Whatever works, right? The Beat has certainly made it interesting this spring and this game was no exception. The Beat committed eight errors, were outhit 17-15, and were the victims of two bad calls amounting to at least 4 runs, but this Beat team still manages to find a way to put up a 'W' when the day is over. In the end a win is a win and the Beat held onto sole possession of first place with the game of the season, a 3pm Jackson 2 battle for the division title against second place Monte Carlo, looming in two weeks. For now, the team has a holiday week off to catch their breath and digest what went down today.

It was a beautiful, calm morning at Jackson 1 with just a hint of breeze coming in from center as the Beat and Old Clamhouse teed off for a 10am rematch of the April 12 game in which Old Clamhouse snuck away with a 17-16 win in another breakdown of Beat defense. Special K was limited to a backspin and Merryl's ever-changing strike zone to hold down the hot hitting '08 Clamhouse that is one of the surprise stories of this spring. DeLeon led off with a pop fly to Jacq Wilson in right center, then the Clams rolled off five straight hits and it looked like it was going to be a long day. Add the Beat's first throwing error and Clamhouse was quickly on top 4-0. But Dawson popped out foul to Jim Colletto at first and Jacque took Neal's single to left and gunned down Segwick at the plate for the third out.

Clamhouse's pitcher struggled through the first inning allowing three walks as the Beat pounded their way back. With one out, Kev (3-3, double, 2 runs, BB) singled through the middle, Q (1-2, 2 runs, 2 RBI, BB) drew a walk, and Tim Smith (3-3, 3 runs, 2 RBI) singled through the left side to score Kev from second. Jim Colletto (3-3) started his huge game with a double for two RBI. Brett Goldstein (0-2, BB) and Mark St.Georges (0-2, BB) drew back to back walks to load the bases with only one out and Clamhouse decided it was time to go to the pen. With a new hurler in the game, Gunnar (0-3, RBI) grounded to short scoring Jim to tie the game and with runners at the corners Brian Greenblatt (0-2, BB, run) grounded to second. Now for any mortal human this is out number three, but Lightning turned on the jets and beat the throw by a step; only problem, the blue was blocked out and he rang up Brian on a terrible call with possible run number 5 crossing the plate and leaving the Beat's batting leader Pete Wenner (1-3) stranded on deck. But the Beat tied the score at 4 and there was still a lot of playing time left; or so we thought. 

Ceballos led off the Clam's second with a single then all hell broke loose. Clamhouse supposedly batted out of order though the question was "did they even have any order in the first place?" The result was the rewriting of half of their batting order and a good five minutes wasted off the clock, yet the Clams were not charged an out for the offense. When play finally resumed, Ramirez singled to put runners on first and second with no outs and it was looking like another Clamhouse rally with the top of the order coming up. But DeLeon flew out to Tim in right and Lopez, a speedster playing on more than one team in this division, grounded back to the mound for a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning and the threat without a score.

The Beat put out the welcome mat for the Clam's #2 pitcher by opening the bottom of the second with singles by Pete, Dylan Essen (3-3, homer, RBI, 2 runs), and Jacq (1-4, run, RBI) to put the boys in gray up 5-4 and they wouldn't look back. Kev walked to load the bases then Q and Tim both clobbered 2-rbi singles with Q just sneaking under the tag to score from first on Tim's hit making it 9-4 Beat. Jim Colletto topped it off with a 2-run jack to left center that put the Beat up 11-4. The boys had rolled off seven straight runs with no outs, but two infield grounders and a pop fly ended the rally just that quick.

So just when you thought the Beat was going to walk away with this one, Clamhouse bounced right back with a 4 spot in the third. Amelio reached on an E4 to open the inning. Clamhouse strung together three hits topped by Dawson's drive to right. Tim came up firing but the throw one-hopped over the outstretched hand of third baseman Goldstein and bounced out of play closing the score to 11-7 and moving Dawson to third. A single by Ceballos made it 11-8 before Dylan took a grounder at short to end the inning.

