The skies were threatening and the bus from Bogota was late.

Cresskill coach Al McLaughlin knew the importance of getting this game in. Rain had postponed several independent (non-league) games, which were later canceled. So his team had played but 12 games so far.

And the lack of playing in games was taking its toll on the team.

"It throws us off," said junior third baseman Mike Furrer.

"You can get the work in practice but nothing compares to playing in a game," added starting pitcher Brian Fisch.

The bus finally arrived and in between the raindrops the Cougars bashed the Bucs 15-1.

A blowout game like this is a struggle for the two coaches – for both the winning and losing sides.

"It’s terrible," said McLaughlin. "It is hard to keep them and even myself focused about what is going on. You don’t want them to get into bad habits – swinging at bad pitches that aren’t strikes, things like that. I don’t think anybody appreciates a game like this."

A couple of the Cougar players had a different take.

"We play a lot looser because we know we can go out and have fun and not worry about making mistakes," said junior first baseman Brian Henderson. "It’s a lot of fun to get out to an early lead and you can stay laid back. It definitely builds confidence. We hit pretty well and scored a lot of runs."

"It doesn’t matter if it’s against Bogota, batting practice, against Emerson or a good team like that," said Fisch. "Just to hear the ball hit the bat is a great confidence boost. With the kind of lineup we have, we had high expectations and our record is not where we want it. And it is because of our hitting not because of our fielding.

"A game like this is what we needed."

Henderson had two hits and two RBIs, while Fisch was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Furrer chipped in with three hits and two RBIs.

"We were hitting the ball well so it was good practice," Furrer said. "The first at bat I wasn’t feeling it. Then I got into a groove."

Henderson smacked a base hit to right to lead off the bottom of the first. After an infield out shortstop Ian Oates plated Henderson with a single to left. An error by the Bogota first baseman,a pair of walks and single by Fisch made the score 5-0.

The Cougars tacked on seven more runs in the second. The big blow was a two-run bomb by junior center fielder Robert Mier, which landed him at third base with a triple. He scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior catcher Brett Petillo.

"We haven’t been hitting this year," said McLaughlin. "We have been working a lot this week improving our hitting. Bringing out the tee, soft tossing, hitting in the cage."

"I think it’s [been] pitch selection," said Henderson. "Some of us go up there not ready to hit sometimes. Picking the right pitches is another thing. Most of us made good contact today."

On the mound Fisch had trouble at the start. He walked four batters, sandwiched between a nicely turned 4-6-3 double play, in the first inning. He got out of the jam by inducing a routine fly ball to left, ending the inning. He did not issue another walk until the fifth.

"I might have come in a little nonchalant because this team doesn’t have a good record," Fisch said. "The coaches told me I was opening up my front shoulder so I tried to keep it closed the rest of the game and put the ball over."

"I think he was a little tight in the beginning of the game," said Henderson. "He hasn’t thrown in a while. Later in the game he settled down."

The Cougars scored their final three runs in the third and left it up to Fisch to get the last six outs of the mercy-rule shortened game. He got the Bucs out 1-2-3 in the fourth and finished with seven strikeouts, while yielding only three hits in the game.

"They are on your schedule," McLaughlin said of the lowly Bucs, who have won only two games this season. "You have to win these games. Going five innings helped because we didn’t have to bring in another pitcher."

The players are excited about the way things are progressing and say they are having fun.

"Maybe a little too much fun," said Fisch. "We have had a good season so far but not a great season. We have to buckle down and work harder in the second half.

"It won’t be fun in practice but it will definitely be fun when we win."