SURFERS PARADISE, QLD. – Threats of rain and stormy clouds couldn’t put a damper on the first day of the Australian Junior League Championships, where two grand slam home runs highlighted the first round of pool play.
Game 1: Brisbane Metro 12, Cronulla 9
Back-and-forth scoring paralleled the back-and-forth rays of sun that escaped the clouds. Brisbane Metro struck first, putting a six-spot on the board in the top of the first innings. Home-team Cronulla came chomping back in the bottom of the first innings, when the first home run of the tournament came in grand fashion. Cronulla’s Ben Carroll hit a grand slam, cutting the Metro lead down to two runs.
Brisbane Metro added to the lead with another run in the third and two more in the fourth, before both teams put up matching three-spots in the fifth innings. Trailing by five runs, Cronulla scored in the final two frames to pull within three runs, but Brisbane Metro hung on for a 12-9 victory in the first game of pool play.
The two teams collectively made several excellent defensive plays, including several by Metro shortstop Takumi Kimoto. First, in the second frame, Kimoto charged a slow chopper and made a strong throw to first base to complete the putout. He later made a nice attentive catch of a line drive to his position, and also crossed the diamond to snag a grounder up the middle and save a baserunner. Cronulla also shone on the defensive side of the game, with the Sharks’ right fielder making a highlight-reel catch in the top of the third innings.
Game 2: Coastal Bay 7, Adelaide North 1
Coastal Bay rode a six-run fourth innings to defeat Adelaide North 7-1 in the second game of the first day of the tournament.
Chase Diggins paced Coastal Bay’s offensive outburst, smacking a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth frame to cap off the rally. In addition to the slam, Diggins also made several strong plays at shortstop, stole two bases in a single innings, and spent some time on the mound to lead his team to victory.
Similar to the first game, defensive gems abounded, with Adelaide North turning a slick double play in the bottom of the fifth innings. Shortstop Sean Maple caught a line drive-pop fly hybrid in the middle of the infield and threw across the diamond to first baseman Blake Farr, doubling off the runner on first base, a play that drew awe-struck cheers from the crowd.
Game 3: Swan Hills 3, Brisbane South 1
Swan Hills got on the board early and hung on to a late lead to beat Brisbane South 3-1 in a five-innings ballgame cut short by darkness.
Despite trailing by one run in the bottom of the second frame, Brisbane South turned a cross-diamond double play. As the Swan Hills Aces batter struck out, Brisbane South catcher Aston Price threw to first base to complete the out. Then, the team’s first baseman saw the Swan Hills runner on second trying to advance to third, and threw across as the third baseman applied the tag in time to complete the unusual double play.
Swan Hills struck again in the third innings and Brisbane South countered with a run of its own in the next half-inning, but the Aces held on as darkness fell and the game was declared finished, resulting in a 3-1 Aces win.
Play is scheduled to resume at 8:00am Easter Sunday morning. Watch full game replays and highlights at ABLTV.com. Photo gallery and full information on the event website LITTLELEAGUE.ORG.AU