The Beat managed two hits and a walk in the bottom of the inning to load the bases with two out with the heart of the order coming up. Jacque roped a bomb to left field and you have to tip your cap to the left fielder; he raced back, reached up over his head, and came crashing down with the ball to end the inning. It took a good minute before he was back on his feet as the entire Clamhouse team gathered around, but he walked off the field with the ball still in his glove leaving Beat cleanup hitter Big Tim Smith standing on deck; the second time in three innings the Beat was robbed to end a threat with runners on and big hitters on deck.

With the top of the Clamhouse order leading off in the 4th, Kev finally got the good snap on the backspin going and held the Clams to just 4 hits over the last 3 innings. Following a leadoff single by DeLeon, the 2-3-4 spots went down in order. Tim and Jim started the Beat half with a couple singles, but the threat fizzled. An error at second pushed Tim across to make it 12-8 and then the wheels fell off the Beat defense. DeLeon and Dawson popped out to start the 5th. Segwik singled then neal hit a bloop over short that went in and out of Dylan's glove. The ball was picked up by Brian in left center who gunned to the plate ahead of Segwik rounding third, but the ball got past G and Segwik broke for the plate. G shoveled the ball back to Kev covering who tagged Segwik before his foot came down on the plate but Merryl called the runner safe. What would have been out number three with no runs opened the floodgates. A hit and two more errors and Clamhouse had closed the score to 12-11 heading into the bottom of the 5th.

With one down, Dylan capped his big day by reminding everyone why his nickname is "Moonshot." Dylan drove a monster bomb high over left center into the wind for a solo homer to give the Beat a little insurance making it 13-11. With two down, Kev hit a high pop to right that dropped in for a double, but K had it in overdrive and committed the most cardinal of baserunning sins, getting gunned down at third for the third out while leaving the big guns, Q and Tim, waiting on deck (so sorry guys, don't know what I was thinking .ed). The Gods of Baseball looked down at this transgression and said "Thou shalt supply beer" and so Beer Beatch I is.

So here we are; top of the 6th with time running out. The Beat is up 13-11 and the heart of the Clamhouse order is coming up. Three hitter Amelio hit a deep fly to right that Tim tracked down for out number one. Cleanup hitter, Juaquin, hit an 0-1 pitch foul off the third baseline. Jacque turned in the play of the day racing over and making a horizontal, diving catch in foul territory to steal the at bat from Juaquin and put the Clams two outs in the hole. DeLeon and Segwik both singled, but with a two run lead and the hammer in their back pocket the Beat stayed calm and turned the third out on Dawson's grounder to MSG at second to end the game.

The game ball went to Big Jim Colletto who simply went 3 for 3 with a homer, double, 4 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Can't argue with that. This was a very up and down game for the Beat offense as four batters went 3 for 3 and four others wore collars. The two through five slots were 10 for 11, with two doubles, a homer, 2 walks, 8 RBI and 9 runs scored. Dylan Esson had a breakout game in the 11 spot with a 3 for 3, homer, and 2 run game. But the rest of the team struggled at 2 for 16 with 3 walks, 2 RBI, 2 runs and 2 Ks.

It was ugly but it was a huge win. "We've played a Jeckyl/Hyde season," said Pete. "We've shown a certain grit that's coming through that's helping us win these games. I don't know what it is, but there's a certain confidence we have that we're gonna win." Despite being out-hit, despite the 8 errors, despite the bad calls, the Beat never let up, never lost focus, and for the third time in three games the hammer stayed in the back pocket unused. For their perseverance, the Beat retained sole possession of first place while knocking off one of the three second place teams on their heals. Later games proved even more interesting as Monte Carlo beat Ronin 3-2 in the lowest scoring game I can remember in nearly a decade. Flor de Cana beat the Onsters 13-10 in the match of the also-rans.

One team remains between the Beat and the division title and two weeks from today the Beat will face Monte Carlo for all the marbles. A win and the Beat clinches the division with a game still remaining. A loss means the season-ending rematch against Ronin would be critical to any chance of making the playoffs period. So we know what has to be done. May 31st, 3pm at Jackson #2...expect wind, expect a lot of hits and a lot of runs. It's Slick Vic and the MCs with the division on the line. See you there!

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