The Beers and Express split a Saturday double-header at Old Boys High School on April 27, with each team winning one game in lopsided fashion. The Express took game one 9-0 on the strength of a dazzling performance by starter Jonathan Bonhomme, who scattered 5 hits and struck out 11 in 7 innings of shutout baseball. His counterpart, knuckleballer Matt Regan, was effective, but struggled with walks and keeping opposing runners in check, as the Express racked up a total of 8 stolen bases on the afternoon.

In game two however, the Beers were able to right the ship, thanks to a terrific outing by ace Ryan Smith, who struck out 9 in a 10-0 affair. According to Beers manager Mike Darling, the decision to start Smith on the back end of the double-header was one designed to make sure his efforts wouldn’t be wasted

“Our offense owed him some run support,” said Darling. “I figured having him start the second game would give our bats a chance to heat up.”

Elsewhere in the Bronx/Manhattan Division, the Bronx D-Backs were able to gain some measure of revenge for an early season loss at the hands of the New York Giants, dropping the defending champs in both games of a double header. Winning 6-5 and 11-0, the D-Backs launched 6 home runs on the day. Manager Pete Alvarez said that the production is indicative of what his team is capable of when it is firing on all cylinders.

“In that opener, most of my guys were on vacation,” said Alvarez. “Besides that, we never hit the field as a team prior to that.”

Southpaw Victor Padilla continued his dominance with yet another shutout win, lowering his ERA to a miniscule 0.29 on the year.

“Victor is in a zone right now with his college mate [Fausto Castillo] catching him,” said Alvarez. “They are having fun and controlling the game.”

In the Single A, the Queens Mets and the Skyscrapers battled to a split, with the Skyscrapers winning the nightcap 12-8 after the Mets took the opener thanks to a solid outing by pitcher Tony Bulleri, and a 3-run 6^th inning rally by the Metropolitans.

“We were hitting the ball hard all day, and they finally started dropping in the sixth,” said Mets co-founder Steve Piraino. “Our offense was a chained monster. In the sixth, the monster loosed its fetters to initiate a reign of terror.”