Beacons find new way to lose; they play instead of taking a forfeit

ROLLINSFORD – Somehow, some way the Beacons keep finding new ways to lose games in a quest to achieve the perfect season.
In what may be remembered as one of the most bizarre fiascos in recent memory, the Beacons actually registered their first and only win this season on Thursday night at GoldStar Park when Shirts Happen did not have enough players.
The umpire met with both teams and awarded the win by forfeit to the Beacons. Beacons Manager Bob Cook then filled out his team’s official line-up card and noted the team had won by forfeit. The line-up card was then signed by the umpire.
Done deal, right?
Wrong.
Five minutes later, Shirts Happen players used their cell phones to summon up some lost players and suddenly wanted to play a game. Meanwhile, the umpire was still present and at Shirts Happen Coach Ben Hazen’s urging, decided to take away the forfeited win from the Beacons.
“Play ball!”
Beacons players like Bob Dawber and Kim Lundquist were pleased the team would have its regularly scheduled game instead and have to earn a win. Cook was not.
“Listen, a win is a win and since we don’t have any, why not just take the win and play those guys in a scrimmage? I had a bad feeling if we played the game instead, we wouldn’t keep that win,” Cook said.
Once again, Cook the oracle, who never hesistates to shout at Dawber, “Play’s to third” when there is only a runner on second, or waves his arms furiously to urge his outfielders to move to the right while waving left, was right as rain.
Final score: Shirts Happen, 9, Beacons, 4.
Triples hit to deep center and deep leftfield by Beacons outfielders Justin Palmer and Jason Claffey helped produce some runs along with key hits by shortstop Steve Clegg and Lundquist. But once again, the Beacons managed to snatch defeat from sure victory.
With five games left to this magical season, the team can still make history by losing its remaining games and achieving the unthinkable, a perfect 0-20 record.
Too bad there were any number one draft picks waiting in the wings for the team with the worst record. Then it would actually make sense for the team to do so badly.
But like the umpire said last night before the first pitch, “Play ball!”

Another game, another heartbreaker; Beacons lose 16-15 to Merrill's Radiator

ROLLINSFORD -- This dispatch about the Beacons' perfect season still being in tact will be very brief due a lack of information and details.
Here's what is known.
Despite a vailiant effort and having a slim lead in the bottom of the 7th inning, the Beacons once again lost a heart-breaking game to Merrill's Radiator, 16-15.
The team once again did not have enough female players and was forced to take an out. Yet inning after inning, the Beacons kept scoring runs to keep pace with Merrill's.
Beacons Manager Bob Cook was unable to lead his team that day because he had to tend to a separate unrelated softball matter.
In his stead, interim skipper Ray Claverie put together a good line-up that stayed loose and got hits when they needed them.
"I got a call from Bob Dawber after the game," Cook said. "I was hoping he was going to say that we won. After hearing about how well we played, I was glad that we gave them a good game. That's all you can ask of a team when you take the field."
At 0-13, the Beacons are headed for the worst record in Dover Co-Rec Softball League history, a mark they would prefer not to attain.
With seven games left in their season, time is running out.
"There is no remedy or magic solution for losing games the way we have been losing them. We just have to go out and keep battling until we break on through with some wins. This is still a good team with some great people and I am still proud to be associated with it," Cook said.
Tonight the Beacons take on Shirts Happen at GoldStar Park. First pitch is at 6 p.m.

Beacons still perfect; loss to Post 47 puts team at 0-12

ROLLINSFORD -- Goldstar Park was a muddy quagmire thanks to the steady rain that fell on the Beacosns and Post 47 players Tuesday night.
Neither team could gain any solid footing or generate much offense as balls became soggy and hard to throw and the bats were hard to grip.
Once again, the Beacons were forced to take an out with three girls and were force to play three outfielders. The team welcomed back Sonny Ecker, but were without Jason Claffey and Steve Clegg.
When it was over, Post 47 registered a 9-3 win over the struggling Beacons despite some gritty play by catcher Jessica Singer Ecker and rightfielder Ray Claverie, who made a fantastic diving catch on a deep fly ball hit down the right field line in the fourth inning.
The Beacons had their opportunities to score some runs. The team had the bases loaded in two innings, but failed to cash in. All in all, it was another tough day for the Beacons and their fans.
Sporting an 0-12 with eight games to play before the Dover Co-Rec League's softball tournament at the end of August, the Beacons still have nowhere to go but up.
"I applaud everybody on this team who continues to show up and play hard regardless of the weather. These guys and gals are real gamers who love to play this game and as long as they put out their effort, I will keep doing whatever I can to help us get some W's," said Beacons Manager Bob Cook.
"Despite our record, we still believe in ourselves and we believe we are close to achieving soe on-field success. We just have to keep plugging away and stay the course," said the Beacons' second-year skipper.
The Beacons will have another opportunity to get that first win on Friday evening when they take on Merrill's Radiator at 6 p.m.

