Game 1 (Martinez vs. Williams)

Opening Day in Forbes Field featured beautiful weather and a chance for
Woody Williams and the Forbes Field Norsemen to try their luck against Pedro
Martinez and the back-to-back FEBC Champion Missouri Jailbirds.
Williams struggled with his command early in the game, walking two
batters each in the 1st and 3rd innings, but pitched himself out of trouble
scorelessly on both occasions. Missouri starter Pedro Martinez also pitched
well, striking out 5 of the first 9 batters, but Norsemen C Jorge Posada
plated the first run of the game with an rbi groundout in the 4th inning and
then punched a 2-out, 3-run home run in the 6th to give Forbes a 4-0 lead.
Held hitless through the first 7 innings, the Jailbirds went to the
bench to start the 8th, but PH Rusty Greer couldn't get it done against his
former teammate, grounding out to first base. Missouri 2B Junior Spivey
followed with a fly out to center and LF Shannon Stewart did the same to end
the 8th inning with Williams' no-hit bid intact.
An uneventful home 8th left the score at 4-0 Forbes heading into the 9th
inning. Set to face Jim Edmonds, Manny Ramirez and Carlos Delgado, Forbes
starter Woody Williams stuck to his game plan of throwing strikes and
challenging hitters. Edmonds and Ramirez became Williams' 5th and 6th
strikeout victims of the game, leaving only Carlos Delgado between Woody
Williams and a shocking Opening Day no-hitter. Delgado responded by lifting
a popup to Norsemen 3B Todd Zeile, who squeezed the ball for the final out of
Forbes' unbelievable 4-0 no-hit Opening Day victory.

Gameday 1
Missouri 000 000 000 0 0 0
Forbes Field 000 103 00x 4 5 1

Jailbirds data:
Pitching-Martinez 7 (L), Rhodes 1
Catching-Wilson 8
HR-none
Injuries-none
Ejections-none
Limits used-none

Norsemen data:
Pitching-Williams 9 (W)
Catching-Posada 9
HR-Posada
Injuries-none
Ejections-none
Limits used-none



Game 2 (Perez vs. Wakefield)

Missouri's hitless streak ended at 10 innings when 3B Eric Hinske
doubled and scored the first run of the game in the 2nd inning. Forbes
responded in the 3rd inning with a 5-run inning, capped by C Jorge Posada's
2-out grand slam. The Norsemen then added 4 more runs in the 5th inning on 3
consecutive bases loaded walks and a run scoring GDP en route to a 9-1
victory.

Gameday 2
Missouri 010 000 000 1 4 1
Forbes Field 005 040 00x 9 9 1

Jailbirds data:
Pitching-Perez 6 (L), Soriano 2
Catching-Wilson 6, Hundley 2
HR-none
Injuries-none
Ejections-none
Limits used-Cora 1/3

Norsemen data:
Pitching-Wakefield 3.2, Smith 2.2 (W), White 0.2, Swindell 1.1, Karsay 0.2
Catching-Posada 9
HR-Posada
Injuries-Wakefield (arm trouble: B66=3 days)
Ejections-none
Limits used-none



Game 3 (Dessens vs. Pineiro)

Braving temperatures in the 30s and 10-19 mph winds, Missouri's hitters
kept themselves warm by rapping out 7 hits in 15 AB against Forbes Field
starter Joel Pineiro, who lasted only 3 innings in his first start for the
Norsemen. Missouri maintained a 4-3 advantage until the bottom of the 7th
inning, when Jailbirds reliever Arthur Rhodes threw a high strike to Norsemen
LF Barry Bonds, who immediately changed the score to 5-4 Norsemen. Forbes
closer Juan Acevedo held the lead in the 9th, closing out the win and an
improbable sweep of the defending champ Jailbirds.

Gameday 3
Missouri 202 000 000 4 7 0
Forbes Field 102 000 20x 5 8 1

Jailbirds data:
Pitching-Dessens 5, Soriano 1, Rhodes 2 (BS/L)
Catching-Wilson 8
HR-none
Injuries-Cora (collision: B98=10/6 days)
Ejections-none
Limits used-Cora 1/3, Palmeiro 1/0, Perez 1/0

Norsemen data:
Pitching-Pineiro 3, Swindell 3, White 0.2, Karsay 1.1 (W), Acevedo 1 (Sv)
Catching-Posada 9
HR-Bonds
Injuries-none
Ejections-none
Limits used-Mirabelli 1/0


% limitations for the series:
Missouri: Phelps (I), Larson (I)
Forbes Field: Kinkade (I), Ensberg (I)