Werribee Giant vs Fitzroy Lions at Fitzroy, October 26th 2014
Score by Innings
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
Werribee
0
0
0
1
2
1
0
1
1
6
12
Fitzroy
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
4
8
Interview with Justin Charles Werribee Baseball Club. Direct Link here.
Starting lineup for Werribee Giants- Simon Riches LF, Wade Balzar SS, Oliver Box Catcher, John Curnow DH, Jonathan Lowe 2b, Ryan Balzar CF, Evan McPherson LF, Matthew Howe 3b, Michael Howe 1b, Wes DeJong Pitcher.
Fitzroy- Tom Wilson Catcher, Blair Cowley CF, Alex Turlea 2B, Luke McLean LF, Carl Wilson 1b, Heath Pendlebury DH, Danny King SS, John Muchon RF, Callum Stevens 3b, Jack Freeth Pitcher.
In the top of the 1st Jack Freeth was throwing straight and true when the Giants got 2 runners on. Box got the 1st of his 2 hits for the day and there was an early error. It didn’t add up to anything though as the Werribee runners were foiled by the first of many 6-4-3 double plays by the Fitzroy defence. Alex Turlea was the key, playing 2nd for the Lions and dealing all day with good footwork and a quick release throw that caught many runners at 1st.
Bottom of the 1st and the Lions went quietly as Wes DeJohn, whilst not looking to overpower the batters, was throwing spots and sat the batters down in order.
Top of the 2nd and Jonathon Lowe’s day was just beginning as he got the 1st of 4 hits when he singled to left. Freeth had too much at this stage and ended the innings with a strikeout to leave Lowe stranded.
Bottom of the 2nd and the Lions were ready to go. Although DeJong was still throwing spots, the Fitzroy batters were very aggressive. Carl Wilson beat out an infield single, Heath Pendlebury did the same and Danny King had an RBI hit to centre. DeJong to his credit steadied and closed out the innings after a strikeout and 2 popups leaving Tom Wilson on base after he had earlier doubled to right. Fitzroy then led 3-0.
In the top of the 3rd Turlea again showed his footwork and strength when he was the centre of a 6-4-3 double play to end the dig after 2 walks. Werribee were down and Freeth wasn’t missing by much on the hill for Fitzroy when he walked the batters so the game was very much in the balance.
In the bottom of the 3rd Luke McLean collected the 1st of his 2 hits when he singled to left, but DeJong had gained control of his curve ball and the experienced Oliver Box, in the dish, took advantage getting the next 3 batters to pop up.
Top 4 and Lowe made an announcement with a double to centre then Ryan Balzar pushed him to 3rd with a single to right. The Lions did it again with a 4-3 double play but it was enough to push Lowe across the plate and open the Giants account. The score was then Werribee 1, Fitzroy 3.
Bottom 4- 3 Lion's batters put the ball in play but went down in order.
Top 5, after 2 errors and a walk Jonathan Lowe was taking control when he got his 3rd hit of the day with a single to left. The Giants got 2 across but to Freeth’s credit he steadied and left the bases loaded when he forced a fly out to left. The game was then tied at 3 all.
Bottom 5 and Turlea continued his influence on the game when he doubled to centre. Luke McLean then followed to swap spots with him after a double to left. DeJong was working hard though and forced 3 ground balls to leave McLean on base. Fitzroy nudged ahead at 4-3.
Top 6, Freeth gave way on the hill for Danny King and Fitzroy turned yet another 6-4-3 double play. King was inspired and ended it with a strikeout.
Bottom 6 and DeJong sat down the batters in order adding 2 strikeouts to his tally of 3 for the day. Wes left the mound after an impressive performance. He threw 56 strikes and only 14 balls for 2 earned runs.
Top 7 and Ryan Balzer singled but King steadied on the mound for the Lions. 3 contact outs left Balzer on base.
Bottom 7 and Curnow took the hill after being DH. He walked 1 as he found his zone then with 2 ground balls and fly sat down the next 3 in order.
Top 8 and DeJong was not content with just his pitching performance. Wes came into the game at left field and led off with a single to the same position. After Box got his 2nd hit DeJong scored and the Giants lead for the 1st time, 4-5.
Curnow sat the batters down in order in the next innings. The sealer came when Lowe hit a solo home run in the top of the 9th giving the Giants some insurance. Wade Balzer came on to close it out and the Giants got the win.
