Redman on fire in batting box

The weather came to the party and so did some exciting softball in the first game at Blue Lake Sports Park on February 3.

Warriors took on Wanderers in a tight and tense battle all day which had the crowd on the edge of their seats.

Sarah Polderman started on the hill for Warriors sending down her usual rockets to keep things tight in the first with two strike outs.

However it was Wanderers heads up base running which had them off to a solid start still managing to score two early.

Rej Smith took to the mound for Wanderers throwing a high strike to ball ratio giving her team plenty of opportunities to make the plays and keeping Warriors scoreless early.

Heading in to the second it stayed tight with Polderman and Smith pitching well with Wanderers picking up the one run through a couple of fielding errors.

It was the third inning that started to open the game up a little with Wanderers scoring two more off the back of safe hits from Kaigg, Little and Lily Clifford Finch whilst holding Warriors scoreless to take a 5-0 lead heading in to the fourth.

Warriors scored two with safe hits from Polderman, Chuck and Hatch to keep the Wanderers honest and set them a challenge to try and match their hitting.

With hits to Smith and Clifford Finch, Wanderers were able to peg one back to leave it at 6-2 heading in the last inning.

Off the back of a Linda Dodds double, Warriors scored and had the chance of stealing the win late but with more safe hits to Smith, Clifford Finch and Kaigg, Wanderers were able to pick up three more runs to finish off the game 9-3 winners.

Bandits leaped out of the gates against Concordes White soaking up defensive pressure with Chrystal Lock in the middle, pitching to Maddie Redman (pictured) who recently returned from a solid outing at the Country Championships in Adelaide.

White’s lead off Karly Pearson lasered one to Bandits’ recruit Tegan Galpin who took a fantastic catch, then Aleesha Tucker and Alli Kreplins both singled to Kim Wilson at right before Redman finished the innings diving forward to make the catch off of Kate Altschwager’s bat.

Redman’s eyes bulged with excitement as she went with an outside pitch and ran out a home run.

This further inspired her comrades as Bandits added another six runs in the second dig with Chantel MacDonald singling, Lock walked, Galpin a two RBI single who was then scored by a fabulous double to Rebekah Millowick.

Redman then stepped up and lined another homerun, this time towards Maddie Bowd at centre, Emma Williams also scoring on the hit.

Tilley Dohnt had a seven pitch walk then stole second but in a rush of blood continued to third where she was put out.

Concordes White responded with a run in each of the second and third innings with Linley Pollard showing great consistency with three singles for the game, all to left.

Kylie Cook added pressure forcing an error by Bandits and later scoring on one of Pollard’s hits.

After some swings that left most onlookers neck’s hurting, MacDonald found a gap through shortstop and then showed great heads up base running, scoring on a hit up the middle by Lock.

With the score 9-2, White dug deep with Pearson leading off with a single, Tucker on via fielders choice, Kreplins by error then team leader Sam Brown stepped up and dispatched a strike for a double scoring three runs.

Natalie Whitehead quelled her nerves and made the first out prior to White scoring two more with Pollard’s RBI single and savvy baserunning.

MacDonald relieved Lock and got the last two outs sealing the 10-8 win for Bandits, their second for the season and well deserved.

All Bandits players and supporters had smiles from ear to ear and they predict the same this weekend when they take on Warriors.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN BEGGS