Second placed Doncaster on 5 wins and 2 losses travel to Malvern (2-6). The Dragons come into this game as the clear favourites but can the Braves take advantage of the mid-week rotations and steal a win?
Interview with Samantha Hamilton of Doncaster. Direct link here.
Batting for Doncaster, Belinda Cannington. Pitching for Malvern is Jess Johnson
In the top of the 1st Cannington doubled to right then Hamilton singled to left to advance her to 3rd. McCann got on with an error to score the 1st run and Doncaster had 1st and 2nd occupied with none out. Peterson scored the 2nd run on a fielder’s choice to 2 then stole on the next pitch. Josephine Pope took the count to 2-1 before she hit to left with no addition to the score to make it 1st and 3rd occupied. Paris Penny also hit to left and scored the 3rd run of the game. Steane drew a walk after a lengthy at bat to a vacant 1st base. Vanessa Clifford came to the plate with a hit to left to score one, then Maddy Davis did the same to score another two to make it six nil with one out. The top of the order came up again and Cannington hit the ball over the right fielder’s head to score two. McCann drove in one more to make it nine runs to the Dragons. Two routine outs and Malvern went into the dugout. Doncaster leading 9-0.
Bottom 1st and pitching for Doncaster is Erin Collis. Ellen Goodrope lead off with a single to left. Ash DaSilva came to bat and singled to centre. Laura Myles also singled to centre and scored a run to open the account for the Braves. Collis then finished it with a strikeout and left one runner on base. Doncaster leading 9-1.
Top 2 and Paris Penny singled to centre and that bought Steane to the plate. She also singled to left to make it 1st and 3rd occupied with none out for the visiting team. Steane stole but Penny stayed where she was at 3rd. Jess Johnson pitched low for a strikeout, then Penny scored on a sac fly to right by Davis. The tag at the plate on Penny was close but the umpire ruled it safe. Doncaster leading 10-1 with two out. Cannington got her 3d hit of the game with a hit to left to score one more and make it 11-1 when Malvern ended the dig with a routine ground out.
Steane took a good running catch in right for the 1st out in the bottom of the 2nd. Then Cannington backed up the pitcher well to make the 2nd out at 1st base. To finish Collis sent her team back into bat after she caught a comebacker. Doncaster still leading 11-1.
Ash DaSilva took a good fly ball running back in right for the 1st out in the top of the 3rd. Kate Lethborg came into the game at bat and walked to make it 1st and 2nd occupied with one out. DaSilva in to pitch for Johnson, then Penny got HBP to load the bases with Steane at bat. Malvern then rolled a 1-2-3 double play and went in for their turn at bat. No addition to the score.
Bottom 3rd and Lethborg of Doncaster is in to pitch for Collis. Goodrope started with a long hit double that bounced into the fence. Doncaster got the 1st out with an infield pop-up then Kate Baxter singled to right to make it 1st and 3rd occupied with one out. Johnson singled to centre to score Malvern’s 2nd run and make the it 11-2. Cannington kept her composure under pressure and made a double play on the force from 3rd to 1st to send us into the 4th.
Top of the 4th and Malvern pitcher DaSilva started it with a routine ground out at short, then another at 2nd. Ash wasn’t missing by much but Hamilton drew a walk to make it 1st and 2nd occupied for number three hitter Amy McCann who singled to centre to load them up. A groundout to the pitcher and Malvern got out of it leaving three on base and no addition to the score. Doncaster leading 11-2.
Bottom 4 and Andrea Baxter walked on two strikes then Doncaster turned a double play after Stevenson got on with an error. Fielding for Doncaster at 3rd base Cannington showed her class again when she made a groundball out from 3rd to end the innings and take us to the 5th with no addition to the score. Doncaster leading 11-2.
In the top of the 5th Goodrope came in to pitch after DaSilva had held the Dragon’s bats well. To start the innings Paris Penny doubled to left to score Lethborg and make the score 12-2. Then Steane hit a triple to bring Penny in and make it 13-2. Clifford also tripled and scored Steane. Hamilton came to bat and walked after Cannington hit again with another triple to score a run. Then McCann doubled to score Cannington and make it two on with one out. Doncaster leading 15-2. Lethborg grounded out at 1 to score Hamilton and make the score 16-2. Penny got her 2nd hit of the dig with a single to left to score another two, 18-2. Steane then singled to left and made it 19-2. Malvern finished it off with a fly out. The Braves need seven runs in this innings to avoid the five innings mercy rule being applied.
Bottom 5, Goodrope and DaSilva walked to start it for Kate Baxter who lined out to 3rd base, Cannington then doubled off at 2nd to make it two out. Johnson walked to make it 1st and 2nd occupied then Doncaster ended it with a force out at 2nd.
Some impressive hitting by the Dragons team winning the game 19-2. 3 hits apiece to Cannington, McCann, Steane and Penny.
Photos of the game below are kindly supplied by Malvern Baseball Club.
Report by Cam Gleeson.