The outstanding efforts were from DeJohn, who pitched with great accuracy over 6 innings and got a hit as well.
Alex Turlea was outstanding in the field for Fitzroy, as he was central to 4 double plays around 2nd base. Alex pitched the last innings, doubled and scored a run as well.
Werribee had 4 runs scored against them early in the game and it was the accuracy of their pitching that got them back into the game and over the line. The 3 pitchers threw 117 pitches for 86 strikes and 1 walk, forcing the batters to swing early in every count.
A great display of variation and persistence.
In other Division 2 games Moorabbin were chased down by Malvern after leading 8-1 but the Panthers scored a couple of late runs off Malvern's import to win 11-9. Sunshine kept their undefeated run going when they beat Berwick City 11-1. St.Kilda nearly got their 1st win but fell to Springvale 2-1 and Bonbeach beat Port Melbourne 6-2.
In Division 1 Preston are 4 from 4 after defeating Williamstown 11-1 on the back of an Andrew Smiley no hitter. Newport made it 2 in a row when they beat Sandringham 5-0, Upwey lost 5-6 to Melbourne, Essendon accounted for Geelong 6-1 and Doncaster are still having trouble scoring as they went down 11-1 to Cheltenham. Waverley lost to Blackburn 10-0.
Hope to see you around the grounds.
Follow me on Twitter @valiantcam
Our hashtag has been updated to #vsbl
Baseball Victoria is pleased to announce the trials
for the Victorian Teams that will compete at the 2015 National Women’s Baseball
Championships.
The dates and location of the 2015 National Women’s
Championships have been moved forward to January. Below are the details:
National U15 Championships: 12-17 January
2015 – Narrabundah Ballpark, Canberra
National Women’s Championships: 10-17
January 2015 - Narrabundah Ballpark, Canberra
Trial Details
Date: Saturday
15 November 2014
Time: 9:00
am to 11:00 am
Venue: Trials
for the program will be held at Melbourne Ballpark (Merton St, Laverton)
The stadium kiosk and coffee machine will
operate on each day of the trials
Players are required to complete the
online application form:
https://eventdesq.imgstg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&EventDesqID=9841&OrgID=16724
Please complete this registration by Sunday 9th November 2014.
Player Eligibility
All players MUST meet the following requirements:
Hold a current membership with a Baseball
Victoria club and be registered with a Baseball Victoria club;
Meet the age requirements for each
National Championships;
Under 15 – Must be 12 years of age and not
have turned 15 years of age by the 11 January 2015
Women – Must be 15 years of age by the 9
January 2015
Be prepared to pay the specified levy in
full prior to arrival at the National Championships (a deposit or, in
extenuating circumstances, a suitable repayment plan may be negotiated with
Baseball Victoria not after 12 December 2014)
Uphold all parts of the ABF and Baseball
Victoria Code of Conduct
Complete the forms required by both the
ABF and Baseball Victoria (to be distributed by the EO);
Purchase the required uniform and clothing
through Baseball Victoria's supplier, and wear as stipulated within Baseball
Victoria policies and as directed by team staff;
You must attend selection trials as set
out above and all further sessions as advised; and
All participants wishing to be considered
for selection must compete in a Baseball Victoria sanctioned competition in
2014 Winter Season or 2014/15 Summer Season.
Uniform and Equipment
All players are requested not to wear a club or association
uniform cap or top. Please wear suitable baseball clothing and a training top
or tee-shirt.
Players need to bring all personal baseball equipment
for their positions including, gloves, helmet, bat, full catcher’s equipment,
etc.
Drinks and sunscreen is not supplied during the
trials.
Cost
The costs associated for players selected in either of
the teams will be confirmed once further details are received from the ABF,
however we estimate the cost per player will be $1,800 - $2,000.
The ABF have employed a Registration and Participation
package for all National Championships, which usually include accommodation,
meal and ground transport arrangements for all teams, plus other tournament
costs. Included within this, the ABF has installed a 'Fare Equalisation Policy'
which attempts to ensure each player, regardless of their geographical
location, pay an identical amount for their travel costs to attend a National
Championship.
Any costs that the ABF request Victorian teams to pay
to participate in a National Championship shall be portioned between the
players without additional margins other than costs incurred directly by
Baseball Victoria outside of the ABF package. Baseball Victoria costs typically
include additional food and beverage requirements, fuel for ground transport,
coach payments and costs, trials and training costs, uniform hire and launder
and equipment supplies such as baseballs and helmets.
