Central cleansweep grand final series

The first of a possible three games of the 2023/24 Division 1 Baseball Grand Final Series got underway at Blue Lake Sports Park under lights last Friday night with Central’s number one pitcher and league best and fairest Dylan Chuck on the mound.

Chuck and his teammates quickly dispatched the three batters in the first inning required for side away despite an error allowing a batter on base.

Federal sprung a surprise, maybe not to some, promoting Clay Carpenter with his off-speed pitches to do the duties on the hill.

Likewise, he and the team quickly ripped through the first three batters for side away.

And such was the theme of the game for seven and a half innings with both pitchers containing the batters, infielders picking up hotshots, outfielders running down any flyball that came their way with the still, heavy night air not allowing batters to get any meat into their outfield hits.

The bottom of the sixth provided they play of the game when Koby Chant’s flyball to rightfield was caught by Jordan Johnson, Alex Ridding, who was at third base, took off for home but was gunned down by a magnificent, fantastic throw to catcher Alex Reppin with Ridding caught metres short of the homeplate for side away.

In the bottom of the seventh the black and white threatened when they loaded the bases with none out but left them all stranded. Looking again likely to go to extra innings, as per the preliminary final, it was in the bottom of the eighth that the Magpies were able to break the shackles.

A pitching change due to Carpenter pitching his allowable 125 pitches brought Alex Pearson to the mound and the Central batting lineup turned up the heat and put pressure on the Demons fielders.

Alex Ridding’s hit to shortstop was fumbled, Koby Chant beat out a throw from shortstop to have two on board.

Dylan Gull then found the sweet spot of the bat and hit deeply to left centerfield batting both Ridding and Chant home.

More pressure from the batters as Dave Harris on first after a misfield by that baseman, Josh Chuck’s hit to shortstop and the resultant throw across the diamond resulted in another fielding error by the first baseman with the ball going through to the fence allowing both Gull and the fast wheels of Harris to cross the dish.

The fifth and final run of the dig and the game came when Chuck was batted in by Nathan Meinck’s sweet hit to centerfield.

Alex Ridding replaced Dylan Chuck on the mound, who has just 11 pitches left of his quota for the remaining games, and continued the good work not allowing a run, picking up the save.

Central had 9 safehits for 3 runs batted in, 3 base on ball, 1 hit batter, 0 strikeouts, made 2 errors and left 10 runners on base. Federal had 2 safe hits, 1 base on ball, 10 strikeouts, made 5 errors and left 4 runners on base.

Central then sealed back-to-back premierships when they mirrored Friday night’s game one score of five runs to nil.

Koby Chant started for the Magpies and the Demons were quickly dispatched.

Federals number one pitcher Alex Reppin topped the hill as predicted as he did not start game one.

Central jumped to a lead immediately thanks to some errors by the Federal defense.

Dylan Chuck hit safely to rightfield, Alex Ridding’s hit to shortstop created an error, Koby Chant’s hit to centerfield landed safely and then things went wild for the Demons as the resultant throw from him went awry which saw both Chuck and Ridding lighting up the scoreboard.

The black and white added another in the bottom of the second after Dave Harris beat out the play from second base and was batted in by Kyall McClean.

Meanwhile Federal could not find any success with the bat as Chant and Central kept control of the game.

Another run for Central in the fifth when Kyall McClean’s hit to third base created another wild throw putting him at second.

A sacrifice fly from Dyaln Chuck ensured the Magpies scored their fourth.

Their final run came in the seventh when Nathan Meinck hit into another fielding error and scored on Dylan Gull’s hit out to rightfield.

Koby Chant closed out the game with the team getting the regulation three out in Federal’s final two at bats.

The cream rose to the top as Central were on their game from the get-go taking a liking to Alex Reppin’s pitching, hitting the ball all over the diamond getting safehits and creating errors as opposed to game one when they struggled to get on to Clay Carpenter’s slower pitching.

Central had 11 safehits for 3 runs batted in, 2 strike outs, made four errors and left 9 runners on base. Federal had 6 safe-hits, 2 base on ball, had 6 strike-outs, made 7 errors and left 10 runners on base.

Most valuable player of the Series as adjudged by the umpires was Dylan Chuck from Central. The MVP award is named in memory of much loved administrator, Jeanette Burner, and was presented by daughter Hayley Burner.