Il Pirata Outlasts the Beat

Il Pirata 7, the Beat 6
For the second week in a row, the Beat came out flat and rusty. For the second week in a row the team clawed their way back in the late innings. However, this week would not hold the magic of last. The Beat rally flamed out in the bottom of the 7th with the tying run on second base and the Beat lost game 2 of the spring season 7-6 to long-time rival Il Pirata.

Pirate Hurler Dave Powell (7inn, 5ER) held the Beat bats in check inducing endless pop-ups while the team's infield made some outstanding plays to rob the boys in gray of some hard hit line drives.

Beat Pitcher Kevin Austin (7inn, 4ER, 4BB) struggled with the strike zone early walking 3 in the first inning and staking Il Pirata to a 2 run lead. But Dan Lazetti grounded into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to minimize the damage. The Beat answered back with one in the bottom of the inning when Jacq Wilson (2-4, 2 Runs) and Gunnar (1-4). Jim Colletto (1-4, Run) advance Jacq to third, and Mondo Lopez (1-3, Sac, 2 RBI, Run) drove him in on a sac fly. But that would be it for quite some time.

Il Pirata padded their lead scoring an unearned run in the 3rd, 3 runs in the 4th after loading the bases with no outs, and another unearned in the 5th making it 7-1. The Beat started to mount a threat in the bottom of the inning with two on when Gunnar hit a screaming liner down the third baseline but was robbed of extra bases on an excellent play by Dez.

Il Pirata never mounted a threat after that and the Beat finally hit the board again in the 6th with two. Colletto singled to lead off, then with 2 outs, Austin (3-4, 2RBI, Run), Brian Greenblatt (1-4, RBI), and Mark St. Georges (3-3, RBI) hit consecutive singles to make the score 7-3. Abraham (1-3) threatened to make it more but was robbed on a hard liner to right on a diving catch by the second baseman.

Knowing that the team was capable of a big 7th inning comeback after last week, the Beat bats came out again in the bottom of the last. Derek Rey (2-3, Run) led of with a single and Jacq reached on a throwing error by Dez. With two outs, Mondo and Jacque Wilson (1-4) singled to load the bases. Austin hit a 2 run single through the right side to make the score 7-6 with the tying run on second and the winning run at first. But that is all we would get.

Il Pirata played a hell of a game with some awesome defense and a great pitching performance by the veteran lefty, Powell.

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