If you need any further
information please contact Baseball Victoria on 9645 8000
Division One Preview for Weekend 25th and 26th October 2014.
Last week’s round of matches in Division 1 lived up to its billing when we saw some upset results and one extra innings game.
This Saturday at 3.30pm Doncaster play host to Cheltenham after the Rustlers had a walk off win when Paul Rutgers homered with his 3rd hit of the game. Cheltenham will be buoyed by the fact that they took the points after outhitting Melbourne 12 to 10 with 8 different players getting on safely. Meanwhile expect Doncaster to extend their starter, Luke Westphal, a bit further after he threw 9 strike outs in 6 innings last week. The real issue for Doncaster is how to produce runs as they were shut out last week by Blackburn and the Dragons have only tallied 3 runs in the other 2 games.
Geelong will be at home to Essendon on Saturday after the Dons had a loss last week to give Newport their 1st win of the season. Geelong will go into the contest confident that they can bat their way around the Bombers after collecting 12 hits last week but the Baycats will be looking to erase the memory of fielding errors that cost them dearly against Preston. Starters for the Baycats will most likely be their veteran Cam Forbes or James Wood the teenager who was impressive with both bat and the ball at La Trobe playing fields.
Waverley at Blackburn will be an interesting contest. The Wildcats who come off a 10 innings win against Upwey will be set to prove that they can produce runs. The team from Napier Park has been shut out twice so far. Waverley was without their starter Kennedy last week but had the economy of Darcy, Pappanicolou and closer Matthew Wilson on the mound to keep the score to 4. The difficulty for them will be that Adam Bright is the likely starter for The Orioles after he threw 8 shutout innings against Doncaster last week, allowing only 3 hits and no walks. Blackburn gathered 6 hits in the win so will also be looking to improve their batting this week. The pitching stocks of these two teams make it look like it will be a low scoring affair.
Upwey travel to Surrey Park after 2 wins and a loss to visit the talented Melbourne team. The Demons have included some of the their players that were unavailable in the early rounds but Andy Mann didn't pitch last week, so barring injury expect him to start. Ratcliffe is likely to relieve after he threw 97 pitches in his start last week. The Tigers will be looking to break out of the box a bit after Waverley kept them to 5 hits last week. Luke Howell was also impressive as he went well into the game, pitching 8 innings in the loss.
Sandringham hosts Newport after both teams have had good games against the reigning premier Essendon. Sandringham were unlucky in 10 innings during round one whilst The Rams notched up their first win after leading the Bombers 5-0 last week. The issue for Newport will be how to produce and defend runs as Sandy is ahead on both. Williamstown outgunned The Royals last week when Andrew Russell played DH and hit 3 home runs.
Preston who travel to Williamstown will have one thing on their minds. How will they stop Russell? This is not an easy question to answer, as he is likely to start on the mound for the Wolves and tackle the Pirates from a completely different angle. Bass starred in relief for Preston against the Baycats last week and collected 3 hits with the bat. Pirates, Hood and Smiley are also hitting with power and consistency in the middle order, if Russell pitches he will have his work cut out for him containing those guys.The northerners however, will go into the game with plenty of options on the hill after Godbould started last week before he passed the ball to Travis Bass. Williamstown may also call on David Asp in relief, as he started last week, as well as Josh Lee and Ryan Camov in the bullpen.
In Division 2 the top of the table clash sees Berwick host Sunshine. Sunshine are undefeated whilst the Cougars suffered their first loss to Malvern last week. Meanwhile, Malvern will look to test out Moorabbin at the Pantherdome as both sides sit on 2 and 1. St.Kilda travel to Springvale looking for their 1st win against the Lions who are also clustered at the top of the ladder on 2 and 1. Port Melbourne will be looking to bounce back as they take on Bonbeach St.Chads. The Mariners looked promising in the first couple of games and have improved this season but were blanked by Werribee last week when Tayler Rowe threw 10 strikeouts.
The match of the round this week is Werribee at Fitzroy. The Giants are travelling well after Tayler Rowe’s return from Sunshine this year. Rowe sat down 19 batters in succession during the Giants match against Port Melbourne last week. Meanwhile, Fitzroy will be looking to add to their win against St.Kilda on the road. The Lions have been competitive in their other 2 losses to Malvern and Sunshine so will be looking to seal the deal and announce their presence this week. Danny King or Carl Wilson are likely starters at Merri Park.
