Fully loaded fundraiser

The weather was cherry ripe on Friday night for the Mount Gambier Softball League Fully Loaded Charity Game, raising funds this year for the Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group.

The brainchild of Mel Cuck, a few years ago, this year’s event raised almost $3000.

Mount Gambier Softball League life member and Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group’s Jill Gilmore was on hand to wish all the participants luck before fellow life member Carol Whan put down the first pitch before scurrying off to prepare to score the game, which saw the league’s Masters line-up take on the league’s Senior representative team.

Although late for warm up, Cody Manning pulverised seven homers representing Demons to seal the home run derby.

Manning will represent Mount Gambier at West Beach in the State Country Championships home run derby, a competition she has previously won twice.

Masters’ Leanne Little won the toss and put part of the 2025 Country Championship team, led by newly minted captain Sarah Polderman, into bat.

Several champs team members played with their original team of Masters including Little, Teresa Hatch and Chrystal Lock.

Playing coach of both teams Leyna Bruggemann punked out and did not play at all.

Rej Smith informed the Masters coaching staff she had been ready to go since 9am so was primed to pitch with the bases starting loaded for each inning.

The champs scored three via singles to Justine Koop and Polderman and a team sacrifice fly from Manning to Fiona Finch at centre.

Finch made a heads up play to Angela Queale at third, tagging out Koop attempting to put pressure on the older wiser heads of the Masters team.

Team favourite and generous sponsor of the league and Masters, Kylie Cook, made the last out via a player’s choice to Queale.

The Masters strode out to bat with purpose, immediately putting the pitching of Polderman to the test – Smith and Finch picking walks, Cook having one of the at bats of the game facing nine lasers, before Queale shocked the large crowd, including the commentator Simone Little who had just been talking up Queale’s left side hitting prowess, by smashing one to Taylor Pearson at right field.

Queale, obviously taking the game with extreme seriousness, snuck to second on the relay throw.

The coach swung changes each innings with Chantel MacDonald now on the mound for Masters, pitching to veteran Sam Brown.

For the champs Daena Wombwell singled to the versatile Smith now out at centre, scoring two.

Steph Chant and Koop singled and Abbie Lovekin showed patient poise picking a walk.

MacDonald made all the plays herself including fielding a humming drive off Polderman’s bat.

Manning came into pitch for the Champs and Bec White was given a first pitch green light by her coach and punished it back to the star’s glove, scoring one.

Event organiser Chuck took a fly ball at third off the bat of MacDonald before Lily Clifford-Finch, roaming at shortstop for the Champs, made the last two outs.

Going into the third dig with the score 5-9 Champs, way, the Masters held the Champs to a further three with Teresa Hatch pitching to utility Chrystal Lock.

Manning scored two with a long drive to centre for the Champs and MacDonald made two key plays at shortstop for the Masters.

The Masters steeled themselves for a big run scoring innings but it was not to be.

Meg Merrett gulped down her nerves for the Champs and only gave up three runs with a walk to Smith and safe hit to Cook.

Chant made the play of the day at third for the champs, taking a line drive catch off Finch’s bat and tagging Brown out who barely made it off the base for a lead off.

With the crowd loving the action, organisers pulled the trigger and played an unplanned fourth and final dig as they eyed off Ben Morale making his way closer to the commentator’s microphone; not that his voice requires an amplifying aid.

Chrystal Lock pitched to Smith and battled hard as the team tired and made a couple of fielding clangers despite diving with desperation for several balls.

Manning hit another sac fly and Chant and Lovekin singled.

It was go hard or go home for the Masters in the bottom half of the innings facing Manning who returned to the pitcher’s circle with Koop catching.

White’s walk scored the only run and it was game over – Champs winning 18-9.

Mount Gambier Softball League life member Marisha Garrod drew the raffle and Mount Gambier Softball League president Kez Feast deemed it a great night for the game of softball and especially local charity with a grand total of $2816 raised.