Game reports by Neil Barrowcliff
The Australian Schoolboys team has won the Chandler Bat Fall Classic Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona. The tournament consisted of four games with the team winning 3 and tying the fourth.
Game 16 vs Adam Kennedy
After walks from Neunborn, Frew and Turnbull, a line drive from McCallum put Australia on the board first. Adam Kennedy Baseball responded with their own run on the back of two hits and two walks.
We came alive in the 3rd, McCallum drew a walk and stole second and third and was brought home by Baker, Holding singled and Rawlinson walked to load the bases. Quirk then smashed one to centre field to bring in two runs, Neunborn followed up with another single to score Rawlinson making our lead 5-1.
We added another run in the 5th when Holding drew a lead off walk, King singled and Rawlinson’s sacrifice fly scored Holding to extend our lead to 6 – 1. Eciondo threw the entire game and continued to shut them ending the game 6-1.
Game 17 vs California Dawgs
Inn/Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
V
Australia
3
0
3
1
0
7
9
1
H
California Dawgs
3
2
2
0
0
7
5
1
Frew started the game off with a single, McCallum walked, Turnbull singled to drive in a run, Baker sacrifice flied to bring in another, and King singled to score a third. The Dawgs quickly hit back and scored three of their own. Steedman had started the game but some hits and a number of walks saw DeJong come on in relief and get the last out of the innings.
We failed to score in the 2nd and the Dawgs led off with a base hit followed by a triple and ended up scoring two runs to take the lead 5 – 3.Then in the 3rd, King walked and D’Avoine singled. Successive doubles by Bourke and Frew scored three and we had retaken the lead 6 – 5. Dawgs then responded and a hit and a walk saw Whitehead relieve DeJong on the mound. We should have got out of the innings, but a costly error with two outs ended up costing us two runs and so at the end of the 3rd we were again behind 7 – 6.
In the 4th, Turnbull singled up the middle and stole second. He was moved over by Baker and ended up scoring when King’s ground ball to third base was errored. Whitehead had found his groove on the mound and had a three up three down innings, so at the end of the 4th the scores were locked up at 7- 7.
In what was the final innings of the game, we failed to score and Whitehead threw another good innings to hold them out also and the game finished tied at 7 -7. Turnbull had gone 3 for 3 with the bat, and Whitehead had done a good job in shutting down the opposition hitters over the last few innings.
Game 18 vs California Dawgs
Inn/Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
V
So Cal Victory
0
1
0
0
0
1
3
0
H
Australia
0
0
5
0
4
9
7
2
Josh Hendrickson started on the mound, it was tight early on with the first run coming from Victory in the top of the 2nd, after an infield error. Then in the 3rd, Whitley led off with a towering double to deep left centre and was followed up by Bourke singling down the left field line. Quirk then laid down a perfect bunt for a base hit which also scored Whitley. McCallum walked to load the bases and Turnbull kept his hot streak going with his double to right field clearing the bases. Holding then singled to score Turnbull and 5 runs were added to the scoreline for the inning.
Hendrickson shut them down again in the 4th and then came out of the game. It had easily been his most impressive performance of the tour and he came out of the game with a 5 – 1 lead. He was relieved by Rawlinson for the start of the 5th who kept them scoreless.
In the bottom of the 5th, McCallum led off with a walk and stole second. Baker also walked and Holding doubled to right field, scoring McCallum and moving Baker over to third. King’s sacrifice fly scored Baker. Neunborn walked and then Whitley smashed his second double of the game over left field’s head to bring in Holding and Neunborn. The four runs for the innings meant we were now in front 9- 1. Whitley and Hendrickson had been the best performers for the game and Turnbull had got 3RBIs.
Australia won the tournament with 3 wins and a tie, the team will now travel back to California for the final days of their tour.
For more updates visit baseball.com.au or schoolsport.edu.au