The game started out in classic fashion. Monte Carlo led off with a scorching liner over D. Moody's head at first but D went airborne and pulled it down for the first out. The second out was a rocket to Mondo at third. The final out, the play of the day, a running, diving grab by Jacque in left field. The team looked sharp and ready to hit.

Unfortunately for the Beat, Slick Vic brought his A-game and kept the Beat hitters off balance all day. The Beat got some hits but were unable to string together a rally and could not buy a clutch hit.

Austin did his best to match Vic with a biting curveball, holding Monte Carlo scoreless for 3 innings before allowing the first couple runs to score aided by an outfield error. Monte Carlo scored another in the 5th. The Beat managed to edge one run across in the bottom of the 5th on a fielders choice, but in the top of the 6th down 3-1 the floodgates opened for Monte Carlo.

With 1 run in and 2 on, Rome turned on an inside pitch at his chin and crushed it over Q's head in left for a 3-run knock. The next batter drove a liner to the gap in left center to make it back to back homers. Marly then drove a single that one-hopped over the outfield and rolled making it 6 runs for Monte Carlo. Pete went to the bullpen and Mondo came it to stop the bleeding, but the Beat went into the bottom of the 6th down 9-1. Brian reached on a fielders choice and scored off an error on D's at bat. That would be it for the Beat. Two measly runs, none earned.

The top of the 7th brought the grisly shot of the day. On what seemed like a routine grounder to short, the ball came up on Derek and caught him in the teeth. For what seemed like minutes the team held their breath as D-Rey turned his back to the diamond. When he finally turned back around he looked like he'd just walked out of a Robert Rodriquez film. With blood running down his chin, it was chilling. D-Rey took 10 stitches and was soon talking about next week. The man has some cojones. Way to take one for the team D-Rey.

Of course the game wasn't over yet. Monte Carlo posted 3 more runs expanding their lead to 12-2. The Beat did not go down without a fight, but much like the rest of the game, walked off the field with the bases jacked and unable to score a run.

When it comes to the history of Beat offense this will go down in the ranks of the truly pitiful. The team average for the game was .281; the first time the team has hit below the softball Mendoza line since July 2004 and the lowest team average since August 2002. Yet even those games had earned runs! The Beat managed 9 hits and 3 walks yet left 13 runners stranded (YES! 13!) including leaving the bases loaded three times in the 4th, 5th, and 7th innings. Mark Briscoe garnered beer bitch honors for the 5th. Six of the 12 starters wore collars on offense today...something I honestly don't think has ever happened before. The Beat has now scored only 2 unearned runs in the last 10 innings. This IS softball...right?

So what is left to say except that you have to believe that this offense will right itself at some point. The only question is how soon that will happen. The Beat faces Il Pirata and veteran lefty Dave Powell next week. Will the Beat get healthy on the Pirates? You'll have to come out to see.