Both teams fronted up tonight hoping to get one place closer to the final four in Division 2. Fitzroy were three games behind Malvern in fourth place and Springvale were two games in the red. A win for the boys from K.H.Wearne reserve would give them a chance to chase down Malvern whilst Fitzroy really needed to win to keep their chances alive.
Starting line up for Fitzroy- Muchan 2, King 6, Turlea 4, McClean 8, Wilson C 3, Stevens 5, Hill DH, Cowley 9, Wilson T 7, Freeth Pitcher.
Springvale- Wearne 6, Mascoll 4, Price 2, Barnden 3, Poole 5, Brown 1, Richards 8, Cavanagh 7, Drummond 9.
Top 1st- Brown looked on target as he started with a strikeout swinging. Two contact outs took us into the bottom of the innings.
Score- 0, 0.
Bottom 1st- Freeth got a pop up to short to begin then got ahead quickly with the next batter for a three pitch K. A ground ball to 2nd ended the dig.
Score- 0, 0.
Top 2nd - Brown got two strikeouts and a contact out and looked in control as he sat the batters down in order.
Bottom 2nd – Freeth got three contact outs as he was also throwing with great efficiency.
Score- 0, 0.
Top 3rd- Sam Drummond took a good catch running towards the line in right for the first out. Infield grounders got the second and third outs. Tim Brown has only thrown two balls in three innings to date.
Bottom 3rd- Glen Richards started by lining a hanging curve ball up the middle for a single. Cavanagh got HBP then Drummond bunted safely to load them up and bring up the top of the Springvale order with none out. C Wilson made a good ground ball out at home on the force but Fitzroy couldn’t get the ball back to 1st in time for the double play. Mascoll scored two on a ground ball single up the middle to leave 1st and 2nd occupied with one out. Price had a long at bat for a walk but King and Turlea of Fitzroy combined to end it with a double play.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 2.
Top 4th- Brown started with a first pitch out as Drummond took another catch in right. The pitcher was in total control as he got another two strikeouts looking to end the innings.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 2.
Bottom 4th- Freeth wasn’t to be outdone and had control of the hitters as he sat them down in order with three fly balls.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 2.
Top 5th- Barnden of Springvale rescued a wild throw from short to get the first out on a tag at first base. C Wilson hit deep into centre right for a double with one out and Stevens grounded to 1st to advance him to 3rd. Brown soaked up the pressure on the Springvale mound and sat the next batter down after a ground ball to end it.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 2.
Bottom 5th- This was turning into a real pitcher’s duel as Freeth induced two ground ball outs to start it off. Wearne was up for it though as he drew a walk then stole 2nd. He then took 3rd on a hit and run play as Mascoll singled to left for the RBI. Price walked but Freeth got another ground ball to end it with two on.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 3.
Top 6th- Cowley showed good patience as he drew a walk to start it off then T Wilson hit to left to make it 1st and 2nd occupied. King played into a fielder’s choice at 3rd after a pop up back to the pitcher and it was two out. A line ball to third ended it there and left two on.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 3.
Bottom 6th- Freeth took the score in his stride and looked confident as he sat down the Springvale batters in order.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 3.
Top 7th- McClean flew the flag for Fitzroy as he lead off with a line shot single to centre right. The left-handed Stevens batted with one out and waited on one to push it into left. It was then 1st and 2nd occupied. A fly ball deep into left made the second out with no advance from the runners and a tag play at 2nd ended it. Brown was looking confident after seven.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 3.
Bottom 7th- Cavanagh drew a walk then Drummond bunted safely to create a force to 3rd situation with none out and the top of the Springvale order up to bat. Muchan picked up a bouncing bunted ball in the dish and made a play at 3rd for the first out. King and Turlea combined well around the horn but the runner was safe in a tight play at 1st making it 1st and 3rd occupied with two out. A ground ball to 2nd ended the dig.
Top 8th- Brown in his eighth innings of work drew a grounder for the first out and a pop up to the catcher for the second then finished it with a strikeout.
Bottom 8th- Poole of Springvale beat out an infield single after a flyball in deep left got the first out. Another flyball to right made it two out then Richards walked and a pop up to 2nd ended it. We went into the ninth innings with 25 minutes to play in a two hour game.
A groundball got the first out then McClean beat out a groundball and made it as the fielder was off the base. A fielder’s choice at 2nd made the next out but Wilson was safe at one as Springvale couldn’t turn the double play. Stevens singled to left but Brown made it a complete game shutout with a groundball to 2nd that ended the contest.
Final Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 3.
Springvale 6 hits. Fitzroy 5.
Pitching- Tim Brown of Springvale 20 balls, 76 strikes, total 96 pitches, 5 hits 6 strikeouts. No runs. 1 BB. 34 batters faced
Jack Freeth of Fitzroy- 44 balls, 68 strikes, 112 pitches, 35 batters faced, 8 innings, 6 hits, 2 strikeouts, 5 BB, 3 earned runs.
Hits- Fitzroy- Stevens 2, Mc Lean 1, C Wilson 1 double, T Wilson 1.
Springvale- Mascoll 2 plus 2RBI, Poole 1, Richards 1, Drummond 2.
