The first game in franchise history for the Decatur Bean Ballers had the energy of a celebration early Tuesday night in Decatur. By the end, it turned into a harsh lesson in how quickly momentum can swing in baseball.
The Bean Ballers jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead and carried an advantage into the seventh inning before the Lafayette Aviators exploded for six runs in a chaotic frame on the way to a 10-5 win at Workman Family Baseball Field.
Decatur wasted no time creating history. Matthew Novominsky scored the first run in Bean Ballers history in the opening inning, while Carder Reich delivered the franchise’s first RBI hit with a single that helped extend the early lead to 3-0.
The Bean Ballers appeared firmly in control through the middle innings behind strong work from starting pitcher Nathan Trimble and reliever Daniel Ruiz. Dane Hrasky added another run in the fourth inning after stealing second and eventually scoring, while Brandon Abernathy led the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 night that included a double and an RBI.
When Abernathy ripped an RBI double down the right-field line in the fifth inning to make it 5-2, Decatur looked poised to secure a memorable opening-night victory.
Then came the seventh inning collapse.
Lafayette took advantage of walks, defensive mistakes, and a wild pitch to completely flip the game. The Aviators sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs despite recording just two hits in the inning. Jack Ferguson drove in a run before Rodney Rachel and Gavin Smith each drew RBI walks to tie the game.
Moments later, a wild pitch gave Lafayette its first lead of the night at 6-5. Isaac Incinelli added a sacrifice fly, and Dean Hannah followed with an RBI single to cap the six-run outburst and give the Aviators an 8-5 advantage.
The Bean Ballers never recovered offensively against Lafayette reliever Jackson Gwin, who struck out five batters over the final three innings to shut the door.
Despite the loss, Decatur finished with 10 hits in the inaugural game. Abernathy, Reich, and Grayson Roberson each had multi-hit performances, while the Bean Ballers also stole four bases.
For Lafayette, Drew Potts finished with two hits and two runs scored, while Ferguson drove in two runs and Rachel swiped three bases as the Aviators spoiled the historic opener.
While the result was not the one Decatur wanted, Tuesday night still marked the beginning of a new era of baseball in the city as the Bean Ballers officially took the field for the first time in franchise history.
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