It was a game good enough for the likes of Bill Murray, who watched the wooden bat action standing behind home plate, as the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks defeated the Seacoast Mavericks with a score of 6-1 in their Island opener on Friday.

Red Sox Hall of Famer Bob “The Steamer” Stanley threw out the first pitch after a small ceremony honoring those, including Vineyard schools superintendent Jim Weiss and regional high school principal Steve Nixon, who had been instrumental in welcoming the Sharks to the Island.

The Sharks kept the Mavericks at bay for much of the game, only allowing one run that came at the top of the third inning.

Both teams squandered several scoring opportunities when men on second and third never made their way home. The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth when a drive to right confounded the Mavericks’ fielder and brought three men in. Another hit to center brought in the last man and made it 4-1. A hit to left field in the seventh added another run. The final run came at the bottom of the eighth, giving the Sharks the 6-1 lead that proved to be the final score.

An estimated crowd of around 700 to 800 enjoyed the first game of the season at the regional high school, where all Sharks home games will be played. There was entertainment between innings with contests for the children in the early evening crowd. As they watched their Sharks bring in the first win of the season, the crowd noshed on hot dogs, burgers, popcorn and chips and marveled at how wonderful it was to have this level of baseball on the Vineyard.

The Sharks play again at home Saturday at 5 p.m.