Perfect redemption

Undefeated Central cleansweeps tight baseball grand final series

For Central Baseball Club it was redemption – and it was also historic. For the second successive season the black and white army watched their division one team go through the Mount Gambier and District Baseball League season undefeated. It was also the second successive season that saw Tigers earn the right to challenge the minor premiers for the title.

In 2021/22, Tigers swept the grand final series – inflicting the only defeats of the year on Central in those two title deciding matches.

This season, there was no way Central was going to allow Tigers to emerge as party poopers and while both matches were tight arm wrestles, in the end Central secured victory in Friday night’s series opener, 4-3, and held on 10-9 to clinch the series and complete the perfect undefeated season.

The relief for the players and supporters was palpable when Alex Ridding, who took to the mound at the top of the ninth, struck out Jake Powell and the match was officially over.

Leading 10-9 going into the last innings, Central was leaving nothing to chance, looking to close out the game without having to return to the batting box.

It started with a stunning foul ball catch from Kyall McClean, who gloved the high, swirling ball from Tigers coach Karl Ransom, with a desperate backwards dive.

A simple infield play saw the end of Riley Rolph and then that strike out.

The Saturday evening match had started ominously for Central with some big hitting from Tigers and sloppy work in the field from the usually clinical minor premiers.

After lead batter Jesse Foster holed out to Nathan Meinck at centrefield. Matt Thompson was able to hit safely, Brodie Foster then made great contact with a strong drive down the third base line and bases were loaded when Alex Reppin also found safe territory.

Ben Marcus then had the task of looking to take advantage of the runners on base and while his hit saw Central complete the out at second, the throw to try and pick up the double play was wild and in the blink of an eye, Tigers crossed the plate twice to take the early lead.

The sloppy fielding appeared contagious and when Central looked to reel in that lead, Tigers certainly helped out.

Kyall McClean made it to first on an error, Nathan Meinck, hit safely to centrefield, and then league MVP Dylan Chuck executed a bunt that instigated the carnage in the field.

The attempt to throw him out at first was wild, resulting in both McClean and Meinck crossing the home plate, advancing Dylan Chuck to third. Alex Ridding then found safe territory at centrefield to score Chuck.

Central coach Dylan Gull went down swinging and while Koby Chant was thrown out at first, he advanced Ridding to third and when starting pitcher Ethan Chuck found space in the infield to safely make it to first and score Ridding, Central had reclaimed the lead 4-2.

It was a more polished performance in the field by Central at the top of the second with a couple of simple outs at first and then Ethan Chuck’s first strike out for the match sent Tigers back out into the field.

Zeb Chant hit safely and was then advanced by a McClean bunt, as Central clearly had a plan to use their short game. Meinck again made great contact to centrefield and Dylan Chuck then scored Chant to move the lead out to 5-2.

Tigers needed to make inroads into the Central buffer and things started well as Brodie Foster again found the third baseline.

He advanced to second courtesy of a wild pitch and when Marcus’s hit to leftfield fell just short of Zeb Chant at full stretch and when Ransom found the gap between centrefield and leftfield, Foster was able to score and bring the scoreboard back to 5-3.

Tigers were clinical in the filed at the bottom of the third and that was when the match took another turn. Once again, big hitting and some uncharacteristic errors in the field saw Tigers go on a scoring rampage.

For the second time in the match, Tigers had hit their way to loaded bases and courtesy of hits from Reppin, Marcus, Ransom and Riley Rolph, Tigers scored five runs and took an 8-5 lead.

It was at the bottom of the sixth that Central was able to mount a challenge and it was their short game again that helped put runners in dangerous positions when a Dylan Chuck bunt advanced runners to second and third and then a well placed hit from Ridding scored and Gull then found the gap at rightfield to score two runners and game two of the grand final series was all tied away again, 8-8.

Two more runs at the bottom of the seventh saw Central retake the lead but Tigers were not done with yet and scored one run at the top of the eighth, holding Central scoreless at the bottom of the eighth. But then that clinical final innings in the field saw Central claim the Sid Hosking Premiership Trophy, with Hayley Burner then presenting the grand final MVP trophy, named in honour of her mother Jeanette Burner to Nathan Meinck for his consistency in the batting box and reliably work at centre field across both matches.

Game one on Friday night was controlled by both pitchers – Dylan Chuck (Central) and Alex Reppin (Tigers) – and for the majority of the contest no one looked like scoring before a late flurry saw Central take that match 4-3.

GRAND FINAL MVP: Hayley Burner presents Nathan Meinck with the grand final MVP trophy named in honour of her mother.

STRONG PERFORMER: Alex Ridding was outstanding at shortstop & in the batting box.