Interview with Adam Bright. Direct link is here.
Starting line up for Blackburn- Tierney D 8, Tierney A 6, Phillips 9, Hunter 2, Dicker 7, Rogers DH, Evans 3, Bookluck 5, Berg 4, Bright Pitcher.
Melbourne- Moore 6, Hondromatidis 8, Kent 3, Burton 4, Blackmore 9, Ayres 2, Boon 5, Squire DH, Aron 7, Mann Pitcher.
Umpires- Howe-Plate, Boyes -1st base, Dunn- 3rd base.
Top 1st- Mann was on target for Melbourne as he sat the batters down in order finishing with a strikeout swinging.
Bottom 1st- Moore led off for Melbourne with a line shot to left but Berg made a good turning play for the fielder’s choice at 2nd to steal a hit off Hondromatidis. Another fielder’s choice at 2nd made the next out and Bright left the runner on with a strikeout swinging.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 2nd- Mann was economical as he sat the batters down in order.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 2nd- Blackmore led off and singled to the infield then Boon singled to left with one out to advance him one base. Bookluck picked up the ball on 3rd base and made a 5 to 3 double play to end the dig.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 3rd- Mann sat the batters down in order again.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 3rd- Back at the top of the Demons order and Hondromatidis hit to left with two out. Kent got HPB and created a force to 3rd but Bright threw straight and a pop-up ended the dig.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 4th- Back at the top of the Orioles order but Mann wasn’t phased and got contact outs to sit the batters down in order again.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 4th- Blackmore hit hard but straight down the throat of Phillips in right for the first out. Bright dropped in his curve to get the second and third outs looking.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 5th - Mann did the usual and got the outs without troubling the scorers.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 5th- Bright used his curve to get a K swinging for the second out and we were back at the top of the Melbourne order when he got a comebacker on the mound to end the dig. Going into the sixth and the game is in deadlock.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 6th- Mann got two contact outs and finished the dig with a strikeout looking.
Pitch count, Mann 70 and Bright 74.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 6th- Bright got a strikeout swinging for the second out and a long fly ball to centre right from Burton was well caught by D Tierney to end the dig.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 7th – A Tierney drew a lead off walk then Phillips sac-bunted him to 2nd. When Hunter flared into left, it was 1st and 3rd occupied and suddenly all the pressure was on Melbourne. The middle of the Orioles order was up and Dicker singled to left for an RBI.
Pitching change for Melbourne as Kraemer came in with one out after a very good performance from Mann.
Score Blackburn 1, Melbourne 0.
Rogers walked and loaded them up then Evans blasted the game open when he hit long for a double in the left alley to score 3. Two routine outs finished the dig.
Score Blackburn 4, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 7th- Blackmore singled before Bright got three Ks swinging to end the dig.
Score Blackburn 4, Melbourne 0.
Top 8th- D Tierney walked and A Tierney advanced him on an infield hit. A pitching change was called for Melbourne as A Hondromatidis took the hill from Kraemer.
Melbourne got an out at 1st on a hit and run play that put two runners in scoring position with one out. Hunter then hit to centre to score both. Rogers walked with two out and another routine play ended the dig.
Score Blackburn 6, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 8th- Bright vacated after a dominant performance and Tuck came in to pitch for Blackburn when Moore of Melbourne walked. Tuck got back on target though and threw a curve that was well outside to get the second out swinging, then a groundball ended the innings.
Score Blackburn 6, Melbourne 0.
Top 9th- Blackmore came in to pitch for the Demons and got two contact outs and K looking. Melbourne then needed six runs to keep their season alive. Blackburn needed three outs to advance to the grand final series.
Score Blackburn 6, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 9th- Blackmore got on after an error with one out then advanced on a wild pitch. Tuck then finished the game with two strikeouts.
Final Score Blackburn 6, Melbourne 0.
Interview with Adam Bright. Direct link is here.
