The River City Rascals (32-29) scored ten runs in their final four innings and totaled 12 runs on
17 hits to finish off the series sweep over the Traverse City Beach Bums (24-35), 12-1, Sunday
evening at CarShield Field.
The offensive showcase marked the fourth straight game that the Rascals tallied double digit
hits and they received multiple hits by five different individuals.
Josh Ludy led the way with four hits, including three for extra-bases and the first hit of his stellar
night came in the second inning with a two-run round tripper over the right field wall.
“I got a 3-1 count in my first at-bat and put a good swing on it,” Ludy said. “The home run set the
tone for the rest of the day and I felt great the whole game.”
Fourth year catcher, Ludy, was also a big part of the success on the opposite side of things as
he was behind the plate for a quality start from Hector Hernandez.
Earning his fifth win of the year, Hernandez finished with 6.2 innings allowing a run, earned, on
five hits and struck out seven. The southpaw held the opponent scoreless through the first six
innings and the Beach Bums lone run came via a RBI double from Alexis Rivera in the seventh.
“The game plan was to attack the zone and try to create early contact to keep my pitch count
low,” Hernandez said.
He had a narrow 2-0 lead until the Rascals bats broke out for good in the fifth inning as they
sent eight batters to the plate and struck for four runs to take a 6-0 lead.
The first of the four runs came from Jimmy Kerrigan on a RBI double to score Brandon Thomas
and then Kerrigan, along with Johnny Morales, darted home on a ball ripped down the third
base line from Rascals All-Star Josh Silver to give him RBI number 35 and 36 on the year.
Mike Jurgella scored the final run of the frame on an error on Beach Bums catcher Jeremy
Stidham and that would also be the final frame for the opponent’s starting pitcher Augie
Gallardo.
Jason Merjano hit his second home-run in as many days to lead off the bottom of the sixth to
extend the Rascals lead to 7-0 and then the largest inning of the night came after the stretch.
Beach Bums reliever Devin Over struck out his first batter but allowed five of the next six to
reach and got tagged for five runs in the frame.
Ludy’s fourth hit of the night, a RBI double to left center, accounted for the first run and two
batters later he scampered home via a single from Merjano.
The RBI from Merjano gave him his second straight multi-RBI game and he finished the series
with seven hits in 12 at-bats.
The highlight of the inning was Jimmy Kerrigan’s two out, three-run home run to finalize the 12
run, 17 hit night.
“It was fun to hit tonight because everybody else in the lineup was hitting well and it made it
easier to get up to the plate and be aggressive,” Kerrigan said.
Kerrigan and Merjano both finished with three hits and Kerrigan was the RBI leader with four.
The Rascals 17 hits marked the second time this series reaching that number and in total the
Rascals outscored Traverse City 32-6 during the three game sweep.
River City looks to bring that offensive dominance on the road with them as they depart Monday
morning for a six-game road trip to face off against a pair of Eastern Division opponents.
The road trip opener is against Lake Erie on Tuesday and first pitch is scheduled for 10:05 a.m.
