--HYANNIS--The 2002 Hyannis Mets dropped their season opener at McKeon Field to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox on Friday, losing the Flag Day contest by a final score of 9-1. Y-D pounded out eleven hits, including four in the four-run third inning, en route to an easy win over the Mets. Both teams were treated to typical "Hyannis in June" weather which included a sustained drizzle and a chilling wind off Hyannis Harbor.

The Red Sox never looked back after that big third inning that was set off by a right-field single from the bat of Jake Duncan (TCU), bringing home Mark Reynolds (Virginia), who led off the inning with a walk. Nick McIntyre (Purdue) followed with another single to bring in Jake Kungl (Cal State Northridge), who also walked. McIntyre and Duncan were both plated by a Jake Fox (Michigan) base hit into left field.

The Mets attempted to rally back in the bottom half of that inning, but they were unable to match Y-D's offensive output. Brian Horwitz (Cal Berkeley) led off the inning with an infield hit and was worked around the diamond with the help of a Justin Niefer (Cincinnati) single, eventually scoring when Logan Sorensen (Wichita State) reached on a two-out error. Horwitz was the Mets' leading hitter, adding another hit with one out in the ninth inning. Niefer also walked in the first and stole second, but was stranded there with one out. Hits also came from Ben Harrison (Florida), Mike Griffin (Baylor), and Mike Lombardi (Georgetown).

Duncan led the Y-D offense from the third slot in the lineup, adding a towering three-run homer to right field in the seventh inning to reach totals of four RBI, three hits, and two runs. Leadoff hitter and second-year Cape Leaguer Adam Bourassa (Wake Forest) led the scoring with three runs. Cleanup batter McIntyre also had a notable game at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and three RBI.

Matt Farnum (Texas A&M) picked up the win for the Sox after a six-inning starting effort. He allowed one unearned run on four hits, striking out five and walking one. Three relievers pitched one inning each to finish the game.

The loss for the Mets was charged to starter Brian Rauch (North Florida), who also pitched for six innings. He surrendered five earned runs (six total) and seven hits, both walking and fanning three. 2001 Met Tom Kandybowicz (Villanova) pitched the final three innings in relief, giving up four hits for three earned runs with a pair of strikeouts.

The pre-game Flag Day festivies included the unfurling of a 40-foot flag by employees of KeySpan Energy, who were present as part of KeySpan's corporate outing at the game, and the singing of the national anthem by recent Barnstable High School graduate Heather Spatz.

Stats of note...six of the Mets' ten stranded runners were left in scoring position...Rauch actually kept the Red Sox hitless for the first 2 1/3 innings of his outing..The Mets and Their Music: before the game, the first song played on the Mets' public address system was "Carolina Blues" by Blues Traveler. A mile down the road and five hours later at the Cape Cod Melody Tent, where Blues Traveler actually performed that evening, the first song of the set was..."Carolina Blues!"