Division 1, Cheltenham at Blackburn Wednesday 5th November 2014.
Interview with Adam Bright manager of Blackburn. Direct link here.
Top 1 and Lefty Matt McQiggan started for the home team. It took him a little while to find his zone but he was throwing a good mix of off-speed and straight right from the word go. Nick Rossell walked then advanced on a wild pitch. After one strikeout and a ground ball to short McQuiggan straightened and threw corners for a another K to end the innings.
Jack Enciondo started for Cheltenham and had the count his way on 0-2 but Bumpstead battled and drew a walk then Ryan Phillips did the same after Bumpstead stole 2nd . Enciondo was throwing low breaking curves when he got his first strike out. However, Ross Hunter then finished his long at bat with an RBI double to the right corner. Bookluck then stepped up to the plate and smashed a line drive at the 3rd baseman (who barely had time to raise his glove) for a 2 RBI single. Dicker drew another walk after a lengthy at bat and Berg did the same. Enciondo continued around the zone to get the last out and leave the bases loaded. Blackburn was then leading 3-0.
McQuiggan started off the top of the 2nd throwing hovering breaking pitches for a strikeout. Harman held his hands back and smashed a flat line drive to left that bounced hard into the fence. Trevorah walked then Kane Davidson did the same to load the bases for Sam Michael who weathered a lengthy at bat then lined a double to deep left to score two runs and make it a one run game. McQuiggan made way on the mound after Rossell grounded out for an RBI and Berka came into the game to pitch for the Orioles with two out, the game tied and the go ahead run on 3rd. Rutgers and Michael scored on a dropped fly and Blackburn went into bat trailing by two runs. Cheltenham 5, Blackburn 3.
Blackburn was back at the top of the order in the 2nd with the game looking like it might be a shootout. Max Barrett took the mound from Enciondo for the Rustlers after Bumpstead walked, then Tierney singled to left as did Phillips to bring in a run with none out. Hunter singled to left and loaded them for Bookluck who hit hard into a 3-2-3 double play. David Dicker came to bat with bases loaded after a HBP and, in the clutch singled, to centre to drive in two and take the lead. After a balk call scored another Jacob Evans singled to score one and Blackburn were leading 8-5. Then Barrett ended it with a groundball giving Cheltenham all the work to do.
Top 3 and Berka started it with a strikeout and got ahead quickly with the next batter, then worked the count for a another K. Dylan Trevorah singled to centre, but Berka steadied and ended it with a pop-up.
Bottom 3 and Blake Cunningham came in and David Tierney walked but got caught stealing 2nd after a strikeout and a pop-up to end it.
Berka threw a breaking pitch that cut across the plate for the first strikeout of the top of the 4th and got out of it pretty quickly after Rutgers continued his hitting streak with a single to left. It then looked like the pitchers might be taking back control of the game.
Andrew Tierney beat out a high bouncing single to shortstop in the bottom of the frame after a strikeout started it but Cunningham was on target and got a 6-4-3 double play to end the dig.
Holding singled to left but got doubled off on a comebacker then Harman reached on an error. However, Berka was again good enough to get another ground ball and send his team into bat.
Cunningham made way on the mound as Ferguson came in to pitch. He started with a walk but then got three contact outs to send Cheltenham in for one last chance to even it up with the score 8-5.
Ryan Phillips came in to pitch in the top of the 6th as time was running out for the Rustlers. Two walks and a Rossell hit to load the bases was enough to get Bright in to pitch, he got the first out but things got interesting when Curnow batted into a fielder’s choice RBI to reduce Cheltenham’s deficit to two. Bright showed his class though and was too good. Adam hit the outside corner to finish it with a strike out and get the win for Blackburn 8-6.
In other matches scores to date are: Essendon got over the undefeated Preston 5-4, Newport defeated Williamstown 3-0, Melbourne defeated Waverley 3-0. In Division 2 Fitzroy defeated Port Melbourne 8-1 and Malvern beat Bonbeach 5-3. If you have any other results please tweet them to @baseballvic or @valiantcam #vsbl
Cam Gleeson