by K	SWEET VICTORY!

It smells ever so sweet! After struggling through their worst season since the inaugural 1987, The BEAT has bounced back to show what they can do in their first year in 'C' League. Winning the season opener handily, 10-3 over Pat O'Shea's Mad Hatters (a team that held them to one run in their last two meetings) The BEAT then held a strong 9-5 lead through five against last season's champs, HGA in game 2. The BEAT received a slice of humble pie in the sixth as a couple fielding errors and strong hitting allowed HGA nine runs in the inning to coast to a 9-14 victory. But this summer's BEAT would not lie down. Heading into game 3 against Bravo Pizza, a team that humiliated The BEAT as much as The BEAT humiliated themselves in a 17-5 drubbing last March, The BEAT was ready this time. Every team member made the game (except for Chris Young, still on IR) as well as a special guest known to pop in on occasion.

Visitors for the third game in a row, The BEAT got an early run as leadoff hitter Kevin Austin shot a single up the middle. Two singles later, Mike Buttafuso had the games first RBI. But Bravo came out strong in the bottom of the inning when an error and a two run homer, followed by a string of singles made it 1-4.

The BEAT answered back with four of their own in the second when Peter Wenner (4 for 5 since coming off the IR) lead off with a walk. Rookies, Matt Vaughan and Mike Weiss, drilled back to back singles to load the bases for last year's Brass Beat winner, Jeff Ricketts. "Rocks", struggling with a season long slump, broke out in high fashion by blazing an RBI double. Pitcher Denny O'Brien (4 for 4 this summer - whoa!) followed with two more ribbies on a single to give The BEAT a 5-4 lead.

The BEAT defense took control, setting Bravo down 1-2-3 in the second and third while torturing the pizza boys with relentless offense. BEAT hitters put the game away in the third scoring eight more. With one out, "Butts" picked up a double and Big 'D' Moody hit a towering 2-run homer. Pete followed with a single and Frank Green hit a scorching liner to the gap in right-center that picked up speed when it hit the ground. Two-run homer (and I think that ball is still going!). The response of the fans was overwhelming. Boosted by many members of Las Tequileras, the excitement hit such a climax that the fans broke the bleachers. Rookie Vaughan came up next scorching a double and setting the table for "The Rocket Man" who came through again with a single and his third RBI of the game. "O.B." followed with his second hit, and Austin hit a shot off the shortstop scoring two more. Mark St.Georges followed that up with an RBI double, one of MSG's three hits on the day.

The BEAT went quietly in the fourth except for a Greg Lukoski double. Bravo picked up one run in the bottom of the inning with back to back to back singles. The BEAT still had a safe 13-5 lead.

The BEAT rallied up another five in the fifth as Weiss, Wilfred Spoon, Austin, and MSG all reached base. Two runs in and up came Eric Meyer making his seasonal walk through on his way to push Big Macs on the unsuspecting citizens of Thailand. Meyer, a tad anxious, reached for the first pitch he saw and sent it sailing away for a three-run homer to put the game away for good.

Bravo strung enough hits together in the fifth to send three more runs across, but it was too little, too late. Any chance of thawing out this cold Pizza was lost at the crack of Meyer's bat in the top of the inning. Luki reached on his second hit of the day in the top of the sixth and rookie Weiss drove him in with his third hit closing The BEAT scoring. Bravo went down quietly to a 19-8 defeat.

The BEAT has always been a summer team, and the resurgence of '96 will prove that once again. After a tough spring of injuries, slumps and lopsided losses, The BEAT is remembering what it was like just a year ago when they coasted to a 'DD' Division Championship. The bats are blazing, the defense is tight, and the smell of victory is sweet in the air. The competition may be tougher in 'C' League, but The BEAT of summer is BACK!

View The BEAT's 1996 Batting Statistics

See the game scoresheet in pdf (267k) or
On The BEAT News Archive