It was a tale of two half innings.
Save a throwing error by their pitcher, four time defending champion Essendon looked calm, cool and collected to begin yet another title defense.
After they held Cheltenham off the board for the first three frames, they did what they always do: make the most of their opportunities.
In his second at bat of the game, leadoff hitter Scott McIntyre walked on five pitches to start the inning and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brett Tamburrino. The Rustlers pitcher, Max Barrett, had a chance to get McIntyre at second but instead threw the ball over his shortstop’s head.
Second baseman Tom Dicker then stepped to the plate. After two unsuccessful bunt attempts, he fought off a pitch, took a close one for a ball and then singled to center, his second hit of the game.
With the bases loaded, Peter Stokes grounded into a double play (shortstop to first), scoring Scott McIntyre for the first run of the Grand Final.
An error by Cheltenham shortstop George Callil off a broken bat chopper by Tamburrino put the Bombers up two after three.
A scoreless fourth preceded the epic middle frame.
The fifth inning featured 20 plate appearances—an even 10 for each team—nine runs and three pitching changes.
When it began, Essendon led 2-0. When it finished they were on top 6-5.
Third baseman Sam Trend-Beacom started off the Rustlers rally with an infield hit on a high chopper. Jarrod Hoff then worked the count full (after being down 0-2) and reached on an error by Bombers shortstop Sam Moon.
Catcher Brad Kmet, attempting to sacrifice himself, laid down a perfect bunt for another single that didn’t reach the outfield, loading the bases.
The next batter, leadoff man Dylan Trevorah, didn’t waste any time when he took hurler Gareth Formisano’s first pitch and lined it to right, scoring Trend-Beacom and Hoff to tie the game.
That was the end of the Essendon hurler’s night as Kyle Bedford relieved him.
One of their best players all year, shortstop George Callil had a fantastic at-bat. Though he didn’t succeed on getting two bunts down, he worked the count full before being hit by a pitch.
Lanky left hander Ben Leslie then walked to score Kmet, giving their Rustlers their first lead of the game.
Bedford, who didn’t retire a batter, was then replaced by Russell Spear, who promptly gave up a two run double to left center by Paul Rutgers. The two-bagger scored Trevorah and Callil and gave Cheltenham a 5-2 advantage.
Right fielder Andrew Gribbin then walked on six pitches, loading the bases once again.
Mitch Holding then struck out swinging before Sam Trend-Beacom, in his second at bat of the inning, grounded into a nifty 4-6-3 double play on the first pitch he saw, ending the inning.
The Rustlers had all the momentum.
But there’s a reason the Bombers have won four straight championships
Already 2-for-2, Tom Dicker began the frame with an infield hit on a high chopper to shortstop.
Peter Stokes followed with a tailor-made ground ball to third, but Trend-Beacom—superb all game—rushed himself and retired no one.
After Tim Sullivan flew to center, Josh Davies crushed a two run double to right center, scoring Dicker and Stokes and cutting the deficit to one.
Head coach Adam Blackley replaced Barrett and then the wheels began to come loose on the Rustlers train.
After running a great distance to track down a foul ball down the left field line, Callil inexplicably—one has to assume his left fielder Rutgers called him off—didn’t offer at the ball and it fell to the grass untouched, but not harmlessly.
As it always seems to happen in baseball, the next pitch was crushed to right center by Liam Bedford, scoring Davies.
Sam Moon, intent on bunting, walked. Then the number nine hitter, Dean McIntyre, caught everyone by surprise and put down a great bunt up the first base line on a 2-1 count to load the bases.
Dean’s brother Scott then worked a full count walk, plating Bedford. Dicker, the tenth hitter in the inning, struck out with the bases loaded to end the threat.
Nearly an hour later the fifth inning finally finished.
Like great teams usually do, Essendon retook the momentum and never gave it back.
Cheltenham went 1-2-3 in the sixth and then the Bombers converted a duck snort to right, a balk, a deep fly to center, a walk, and a frozen rope to left to add an insurance marker. After another bunt single, a superb 6-4-3 double play ended the inning.
The seventh started well for the Rustlers but after getting runners on at first and second with one out, they failed to score.
The Bombers, after a ground out to short to start the inning, put together a single, an out, hit by pitch, and then three straight singles to add four more runs to their total.
After seven complete: Essendon 11, Cheltenham 5.
A scoreless eighth by the Rustlers begat another two runs in the bottom of the frame by the Bombers.
Essendon then closed them out in the ninth in order to secure a come-from-behind 13-5 win.
Game 2 of the series is at Melbourne Ballpark on Saturday afternoon.