(CRESTWOOD, IL) – The ThunderBolts were unable to figure out Traverse City starter Kevin Reese and the Beach Bums evened the Frontier League East Division Series at one game apiece Friday night with a 9-2 win. The series moves to Traverse City Saturday.
The Beach Bums scored early with three runs in the first two innings. Matt Brown led off the ballgame with a double and scored on a Chase Burch sacrifice fly. In the second, the first four men reached base and RBI singles from Andrew Franco and Jonathan Alia gave the Beach Bums the 3-0 advantage.
The Bolts fought back with a two-run third. After Michael Torres began the inning with a walk, Nick Kuroczko followed up with a single and Brandon Anderson’s sac fly brought home Windy City’s first run.
Gilberto Mejia singled and Ryan Basham doubled to score Kuroczko, but Mejia was caught between third and home and was tagged out to end any further rally.
The Beach Bums very quickly reclaimed their three-run lead the next inning when Franco doubled and three straight Andrew Werner walks brought him home. Against reliever Richard Barrett, Michael Diaz’s sacrifice fly made the score 5-2.
Both offenses were silent from there. For the fifth time this year, Reese twirled a gem against the ThunderBolts, allowing two runs over seven innings. He picked up the win.
The Windy City bullpen was strong until the ninth. Rod Scurry allowed four runs on two hits, two walks, a strikeout wild pitch and a Gilberto Mejia error, cementing the final score at 9-2. Werner took the loss, allowing five earned runs in 3.1 innings.
Scott Mueller earned the save, going the final two innings.
The 1-1 best of five series heads to Traverse City Saturday night. Brent Solich (8-6) takes the hill for Windy City against Traverse City’s Michael Moore (9-6). The game begins at 6:05 CDT and can be heard onSportsjuice.com.
