08/01/2006
Bums bounce back into first place
Gergel, LeMieux help TC take the series from Paints (Check out the Hi-lighted area in the middle of this article. And NO I didn't make this up)
Traverse City native David LeMieux fires a pitch to the plate during the Beach Bums’ 6-2 victory over the Chillicothe Paints at Wuerfel Park on Monday night. LeMieux allowed just one run in seven innings to improve to 3-0.
TRAVERSE CITY — An old Klingon proverb says that revenge is a dish best served cold.
With temperatures soaring the high 90s, Monday was far from cold, but Dave LeMieux froze the Chillicothe bats as the Traverse City Beach Bums took a 6-2 decision to leapfrog the Paints into first place in the East Division by a half game after Chillicothe had done the same the previous night.
The Bums took two of the three games in the series from the Paints as the two teams fought it out for the best mark in the league and the top spot in the division.
Kevin Gergel led the offensive charge, going 2-for-3 with four RBIs, a walk, a double and a stolen base.
"I've felt good all homestand," Gergel said. "I've been in a slump, so it feels good to contribute to the team and get a win.
"Chillicothe is a very good team, so to take two of three from them is big."
Chillicothe went through four different pitchers in the first three innings, as Paints coach and former Detroit Tigers player Glenn Wilson almost wore a path to the mound. Chillicothe is without a pitching coach after former Major Leaguer Johnny Ruffin resigned July 24 due to failure to register as a sexual offender in Ohio after a 1994 sexual battery case.
Wilson was ejected in the sixth inning after a heated and demonstrative argument with home plate umpire Bill Parker in which Wilson kicked dirt at Parker along the third-base path. Parker booted Wilson, who went back to the Paints dugout and refused to come out until base umpire Perry Costello summoned security. The crowd of 4,292 cheered loudly as Wilson was escorted from the field by three Beach Bums staffers.
"That was wild," Gergel said. "I think he was trying to get the team going. It's one of the better ones I've seen. I'm sure (what he said) was something good."
The Paints ended up going through six pitchers, with starter Ben Lovell (3-2) picking up the loss.
LeMieux gave up just four hits and a walk in seven strong innings to earn his third win and keep his record perfect at 3-0. Jason Furrow pitched the final two innings, striking out two and giving up a run in the ninth when Ryan Kane led off the inning with a triple and come home on a sacrifice by Travis Garcia.
The Bums opened the scoring in the first inning, thanks the three straight walks by Lovell, who didn't even make it through the opening frame before being pulled.
Batkoski, Garcia and Vericker each walked and Kevin Gergel's line-drive single to center field plated Batkoski and Garcia.
In the second, Steve Young's liner back to the mound found its way through the infield to bring in Justin Meagher from second. Meagher also walked to get on base, then stole second.
Gergel drove in his third run of the game with an RBI double in the third that scored Vericker. Young brought home Meagher with an infield single in the sixth .
The series win is big going into the August and September playoff stretch. TC was just 9-8 since the All-Star break before Monday's win.
Young was 3-for-5 on the day, and Vericker had a 2-for-3 night in his return after missing about a week with a dislocated finger.