Second placed Doncaster on 5 wins and 2 losses travel to Malvern (2-6). The Dragons come into this game as the clear favourites but can the Braves take advantage of the mid-week rotations and steal a win?
Interview with Samantha Hamilton of Doncaster. Direct link here.
Batting for Doncaster, Belinda Cannington. Pitching for Malvern is Jess Johnson
In the top of the 1st Cannington doubled to right then Hamilton singled to left to advance her to 3rd. McCann got on with an error to score the 1st run and Doncaster had 1st and 2nd occupied with none out. Peterson scored the 2nd run on a fielder’s choice to 2 then stole on the next pitch. Josephine Pope took the count to 2-1 before she hit to left with no addition to the score to make it 1st and 3rd occupied. Paris Penny also hit to left and scored the 3rd run of the game. Steane drew a walk after a lengthy at bat to a vacant 1st base. Vanessa Clifford came to the plate with a hit to left to score one, then Maddy Davis did the same to score another two to make it six nil with one out. The top of the order came up again and Cannington hit the ball over the right fielder’s head to score two. McCann drove in one more to make it nine runs to the Dragons. Two routine outs and Malvern went into the dugout. Doncaster leading 9-0.
Bottom 1st and pitching for Doncaster is Erin Collis. Ellen Goodrope lead off with a single to left. Ash DaSilva came to bat and singled to centre. Laura Myles also singled to centre and scored a run to open the account for the Braves. Collis then finished it with a strikeout and left one runner on base. Doncaster leading 9-1.
Top 2 and Paris Penny singled to centre and that bought Steane to the plate. She also singled to left to make it 1st and 3rd occupied with none out for the visiting team. Steane stole but Penny stayed where she was at 3rd. Jess Johnson pitched low for a strikeout, then Penny scored on a sac fly to right by Davis. The tag at the plate on Penny was close but the umpire ruled it safe. Doncaster leading 10-1 with two out. Cannington got her 3d hit of the game with a hit to left to score one more and make it 11-1 when Malvern ended the dig with a routine ground out.
Steane took a good running catch in right for the 1st out in the bottom of the 2nd. Then Cannington backed up the pitcher well to make the 2nd out at 1st base. To finish Collis sent her team back into bat after she caught a comebacker. Doncaster still leading 11-1.
Ash DaSilva took a good fly ball running back in right for the 1st out in the top of the 3rd. Kate Lethborg came into the game at bat and walked to make it 1st and 2nd occupied with one out. DaSilva in to pitch for Johnson, then Penny got HBP to load the bases with Steane at bat. Malvern then rolled a 1-2-3 double play and went in for their turn at bat. No addition to the score.
Bottom 3rd and Lethborg of Doncaster is in to pitch for Collis. Goodrope started with a long hit double that bounced into the fence. Doncaster got the 1st out with an infield pop-up then Kate Baxter singled to right to make it 1st and 3rd occupied with one out. Johnson singled to centre to score Malvern’s 2nd run and make the it 11-2. Cannington kept her composure under pressure and made a double play on the force from 3rd to 1st to send us into the 4th.
Top of the 4th and Malvern pitcher DaSilva started it with a routine ground out at short, then another at 2nd. Ash wasn’t missing by much but Hamilton drew a walk to make it 1st and 2nd occupied for number three hitter Amy McCann who singled to centre to load them up. A groundout to the pitcher and Malvern got out of it leaving three on base and no addition to the score. Doncaster leading 11-2.
Bottom 4 and Andrea Baxter walked on two strikes then Doncaster turned a double play after Stevenson got on with an error. Fielding for Doncaster at 3rd base Cannington showed her class again when she made a groundball out from 3rd to end the innings and take us to the 5th with no addition to the score. Doncaster leading 11-2.
In the top of the 5th Goodrope came in to pitch after DaSilva had held the Dragon’s bats well. To start the innings Paris Penny doubled to left to score Lethborg and make the score 12-2. Then Steane hit a triple to bring Penny in and make it 13-2. Clifford also tripled and scored Steane. Hamilton came to bat and walked after Cannington hit again with another triple to score a run. Then McCann doubled to score Cannington and make it two on with one out. Doncaster leading 15-2. Lethborg grounded out at 1 to score Hamilton and make the score 16-2. Penny got her 2nd hit of the dig with a single to left to score another two, 18-2. Steane then singled to left and made it 19-2. Malvern finished it off with a fly out. The Braves need seven runs in this innings to avoid the five innings mercy rule being applied.
Bottom 5, Goodrope and DaSilva walked to start it for Kate Baxter who lined out to 3rd base, Cannington then doubled off at 2nd to make it two out. Johnson walked to make it 1st and 2nd occupied then Doncaster ended it with a force out at 2nd.
Some impressive hitting by the Dragons team winning the game 19-2. 3 hits apiece to Cannington, McCann, Steane and Penny.
Photos of the game below are kindly supplied by Malvern Baseball Club.
Report by Cam Gleeson.