Womens Division 1- Essendon vs Doncaster, Preliminary Final Saturday 21st Feb 2015.
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Doncaster came into the game after losing to ladder leader Springvale in their first final last week. The Dragons were disappointed with the loss but were also the only team who have beaten the Lions all season. Meanwhile the young Essendon team were looking to stamp their brand on the competition. The Bombers had beaten Doncaster during the season but had also suffered losses to the experienced Dragons outfit.
With both lists close to fully available this shaped up as a very interesting contest. The winner was playing for a spot in the grand final so as expected the women threw everything they had and a little bit more at each during what was a great game to watch.
Starting line up for Essendon- Gell 2, Foura 8, Pedersen 9, A Kelly 6, Page 7, Gibson 3, Deeble 4, M Kelly D/H, P Collins 5. Pitcher Emma French.
Doncaster- Cannington 5, Hamilton 3, Peterson 6, Pope 8, Penny 2, Steane 9, Clifford 7, Davis 4, Byrne- Connell D/H, Pitcher Erin Collis.
Top 1st- Cannington picked a hard hit ball off her feet at 3rd then made a good throw to 1st to start things for Doncaster. Pedersen got HBP with two out but Collis was on target and got a pop-up to short for the third out.
Bottom 1st- Hamilton walked for the Dragons with one out then Peterson did the same. Pope got on after an error and the bases were loaded. French absorbed the pressure and struck back when she got a K looking to make it two out. Gell nearly got the runner at 1st with a sharp pick-off move from the dish then French got out of jail with another called strikeout to end it with the game still tied up at 0.
Top 2nd- Page led off with a first pitch single to centre then Peterson at short for Doncaster made a good play at first as a slow roller helped the runner into scoring position. Deeble singled to advance Page then drew the throw to 2nd, where she was safe, as Page went home to score the first run of the game. Deeble got caught stealing 3rd to make it two out after another good throw from Penny in the dish for Doncaster. Then Collis got another strikeout swinging.
Score Essendon 1, Doncaster 0.
Bottom 2nd- French looked like she had straightened up as she got three ground balls to sit the batters down in order.
Score Essendon 1, Doncaster 0.
Top 3rd- Gell drove hard for a single to left with one out as the top of the Essendon order came up again. Then Foura skied one that landed between the fielders in right and Gell advanced to 3rd. Pedersen scored an RBI on a groundout, but Collis showed her experience on the hill for the Dragons and got the last out with a pop-up to 3rd.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 0.
Bottom 3rd- Cannington singled to the infield to start it then Hamilton walked as the middle of the Dragons order came to the plate. French made a good move and nearly got the pick-off at 1st before a fly ball to centre got the first out. Pope walked to load them up then Penny walked in a run to open the account for Doncaster. Steane walked and another run came in for the Dragons to even the score. French got a strikeout swinging then Davis got on after an error that scored another run then Collins made a play diving at 3rd for a tag out to end the dig. Doncaster led 2-3.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 3.
Top 4th- Deeble walked then stole 2nd and advanced to 3rd on a wild pick-off move but she got left there as Collis kept her composure on the hill for the Dragons.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 3.
Bottom 4th- Essendon changed pitchers as A Kelly came in to relieve French. Cannington walked then advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. Hamilton batted patiently and walked to the vacant 1st base. Cannington stole 3rd then Peterson singled to left to score her before Pope cleared the left fielder for a double and scored two more. Gell then took the mound for Essendon and Penny sac-bunted the runner to 3rd for the first out. Steane grounded for the second out and an RBI that increased the Dragons lead to 5. Foura made a good running catch to her left in centre to end the dig.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 7.
Top 5th- Cannigton showed good hands at 3rd to get the second and third outs after Pope got the first out when she nearly ran under one in centre.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 7.
Bottom 5th- Davis of the Dragons placed one between the fielders behind second for a single. Gell threw straight and inside for a strikeout then Cannington played into a fielder’s choice for the second out. Hamilton pushed a hard ground ball into right on a hit and run play that got her to 1st and Cannington to 3rd. The innings ended there though after a pop-up to right.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 7.
Top 6th- Cannington took the mound for Doncaster after an impressive performance from Collis came to an end. Pedersen doubled to left centre for the Bombers then A Kelly walked. An infield fly got the first out then Gibson flew the Essendon flag with a two RBI double to the left corner. Deeble swapped places with her after she hit to the same spot and that reduced the deficit to two. French walked and the go-ahead run came to the plate. Collins provided a good cover swing as Essendon performed a double steal, without a throw over.
Peterson then took the mound for Doncaster and the pressure was on all round as both teams had everything to play for. Peterson got a pop-up for the second out then another to finish it leaving two runners on base.
Score Essendon 5, Doncaster 7.
Bottom 6th- Pope singled to left then Gell got two pop-ups and a Strikeout looking. The Bombers went into bat with 19 minutes left to play. This will be the last innings unless the game is tied after 7.
Score Essendon 5, Doncaster 7.
Top 7th-Foura singled to the infield then stole 2nd as the tying run was at the plate again. A pop-up to 3rd got the first out and a ground out from A Kelly advanced the runner to 3rd to make it two out. Essendon were down to their last out wheb Peterson finished the game from the hill for Doncaster when she got a strikeout swinging.
Doncaster advances to the Grand Final versus Springvale at Melbourne Baseball club next Saturday 28th February 2015.
Final Score Essendon 5, Doncaster 7.