Starting line up for Blackburn- Tierney D 8, Tierney A 6, Phillips 9, Hunter 2, Dicker 7, Rogers DH, Evans 3, Bookluck 5, Berg 4, Bright Pitcher.
Melbourne- Moore 6, Hondromatidis 8, Kent 3, Burton 4, Blackmore 9, Ayres 2, Boon 5, Squire DH, Aron 7, Mann Pitcher.
Umpires- Howe-Plate, Boyes -1st base, Dunn- 3rd base.
Top 1st- Mann was on target for Melbourne as he sat the batters down in order finishing with a strikeout swinging.
Bottom 1st- Moore led off for Melbourne with a line shot to left but Berg made a good turning play for the fielder’s choice at 2nd to steal a hit off Hondromatidis. Another fielder’s choice at 2nd made the next out and Bright left the runner on with a strikeout swinging.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 2nd- Mann was economical as he sat the batters down in order.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 2nd- Blackmore led off and singled to the infield then Boon singled to left with one out to advance him one base. Bookluck picked up the ball on 3rd base and made a 5 to 3 double play to end the dig.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 3rd- Mann sat the batters down in order again.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 3rd- Back at the top of the Demons order and Hondromatidis hit to left with two out. Kent got HPB and created a force to 3rd but Bright threw straight and a pop-up ended the dig.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 4th- Back at the top of the Orioles order but Mann wasn’t phased and got contact outs to sit the batters down in order again.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 4th- Blackmore hit hard but straight down the throat of Phillips in right for the first out. Bright dropped in his curve to get the second and third outs looking.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 5th - Mann did the usual and got the outs without troubling the scorers.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 5th- Bright used his curve to get a K swinging for the second out and we were back at the top of the Melbourne order when he got a comebacker on the mound to end the dig. Going into the sixth and the game is in deadlock.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 6th- Mann got two contact outs and finished the dig with a strikeout looking.
Pitch count, Mann 70 and Bright 74.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 6th- Bright got a strikeout swinging for the second out and a long fly ball to centre right from Burton was well caught by D Tierney to end the dig.
Score Blackburn 0, Melbourne 0.
Top 7th – A Tierney drew a lead off walk then Phillips sac-bunted him to 2nd. When Hunter flared into left, it was 1st and 3rd occupied and suddenly all the pressure was on Melbourne. The middle of the Orioles order was up and Dicker singled to left for an RBI.
Pitching change for Melbourne as Kraemer came in with one out after a very good performance from Mann.
Score Blackburn 1, Melbourne 0.
Rogers walked and loaded them up then Evans blasted the game open when he hit long for a double in the left alley to score 3. Two routine outs finished the dig.
Score Blackburn 4, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 7th- Blackmore singled before Bright got three Ks swinging to end the dig.
Score Blackburn 4, Melbourne 0.
Top 8th- D Tierney walked and A Tierney advanced him on an infield hit. A pitching change was called for Melbourne as A Hondromatidis took the hill from Kraemer.
Melbourne got an out at 1st on a hit and run play that put two runners in scoring position with one out. Hunter then hit to centre to score both. Rogers walked with two out and another routine play ended the dig.
Score Blackburn 6, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 8th- Bright vacated after a dominant performance and Tuck came in to pitch for Blackburn when Moore of Melbourne walked. Tuck got back on target though and threw a curve that was well outside to get the second out swinging, then a groundball ended the innings.
Score Blackburn 6, Melbourne 0.
Top 9th- Blackmore came in to pitch for the Demons and got two contact outs and K looking. Melbourne then needed six runs to keep their season alive. Blackburn needed three outs to advance to the grand final series.
Score Blackburn 6, Melbourne 0.
Bottom 9th- Blackmore got on after an error with one out then advanced on a wild pitch. Tuck then finished the game with two strikeouts.
With thanks to the Blackburn scorers for providing the full game report.
Game photos supplied with thanks to Gillian Gavin of Blackburn. #vsbl
Report by Cam Gleeson