In Women’s Division 1 this Saturday, Werribee travel to Malvern after The Giants were well beaten by Essendon last night in a mid-week game. Footscray goes to Essendon to fight in a contest that is impossible to pick and Doncaster will attempt to put a dent into the undefeated Springvale. Then on Thursday Footscray and Springvale meet at Melbourne Ball Park at 6.30pm.
I hope to see you around the grounds.
Cam Gleeson
Follow on Twitter @valiantcam
Our hashtag has been updated to #vsbl
Information for Clubs
A quick note to let you know that all requested enhancements to the Sitedesq 2.0 platform have been completed and are available for you to use on your club website.
In addition, remember that complimentary Sitedesq 2.0 websites are:
If you would like help with using any of the above enhancements on your website don’t hesitate to contact support@imgstg.com for support.
All the best with your Summer Seasons.
Trish Quayle
Head of Marketing and Communications
Baseball Australia
The news of Travis McDonalds signing last week has been quickly followed by Western Australian catcher Jake Turnbull.
Left-handed pitcher Travis, from North Rocks in NSW had a week of stellar news, with his Reds contract finalised and a call-up to represent Australia at the 21U World Cup in Taiwan in November.
The twenty-two year old will also play this ABL season with the Sydney Blue Sox who start their season in Perth on 31 October.
Travis will face now potential Reds teammate Jake Turnbull in the WA showdown.
Baseball home run for rising teen star
Steve Butler, The West Australian Original Article
Photo: Jake Turnbull
The blazing bat of Jake Turnbull has swung the Perth teenager's life dreams into a Major League Baseball reality.
Turnbull signed a contract (last week) believed to offer a six-figure sum, to join the Cincinnati Reds - a move that also triggered a deal to play this season with reigning Australian Baseball League champions Alcohol. Think Again Perth Heat.
It will pitch the Koondoola 16-year-old, rated by Perth Heat coach Steve Fish as having the best batting swing he had ever seen in an Australian junior, to the brink of stardom in the sport he has loved since he was nine.
He will join Heat's senior squad for the new season that starts on Friday week and will also play for his local Wanneroo club before heading to the Reds in March.
"It's an awesome opportunity and I just can't wait to get over there and start a career in what I love doing," Turnbull said, suggesting Year 12 studies and any thoughts of plying a trade as an electrician were now finished.
"Baseball became the choice when I really didn't like anything else and I seemed to be pretty good at it. Apparently, Cincinnati is an awesome place to be and I'm super excited."
Turnbull said a positional move, changing from being a middle-infielder to catcher in the past two years, had been instrumental in his fielding offers from six MLB clubs before deciding on the Reds deal.
Fish, who first started grooming Turnbull when he was a "pee-wee", said his protégé was a serious talent.
Four wins separate the San Francisco Giants from their third World Series title in five years and the Kansas City Royals from their first championship in nearly 30 years. Tune in to catch all the action for the 2014 Fall Classic on ESPN Australia/New Zealand.
2014 World Series Australian Television Schedule
Geelong Vs Preston Match Preview. Plus Preround Division 1,2 and Women's.
Interview with Sean Arnott Geelong Baseball Club. Direct Link here.
Interview with Stuart Chinn, Preston Baseball Club. Direct Link Here.
Preston come into their 3rd game of the season looking to extend their presence in Division 1. After 2 seasons without play-off action in the top grade the Pirates have collected a few new players and started their season with 2 wins. Travis Bass is the likely starter for the home team according to manager Stuart Chinn. Preston has also added shortstop Jordan Ley who has come over from Waverley and new import, hitter, 1st baseman and part time pitcher Andrew Smiley .
The Baycats are likely to start right-hander James Wood and have Trent Evins to call on in relief if the Pirates’ bats fire up like they have done in the past 2 weeks. Geelong has also got Kell’i Zablan to come in and pitch, in the middle innings or close out the game. Troy Snarey and Cameron Gibbons have also been hitting for the Baycats so will be the ones to watch in the box.
