vs. Granada, July 26, 1997

vs. Nine Inch Snails, August 2, 1997

vs. Connecticut Yankees, August 9, 1997

BEAT COMES BACK TO TIE SEASON OPENER

Game 1, Granada, July 26, 1997

by #6

The BEAT opened the Summer of 1997 with one of the most exciting games in years; a see-saw battle in which The BEAT squandered a five run lead, then came back from a five run deficit to close the first game in a 12-12 tie with Granada.

The BEAT led off the first with five quick runs as six of the first seven BEAT batters reached base. Granada's infield looked like they were still sleeping at the early 10:00am start letting quite a few balls squeek through between fielders. But this Granada team was an unknown to The BEAT, and come the bottom of the inning, The boys in gray discovered that this is a team that lives and dies by the long ball. The BEAT logged a gift first out when Perez stepped on the plate. But Granada took advantage of the gale force winds to left and sent a couple long drives over the heads of stymied BEAT outfielders including a quick one-out grand slam that brought Granada back in the game. Pitcher Denny O'Brien, coming off the two and a half month layoff between seasons, struggled with the wind giving up three walks and six hits in the first. Granada scored eight runs before the second out was recorded and The BEAT finally settled down to end the inning.

The BEAT stuggled through the second without scoring and gave up two more runs in the bottom of the inning to increase the deficit to five runs, down 10-5. But O.B. settled down finding his groove, and allowed only two more Granada runs in the next four innings.

The BEAT, fielding and interesting mix of rookies and seasoned vets, pounded out five in the top of the third to tie the game at 10-10. Rookies B.J. Bateman, Brian Arcuri, and Jason Pendergast all reached base and scored. The vets followed as Wilf Spoon singled advancing to second on the throw. O.B. squibbed a dribbler toward third for a fielders choice as Andrew Malkus got caught off third in a run-down. With Spoon and O.B. on and two outs, Kevin Austin drilled a sharp liner down the third baseline scoring Spoon. O.B. headed for third and the throw got away from the third baseman to score the tying run.

Granada battled back in the bottom of the inning as Tyree scorched a two-out grounder past 'D' Moody at third to score the go ahead run, and advancing the batter all the way to third. Up stepped Soto, Mr. Grand Slam. With a 1-1 count, Soto smashed a sharp line drive through the middle, but second baseman Mark St.Georges stretched out, full extension, to steal a run from Granada and end the inning.

Both teams went down quietly in the fifth, and with time running out, The BEAT knew this was their last chance to catch up going into the top of six. Austin walked, representing the tying run and up stepped Mike Buttafuso with two outs and the game on the line. Butts drilled a ball down the first baseline for a clean triple scoring Austin. But as the fielders took their time getting the ball in, Butts was sent home arriving just a hair behind the relay for the third out. Tie game, 12-12. Granada had one more at bat.

The tension increased a notch as Largauspada lead the inning with a single and advanced to second on the throw. Ortega hit a sharp one-hopper to Austin at short who stared down the runner and made the out at first. Ortega #2 hit a grounder to MSG at second who, again, looked back the runner then notched out number two at first. Up stepped leadoff hitter, Seguiera. With the outfield back playing the deep fly and conceding the grounder, Sequiera dropped a short blooper behind second base. The runner at second was moving on the swing and it looked like the ballgame was over. It was. In raced Spoon from right center and with blazing speed, Wilf reached out making a shoestring catch to end the inning and the game in a 12-12 tie as the potential winning run was crossing the plate, to no avail.

This was softball at its best! A tight game with a lot of action, and although both teams would have liked to have left the park with a "W", The BEAT was happy to walk away with a tie and an exciting game.

BEAT STOMPS SNAILS!

Game 2, Nine Inch Snails, August 2, 1997

Denny O'Brien and The BEAT tooks their revenge for last season's extra inning 10-8 loss by holding Nine Inch Snails to three runs on only six hits in seven full innings at Jackson #1 on August 2nd. With the wind howling in from left field, batters were taken out of their regular game and forced to hit to the right side where second baseman Mark St.Georges and right fielder B.J. Bateman snuffed out all but one chance for a Snails rally.

The BEAT opened the top of the first with Kevin Austin's leadoff single through the infield. MSG fouled out but advanced Austin to second as the third baseman carried the ball into foul territory. Chris Young then singled scoring Austin from second who slid just under the catcher's tag for The BEAT's first run. Consecutive singles by 'D' Moody, Mike Buttafuso, and B.J. led to two more runs before Jeff Ricketts hit a rocket down the third baseline only to be swallowed up by a diving third baseman who then rolled onto the bag for the force on Bateman. Butts scored from third on the play giving The BEAT a nice 4-0 margin heading into the bottom of the inning. The Snails challenged with back-to-back singles but left runners stranded at the corners as O.B. induced consecutive pop-ups to end the inning.

In the next three innings only one runner reached base for The BEAT. But the boys in gray held their own on defense allowing only one runner for the Snails in the second and sending them down 1-2-3 in the third and fourth.

The BEAT bounced back in the fifth with two more runs as consecutive singles by Greg DeMaestri, Mike "Pizza Man" Weiss, and Wilfred Spoon loaded the bases for pinch hitter Andrew Malkus. Andrew hit a towering fly to right for a sacrifice scoring DeMaestri and advancing Weiss to third. Austin stepped up and scorched a liner down the left field line for an RBI giving The BEAT a 6-0 lead.

The Snails came back in the bottom of the inning with their only rally of the game. It looked as if their batters finally starting getting a handle on O.B.'s changing pitches as they strung together two triples, a single, and a sacrifice fly for three runs bringing them back into the game, down just 6-3.

