Slammers Give Bums the Rush

The Joliet Slammers (13-12) took a 6-0 lead and survived a furious Traverse City Beach Bums (12-14) rally to win by a score of 7-4 Friday night.

Bobby Leeper walked to start the first inning. He got hung up on a throw to first but advanced to third on an error. Brad Netzel then drove him in for the game's first run. Josh Flores doubled Netzel to third and Erik Lis singled both runners hope to extend the lead to 3-0.

Another lead-off walk burned the Beach Bums in the second. This time it was Sean Estand getting the free pass. Lee Rubin would reach on a fielder’s choice and error. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners over and Leeper continued to do the little things well with a sacrifice fly and Joliet had a 4-0 advantage.

Kevin Crimmel minimum through the first 3 2/3. He finally gave up a two-out single in the fourth but would get out of the inning without any damage.

The fifth inning started quietly enough as the first two Slammers hitters were retired. But Netzel singled with two away and Flores unloaded on a pitch for his second home run of the season.

An error opened the door for Traverse City in the sixth. Matt Brown doubled in a run and he’d score on a J.T. Hall single to cut the lead to 6-2. The Beach Bums put runners at the corners following a single but Crimmel got out of the inning with a strikeout.

The Slammers got an insurance run in the seventh. Rubin got things going with a single. One out later Leeper reached on an error and the Slammers would score the run on a RBI grounder from Netzel.

Reliever Chuck Lukanen got in some trouble in the bottom half of the frame. Back-to-back walks to start the inning set up Jason Codiroli who doubled in a run. Brown followed with a RBI ground-out and the Slammers’ lead was down to 7-4. Lukanen struck-out the next batter though and was out of the inning without any further damage.

Aaron Dott worked around a one-out walk and struck-out the side in the eighth. Aaron Quigley then struck out two in the ninth while picking up his seventh save of the season.

Quigley drove 10 hours the previous day to rejoin the team after his failed physical with the Nationals’ organization.

The Slammers send former Chicago Cub Billy Petrick (1-4, 4.71 ERA) to the mound Saturday night against the Beach Bums. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m.