Cheltenham, who amassed 13 hits last week to outhit Upwey (10) in their loss, have Curnow, Ben Leslie, Holding and Calill in form at the plate. The Rustlers will be ready to capitalise on their hitting form, whilst looking for their first win when they host Melbourne this Saturday. Meanwhile the Demons (1-1) will be buoyed (despite their loss to Blackburn last week) by the fact that they had 7 of their starting 9 collect hits. Steele Ratcliffe pitched 5.1 innings, which should make it easier for the bullpen, which included Nathan Aron for 2 economical innings. The Demons should also be looking forward to the return of their pitching ace Andy Mann.
Blackburn had Tierney, Bookluck and Bertrand with 2 hits apiece last week in their win against Melbourne. The Orioles will also be buoyed by last week’s return of their marquee pitcher Adam Bright who threw 3 innings in the win. Doncaster will be waiting and raring to go as they look to their pitching staff lead by Luke Westphal who kept Waverley to a 4 hit shut out.
On Sunday Newport will be looking for a way to slow down Essendon when they travel to Boeing Reserve, after 2 heavy losses to Preston and Geelong. Essendon starter Michael Formisano threw well last week so expect the ball to go to him. The Bombers also had plenty of run support as Davies and Larkin collected 3 hits each in their win against Willy.
The Demons weren’t the only team who had 7 of the starting 9 get hits as Upwey had Nick Rice, Josh Hendricks, and Lewis in form with the bat. Howell went 7 innings on the mound last week for the Tigers before he handed the ball to Rice. With no mid-week games as yet, it is likely that Luke will be the starter when the Upwey team travel to Waverley. The Wildcats will be looking for their first win after a couple of close games. Waverley were beaten in a tight game against Doncaster last week after the Dragons strung 3 hits together in the 3rd to score the only 2 runs for the game. With economical pitching shared between Kennedy, Darcy and Pappanicalaou the Wildcats at home this weekend can’t be that far off.
Sandringham will travel to other side of the bay to face Williamstown after being shutout by Preston last week. Meanwhile, the Wolves look confident of holding their own in Division 1 this season after a first round win against Geelong and a loss to Essendon. Andrew Russell brings more Division 1 experience harbourside this season alongside coach Dean Marnell as well as Michael and Darren Pollock who have added to the team of the last 2 years. Russell started on the mound for the Wolves last week and also hit a 2 run blast against the Bombers. Additionally, Ryan Camov seems to have had no trouble making the jump to Division 1 as he has been hitting and taking his turn on the hill for the Wolves.
In Division 2
All Division 2 games will be played at 3.30 on Sunday this week.
Moorabbin are likely to start their import Musson, but after Josh Mulherin pitched brilliantly and lead off with the bat last week he might push for the start. The Panthers will try to take their season tally to 2 from 3 when they go to Bonbeach.
Berwick will be looking to make it 3 in a row and build on their work over several seasons when their young side visits Malvern who are 1 and 1.
Fitzroy are yet to register a win but will be looking to open their account whilst being eyed by St Kilda who are also winless. Danny King started for the Lions last week and went 5 innings so expect to see him with Wilson and Cowley in the pen.
Meanwhile the match of the round in Division 2 is Springvale at Sunshine. The undefeated Lions look to continue their form after their grand final berth last season and the Eagles, who are also 2-0, will be looking to capitalise on a good start to make it 3 in a row.
Port Melbourne is likely to start their import Desmeott when they travel to Werribee with both teams on 1-1. Meanwhile, the Rogers and Holland brothers look to continue their form with the bat and in the battery for the Mariners. A second win for both teams would set a good foundation for the season ahead, whilst 2 and 1 looks a lot different for the loser.
Women’s Division 1
In women’s Division 1 Doncaster take on Essendon after the Dragons accounted for Footscray 6-3 last weekend then suffered a 5-3 loss to Springvale during the week. Belinda Cannington is the one to watch as she lead off for the Dragons on Saturday and got 3 hits.
Additionally Essendon will be looking to separate themselves from the pack after their midweek draw with Footscray. The Bombers have had some close games so far this season and sit 2nd on 2-2.
Footscray will be confident of getting their 2nd win after 2 draws when they travel to Werribee.
Springvale who remain undefeated after 4 games travel to Malvern to complete the Saturday games for the round of matches and Werribee play Essendon at MBP on Thursday night at 6.30pm.
Report by Cam Gleeson
@valiantcam
#bvsl
Tag all of your photos on Instagram #bvsl
Geelong Baycats at Preston Pirates, 3.30pm October 19th 2014
Interview with Stuart Chinn. Direct link here.
