Demons dominate the batting box

Bandits started at the plate but were held tight by Demons defence in a three up, three down innings with a caught fly to Kezia Feast at third, a K2 from Billie Jones and a ground ball to Sofie Morale at second for the out at first.

Demons went into the first wanting to back up their defence with a solid offence. Morale and Hart were able to start strong for the red and blue and landed themselves on base.

Bandit Tilly Dohnt picked up a fast ground ball for a play at first to get Demons first out for the innings.

Coach Feast scored Hart home with a safehit to rightfield before Bandits pitcher Chantel MacDonald rolled over her first K2 for the game. First innings ended with a 3-0 score.

Maddie Redman faced the plate first in innings two and scored Bandits only safe hit for the game with a bat to centrefield.

Unfortunately, she was left on base with Demons defence and Jones’ pitching being too consistent getting out the following three batters.

With Demons on a high, it was a matter of smart batting and not being too eager for the hit. They took five walks during the innings and landed themselves eight runs home.

Bandits Haigh, Galpin and Williams were all able to land bat on ball in the third. However, a hit to second and two to pitcher Jones saw them all out at first base.

Demons finished strong with another seven runs home and six safehits for the innings from Morale, Hart, Manning, Feast and Jones.

The game ended after the third with a mercy rule.

Warriors 6 d Concordes White 3

Concordes White were coming into the penultimate round with their tails up on a genuine winning streak.

Karly Pearson continued to be the most consistent pitcher in the league, holding the Warriors crew to zero in the first despite having to throw 32 pitches.

Caroline Bradshaw led off with an infield single and Jarvo Queale chipped a single to Maddie Bowd at left who was kept very busy out there for the day.

Daena Wombwell catching for Warriors took a solid foul fly off Pearson’s bat before team leader Sam Brown sent one to Linda Dodds at left.

Aleesha Tucker hit a tricky infield single and Bowd stayed off the junk to pick a walk as did Chloe O’Connor, gaining a RBI for her walk and putting her Concordes side in front.

Despite Jasmine Disselbach zinging one to the outfield and not ball watching, Pearson was in control, giving Warriors nothing, as her defence backed her up care of Tucker at third and Lauren Lunsmann at short.

Tucker was surely in the best as she made several crisp plays and owned Warriors pitcher Leyna Bruggemann, going 3-3 including a double and two RBIs.

White were looking the goods up 3-0 but Warriors gun Sarah Polderman answered her coach’s call. Jarvo hit a double and that was when Polderman lined a homer and had Warriors away.

Jarvo kept the momentum going in the subsequent defensive innings by making a titillating double play over to Disselbach at first – three outs in four pitches.

Warriors team play stepped up another notch with Dodds forcing her way on base, stealing second and then sneaking home from there to tie the game after Concordes left the plate open.

Jarvo singled to left for her third hit of the day, Bruggemann managing to hit the ball passed Tucker for a RBI single to Bowd then Polderman, as she has done many times this season, doubled and added two more RBIs to her season tally, putting her side up 6-3.

Concordes White’s last ditch efforts showed their tremendous improvement, although Linley Pollard flied out to Bradshaw at second, Pearson stepped up and singled to Teresa Hatch at centre.

Sam Brown sent the next pitch Bradshaw’s way for the second out prior to Tucker expertly dispatching an outside pitch beautifully to centre-right setting the scene for Bowd.

She hammered the second pitch she faced that had the veteran’s pitcher’s glove half off her hand, but the ball was reflexively caught securing the 6-3 win which cements Warriors in second as the finals approach.

Concordes United 10 d Wanderers 4

The 3pm game saw third-placed Wanderers against fourth-ranked Concordes United – Wanderers having won thier past two encounters but United. coming off a victory were looking to turn thr tables.

Lead of batter Codie Jackway for united started the ball rolling with a walk to first, Dianne Wilson next up to bat was very eager to hit the ball but with a drop third strike and her team yelling to run she saw herself safe on first.

United putting the pressure on early saw a few wild throws which allowed Jackway and Wilson to move around the bases swiftly.

With the pressure on Jackway stole home on a sneaky passed ball and Leonie McCallum with a single to short stop scored Wilson and Thomson. Wanderers pitcher Leanne Little worked hard at the mound with a KC and a single hit straight back to her ending the innings.

The first at bat for Wanderers was a quick one, Dana Jones for United on the mound pitching only eight pitches for the first innings backed up by her team.

A line drive from Wanderers Salem Moody to short stop with a catch to Allana Feast with the first out, newbie this season Harmony Kennett took a massive catch at rightfield giving them the second out and a beautiful K2 to Jones to move into the second.

Back to the top of the line up for United it was like deja vu, Jackway with another walk to start and Wilson with a drop third strike but this time Wanderers catcher Abbie Lovkin wasn’t letting her get safe with a throw to first to get the first out.

Jones with a safe to shortstop allowed Jackway to score and a double to leftfield from Feast scored Jones.

Wanderers worked hard in the field with another catch from Fiona Fitch at leftfield ending the innings.

Innings three were quick and tight for both teams, Leanne Little with a safe to left to get herself on but was left on base as United fought back to get the outs needed. We then saw Wanderers also fighting hard in the field and pitcher Rej Smith securing all three outs.

Going into the fourth Jones secured a safe hit and Thomson with a double to righfield scoring Jones added another run to the board.

Two quick outs for Wanderers looked like they were ending the innings for United but it wasn’t to be. A quick safehit to Rebecca White that allowed Thomson to score ending the innings 7-0.

The next at bat is where wanderers came alive, a safe hit to Lily Clifford-Finch and some quick base running saw her move around the diamond quickly.

United started to show some errors in the field and this allowed Wanderers to use it to the advantage.

Rej Smith with a hit to left score Clifford-Finch and gave Wanderers their first run. A safe hit from Charli Kaigg got herself to first and a wild throw allowed Smith to score.

Abbie Lovekin next up had a nice safe hit to short stop where Feast for United fielding the ball and playing the out at third to get the first out for United.

A walk to Jess Ghezzi to get another base runner and Little with her second safehit allowed Lovekin to score. Jones with a K2 for the second out and a high hit to Clifford-Finch was caught by catcher Codie Jackway ending their innings with four runs.

United were not allowing that innings to affect them. Putting the pressure back on Wanderers this allowed a few errors which saw Wilson get on base, Jones with a ground to Clifford-Finch at short and playing second for an out leaving Jones on first.

Thomson wasted no time with her bat smacking her second pitch to short and some quick running she got to first and pushed Jones to third.

A second safe hit to Feast scored Jones and Thomson got to third.

McCallum next up putting the pressure on got herself on with an error and was able to score Thomson.

White with a blinder to centre scoring Feast but with some quick fielding choices Wanderers made the next few outs quickly.

Going into the last at bat for Wanderers they knew they needed to get on but United fought hard to make them work for it.

An error to United saw Smith land on first, some quick base running she got to second.

A strike out to Jones getting the first out and a quick at bat from Tracey Anderson saw Jones with the second out, Smith working hard on base tried to steal to third on a misfield behind the plate by Jackway but she was able to find the ball quickly and throw the out at third ending the game 10-4.