TRAVERSE CITY, MI – The Traverse City Beach Bums scored in all but two innings, erasing the ThunderBolts’ strong start in a 12-4 Bolts loss at Wuerfel Park Saturday night.
The ThunderBolts jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the top of the first on four hits. With two outs, Evan Button and Max White came up with back-to-back RBI singles.
Yazy Arbelo’s solo homer in the bottom of the first quickly cut the lead in half but Garrett Carey answered with his first career home run in the top of the second to once again put the Bolts ahead 3-1.
They would not lead again, though, as the Beach Bums scored three runs in the second and never looked back. Kevin Taylor’s RBI double made it 3-2 and George Barber’s two-run home run gave them a 4-3 lead.
Traverse City added three more runs in the third. Josh Miller singled and later scored on a wild pitch and Barber and Jake Rhodes came up with RBI singles to make the score 7-3.
The ThunderBolts got one back in the fourth when White and Carey each singled in front of Doug Joyce, who scored White on a base hit to make it 7-4.
That would be the last ThunderBolts run as the Beach Bums continued to pour on the offense. In the fifth, Taylor hit a solo homer and Greg Harisis had an RBI single. The following inning, the Bums got some help as Jovan Rosa walked and scored on a wild pitch. Miller reached on a dropped third strike and scored on a balk to give them an 11-4 lead. Their final run came on a Rosa RBI single in the eighth.
Travis McGee (0-1) made his first ThunderBolts start and allowed seven runs in 2.1 innings for the loss and Ian MacDougall (2-2) allowed four runs on 10 hits in a career-long six innings for the win.
The ThunderBolts will try to avoid the sweep in Traverse City on Sunday. In game three against the Beach Bums, the Bolts will send Travis Tingle (4-2, 4.23) to the mound against Traverse City’s Rusty Shellhorn (2-0, 3.67). First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 and the broadcast can be heard on WXAV 88.3 FM and wxav.com.
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