Interview with Sean Arnott. Direct Link Here.
Baycats starters: CF Durston, SS Zablan, RF Thompson, 3B Snarey, 1B Gibbons, 2B Fraim, LF Evins, CF Huisman, Pitcher Wood.
Pirates starters: 2B Evans, 3B Bass, 1B Deeble, LF Hood, RF Smiley, SS Ley, CF Farrell, Pitcher Godbold, CF Legge.
Baycats in the top of 1st- It looked like it might be a day for the hitters when Zablan singled to shortstop then Thompson walked but Godbold was good enough to get out of it and left the 2 runners on base.
Pirates in the bottom of the 1st – After Evans walked, Bass and Deeble singled to put a lot of pressure on Wood, the 17 year old pitcher from Geelong. Evans scored and there were a couple of more hits but Wood went into the dugout wondering what might have been after 4 of the 5 runs scored were unearned.
Bottom 2nd – The Baycats were far from intimidated when they came out in attack. Fraim doubled, Evins singled to the infield and Huisman hit as well. Wood continued his form when he bunted safely to the pitcher. They say that hitting is contagious and so it was when Durston singled and Huisman scored on a double play ball to make it 2 out. Thompson of Geelong got into the act when he too singled and scored Wood. The Baycats went back into the field with confidence after 6 hits and 4 runs on the board trailing by 1.
Bottom 2nd – Wood had settled on the mound for the Baycats and improved his accuracy in this dig. He sat the batters down in order.
Top 3rd – Godbold found something at this stage of the game for the Pirates as he sent Geelong back into the field without scoring.
Bottom 3rd – It was at about this time that the temperature dropped about 10 degrees; we went from a bright sunny day to a cold blowy, winter afternoon in Bundoora. However, the sudden change in conditions didn’t seem to affect the batting as Hood lead off with a double to centrefield. Smiley and Ley also singled to score another for Preston. It was beyond doubt that the hitters were controlling this game when Farrell doubled and scored Smiley. Wood managed to squeeze them out of it and leave 2 on base, again responding to great pressure on the hill. Preston were looking too good with the bats though, after 3 complete. With 4 hits in the innings they scored 2 runs to lead 7-4.
Top 4th - Wood continued with his gritty performance when he singled to left field but that is where he stayed as Godbold had steadied and left him on base.
Bottom 4th – Webb gave way on the mound for Evins. But the Pirates responded when Bass singled to left field then scored after 2 errors. The Pirates were leading 8-4.
Top 5th - Godbold gave way on the mound to Bass. The bats were still swinging in the Geelong camp when Gibbons welcomed the new pitcher with a single to right field. However he was left on base as Preston started to close in on the game.
Bottom 5th - Bass got on with an infield single after an error, Preston scored another run.
Top 6th – The pitching was shaping up in this game but so were the batters when Wood singled to left field. Preston were too good again, Bass sturck out another to end the innings and left another runner on base.
Bottom 6th. Hood continued his form with the bat when he singled, but Evins had settled in, throwing strikes and the score didn’t change.
The Baycats created a chance in the top of the 7th when Gibbons singled and Fraim got on after an error. When Evins walked Geelong looked like they might get some of those unearned runs back. However Travis Bass steadied and grounded out the innings with bases loaded.
After that the pitchers took control of the game until the top of the 9th. The crowd woke up a bit when Baycats pinch hitter Barnes singled and Snarey walked. Geelong was still flying the flag after a frustrating outing, however it wasn’t to be. Preston finished the game with a 3-6-3 double play.
Without the errors this would have been a much different game, Geelong were gallant and swung true all day. They outhit the winners 12 to 11. The critical stat was that Geelong left 11 on base whilst Preston stranded only 7. Although the Pirates got a head start when 4 of the first 5 runs were unearned, they hit the ball hard and threw accurately all day. Full credit to Preston for applying pressure the way they did. The standout players for both teams were Wood for Geelong and Bass for Preston who pitched facing 18 and 19 batters respectively and collected 3 hits each.
This report was brought to you with the help of the automated scorebook, courtesy of Preston Pirates Baseball Club. Full report is attached to this page.
Cam Gleeson
@valiantcam
Geelong Baycats at Preston Pirates, 3.30pm October 19th 2014
Interview with Stuart Chinn. Direct link here.
