The Beat 13 vs. Old Clamhouse 10
Saturday's match up of the Beat and Old Clamhouse turned into a much closer game than the team expected. Coming off a 21-5 trouncing of Spread the Glove last week and the knowledge of Ronin's 19-4 mercy-ruling over Clamhouse on the same day, the Beat was looking for a cakewalk. This game would be anything but.

While the Beat was warming up for this odd 4:15pm start (a makeup game from a rainout) on a hot, muggy, and windy day, Clamhouse was busy playing a tough game against the division leading Flor de Cana on the other diamond. We figured they'd be hot and tired heading into the second game. They sure didn't seem tired, and the only thing that looked hot on their side were their bats.

Through 4 hard fought innings the teams played very close. If it weren't for a total collapse of Clamhouse's defense in the 5th, the final result may have been very different. But the Beat has seen breaks go both ways this season and on this day, the breaks would thankfully be in the Beat's favor. This is how it played out...

The Beat led off the game in quiet fashion, unable to match the first inning runs put up last week. Clamhouse hit the board quickly in the bottom of the first as leadoff hitter, DeLeon, singled the first pitch. A fielder's choice forced DeLeon at second. Then #3 hitter, Green, hit a monster opposite-field shot that one-hopped off the face of the warehouse across 17th Street. That jaw-dropping drive staked Clamhouse to a 2-0 lead, but they'd shot their wad on the fence and would have to keep the ball in the park for the rest of the game.

The Beat got on the board in the second as Jacque Wilson (3-3, 2 triples, 3 runs) hit the first of his two triples. Brian Greenblatt (2-3, run, 2 RBI) singled Q in to make the score 2-1 Clamhouse. Clamhouse went down in order in the bottom of the second as Mark St. Georges (1-3, 2runs, RBI) gave his best impression of a vacuum cleaner coming up with all 3 plays. MSG had 5 assists in the first 2 innings and finished the game with 7.

The Beat took the lead in the third when Pete Wenner (0-3, ROE) and Jacq Wilson (1-4, 2 runs, ROE) both reached on infield errors. Kevin Austin (3-4, 2 runs) lined to left loading the bases. MSG grounded back to the mound and forced the out at home, but the bases were still jacked with 1 out. Donnell Moody (2-2, run, SF, 2RBI) then sacrificed in Wilson to tie the game, and Jim Colletto (1-3, run, 2 RBI, ROE) came up with the clutch 2-out hit scoring Austin and MSG and putting the Beat ahead 4-2.

In the bottom of the inning, leadoff hitter DeLeon singled again and with 2 outs and DeLeon on, up stepped the big homerun hitter, Green. Green hit a high fly to left center off a knuckleball to end the inning and congratulated Austin on the pitch on his way back to the dugout. He was then given a steady diet of knucklers for the rest of the day and never reached base again after his first inning homer. Let this be a lesson to all hitters...never tip your hand to the pitcher (tee hee).

Jacque led off the Beat 4th with his second triple, and just like the second inning, Brian drove him in to give the Beat a 5-2 lead. This time Clamhouse answered back in the bottom of the 4th with 5 singles and 3 runs to tie the score at 5 going into the 5th.

That's when the wheels came off for Clamhouse. With one out and the top of the order up, Jacq and Kev singled. MSG drove in Wilson as Kev went first to third, and then D drove him in with the Beat's 4th consecutive single. Big Jim grounded back to the pitcher but the pitcher muffed the play. With MSG hanging off third, the pitcher tried to throw behind him and threw it away instead scoring both MSG and Donnell on the double error. Mondo Lopez (0-3, Run, ROE) hit a grounder to third who threw it away scoring Jim when the ball went out of play. Q singled moving Mondo to third and then Brian hit a hopper to the first baseman who booted it letting Mondo score. Derek Rey (0-3, 2 ROEs) reached on the second error by the third baseman scoring Q and Brian scored on Greg Lukoski's (0-3, RBI) fielder's choice. Gunnar Rosenquist (0-3) FC'd into the 3rd out of the 5th making G-man the Beer Bitch for the week! By the time the dust settled, Clamhouse had committed 5 errors in less than 10 minutes and the Beat had scored 8 runs, 6 unearned.

Clamhouse managed to get 2 back in the bottom of the inning on 2 singles and a flyout that advanced the runners to second and third. Austin pitched around clean-up hitter Afoa, but Afoa wouldn't take the walk and tomahawked an outside pitch well over his head into a two-run double. However, the Beat defense shut down the threat and the boys in gray were now up 13-7 with only 15 minutes to play going into the 6th.

They didn't make it any more difficult for the opposition by going down 1-2-3 in the top of the 6th though. When Clamhouse came back for their last chance, Austin seemed to suddenly loose track of the strike zone walking 2 of the first 3 batters. A 1-out single scored 1 run. The Beat's only error (at third) scored another and a third crossed on a fielders choice. However, that was it for Clamhouse and the Beat snuck away with a gift 13-10 win.

Clamhouse actually outhit the Beat 14-13. But the real key to the game came down to defense. The Beat shrugged off their defensive woes of the spring and turned in their best effort of the season with only 1 error and 2 runs unearned. Clamhouse committed 8 errors for 9 unearned runs, and there's your game in a nutshell.

Saturday's game ball went to Jacque Wilson for his 3 for 3 performance with 2 triples and 3 runs scored.