Jones singled into rightfield. Pace was waved home, but Matt Brown displayed his cannon-like arm again, nailing Pace for his 10th outfield assist of the season – his seventh at home plate – to preserve the tie.

Traverse City would start to take over in the bottom of the sixth as a J.T. Hall sac fly scored Michael Diaz for a 2-1 lead. The Beach Bums would pad the lead in the seventh as Engell reached on an error to score Alia for a 3-1 advantage.

TC would put the game to bed in the eighth. With J.T. Hall on second and two out, Jonathan Alia hit his first Wuerfel Park homerun to expand the Beach Bums lead to four. Andrew Marshall was then hit by a pitch and Jason Codiroli walked to put two on with two out before Engell roped a double down the
line in left, breaking it open to 7-1. A Matt Brown double scored Engell to round out the scoring.

The pitching was also strong for the Beach Bums as Kevin Reese (7-6) picked up the win going seven innings, scattering eight hits, allowing one run while striking out six. Scott Dunn pitched the final two innings for his third save, striking out the side in the ninth. Andres Esquibel (5-3) took the loss for Oakland County.

The win pulls Traverse City to within 5.5 games of Oakland County in the standings. The Beach Bums also got help from Kalamazoo and Washington as they defeated Windy City and Lake Erie respectively to put TC up two games on the ThunderBolts and 3.5 games on the Crushers.

The Beach Bums continue the series against the Cruisers with Halloween Night on a Thirsty Throwback Thursday. Fans who come dressed in a halloween costume can receive $1 off a chairback seat. Enrique Lechuga (5-3, 3.59) will start for the Beach Bums against Wayde Kitchens (4-2, 3.17) for Oakland County. For more information or tickets, call 943-0100 or log on to www.tcbeachbums.com.