Act I: The Beat Comes Out Strong
It was a dark and stormy night....wait; wrong story. It was a dark and gloomy 10am start at Jackson #2; a light overnight rain had left the grass wet with patches of mud on the mound and throughout the outfield. The Beat came in looking for a 2-game sweep of the first place team that would vault the Beat from a .500 record to a tie for the division title with two games left to play. Ronin came in looking for redemption for last week's 13-4 loss to the Beat; the only blemish in their near perfect season.

Beat killer Arch Eller was back in the Ronin lineup and he was a huge difference in the way Ronin played this week over last. Eller led Ronin's offense going 4 for 4 with a triple, home run, intentional walk, 4 runs scored and 6 RBI. "He's my nemesis this year," said Beat pitcher Special K.

Kev started the first strong with two quick pop-ups, one to MSG behind the plate. Then Eller started his big day roping an outside pitch down the first baseline for a 2-out single. An infield error and two more singles staked Ronin to a 2-0 lead. The Beat first started much the same with infield and outfield flies. But the Beat carried some  2-out lightning of their own today in the form of MSG (2-3, run) and Jacque Wilson (2-3, 2b, HR, 4RBI, run). Mark hit a clean single to get on base and Jacque smoked a classic Q drive over left center for a 2-run homer to tie the game.

Ronin was set down in order in the second on a liner to Jacq in right center and two infield grounders. Then the Beat got to work. Brett (2-3, 2b, 3b, 2 runs) started off a huge day with a monster triple to left center and Dylan (3-3, 2b, 2RBI, run) followed with an RBI double. B & D combined for a 5 for 6 day with two doubles and a triple from the 6-7 spots. Kev (2-3, run), Big Daddy (2-3, RBI), Brian (2-3, run), and Pete (1-3, RBI, run) all singled giving the Beat six straight hits against Ronin hurler Dickermann before a bases loaded comebacker handed the Beat their first out. Jacq (2-3, 2 runs, RBI) and MSG also singled and with two down Jacque struck gold again with a lined double for two more runs. That gave Jacque four clutch 2-out ribbies for the game and put him head and shoulders above the crowd on the RBI board with 28, more than double anyone else on the team. It also gave the Beat a 9-2 lead going into the third; though no lead is comfortable against Ronin when they're hot like they are this summer.

D looks the runner back after his diving catch

Act II: Ronin Find their Bats
After scoring only 6 runs on 12 hits over the last 9 innings, Ronin suddenly found their bats. Leadoff hitter Terry reached on an infield error to open the 3rd and Dickermann singled putting two on for Eller. Arch tore into a wicked high backspin and drove it over Brian in left center for a 2-run triple. A sac fly, another triple by John James, and another sac fly and Ronin was pounding their way back into the game, now down 9-6. Brett led off the Beat 3rd with a double and advanced to third when LC Darren kicked it; Dylan singled him home for a 10-6 Beat lead. Kev roped a liner to right center one-hopped by Rupright but Dylan was hung out between first and second for the first out. Brian also singled again but an infield fly and strikeout ended the inning; the Beat had stranded four in the last two innings; three in scoring position.

Holding onto a slim 4-run lead, the Beat defense suddenly imploded in the top of the 4th. Of the first eight Ronin batters, five either reached or advanced on errors, two sacrificed, and Eller was walked to set up a force. Ronin took advantage of every opportunity and dropped a 5-spot on the reeling Beat. Ronin had come all  the way back from a 9-2 deficit to take an 11-10 lead. "NEVER seen anything like that before," said D after the game. "We all of a sudden forgot how to play softball and couldn't field grounders. That inning was ridiculous!" "It was a system-wide meltdown," added Pete.

Gunnar (1-2, 2 runs), Jacq, and Rob (1-3, RBI) opened the bottom of the 4th with three consecutive singles. When Jacq rounded second on Rob's hit, second baseman James tried to throw behind him and hurled it into no man's land behind third. Jacq came all the way around to score putting the Beat back up again 12-11 as Rob strolled into second. And with two in, no outs and a runner on second, the Beat offense hit a wall; they would manage only two more hits over the next three innings. MSG lined a rope to second that was snared for the first out. A grounder to third made it two and when Big Jim Colletto (0-3) watched a corner pitch for a called third strike to end the inning the Beat had lost another good scoring opportunity with Rob still standing patiently on second. Jim's rare off day put an end to a 13-game hit streak; the Beat's only current streak that reached back to last season. 

Conlan and Watkins led off the 5th with singles for Ronin. Weiss roped a low liner between first and second and Big Daddy got dirty making a huge diving grab that was easily the play of the day. D is the only fielder in the league that can make those plays look easy and he does it consistently. But following a long 3rd and 4th in which Ronin sent 17 batters to the plate, here they were back at the top of the order for the 4th time around. Take it from a pitcher, you never want to see a team get their 4th ABs in the 5th inning; that means they're seeing the ball well and they've seen everything you've got to throw. Terry singled in a run then Dickermann pulled an outside pitch to deep right that just tipped off the outstretched  glove of Dylan for a 2-run triple. Four more singles and Ronin had batted around for the second straight inning and put up another 5-spot. It could have been worse when Ronin left the bases jacked as Conlan popped out to Jacque in left for the third out. Suddenly the Beat was down 16-12 and the momentum of the game had clearly shifted.

With one out in the Beat 5th Dylan raked his third hit, a single to the left side. Kev roped a liner to second and Dylan was caught scrabbling to get back to the bag for the third out. As fast as you could say "snap, crackle, pop" the Beat was back on defense. Ronin posted two quick outs in the top of the 6th and it looked like the Beat might have one last chance to make up that four run deficit. But up came the top of the order for the 5th time. Terry and Dickermann both singled and then Eller put the nail  in the coffin turning on a high knuckler and blasting it just shy of the skin on Jackson #1 for a 3 run bomb. A comebacker ended the inning but the damage had been done; Arch Eller had put an exclamation on his big game by padding Ronin's lead to 19-12 with time only to finish the inning. Big Daddy led off with a single but like the last inning, Brian roped a liner back to the mound and D was caught leaning for the second out. Pete roped another back up the middle and Dickermann pulled it down to end the game.

Four of the Beat's last nine outs were roped liners and two were runners caught off as a result. As Mark said after the game, "I guess our luck just ran out."

Act III: Regurgimento
Offensively, the teams were evenly matched with both teams hitting well above .500. Ronin had 21 hits including four extra base hits. The Beat had 20 hits including five extra base hits. Ronin stranded seven including four in scoring position. The Beat stranded only five but four were in scoring position. Ronin had six 2-out runs to the Beat's four (all by Jacque). The difference was on the other side of the ball. The Beat's seven errors led to nine unearned runs while Ronin's two errors allowed only one. As Bid Daddy said, "If we field half of those mistakes, it's a different game."

But, you know, it's softball and this shit happens. No one really knows why, but it does. And for the Beat this year, luck is as fickle as a politician.

Otherwise, the team looked good; definitely good enough to plough through the last two games and sew up another wildcard birth. Jacque had a double and homerun for 4 RBI and is easily the front runner for the MVP this year. Brett led off three innings and answered the challenge with a double and triple and two runs scored. Dylan followed him with a 3 for 3, 2 RBI performance but is saddled with beer duty next week after getting caught leaning off first on a liner to second. D turned in another web gem with his diving grab of Weiss' liner with two on in the 5th.