Doncaster came into the game after losing to ladder leader Springvale in their first final last week. The Dragons were disappointed with the loss but were also the only team who have beaten the Lions all season. Meanwhile the young Essendon team were looking to stamp their brand on the competition. The Bombers had beaten Doncaster during the season but had also suffered losses to the experienced Dragons outfit.
With both lists close to fully available this shaped up as a very interesting contest. The winner was playing for a spot in the grand final so as expected the women threw everything they had and a little bit more at each during what was a great game to watch.
Starting line up for Essendon- Gell 2, Foura 8, Pedersen 9, A Kelly 6, Page 7, Gibson 3, Deeble 4, M Kelly D/H, P Collins 5. Pitcher Emma French.
Doncaster- Cannington 5, Hamilton 3, Peterson 6, Pope 8, Penny 2, Steane 9, Clifford 7, Davis 4, Byrne- Connell D/H, Pitcher Erin Collis.
Top 1st- Cannington picked a hard hit ball off her feet at 3rd then made a good throw to 1st to start things for Doncaster. Pedersen got HBP with two out but Collis was on target and got a pop-up to short for the third out.
Bottom 1st- Hamilton walked for the Dragons with one out then Peterson did the same. Pope got on after an error and the bases were loaded. French absorbed the pressure and struck back when she got a K looking to make it two out. Gell nearly got the runner at 1st with a sharp pick-off move from the dish then French got out of jail with another called strikeout to end it with the game still tied up at 0.
Top 2nd- Page led off with a first pitch single to centre then Peterson at short for Doncaster made a good play at first as a slow roller helped the runner into scoring position. Deeble singled to advance Page then drew the throw to 2nd, where she was safe, as Page went home to score the first run of the game. Deeble got caught stealing 3rd to make it two out after another good throw from Penny in the dish for Doncaster. Then Collis got another strikeout swinging.
Score Essendon 1, Doncaster 0.
Bottom 2nd- French looked like she had straightened up as she got three ground balls to sit the batters down in order.
Score Essendon 1, Doncaster 0.
Top 3rd- Gell drove hard for a single to left with one out as the top of the Essendon order came up again. Then Foura skied one that landed between the fielders in right and Gell advanced to 3rd. Pedersen scored an RBI on a groundout, but Collis showed her experience on the hill for the Dragons and got the last out with a pop-up to 3rd.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 0.
Bottom 3rd- Cannington singled to the infield to start it then Hamilton walked as the middle of the Dragons order came to the plate. French made a good move and nearly got the pick-off at 1st before a fly ball to centre got the first out. Pope walked to load them up then Penny walked in a run to open the account for Doncaster. Steane walked and another run came in for the Dragons to even the score. French got a strikeout swinging then Davis got on after an error that scored another run then Collins made a play diving at 3rd for a tag out to end the dig. Doncaster led 2-3.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 3.
Top 4th- Deeble walked then stole 2nd and advanced to 3rd on a wild pick-off move but she got left there as Collis kept her composure on the hill for the Dragons.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 3.
Bottom 4th- Essendon changed pitchers as A Kelly came in to relieve French. Cannington walked then advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. Hamilton batted patiently and walked to the vacant 1st base. Cannington stole 3rd then Peterson singled to left to score her before Pope cleared the left fielder for a double and scored two more. Gell then took the mound for Essendon and Penny sac-bunted the runner to 3rd for the first out. Steane grounded for the second out and an RBI that increased the Dragons lead to 5. Foura made a good running catch to her left in centre to end the dig.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 7.
Top 5th- Cannigton showed good hands at 3rd to get the second and third outs after Pope got the first out when she nearly ran under one in centre.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 7.
Bottom 5th- Davis of the Dragons placed one between the fielders behind second for a single. Gell threw straight and inside for a strikeout then Cannington played into a fielder’s choice for the second out. Hamilton pushed a hard ground ball into right on a hit and run play that got her to 1st and Cannington to 3rd. The innings ended there though after a pop-up to right.
Score Essendon 2, Doncaster 7.
Top 6th- Cannington took the mound for Doncaster after an impressive performance from Collis came to an end. Pedersen doubled to left centre for the Bombers then A Kelly walked. An infield fly got the first out then Gibson flew the Essendon flag with a two RBI double to the left corner. Deeble swapped places with her after she hit to the same spot and that reduced the deficit to two. French walked and the go-ahead run came to the plate. Collins provided a good cover swing as Essendon performed a double steal, without a throw over.
Peterson then took the mound for Doncaster and the pressure was on all round as both teams had everything to play for. Peterson got a pop-up for the second out then another to finish it leaving two runners on base.
Score Essendon 5, Doncaster 7.
Bottom 6th- Pope singled to left then Gell got two pop-ups and a Strikeout looking. The Bombers went into bat with 19 minutes left to play. This will be the last innings unless the game is tied after 7.
Score Essendon 5, Doncaster 7.
Top 7th-Foura singled to the infield then stole 2nd as the tying run was at the plate again. A pop-up to 3rd got the first out and a ground out from A Kelly advanced the runner to 3rd to make it two out. Essendon were down to their last out wheb Peterson finished the game from the hill for Doncaster when she got a strikeout swinging.
Doncaster advances to the Grand Final versus Springvale at Melbourne Baseball club next Saturday 28th February 2015.
Hits- Essendon, Gell, Foura 2, Pedersen (double), Page, Gibson (double), Deeble 2 (one double). Total 7
Doncaster- Cannington 2, Hamilton 1, Peterson, Pope 2 (one double), Davis 2. Total = 8
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