Report by Cam Gleeson
Both teams fronted up tonight hoping to get one place closer to the final four in Division 2. Fitzroy were three games behind Malvern in fourth place and Springvale were two games in the red. A win for the boys from K.H.Wearne reserve would give them a chance to chase down Malvern whilst Fitzroy really needed to win to keep their chances alive.
Starting line up for Fitzroy- Muchan 2, King 6, Turlea 4, McClean 8, Wilson C 3, Stevens 5, Hill DH, Cowley 9, Wilson T 7, Freeth Pitcher.
Springvale- Wearne 6, Mascoll 4, Price 2, Barnden 3, Poole 5, Brown 1, Richards 8, Cavanagh 7, Drummond 9.
Top 1st- Brown looked on target as he started with a strikeout swinging. Two contact outs took us into the bottom of the innings.
Score- 0, 0.
Bottom 1st- Freeth got a pop up to short to begin then got ahead quickly with the next batter for a three pitch K. A ground ball to 2nd ended the dig.
Score- 0, 0.
Top 2nd - Brown got two strikeouts and a contact out and looked in control as he sat the batters down in order.
Bottom 2nd – Freeth got three contact outs as he was also throwing with great efficiency.
Score- 0, 0.
Top 3rd- Sam Drummond took a good catch running towards the line in right for the first out. Infield grounders got the second and third outs. Tim Brown has only thrown two balls in three innings to date.
Bottom 3rd- Glen Richards started by lining a hanging curve ball up the middle for a single. Cavanagh got HBP then Drummond bunted safely to load them up and bring up the top of the Springvale order with none out. C Wilson made a good ground ball out at home on the force but Fitzroy couldn’t get the ball back to 1st in time for the double play. Mascoll scored two on a ground ball single up the middle to leave 1st and 2nd occupied with one out. Price had a long at bat for a walk but King and Turlea of Fitzroy combined to end it with a double play.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 2.
Top 4th- Brown started with a first pitch out as Drummond took another catch in right. The pitcher was in total control as he got another two strikeouts looking to end the innings.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 2.
Bottom 4th- Freeth wasn’t to be outdone and had control of the hitters as he sat them down in order with three fly balls.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 2.
Top 5th- Barnden of Springvale rescued a wild throw from short to get the first out on a tag at first base. C Wilson hit deep into centre right for a double with one out and Stevens grounded to 1st to advance him to 3rd. Brown soaked up the pressure on the Springvale mound and sat the next batter down after a ground ball to end it.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 2.
Bottom 5th- This was turning into a real pitcher’s duel as Freeth induced two ground ball outs to start it off. Wearne was up for it though as he drew a walk then stole 2nd. He then took 3rd on a hit and run play as Mascoll singled to left for the RBI. Price walked but Freeth got another ground ball to end it with two on.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 3.
Top 6th- Cowley showed good patience as he drew a walk to start it off then T Wilson hit to left to make it 1st and 2nd occupied. King played into a fielder’s choice at 3rd after a pop up back to the pitcher and it was two out. A line ball to third ended it there and left two on.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 3.
Bottom 6th- Freeth took the score in his stride and looked confident as he sat down the Springvale batters in order.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 3.
Top 7th- McClean flew the flag for Fitzroy as he lead off with a line shot single to centre right. The left-handed Stevens batted with one out and waited on one to push it into left. It was then 1st and 2nd occupied. A fly ball deep into left made the second out with no advance from the runners and a tag play at 2nd ended it. Brown was looking confident after seven.
Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 3.
Bottom 7th- Cavanagh drew a walk then Drummond bunted safely to create a force to 3rd situation with none out and the top of the Springvale order up to bat. Muchan picked up a bouncing bunted ball in the dish and made a play at 3rd for the first out. King and Turlea combined well around the horn but the runner was safe in a tight play at 1st making it 1st and 3rd occupied with two out. A ground ball to 2nd ended the dig.
Top 8th- Brown in his eighth innings of work drew a grounder for the first out and a pop up to the catcher for the second then finished it with a strikeout.
Bottom 8th- Poole of Springvale beat out an infield single after a flyball in deep left got the first out. Another flyball to right made it two out then Richards walked and a pop up to 2nd ended it. We went into the ninth innings with 25 minutes to play in a two hour game.
A groundball got the first out then McClean beat out a groundball and made it as the fielder was off the base. A fielder’s choice at 2nd made the next out but Wilson was safe at one as Springvale couldn’t turn the double play. Stevens singled to left but Brown made it a complete game shutout with a groundball to 2nd that ended the contest.
Final Score- Fitzroy 0, Springvale 3.
Springvale 6 hits. Fitzroy 5.
Pitching- Tim Brown of Springvale 20 balls, 76 strikes, total 96 pitches, 5 hits 6 strikeouts. No runs. 1 BB. 34 batters faced
Jack Freeth of Fitzroy- 44 balls, 68 strikes, 112 pitches, 35 batters faced, 8 innings, 6 hits, 2 strikeouts, 5 BB, 3 earned runs.
Hits- Fitzroy- Stevens 2, Mc Lean 1, C Wilson 1 double, T Wilson 1.
Springvale- Mascoll 2 plus 2RBI, Poole 1, Richards 1, Drummond 2.
Report by Cam Gleeson