Central bounce back

Central bounced back under lights on Friday night after their first loss of the season tghe previous weekend.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the third that the game got going as both pitchers and tight fielding from both teams held sway.

Ben Marcus for Tigers picked up his second safehit of the game when he beat the throw from the Central third sacker.

He was batted in by Kane Harrison when he drove the ball safely into the outfield.

The Magpies doubled Tigers score in the top of the fourth.

Dylan Chuck drew a walk and crossed the plate on Dylan Gull’s flyball to centrefield which was dropped.

With two out and bases loaded Kyall McClean was hit by the pitcher which forced Gull home.

Central doubled their own score in the next inning. Both Nathan Meinck and Dylan Chuck picked a walk and were both batted in by Colby Muller when he hit long and safe to leftfield.

With Dylan Chuck on the mound for Central holding complete control over the Tigers batters, the black and white added two more in the seventh.

Alex Ridding hit safely to leftfield and Koby Chant was awarded a base on ball.

Ridding arrived at the plate on a wild pitch followed soon after by Chant who crossed when Colby Muller hit into a fielder’s choice.

Two more runs in the next dig was always going to make it hard for Tigers to stay in the game.

Kyall McClean beat the throw from third base for a safehit and Dave Harris picked his second base on ball for the game.

McClean scored on a fielder’s choice while Harris stole home to give Central an eight runs to one lead going into the ninth and final inning.

With two out Daniel Ferguson picked a walk and scored Central’s ninth run when Nathan Meinck hit into an infield error.

Tigers doubled their own score in the bottom of that inning when Harrison Elletson drew a walk then with bases loaded Matt Thompson also pick a walk forcing Elletson home.

Central had 12 base on ball, two hit batters, five safehits for five runs batted in, picked up seven strikeouts and made three errors. Tigers had two base on ball, nine safehits for two runs batted in, picked up 11 strikeouts and made four errors.

South was on the board in the very first inning of Saturday night’s Division 1 ball game under lights. With two out Jesse Balshaw picked a walk and when Deklin Joyce hit a two bagger to centrefield he crossed the homeplate.

Federal immediately replied when Nash Lobley’s hit into the infield created an error.

Clay Carpenter came up with the goods batting him home.

The Demons went ahead in the next dig. A safehit to Trystan Miller and Owen Wheatley took a hit from the pitcher.

They both scored on Mason Gallwey’s safety to leftfield. The Indians took the lead back in their next turn at bat.

Once again with two out they were able to find runs. Jesse Balshaw on board from a fielder’s choice followed by Deklin Joyce when his flyball to rightfield wasn’t held.

Ben Nash punched in Balshaw when his hit landed safe at rightfield.

Joyce crossed on a wild pitch and Ryan Walter also hit safely to rightfield scoring Nash.

They pushed further ahead in the top of the fourth when Blake McAdam picked up a safehit to leftfield before the next to batters were sent back to the bench.

Now with two out again Jesse Balshaw was hit by the pitcher, advanced further on Deklin Joyce’s fly to leftfield which was dropped and Ben Nash hit into an infield error which loaded the bases.

Ryan Walter picked a base on ball forcing Balshaw home, and Tarkyn Morale’s safety to leftfield saw Joyce and Nash add to the scoreline giving South a handy lead of eight runs to three.

In the bottom of the sixth Federal’s Mason Gallwey took a hit from the pitcher and scored on Clay Carpenter’s hit into a fielder’s choice.

The green and red crept closer in the next dig. This time they were two out when Owen Wheatley on board from an infield safehit followed by Mason Gallwey picking a walk.

Nash Lobley stepped up and slammed the ball very deep past the leftfielder to score the two runners.

Back in the ball park only two runs behind and in the next inning they didn’t disappoint. Roy Hutchesson at first on a muffed fly, Talyssia Moretti drew a walk and both these runners scored on Owen Wheatley safehit to leftfield.

The game was tied at the start of the ninth and looked set for an extra innings but pinch hitter for the Indians, Travis Lockwood’s stand up double saw him at second base and he was batted in by Jett Lewis to give them the lead by one.

The Indians closing pitcher did the job in shutting down any chance Federal may have had by striking out three of the five batters that stepped into the box.

South had six base on ball, two hit batters, 10 safehits for seven runs batted in, picked up four strikeouts and made three errors. Federal had nine base on ball, two hit batters, 11 safehits for eight runs batted in, picked up seven strikeouts and made six errors