BEACH BUMS WIN THIRD IN A ROW

6/27/2010 - TRAVERSE CITY, MI –- The Traverse City Beach Bums jumped out of the gates with a three-run first inning and never looked back as the Beach Bums defeated the Kalamazoo Kings 4-2 on Hagerty Insurance Collector Car Night at Wuerfel Park.

Just as he did the night before, Matt Brown got things started for the Beach Bums in the bottom of the first inning as he doubled to right-center. Kyle Eveland came up and delivered a single, bringing home Brown for a 1-0 Beach Bums lead. Two batters later, Chase Burch walked to put runners on first and
second. Following a strikeout, C. J. Ziegler also walked to load the bases. Making sure that Traverse City didn’t miss the opportunity, Bobby Spain waited through a first pitch changeup before lining a single past
Kings’ first baseman Matt Maloney, scoring a pair of runs and putting the Beach Bums up 3-0.

Kalamazoo would score a run in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Joseph Poulter to come back to 3-1. TC wasted no time in getting the tally back as two singles and a hit batsman once again loaded the bases. Burch walked for the second time in the game, this time driving in a run in the process for a 4-1 Beach Bums advantage.

The game would stay at the three run margin until the sixth when Steve Malvagna delivered an RBI single for the Kings, scoring Matt Maloney to cut the TC lead to two. Michael Moore was able to work out of the inning with nothing more across and handed the two-run cushion to the bullpen.

The relief pitching for Traverse City responded, blanking Kalamazoo over the final three frames. David Slovak offered up two scoreless, hitless innings, while Scott Mueller recorded a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save of
the year, ending the game by getting J. J. Sferra to strike out.

Michael Moore (4-1) won his third straight start for the Beach Bums with six solid innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, striking out one. In his last three starts, Moore is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA over 19 innings and
currently sits ninth in the league with a 2.77 ERA overall. Bernard Robert allowed all four Traverse City runs over 6.2 innings in dropping to 0-4 on the year.

The Beach Bums wrap up the series against the Kings on Super Ticket 2-for-1 Monday with a special appearance by the Blue Angels crew at the ballpark where they will be signing autographs and interacting with fans. Enrique Lechuga (1-3, 4.65) gets the ball for TC against Josh Whitlock (0-3, 5.51) for Kalamazoo. Game time it set for 7:05 p.m. For more information or tickets, call 231-943-0100 or visit tcbeachbums.com.

Bobby Spain chats with first base coach Matt Pulley after hitting what would be his game winning hit. John L. Russell photograph.