Every once in a while you get one of those games that you're just not sure how to look back on. I think this one would qualify. The Beat won, handily at that, 21-12 over Sledgehammers and that's the important thing. The offense got large hitting an astounding .625 as a team, that's the best since an 18-8 slaughter of the Loose Cannons last September. But on the down side, the Beat defense committed at least 7 errors for 9 unearned runs and Austin (3 ers, 3 BB, K, HR) walked a season-high 3.

Jacq Wilson (4-4, run, 3RBI) led of the game with a single setting a new Beat hit streak record at 34 games. Austin (2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI) forced Wilson at second then went first to third on Mark St. George's (3-4, 2 runs, RBI) single. Donnell Moody (3-4, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBI) drove Austin in for the first run of the game.

The bottom of the inning started in poor fashion with a leadoff walk. The Hammers quickly put two runs on the board to take the lead. A dropped liner in left led to a third run and the Beat came back to bat down 3-1.

Following a leadoff out, the Beat's bottom 4 went to work. Brian Greenblatt (3-4, 3B 5 runs), Derek Rey (4-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI), Pete Wenner (1-3, BB, run, RBI) and Gunnar Rosenquist (2-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI) combined for 11 runs and 6 RBI in the game. Brian and Derek singled. Pete forced Derek at second, but Derek came back in to run for Pete (how cool is that?). G-man singled in Brian. Jacq and Kev singled in Derek and Gunnar as the Beat took a 4-3 lead.

Hammer was sent down quickly in the bottom of the second and the Beat came up looking to extend their lead. Moody led off with a screaming liner to third which was caught but ended up taking the third baseman out of the game with a possible broken hand (should have let it go, dude!). Jim Colletto (2-2, 2B, 2BB, 2 runs, RBI) doubled but the inning fizzled without a Beat run.

The Beat infield committed 3 errors in the bottom of the third leading to 3 more runs put Hammer up 6-4. At this point the team and Manager Wenner started to get nervous. Sledgehammers was gaining a reputation as a come-from-behind team have come back from huge deficits the last two weeks. They were showing signs of the same this week and the Beat was obliging them by giving them easy outs. Pete gave the team a slap on the hand when they returned to the dugout and the team responded.

The top of the 4th started with consecutive singles by Brian, Derek, and Pete with an RBI. Gunnar reached on an error by third scoring Derek. Back at the top of the order, Jacq, Kev, MSG, D, and Jim all had consecutive RBI singles. Mondo flew out to right-center and the errant throw to third scored D and Jim. Brian then tripled and Derek singled him in (Brian ran for Pete earlier in the inning and ended up scoring 3 runs in 1 inning!). Pete walked followed by RBI singles by Gunnar and Jacq. The inning ended when Gunnar was gunned down at the plate trying to score from second on Jacq's hit but the Beat managed a monster 12-run inning that put the team up 16-6.

But as mentioned earlier, Sledgehammers are building a reputation as the comeback team and the Beat was feeling awfully generous today. Two more infield errors led to 5 Hammer runs cutting the Beat's lead in half at 16-11.

The Beat bounced back in the top of the 5th putting the game out of hand with singles by MSG and D. Colletto drew his second walk and Mondo Lopez (1-4, run, 2 RBI), hitless on the day, drove a huge 2-run single. Brian reached on an E4 off the second-baseman's shin that shot out to foul territory allowing Brian to move to second. Derek capped his 4 for 4 day with a 2-RBI single. When Pete finished the inning garnering beer-bitch honors, the Beat had answered the Hammers 5 run inning with 5 of their own and now led 21-11 with no time left.

The Hammer's led off with a 2-strike grounder back to the mound for the first out. The next batter took another 2-strike pitch an truly hammered it well over Jacque's head in left field for a solo homer. The Hammers got a couple more on base but with 2 outs the batter popped foul inside the 3rd base screen. Gunnar ran after the ball crashing into the on-deck batter in the process. Interference was called and the game ended on that odd little play.

Game balls went to Brian and Jacq. Brian had a team high 5 runs scored and a triple. Jacq went 4-4 with a run and 3 ribbies. Honorable mention goes to Derek who also went 4-4 with 3 ribbies not to mention all the guys that combined great games leading to the team's .625 average for the game.

Play of the Day
In the midst of one of the team's error-prone innings with a rally mounting and the top of the order coming up, Big Daddy stretched out for a diving stab of a sure hit to the right side. That's the second huge play by the big man in the last few weeks!

Bad news for the boys in grey though...Big Daddy has been playing with a rotator cuff problem and deep tendonitis for some time now and will be going under the knife this Thursday to repair it. That'll likely keep him off the field for the remainder which is a mighty hole to fill. Best of luck big man...our thoughts are with you!!!

Jacq and Kev continue their streaky ways by adding a new Beat record 34 game hit streaks.