Following a rainy preseason, Gunnar Rosenquist made a successful debut batting leadoff by reaching base 5 times while sluggers Donnell Moody and Jim Colletto shook off pre-season slumps with booming inside-the-park homeruns to key a 19-hit Beat attack. A phenomenal 2-out diving catch by Michael (Pizza Man) Weiss with the bases loaded in the Finnegan's third and the Beat leading 7-5 changed the momentum and the boys in gray never looked back.

Veteran hurler Denny (OB) O'Brien started and closed the game, getting the win by allowing only 2 earned runs in 3 strong innings. Kevin Austin also pitched well in the middle innings to anchor the game while the Beat offense romped.

Despite the lopsided final score, the game remained fairly close though the first half and offered significant drama early on. Finnegan's outfielders Lee McVeigh and Kent Allen led off the game with first-pitch swinging singles off OB and the shortstop William Bullock dunked a hit in front of the Beat rightfielder BJ Bateman as he charged into shallow right. BJ fired home to Gunnar at the plate, but the ball skipped under the catcher's glove to where OB was astutely backing up. Noting that Bullock was hung up between 1st and 2nd, Denny fired the ball to Big Daddy at 1st, who feigned a move at the Finnegan's shortstop while keeping an eye on McVeigh who, while listing off 3rd base, decided to break for home. Moody fired the ball to 3rd baseman Mark (MSG) St. Georges, who chased McVeigh down and applied the tag for the first out. Meanwhile Bullock cruised into 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Two Finnegan's runs scored on an RBI single and groundout to make it 2-0, but a defensive statement had been made by The Beat.

The Beatniks came back with 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the first on Colletto's 2-run blast with MSG aboard. Rosenquist had motored home with the first run on an outfield misplay of St. Georges' single.

OB got Finnegan's in order in the top of the 2nd before the Beat struck back with 4 runs in the home half. With the bases loaded and 1 out, manager Pete Wenner pinch hit for OB, and worked the count full before lining a 2-run single into right. The bases cleared as the ball skipped under the rightfielder Allen's glove and Pete cruised into 2nd base. Wenner then scored on Gunnar's single up the middle for a 7-2 Beat lead.

Special K Austin entered the game on the mound in the 3rd and was greeted with a leadoff single by the Finnegan's pitcher and manager Steve DeLuco. An error by the 3rd baseman MSG put runners on 1st and 2nd, but a 6-4-3 double play (Maxion-to-Arcuri-to-Moody) left Kevin breathing easier. That wouldn’t last long. Allen scored DeLuco with an RBI single before Bullock homered deep to center. With the score 7-5, the next 3 batters reached on a walk, single and error. The crowd started to buzz and the game appeared to be hanging in the breach as the big 1st baseman Mark Schilder lined a hard shot into the centerfield gap. But the fleet and sure-handed Pizza Man stretched out with a diving catch to save the inning and as it turned out, the game for the erstwhile Beatniks.

The Beat scored 3 more runs in the 3rd to make it 10-5 on RBI singles by shortstop Dave Maxion and rightfielder Bateman, and a run-scoring fielders choice by 2nd baseman Brian Arcuri. Finnegan's came back with another run off Austin in the top of the 4th to make it 10-6, but that was as close as it would get for the rest of the game. Big Daddy's 3-run shot to right center with Rosenquist and Austin aboard in the bottom of the 4th made it 13-6 and the rout was on. In the top of the 5th, 2nd baseman Brian Arcuri made a phenomenal leaping grab on a Pennagos shot up the middle to keep Finnegan's scoreless with two on. The Beat batted around in the 8-run 6th before the umpires called the mercy rule at 22-6.

Offensive standouts included Gunnar (2 for 2, 3 walks, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Big Daddy (3 for 4, 3 Runs, HR, 3 RBIs), Thrill Colletto (1 for 1, 3 walks, 3 runs, HR, 2 RBIs), Greg (Lukie) Lukoski (2 for 3, 3 Runs, 2 RBIs) and BJ (3 for 4, 2 Runs, 1 RBI). Rookie 3rd baseman Armondo Tiles made his debut with a single to lead off the prolific Beat 6th inning.

In other league action, The Other Guys shocked The Renegades 11-10 in sudden death fashion, Joey J's rocked The Rhinos 13-4, and in the late game, Nicoya led the Monsters 9-4 in the middle of the 2nd inning.

Next up for The Beat, The Rhinos on April 7 at 10am, Jackson #1.

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