The Beat 12, Flor de Cana 15
Well...after five games (including last summer's playoffs), that monkey called "Flor de Cana" still rests firmly on the back of the boys in gray. The Beat finally showed that we can hit this spring, and made a game of it going into the sixth and last inning tied at 12. But in the top of the 6th, Flor was able to push 3 more runs across the plate and the Beat was unable to answer. The loss dropped the team's season record to 1-2 and our career record against Flor de Cana to a frustrating 0-4-1.

The Beat seemed to take full advantage of their hits scoring 12 runs on only 15 hits. Flor spotted the Beat 6 more runners with 4 walks and 2 errors but in the end the Beat stranded 8 on base, 3 in scoring position. 

The team started to mount a rally in the third inning but left the bases loaded. A big rally in the fourth inning gave the Beat a 9-5 lead, but it was squandered in the bottom of the inning when two costly errors and a couple poorly timed walks staked Flor de Cana to a 7-run inning (only 3 earned) and a 12-9 lead. The Beat fought back in the bottom of the 5th to make it 12-12, but with runners on first and second and only 1 out hit into a double play to end the inning.

Flor managed 3 more in the top of the 6th and the Beat just couldn't answer back, falling yet again to Flor de Cana, this time a close 15-12 match. 

It seemed that every effort was just enough but nothing more. The Beat matched Flor's 4 walks but trumped them on errors with 6. When the Beat scored, those rallies fell short with runners stranded on base; and when we tied or took the lead, we weren't able to hold it.

Here's a weird stat...the Beat's 4-5-6 hitters were a combined 5 for 7 with no RBI. The 7-8-9 hitters were a combined 5 for 7 with 8 RBI. Go figure that one out. But ultimately it was the team's inability to hold a 9-5 lead after 4 innings and allowing Flor to take a 12-9 lead on 4 unearned runs in the top of the 5th that turned the game around.

Well, it was clear when we started the season with 3 consecutive rainouts that this would be a strange year. We expected to start the season light and have a few games under our belts when we met the meat of the division. As it turned out, the heavy competition came in the first 3 games. In those 3 games the Beat has rallied together for 2 excellent comebacks (though game 2 fell a run short) and a close competitive game against a team we've yet to beat and that slaughtered us in the playoffs last summer. In Pete's words, "With a couple of breaks we could easily be 3-0 or for that matter, 0-3." As it stands, we are 1-2 and need to run the table for the last 5 games to have any shot at the playoffs this spring.

Most of the guys hit pretty well overall led by Jacque (2-2, HR, 3RBI, 3runs, BB) and Abraham (2-3, 3RBI).