FREDERICK -- The fall baseball experiment played Frederick last night and proved again that it needs more time, more promotion and some weekend games to catch on.

In the Regiment home opener, a sweater-clad group of several hundred watched winless Frederick lose for the third straight time, 6-2, to the Delaware Stars. The official attendance was 511, but less than half that was in the stands.

"I think we'll build some [crowd] momentum as we go along," said Frederick general manager Joe Preseren. "This is still an education for most fans and we're going against the Frederick County fair, always a big draw here."

The Regiment has a top-heavy early schedule because of planned renovations to Grove Stadium.

"We needed to be on the road the last week of the season because the infield has been a problem for a few years," Preseren said.

Delaware (2-1) capitalized on the early wildness of Jason Stephens (Angels) to build a 6-0 lead after 1 1/2 innings. Eric Valent (Phillies) knocked in three runs with a single and a sacrifice fly.

The Regiment scored on a two-run homer by Shawn Gallagher (Rangers) in the seventh.

Pub Date: 9/25/98