by Kev

Beat Bounces Back Eleven 2-out runs lead team to a 13-9 victory over Old Clamhouse

The Beat got off the Snide Saturday with a solid 13-9 victory over Old Clamhouse. Following a 2-game skid that saw the Beat score only 7 runs on 16 hits over 14 innings, the Beat cracked the Clams with a 22-hit attack including eleven clutch two-out hits! The win gets the team back to .500 with half a season left while the reigning wildcard Clams drop to 0-4.

Jackson 2 was hot without a cloud in the sky when the teams took the field; I can't remember the last time I saw the flag above the Anchor Steam brewery hanging limp without a ripple. As the team filed into the dugout, John the ump strolled over and demanded, "I need to check your bats. I need to see if they have any hits in them." Damn, that's cold. But then John had to sit through the last two catastrophic Beat meltdowns so I can't say I blame him.

The Beat took the field and Lopez led off the first for Clamhouse with a solid single. Samoncer reached for a outside pitch and lined a rope down the first baseline but right into D's glove. D danced to first to beat Lopez for the double play taking the air out of the Clams' early threat; a two-hopper to MSG at second put the Clams away. The Beat, however, couldn't capitalize and we set down in order on three popups, the first two on the infield; that's not the start we had hoped for. When we took the field for the top of the second John was standing on the mound; I'm not sure if the look on his face was one of pity or a pleading that we find our bats and make a game of it this week.

Clamhouse opened the second with Sanchez reaching on an infield error. Back to back singles loaded the bases and a sac fly to Brian in left center put Clamhouse on the board 1-0. Behind in the count, Gomez fisted a high, inside pitch into no-man's land behind third for an excuse me RBI double. A grounder to Brett at short froze the runners and gave Clamhouse their second out. With two down and runners at second and third, ten hitter Jiminez popped a can of corn to right that appeared to end the inning; but the wind juked it and it fell in giving Clamhouse a 4-0 lead.

Big Daddy (2-4, 2b, run, RBI) and The Thrill (2-3, 2b, run, RBI) opened the Beat second with back to back doubles to put the Beat on the board. But with one down, MSG (2-3, run) popped out to right center and Jim was gunned down at the plate to end the inning. The Clams were set down in order in the 3rd on two grounders and another pop fly to Brian; now it was up to the bottom of the Beat order to get the offense rolling. Kev (3-3, 2 runs), Brian (2-3, 2 runs, RBI), and Pete (2-3, 2 RBI) all singled to open the bottom of the 3rd. With none out and the bases jacked Gunnar (0-3) roped a liner back to the mound and Pete was doubled up before you could yell "Get Back!" Two weeks ago the tired, listless Beat would have gone down quietly wasting the rally, but with the top of the order up again the Beat mojo kicked into gear. Jacq (2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI) started off the two-out lightning singling in Kev and Brian. Rob (3-4, 2 runs) followed with another single and Jacque (3-4, 3b, run, 3 RBI) roped a triple to center scoring Rob and his brother to put the Beat up 5-4. An RBI single by Big Daddy made it 6-4 heading into the 4th.

Back on defense, Special K was pounding the outside corner with high backspins and opened the 4th with a comebacker and a strikeout to make it five straight; but a flat first pitch down the middle to the other Lopez was quickly turned around for a single. Gomez singled to right but when Lopez headed for three JC let it fly over Rob's head at third and Lopez waltzed in to make it 6-5 before an easy grounder to Rob stranded Gomez on third. MSG and Kev led off the bottom of the 4th with singles but there would be no two-out lightning this time; two short popups and a liner back to the mound left the runners stranded and we headed to the 5th with the Beat up 6-5 .

The Clams manufactured a run in the 5th as Lopez and Samoncer both singled putting runners on the corners. A grounder to short scored the run and we entered the bottom of the 5th tied at six a piece. At times it seemed like the Clam's pitcher, Guevera, was putting the ball on a tee and the Beat was having a day. But with 12 hits through the first four innings including a nice 2-out rally, the Beat still had only six runs having stranded four in the last two innings. The question...was there more? Jacq, Rob, and Q answered with consecutive singles, but an infield fly and fielder's choice left the Beat with a slim 7-6 lead, two out and runners at the corners. Brett (1-3, run, RBI) started the second lightning round with a clean single to left that skipped by Samoncer who tried to dive for the ball. As Jim came in to score from first, Brett rounded second. The throw to the plate was cutoff and Brett was caught in a rundown between second and third until an errant throw ricocheted off of Brett's skull and shot into center field allowing him to come all the way around to score putting the Beat up 10-6. "This was a pretty critical moment," said Pete who was coaching third on the play. "The decision to send Jim on the miss was a gamble because a good throw would've had him. He was sucking wind. I think a good throw could've nailed Brett also, but as the 3rd base coach who sent both I was feeling lucky." MSG, Kev, and Brian all singled and as MSG came in to score, Kev and Brian scooted into second and third on the throw to the plate. Pete came through with a huge hit, a trademark dink single behind short scoring two and giving the Beat a comfortable 13-6 lead with two innings to play. The Beat came through big with five consecutive clutch hits, batted around and scored seven runs, six with two outs.

Clamhouse went down in order in the 6th for the third time in the game. The Beat managed a couple singles by Rob and Q in the bottom of the inning but a 6-4-3 double play ended it. Through six the Beat had held the Clams to only seven hits, but with their backs against the wall, the Clams took one more shot at making it a game. The first two batters singled then Jiminez hit a high fly that caught a jet stream over D in right for a two run triple. Seeing that, Lopez tried to pick on D and also hit one over his head but D got back on this one and made a huge lunging catch. The run scored from third to make it 13-9 but with two down and Samoncer on first, Jacq made a sprawling shoestring catch in center to end the game.

The Beat bats finally got hot turning in the best team average of the year (.595) and earning a team game ball for the effort. Seven were left stranded but the Beat showed some real grit scoring almost all of their runs with two outs. On the other side of the ball, the Beat showed some solid defense, especially on the infield converting a dozen ground ball outs and holding the Clams to a .232 team average. Play of the day goes to D for turning that huge double play in the first to snuff out any chance of a first inning rally. Gunnar, aiming for the pinnacle of beer bitchiness, scored his 4th of the season with a fly to right center to end the 5th.

So we know that we can beat Clamhouse having swept the season series. But the real test lies just ahead. Ronin is now 3-0 after shutting out JMC 14-0 on Jackson 1 this afternoon. The Beat now has back to backs against the first place team that will determine how this season shakes out; but the Beat needs a sweep to move into first.

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