by K	TURN OUT THE LIGHTS!

Following three long weeks of waiting due to the drawn out El Nino winter, The BEAT finally saw the light of opening day on April 11th. In what was originally scheduled to be game three, The BEAT opened the season against newcomers Lights Out and did just that--turned out the lights with a demoralizing 16-3 victory in six innings, reigniting the momentum of the team's 3-0 pre-season that ended on March 21st.

The game started shakily as a couple infield errors led to three unearned runs giving Lights Out an early 3-0 lead. But that is all that they would manage as starting pitcher Dennis O'Brien wove a masterful game and, with the assistance of a stronger than normal Jackson 1 gale from left, went six innings without allowing an earned run.

The BEAT shook those first inning butterflies and went on a hit parade that was more reminiscent of the Fourth of July than the Easter weekend. After plating one in the first, the bottom of the second was led off by the 7-8-9 spots. The trio of Pete Wenner (4-4, 4 runs, RBI), B.J. Bateman (3-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI, 2 doubles), and Mike Laffey (2-4, run, 4 RBIs) posted half the team's offense accounting for eight runs and seven ribbies between them. Mark St.Georges' second single driving in Laffey made it 4-3 BEAT after two.

Leading off the third, O.B. struck out the first batter, then another infield error put a runner on first. The Lights' #3 hitter, Dickie, came up and drilled a sure extra-basehit down the leftfield line. Chris Young, playing left for the absent Ricketts, raced over making a HUGE back-handed stab of the ball and reeled it back to the infield. Not only did Young's excellent play hold the batter to a single, he managed to hold the lead runner at second. Two quick infield plays ended the threat.

The BEAT picked up three more runs in the third on only two hits, once again with the help of the big three, giving The BEAT a comfortable 7-3 lead. In the top of four, Lights Out was sent down quickly 1-2-3, but not without more excitement from The BEAT's defense. With one out, Tomlinson drilled a liner up the middle but failed to notice that MSG had snuck up into the rover position. Mark lunged forward sliding his glove under the ball just before it touched grass. A quick show to the blue gave MSG out number two! A high pop-up to Butts at second ended the inning and you could feel the Lights getting dimmer.

The Boys in Gray picked up another three in the fourth capped off by a two-run triple by Mike Buttafuso. The outfield bobbled the throw coming in and Butts sauntered home stretching the BEAT lead to 10-3.

The BEAT opened the bottom of the fifth with back to back hits by Wenner and Bateman for the third time in the game. Advanced to second and third on a fly by Laffey, both runners scored on a 2-run grounder drilled down the third baseline by Kevin Austin. End of five, BEAT leads 12-3.

Following another uneventful at bat by Lights Out, The BEAT came back for one last shot at the jugular. Chris Young led off with his second single of the day followed by the same from 'D' Moody. Mike Butts capped off a 3 for 4, 3 RBI game with a runscoring single. Greg DeMaestri sacrificed Moody in from third giving 'D' two runs in the game. Pete picked up his fourth hit for an RBI and Mike Laffey drove in Wenner for his fourth ribbie to round up the scoring.

So The BEAT walked away with a resounding pounding of a grossly overmatched team. Eight of The BEAT's starters had multiple hit games and the first nine in the order had at least a run or an RBI to contribute to the total.

Pete

There were many performances that could have warranted a game ball in this one, but there were also two milestones that could not go unrecognized. The first game ball went to the team's new manager, Peter Wenner, not only for going 4 for 4 with four runs and an RBI, but for the overwhelming victory in his first game at the helm. We look forward to many more victories under Pete's reign.

MSG

The second game ball went to Mark St. Georges who, with two hits in the game, became The BEAT's all-time career hits leader with 194, passing John Palmer who has firmly held the record since the team's founding in 1987. MSG also picked up a run to move within four of tying Palmer for that career mark and there's little doubt that St.George will also own this record by the end of spring.

Two very deserving accomplishments by veterans who started on the team together in the summer of 1988. And what better way to start off their 20th seasons and 10th years with the team. Congrats to Pete and Mark!

The BEAT has an off-week next weekend and returns on April 25th to take on Hammertime back at Jackson #1 at 12:30pm. See you there!

View The BEAT's 1998 Final Batting Statistics

See the game scoresheet in pdf (293k) or
On The BEAT News Archive