by Pete

The Beat Humiliated by the Other Guys 14-3 Beatniks brought back to earth after big opening day win; Hamilton dominant in 6-hitter

Following the opening day rout of Joey J's, The Beat took a u-turn into a buzz saw named Ron Hamilton, who typically dominates The Beat and a surprisingly savage Other Guys offensive attack. With The Beat bats put to sleep, the game was essentially sealed in the 3rd when the OGs jumped out to what turned out to be an insurmountable 11-2 lead before cruising to a 6-inning victory to even their record at 1-1.

Now the Beatniks have a week to reflect on what Joey J's must have felt like after the 16-8 thrashing the boys in gray gave them in week one of the spring season. The prevailing wisdom among the team was that all good teams get walloped every now and then.  The ones that thrive are those that just shrug it off. 

“Can't win them all and all teams - good, great or bottom of the barrel - gets an ass kickin’”, said Donnell (Big Daddy) Moody after the game. The Cottonmouth King Mark St. Georges added “Yeah, I’m not worried. Everybody’s got a loss but 9-inch and we haven’t played ‘em yet. We’ll be fine.”

The Other Guys jumped all over The Beat from the moment the game started. OGs Shortstop and manager Ken Sommer set the tone for a hit parade leading off against Beat starter Kevin Austin in the 1st with an opposite field line single to right field. By the time all of the first six OG hitters reached base, it was 4-0. Two more runs scored on Bill Pair’s single and an overthrow to make it 6-0 before the Beat came up to bat.

When they did, Hamilton made his first statement by striking out Gunnar Rosenquist leading off. With two out, Donnell Moody crushed a 2-run homerun to left field with Jacque Wilson aboard to cut the deficit to 6-2. Big Daddy looked like a dead duck as 3rd base coach Peter Wenner waved him home and the throw appeared on line to catcher Creary. But the OGs catcher dropped the throw and D scampered home. Undaunted, Hamilton proceeded to get a hitter’s count on Thrill Colletto before hanging a backward K on the stunned slugger to end the inning.

Austin got the OGs to go down quietly in the 2nd and the boys in gray followed suit.

Then the Other Guys, for all intents and purpose, put the lights out on The Beat as they batted around and erupted for five more runs in the 3rd.

The Other Guys victory was just another in a day of upsets and sudden death victories that scrambled the early C-6 standings. The newly promoted 9-Inch Snails came back from a 10-8 deficit to shock one-time division champion Renegades 14-10 and the Rhinos scored three in the bottom of the 7th to nip the Loose Cannons 14-13.

When the dust cleared, the surprising Snails sat atop the division on April 6th with a 2-0 record with Finnegan's bringing up the rear at 0-2. Six teams are tied at 1-1, including Joey Js, which stomped Finnegan's right before The Beat and Other Guys took the field.

The Beat gets their chance to get well next week in an 11.15am game against Finnegan's on Jackson #1. Both teams should be plenty angry and in search of vindication.

On The BEAT News Archive