Beacons let another one slip away; fall to Collins Sports, 14-11

ROLLINSFORD – Before the Boston Red Sox won two World Series championships in 2004 and 2007, they were known for playing to the total edge of victory when they lost some of their most critical games.
Lately, it’s been that way for the Beacons who once again had a chance to record their first “W” Monday night versus Collins Sports only to fall 14-11.
It was a game that was there for the taking against a team that had only recorded one win until Monday.
Things looked positive early on as the Beacons built an 8-4 lead fueled by Bob Dawber’s grand slam in the fourth inning. The defense and pitching from starter Phil Fernald were strong, but Collins Sports hitters kept placing bloop hits and sharp singles into the outfield to claw their way back into the game.
Going into the sixth inning, the Beacons clung to an 11-10 lead and hoped to score some insurance runs in the bottom of the inning, but came up empty.
Then Collins Sports found its groove and strung together several hits off Fernald, who threw a whopping 80 pitches. Down 14-11, the Beacons had one last chance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Beacons rightfielder Bob Cook reached on a single, but Beacons outfielder Jason Claffey struck out on a foul ball. Beacons second basemen Molly Palmer, who played a strong game in the field, struck a sharp line drive up the middle, but it was snatched by the Collins Sports pitcher to end the game.
End result, another loss and a perfect 0-11 record.
Somehow, the Beacons remain upbeat.
“We are definitely playing better and we are right in more of these games,” said Beacons outfielder Todd Young. “I like where we’re headed.”
Beacons Manager Bob Cook also likes what he sees on the field.
“I still believe we are better than our record and we are playing better ball offensively and defensively. We are also holding our own in these games despite the rash of injuries that have taken their toll,” Cook said.
Beacons slugger Sonny Ecker missed his third straight game as he continues his recovery from a hernia injury and Beacons first baseman Dianna Kittredge is also on the DL. Last night, the Beacons played with three girls and were forced to take an out.
Through it all, the team keeps trying to get that elusive first win.
Until that happens, Young said he will keep a can of Budweiser under wraps in his softball bag that he has been saving for the team’s first victory celebration.

Beacons stave off shut-out; rally for seven runs in last at bat

ROLLINSFORD – The Beacons were on the verge of writing another chapter in their storied two-year history, the wrong kind of history.
The team found itself down 11-0 in the top of the seventh on the road and only able to muster a scattering of hits versus Chumley’s.
A somber Coach Bob Cook told his cadres, “Guys (and girls), we are on the verge of getting shut-out for the first time in franchise history. We can either just let it happen or do something about it. It’s up to you…”
With those words, Beacons hitters scored seven runs on five hits, including a towering inside-the-park, grand-salami homerun struck by leftfielder Justin Palmer.
All of a sudden, the lifeless Beacons were knocking at Chumley’s door and threatening to crash their victory party and Chumley’s players looked worried.
But alas, it was too high a mountain for the Beacons to climb. The team eventually fell to Chumley’s , 11-7, but showed a lot of heart in the face of what would have been a new level of humiliation and lethargy.
“I told everybody I was really proud of them for rallying and scoring those runs against one of the toughest teams in the league,” said Cook, who had two hits. “We could have just packed it in and gone home with our tails between our legs, but we showed some heart and some resolve.”
For the previous six innings, the Beacons looked pretty dead on offense.
When third baseman Bob Dawber struck a thunderous shot to centerfield and tried to stretch a double into a triple, he was gunned down by Chumley’s fielders with a perfect relay throw.
Dawber also ran the Beacons out of another inning when he forgot how many outs there were and got doubled off second.
The Beacons were also victimized by another questionable call when shortstop Steve Clegg was called out for being out of the baseline when he got caught up between second and third base.
“There was no way I was out of the baseline. What was I supposed to do? I had to try to avoid the tag, right,” Clegg said.
Beacons hurler Phil Fernald pitched another strong game and went sixth innings. One of the biggest blows struck by Chumley’s hitters came in the bottom of the fourth inning when Fernald surrended a grandslam that sailed over the leftfield fence.
“That ball looked like it had a comet tail as it left the yard,” said Cook from the dugout.
All in all, it was a tough game for Beacons fans to watch, but exciting for those hung around for the seventh inning instead of turning off the high-definition TVs in disgust.
The Beacons have 10 games left to play as they reach the half-way mark of the 2009 season and little by little the team is starting to play better and get its act together. No one should be surprised if this team starts winning its share of games.