Amid a fury of two-stroke engines and sirens, the Willimantic Ridges defeated the Loco Perro Expos 3-0 to open the Manchester Twilight season for both teams at Windham Recreational Park.

Each team took a couple of innings to shake off some early season rust, with Brian Kohn allowing only three base-runners while striking out three for the Expos, he gave way to one of the newcomers on the team this year, Brian Timmes. (Timmes recorded his first hit in 26 years in the top of the second, the first hit of the season for the Expos)

In his first competitive inning in years, Timmes induced two ground balls and ended the inning by striking out Kevin Meakam on a slow curve.

In the fifth, Nick Ross struck out to begin the inning, but Justin VanGelder took a curveball in the back and Chris Noheimer followed with a single, the Ridges had something going in the fifth. Shane Murphy walked to load the bases and Pete Moulin was walked to score the first run of the game.

Sean Gilblair came up in a big spot and delivered. A RBI double to left center scoring Noheimer with Murphy following behind. A relay that went from Noah Pinero to Jeff Durso and then Greg Dash cut down Murphy at the plate; the second tag Dash had applied at the plate this game. The first one came in the second to deny the Ridges.

Willimantic scored its third run of the game in the sixth when Dan Samociuk singled to start the inning off Zack Turner. He advanced to second when Mickey Moulin walked. Meakam followed with a hard ground ball up the middle through the legs of Timmes at second scoring Samociuk. Turner settled down and struck out Ross and got VanGelder to ground into an inning ending double-play, but the damage was done.

The Expos would gone down in order in the seventh to end the game.

*Throughout the game numerous sirens were heard and firetrucks were seen passing the field. It turns out St. Mary’s Church in Willimantic was on fire.*