Bums 9 Bolts 2
CRESTWOOD, IL – The ThunderBolts issued a season-high 11 walks and the Traverse City Beach Bums hit two home runs as they defeated the Bolts 9-2 at Standard Bank Stadium Saturday night.
The crowd of 2,213 was silenced early as the Beach Bums (12-25) scored twice in the first inning. Marcos Derkes singled and Tyler Murphy walked four straight hitters to give Traverse City the 2-0 lead.
Cody Keefer tripled in the second inning for the Bolts (22-15). He scored on Taylor Smart’s groundout and the lead was cut in half.
That was as close as the ThunderBolts would get, though, as Giancarlo Brugnoni homered in the third, making the score 3-1. With two outs in the fourth inning, the Bums struck again. Derkes tripled and Casey Rodrigue singled him home.
Jose Vargas’s fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot in the sixth, pushed Traverse City ahead 6-1. The next two batters walked before Ryan Bottger doubled them both home to put the game out of reach.
The ThunderBolts got their final run in the sixth inning. Ransom LaLonde was hit by a pitch and moved to third on Keefer’s single. Taylor Smart singled him in to make it 8-2.
The Beach Bums added one more in the eighth on a Brugnoni RBI double.
Dylan Stoops (4-1) pitched six innings and allowed two runs for the win. Murphy (2-1) gave up four runs in 3.2 innings and took his first loss.
Game three of the four-game series between the Bolts and the Bums is Sunday afternoon. It is Standard Bank Family Day at the park and fans will be allowed on the field after the game to play catch and get autographs. Mitchell Cody (0-2, 5.89) will start for Windy City against Traverse City’s Austin Bembnowski (Pro debut). First pitch from Standard Bank Stadium is scheduled for 2:05 and the broadcast can be heard on WXAV 88.3 FM and wxav.com.
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