{"id":20114,"date":"2019-03-20T15:16:56","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T04:16:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/goldenplains\/?p=20114"},"modified":"2019-03-21T11:24:40","modified_gmt":"2019-03-21T00:24:40","slug":"fast-ball-frenzy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/goldenplains\/sport\/fast-ball-frenzy\/","title":{"rendered":"Fastball frenzy"},"content":{"rendered":"

BASEBALLERS from across the state and even as far away as Tasmania have descended on Ballarat for the Victorian Masters Baseball Carnival.<\/p>\n

Held between Friday and Sunday at Prince of Wales Park, the event saw action in three classes \u2013 over 35s, 45s and 55s \u2013 with a Ballarat team competing for the first time in eight years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe carnival was enormously successful and was the most successful one ever,\u201d organiser Kingsley Collins said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ballarat Royals, as host club, did a fantastic job with support from the Alfredton Baseball Club. It was an absolute hive of activity. Anyone coming in is gobsmacked by the whole idea of these older persons buzzing around and competing in the spirit of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Scott Talpey prepares to take a swing at home plate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The tournament drew 26 teams, about 400 players, 50 officials and hundreds more spectators to Ballarat.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn terms of numbers it was the biggest one by far,\u201d Mr Collins said. \u201cIt\u2019s a pretty large event, most of the players were here since Thursday night, so it\u2019s a decent injection into the Ballarat economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The weekend was something of a warm up for the team that will play as Ballarat Royals, the city\u2019s new baseball side that\u2019s brought together from the Brewers and the Mounties, with the winter season only a few weeks away.<\/p>\n

The local squad competed in the over 35 division.<\/p>\n

Catcher for the Ballarat side, Glenn Masterson, said playing at home in the carnival was a long time coming.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe host it every year, so it\u2019s quite good we\u2019re on the park today,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have a few older guys, basically the team that you\u2019re looking at now is pretty much our starting team for the normal season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Masterson said one of the great things about baseball is everyone gets decent play time and the games have a good flow to them.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Glenn Masterson gets a walk to first-base.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAll the guys here have played together since we were six years old and we still love it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone gets similar opportunities in the game, everyone gets a bat, everyone gets to field, and it\u2019s fast paced, as opposed to cricket where you\u2019re sitting around for half-a-day.\u201d<\/p>\n

In their return to the Victorian Masters Baseball Carnival, Ballarat went 3-1 and just missed the final.<\/p>\n

The home side had wins over Tasmanian 4-3, the Sloths \u2013 a team from south-east Melbourne 9-1 and Bendigo based Bald Eagles 8-0. They dropped to Frankston\/ Dandenong Tomatoes 7-0.<\/p>\n