Finally... Beacons win! Beacons win! Take down Collins Sports, 15-5

ROLLINSFORD -- It may have taken three months and 16 games, but the Beacons and their fans finally got a taste of victory after the team beat Collins Sports handily, 15-5, Wednesday.
This game featured everything Beacons fans had expected to see when Bob Cook's team busted out of spring training in April: Power hitting, great defense, and aggressive base running.
Jason Claffey, Bob Dawber and Justin Palmer swung the biggest sticks and Beacons runners did all they could to be aggressive and take the extra base.
Claffey was simple everywhere.
He had a triple and a double after he made Collins outfielders pay for the miscues and he was all over the field capping off his night with a spectacular running catch in left-center field to seal the victory.
Palmer also had a triple and inside the park homerun to help the Beacons get out in front early where they were never let Collins get close after losing one of many heartbreakers this season to Collins.
But Bob Dawber struck an absolute 1969 Moon shot over the left field wall in the top of the fourth that left the yard so fast it forgot its passport. That two-run bomb put the Beacons on top by 11-3 and all but assured the team of getting its first win of the 2009 season.
Meanwhile, Cook struck two hits and knocked in four runs to help his team score some runs and Beacons catcher Jessica Singer and Beacons second baseman Molly Palmer demonstrated some aggressive baserunning. Singer scored the 15th run before the Beacons returned to the field in the bottom of the 7th inning to get those final three outs and Palmer inspired her teammates by nearly barrelling into the Collins catcher on a close play at the plate.
Dawber and company continued to play strong defense for the entire game. He fired one laser after another to Beacons first baseman Dianna Kitteridge, who returned to the line-up after spending some time on the DL. Beacons short stop Kim Lundquist also played a strong game and helped her team keep Collins in check.
When it was over, Beacons leftfielder Ray Claverie threw his glove into the air in celebration while Cook, Justin Palmer and Claffey high-fived each other in the outfield.
Beacons DH Robin Fernald gave his skipper the game ball and helped his team win by stroking a sharp single earlier in the game.
Meanwhile, Beacons player Leslie Bosignani called Coach Cook out on a promise.
"Does this mean you're taking us all out for ice cream?" she asked him.
The Beacons clubhouse was ecstatic and players acted as if they had just won a division title or secured a playoff spot.
"This was a great win for out team," said Cook. "We finally played a complete game and we never left them in the game. I am very proud of the way everybody played. It was a real team effort."
Claverie said the Beacons may be finding their groove with just four games to play before the Dover Co-Rec League tournament begins on Aug. 20.
Dawber said he couldn't wait to take the field again Thursday to take on Team Awareness in a make-up game.
Claffey may have sported the the biggest grin in the clubhouse after he more than lived up to his billing as the team's number one draft pick in 2008.
"I knew we could do it. Hopefully, we will win some more games," he said.