But O.B. and The BEAT defense tightened up and sent the Snails down 1-2-3 in the sixth. Managing only one hit themselves in the last two innings, The BEAT had to hold the Snails one more time in the seventh to close out the game, but the Snails had the heart of their order coming to bat. Following a leadoff pop-up to short, up stepped Sanguinet who led the Snails' fifth inning rally with the first of their two triples. For only the second time in 20 seasons, The BEAT issued an intentional walk and it paid big dividends. The BEAT poured salt on the Snails' chances for an undefeated season as Nine Inch popped out once again to short and once to right to put this one in the book.

BEAT OVER CONNECTICUT!

Game 3, Connecticut Yankee, August 9, 1997

The BEAT tossed another monkey off their backs this week with a 9-8 victory over the shockingly floundering 0-3 Connecticut Yankees and it wasn't even that close. Connecticut, picked to take the division at season's start (after losing a division title playoff in the spring) has yet to play to the level they're known for and at 0-3 could well be out of the title race before the halfway point. The only monkey left for The BEAT now is HGA who is scheduled for September 20th. The victory gives The BEAT sole possession of second place at 2-0-1, with HGA right on their heels at 2-1. But back to the game that Pete Wenner dubbed "One of the best, EVER!"

Connecticut led off the game and never really took advantage of the wind howling out to left field, managing only a two-out single in the first. Kevin Austin led off the bottom of the first with his ninth leadoff hit in 11 games. Mark St.Georges reached on the first of many errors by the Yankee's shortstop. A fielder's choice by Chris Young advanced Austin to third and 'D' Moody picked up the game's first RBI on a single putting The BEAT ahead 1-0.

Connecticut bounced back in the top of the second with a leadoff double that died in the outfield grass. Three more singles and an overthrow by the outfield that sailed over Wilfred Spoon's head at the plate put the Yankees up 3-1.

The BEAT bounced back as well in the second with consecutive singles by Mike Laffey, Mike Weiss, Jeff Ricketts, Wilf Spoon and J.J. Anlicker. Spoon picked up two RBIs and J.J. came up as a one-time substitution pinch-hitter for Denny O'Brien and got a clutch RBI single. The BEAT was up again 4-3.

Connecticut came back to tie the game at four in the third inning on a single and an RBI triple by left fielder Jaques who gave The BEAT fits with two doubles and a triple in four at bats. But The BEAT answered back with one more in the bottom of the inning as singles by Young and Moody and an outfield error loaded the bases for Peter Wenner. Connecticut pitcher Powell struggled with his knuckleball against the wind, and Wenner drew an RBI walk. A line shot back to Powell on the mound ended the inning with The BEAT up 5-4, but having stranded four runners in scoring position in the first three innings.

Both teams went down quickly in the fourth and Connecticut again in the fifth before The BEAT took off again. O.B. led off in a classic O.B. at bat, with a left-handed half-swing dribbler to third. He outran the throw which sailed by the first baseman and advanced to second. Spoon came in to run for O.B. as Austin lined a single that dropped just in front of the outfield freezing Wilf at second. But as the ball died in the high grass, Wilf took a chance and broke for third forcing an errant throw that not only scored him but advanced Austin to third. MSG picked up a quick RBI single and three batters later, Mike Buttafuso knocked in MSG with a fielder's choice. The BEAT was now up 8-4.

Meanwhile, O.B. pitched a masterpiece holding the normally hot-hitting Yankees to four runs on ten hits through the first six innings. The BEAT picked up one more run in the bottom of the sixth as Wenner led off but quickly fell behind in the count. Moments after second baseman Dezman insinuated that Pete was a "looker", Wenner drilled a line single over his outstretched glove extending Pete's current hitting streak to ten games. Can you say "karma"? Sure you can! Singles by Laffey and Ricketts loaded the bases. Then Spoon drilled a grounder to Pollock at short who committed his third error of the game giving The BEAT a comfortable 9-4 lead on Wenner's run with just one inning left to play.

But The BEAT has a way of turning easy leads into nail-biters and this game was no exception. Connecticut's first seven batters in the seventh strung together three singles, two doubles and a sacrifice fly for four quick runs cutting the BEAT lead to 9-8. The Yankees had the tying run on second base with two outs. Pitcher Powell stepped up an drilled a screaming liner to Butts at first base who made his third clutch inning-ending play of the game.

The BEAT squeaked out a one-run victory despite Connecticut's last inning rally sending the once struggling 'C' league Beatsters into second place at 2-0-1. Austin graciously accepted the game ball for a 2-3, two run performance, but the award could easily have gone to others including: Butts for the above mentioned three inning-ending plays; 'D' Moody (2-3) with two inning-ending catches; Rocks (2-3) with an awesome diving catch in left field in the first inning; MSG (1-3) with a run, an RBI and a leaping catch in the second inning; Wilf (1-3) for his 2 RBI single, aggressive baserunning and the forsight to pinch hit Anlicker for O.B. in a clutch bases-loaded situation in the second; O.B. for pitching a gem and putting the Yankees down scoreless in four of seven innings; and even Anne Spoon for seeing that the fielders were always in the right place at the right time.

This was another awesome team effort that has The BEAT riding high this summer. But let us not forget last summer when a 3-1 roll turned into a 3-5 season. However, with the Yankees out of the picture, if The BEAT can hold this momentum and take out HGA in September, they may just be looking at the first 'C' league championship in team history. Don't you just love a pennant race?!? Speaking of pennant race, did I fail to mention who is in first?!? Well, that would be Cool Dudes at 2-0.

View The BEAT's 1997 Final Batting Statistics

On The BEAT News Archive