A new season, a new team and a fresh start for 16 teams in the fall league. The Yard Goats opened the season against Zak and Turbo’s Bathtub Donkeys. The Donkeys opened the game with a 3 spot. The Goats responded in the 2nd on singles by Wilfredo Nieves, Jonathan Braun, John Miller and Rick Halperin before a 3 run dinger by Joe Calvano gave the Goats a 6-3 lead. A Nieves triple in the third netted one more and a two run homer by Dustin Bone gave the Goats a 9-6 lead after 5. The Goat offense stopped there as they could only generate a walk over the last two innings. The Donkeys scored two in the 6th and the bottom of the order came through for them in a big way in the 7th as they had several singles to score 4 and top the Goats 12-9.

Game 2 against JJ’s Trash Pandas had Jeremy Pease with a two run single in the first. After 3 innings, the Pandas were in command 8-2. A solo blast by Darius Wu in the 4th closed it to 8-3 before the Pandas added two more in the fifth. A two run single by Troy Knudsen and a 3 run Wu homer made it very interesting at 10-8. The Goats scored 1 in the 7th and had the tie run at third but couldn’t push it across as they fell 10-9, spotting the field a two game lead after one week.

Darius Wu was the Goat star with 6-6, two doubles, two homers, 4 runs and 4 RBI’s. Jeremy Pease was 3-5 and Wilfredo Nieves and Jonathan Braun 3-6. The Goats will regroup and be ready to roll next week.