Interview with Sean Arnott. Direct Link Here.
Baycats starters: CF Durston, SS Zablan, RF Thompson, 3B Snarey, 1B Gibbons, 2B Fraim, LF Evins, Catcher Huisman, Pitcher Wood.
Pirates starters: 2B Evans, 3B Bass, 1B Deeble, LF Hood, RF Smiley, SS Ley, Catcher Farrell, Pitcher Godbold, CF Legge.
Baycats in the top of 1st- It looked like it might be a day for the hitters when Zablan singled to shortstop then Thompson walked but Godbold was good enough to get out of it and left the 2 runners on base to send the Pirates to the plate.
Pirates in the bottom of the 1st – After Evans walked, Bass and Deeble singled to put a lot of pressure on Wood, the 17 year old pitcher from Geelong. Evans scored and there were a couple of more hits but Wood went into the dugout wondering what might have been after 4 of the 5 runs scored were unearned.
Bottom 2nd – The Baycats were far from intimidated when they came out in attack. Fraim doubled, Evins singled to the infield and Huisman hit as well. Wood started what would be a good day with the bat, when he bunted safely to the pitcher. They say that hitting is contagious and so it was when Durston singled then Huisman scored on a double play ball to make it 2 out. Thompson of Geelong got into the act when he singled and scored Wood. The Baycats went back into the field with confidence after 6 hits and 4 runs on the board trailing by 1.
Bottom 2nd – Wood had settled on the mound for the Baycats and improved his accuracy in this dig. He sat the batters down in order.
Top 3rd – Godbold found something at this stage of the game for the Pirates as he sent Geelong back into the field without scoring.
Bottom 3rd – It was at about this time that the temperature dropped about 10 degrees; we went from a bright sunny day to a cold blowy, winter afternoon in Bundoora. However, the sudden change in conditions didn’t seem to affect the batting as Hood lead off with a strong line drive double to centrefield. Smiley and Ley also singled to score another for Preston. It was beyond doubt that the hitters were controlling this game when Farrell doubled and scored Smiley. Wood managed to squeeze them out of it and leave 2 on base, again responding to great pressure on the hill. Preston were looking too good with the bats though, after 3 complete. With 4 hits in the innings they scored 2 runs to lead 7-4.
Top 4th - Wood continued with his gritty performance when he singled to left field but that is where he stayed as Godbold had steadied and left him on base.
Bottom 4th – Wood of Geelong gave way on the mound for Evins. The Pirates were aggressive in the box again and responded when Bass singled to left field then scored after 2 errors. The Pirates were leading 8-4.
Top 5th - Godbold of Preston gave way on the mound to Bass. The bats were still swinging in the Geelong camp when Gibbons welcomed the new pitcher with a single to right field. However, Cam was left on base as Preston started to close in on the game.
Bottom 5th - Bass got on with an infield single then after an error, Preston scored another run.
Top 6th – The pitching was shaping up in this game but so were the batters when Wood singled to left field. Preston were too good again, Bass sturck out another to end the innings and left the runner on base.
Bottom 6th. Hood continued his form with the bat when he singled, but Evins had settled in, throwing spots and the score didn’t change.
The Baycats created a chance in the top of the 7th when Gibbons singled and Fraim got on after an error. When Evins walked Geelong looked like they might get some of those unearned runs back. However Travis Bass steadied and grounded out the innings with bases loaded.
After that the pitchers took control of the game until the top of the 9th. The crowd woke up a bit when Baycats pinch hitter Barnes singled and Snarey walked. Geelong was still flying the flag after a frustrating outing, however it wasn’t to be. Preston finished the game with a 3-6-3 double play.
Without the errors this would have been a much different game, Geelong were gallant and swung true all day. They outhit the winners 12 to 11. The critical stat was that Geelong left 11 on base whilst Preston stranded only 7. Although the Pirates got a head start when 4 of the first 5 runs were unearned, they hit the ball hard and threw accurately all day. Full credit to Preston for applying pressure and forcing the errors the way they did. The standout players for both teams were Wood for Geelong and Bass for Preston who both pitched facing 18 and 19 batters respectively as well as collecting 3 hits each.
This report was brought to you with the help of the automated scorebook, courtesy of Preston Pirates Baseball Club. Full stats report is here.
Cam Gleeson
@valiantcam