With Manager Pete Wenner back east celebrating a Cooperstown weekend with Cal Jr., Big Daddy took the reigns and the Beat came out swinging. The Beat put a serious bitch-slapping on last summer's wild card Ronin with a 22-1 slaughter in four and a half innings. The team started a deep 12-man lineup that didn't disappoint. All twelve batters hit and 11 of the 12 hit .500 or better, with 10 of the 12 knocking in runs. The boys in grey also boasted a little extra power this week with five doubles and a sweet 3-run rounder for Mondo Lopez (1-2, HR, SF, run, 4 RBI, K)!

But as obvious a story as the Beat offense was, that wasn't the whole story. Or even the main story. Because after two years in hibernation, it appears that the Beat defense of old is back. This was a game reminiscent of the summer 2005 season in which the Beat set franchise records on both sides of the ball by scoring 122 runs while allowing only 47 in seven games.

The team entered the 20th anniversary season opener on the heals of a brutal SWC tournament. After trouncing Stogies in the 9a.m. opener 15-0, the team fell flat losing the next two 14-1 and 16-1. There were serious doubts heading into the summer opener against a Ronin team that went 6-2 in the spring and won the wild card game to advance to the playoffs. Since the first meeting in the spring of 2003 both teams came into this game 5-5 in the 10-game series with half of those 10 games being decided by 3 runs or less. However since the spring of 2006, Ronin has dominated this rivalry with a 3-0 record including a 13-2 blowout of the Beat last summer.

D-Rey (2-3, 2 runs, RBI) announced before the game that he got in about 5:30 a.m. this morning and didn't really get much sleep. He got a good cup of coffee to lead off the game as Syckla drilled a grounder that "Drey" scooped up and tossed to Jim (2-3, double, run, 2 RBI) at first for the first out. Sanos followed with a quick single, but James grounded back to Gunnar (2-3, 3 runs) at second who turned a sweet 4-6-3 double play to quickly end the Ronin first.

Jacq Wilson (3-3, double, walk, 2 runs, 2 RBI) led off the Beat first with a walk followed by Mike Licari's (3-4, double, 2 runs, 2 RBI) double. With runner's at second and third and no outs it was looking good for the boys in grey. But the Beat self destructed 'Giants style' with a grounder to third and a liner to third forcing the runners to hold. A pop fly to left to end the threat. After one, 0-0.

Special K (2-3, double, 2 runs, RBI) went to town in the second throwing a steady diet of knucklers to retire the side on four pitches. It was beginning to look like a low-scoring game...never a good thing against a team like Ronin who has a terrible habit of slapping you with six to eight runs when you least expect it.

The Beat put that worry away in the bottom of the second with a leadoff double by SWC MVP Brian "White Lightning" Greenblatt (2-2, double, walk, 3 runs). Jacque (1-2, walk, 2 runs, 2 RBI) followed with a walk. Colletto advanced the runners with an outfield fly and "Slopez" drove in Brian with a sac fly to put the Beat on the board 1-0 with two outs. Then two out lightning struck. K sliced a liner that kicked chalk down the right field line and scooted into foul territory driving in Q. With an added kick by the fielder, K ended at third and scored easily on D-Rey's single. G-Man singled, Jacq doubled in D-Rey, and Mike drilled a single scoring G and the Rock. MSG (3-4, 2 RBI, run) added a single for good measure before the team finally exited the inning with a fresh 6-0 lead.

Ronin made an effort to scratch back as Eller hit a hopper to short that K tried to grab but only managed to deflect it away from everyone. Two singles and a fielder's choice loaded the bases when Waters sent a dribbler down the third baseline. Mondo ran up to smother it but only had time for the force at third as Ronin put one on the board. Leadoff hitter Syckla then drove a ball to deep left that looked like extra bases and a couple more runs until Q chased it down with a beautiful over the shoulder catch to end the inning.

By the third, the Beat was salivating over Ronin's mound man. Tim Smith (2-4, 2 runs, RBI) started the inning with a single. Brian walked, Q singled in a run and JC doubled in another. With runners at second and third, Mondo drove a monster shot to the left center gap. The two runs scored easily but Mondo rounded third on a collision course with the throw from right. Staying to the outside, Mondo plowed in with a head first dive tagging the plate just ahead of the ball (which the catcher bobbled for good measure). A three run dinger and an 11-1 Beat lead. But the hit storm was just beginning. Seven more singles and a couple errors upped the difference to 19-1 before Mondo ended the 13-run rally with a strikeout on a ball tipped back to the screen (which consensus decided deserved honorary beer bitch honors even if it was only the 3rd inning). The Beat sent 17 batters to the plate in the inning.

Ronin lead the 4th with a couple singles, but Mondo put an end to that when Joe Tang grounded sharply back to him at third. Mondo touched the bag and doubled big Joe off at first. The infamous Tang was held hitless in two at bats with two sharply hit balls that Mondo made look routine. A liner to D-Rey ended the inning with just 4 batters.

The Beat came in looking to pad their lead some more only to see Tang on the mound throwing some high arc. Two infield grounders turned into two quick outs, but the Beat then rolled off five consecutive singles with ribbies by MSG and Big Daddy (1-4, run, RBI) to up the score to 22-1 before Tim lined to second for the final out (much to the satisfaction of Mike who won a lunch bet, but Mike has been admonished to no longer root against his own teammates...right Mike? ;-)

Special K kept the magic going into the 5th forcing two infield pop ups (to D at first and MSG at second) to start the inning. Ronin managed a couple 2-out singles but another infield pop to Mondo put Ronin away for good.

When the dust settled, every Beat player walked away with a good line for the day while Ronin managed only one run on 8 hits and didn't make it through the lineup twice in five innings with only 21 hitters coming to bat. The Beat turned in some awesome defense with two double plays, great efforts in the outfield, and standout pitching. The Beat committed no errors while taking full advantage of Ronin's five. The game balls went in the bag for the whole team effort. Defensive play of the day is a tough call, so I'll leave that up to suggestions from the team. La perra de la cerveza del día es Mondo Lopez (sorry Mondo...it's gotta be, bud).

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