by Pete

The Beat Tops Finnegans 10-6 Beatniks get 1st spring win in tightly fought contest at Jackson #2; evens record at 1-1 on Family Day

The Beat met old nemesis Finnegan’s Wake in an unseasonable 80-degree heat on March 29, 2003. The two teams played a tense nail-biter that was agonizingly close until the visitors broke it open in the 7th inning in front of a partisan Beat crowd. Kevin (Special K) Austin and Dennis (OB) O’Brien combined to efficiently hold Finnegans to only 6 runs by scattering 12 hits and no walks while giving the offense time to blast out of the doldrums for 6 runs in the final 3 innings to put the game away.

It was Family Day as the Beat Nation rooted their men folk to victory and fittingly, every one of the 14 players on the roster contributed to the win.

Ultimately it was the middle of the Beat lineup that keyed the win. While most of the lineup struggled to hit as it did in the opener, Mark (MSG) St. Georges, Donnell (Big Daddy) Moody and Jim (The Thrill) Colletto went 10 for 12 with 6 runs and 7 RBIs. MSG went 3 for 4 with 3 runs and 3 rbis including a 2-run double in the 5th, but sprained his toe (which one again, Mark?) scoring in the 7th and is questionable for next week. Donnell (Big Daddy) Moody shared game balls with MSG thanks to Donnell’s 4 for 4, 2-RBI day that included 2 intergalactic doubles. JC was 3 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBIs.

The boys in gray were of course fully mindful that Finnegans had mercy ruled them 23-8 last spring and that any game played on the launching pad at 17th & Carolina at 3pm usually promises high scoring affairs. However, on this hot day an uncharacteristically heavy breeze blowing in from left killed fly balls.

A defensive game
The Beat jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead on base hits by Jacq (The Rock) Wilson, MSG, Donnell and Jim and a sacrifice fly by Jacque (The Jet) Wilson. The boys in gray threatened for more but big Jim was thrown out at third trying to stretch after the ball rattled around the backstop on the attempted Finnegans throw out of Donnell at the plate. Following that, it started to look like last week’s offensive meltdown as the Beat were held scoreless over the next 2 frames. They threatened again in the 2nd with 2 on and 2 out but rookie Armondo Lopez was thrown out at home on Pete Wenner’s single after Mondo’s first base hit for The Beat.

The Beat defense was also tough all day committing only a single error in the game. Brian Arcuri was pivotal at short early in the game with leading roles in 4 put-outs in the first 2 innings before the outfield took over.

Home team Finnegans pecked away at the Beat lead with a run in the bottom of the 2nd and 3 in the 3rd eventually going ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the 3rd on 3 consecutive hits with 1 on and 1 out. Jacque Wilson saved Austin from further damage with 2 difficult catches in left field to end the inning.

The momentum chipped back in the Beat’s direction when they scratched out a run to tie it 4-4 in the 4th on Greg Lukoski’s opposite field RBI single even the tally before Kevin shut down Finnegan’s in the home half following a leadoff hit. Jacq made a spectacular backhanded grab from right center field on a sinking liner up the middle to end the 4th inning. Mark Briscoe was also steady in left center after entering the game in the 4th for Armondo. The 4th inning was the turning point.

As the worm turns
With 2 out in the top of the 5th, the Beat took advantage of 2nd Baseman Mark Doucette’s error on Mike (Butts) Buttafuso’s ground ball with Jacq the Rock on 1st . Buttsy and Jacq advanced to 2nd.and 3rd to set up a classic confrontation between #3 hitter MSG and Finnegans pitcher Chris Nussbaum. The Cottonmouth King waggled his bat Tim Teufel-style and grunted out a 2-run single to center to make it 6-4. Donnell’s 2nd moon shot fly ball of the game that fell into short right field for a double gave the Beat a 7-4 cushion.

Veteran moundsman Dennis (OB) O’Brien came on in relief and continued Kevin’s momentum by shutting down Finnegans after a leadoff error in the 5th. The Beatniks went down quietly in the top of the 6th before Finnegans scratched out a run in the bottom half to make it 7-5 following a leadoff double by Nussbaum and an RBI single by Ken Murai. Undaunted, OB closed down the middle of the order to hold the lead.

The Beat broke it open in the 7th. Javier Urdiales, who had entered the game at catcher in the 5th picked on an outside pitch and singled to right field moving to 3rd on a double play grounder. Once again, MSG delivered with a clutch single to drive in Javier for an insurance run. Big Daddy strode to the plate next and completed a perfect day with a line drive single that skipped away from the left fielder Roldan Penagos for a single and error. St. Georges scored to make it 9-5 before Colletto singled in Moody to stretch it to 10-5.

OB spaced out 3 hits and allowed a run in the bottom of the 7th before the last place hitter Mike Kelley chopped a swinging bunt in front of the plate with runners on 1st and 3rd. With cat-like quickness and poise, Urdiales jumped out from behind the plate, pounced on the ball and calmly threw to Donnell at 1st for the final out. How many times have we seen that play get away in softball?

With certain grace under pressure, Jav saved the game for the Family Day Beat fans.

See the scoresheet in pdf (369k) or
On The BEAT News Archive

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