Season over for South

In Friday night’s Division 1 baseball at Blue Lake Sports Park South Indians were easily defeated by Tigers and their frustrating season finally ended.

However, hopefully their young players will be better for the experience and everyone hoping that they stick with the game and the club and that with another 12 months under their belts they will more adept at playing senior baseball. In the top of the first

Tigers were first on the scoreboard. Mitch Thomson found himself at first base on a fielder’s choice and was batted in from Matt Thompson’s sacrifice fly to leftfield.

The Indians levelled the score in the even dig when leadoff batter Ben Nash picked a base on ball and scored when Nat Anderson’s infield flyball was put down. T

igers scored four unearned runs in the second to take the game away from the red and white.

Joe Sims onboard from a error at third base, Pat Kermond drew a walk, Sims scored on a wild pitch, Ben Marcus was hit by a pitched ball, Mitch Thomson’s Texas leaguer to leftfield scored Kermond and finally Marcus and Thomson crossed the plate on Jai Hillstone’s crunch out to rightfield. Two more in the next at bat for the orange and black.

Kane Harrison doubled to leftfield and Joe Sims came up with a base on ball.

They were both batted in by Jake England as he hit deep to leftfield giving Tigers a handy lead seven runs to one.

South cut the lead when they replied with two of their own.

Youngster Deklin Joyce picked ap a nice safe-hit to leftfield and was batted in by Jett Lewis who also hit safely giving leftfield more work to do.

Lewis ran across home plate on a wild pitch. This was the end of the penny section for the Indians as they were unable to add further to their score for the remainder of the game while Tigers were able to inflict more pain on the struggling Southies.

They added a further three runs in each of the sixth and seventh digs.

Mitch Thomson picked a walk, Jai Hillstone’s hit to second base created an error, Thomson crossed on Matt Thompson’s single, Kane Harrison on on a fielder’s choice which saw Thompson dismissed at second base then Pat Kermond’s long clout to centrefield batted in both Hillstone and Harrison.

Mitch Thomson again leadoff in the seventh when he ran two base on a dropped flyball, Matt Thompson picked a walk, Mitch Thomson crossed on a wild pitch, Joe Sims and Pat Kermond both walked, Matt Thompson also crossed on a wild pitch as the Indians fell to pieces in the dying stages and Sims was batted in by Jake England with the mercy rule being invoked by the umpire Tigers winning 13 runs to three.

Tigers had 10 safehits for 10 runs batted in, 8 base on ball, 2 hit batters, 3 strikeouts and made 3 errors. South had 6 safehits for 1 run batted in, 4 base on ball, 5 strikeouts and made 4 errors.

The 23rd edition of the Taylor/Probert Shield was played Saturday night at Blue Lake Sports Park in front of both combating teams supporters, life members and sponsors.

Central was successful for the13th time with Federal now on nine wins with one draw since the first time it was played in 2000/2001.

Batting first Federal failed to trouble the scorers however a different story emerged when Central took their turn.

Leadoff batter Kyle McClean crunched a two bagger to leftfield but the next two batters when down, flying out to the outfield.

Then five consecutive safe hits saw four runners cross the plate. Alex Ridding singled to leftfield, Koby Chant followed with a single to rightfield scoring McClean, Dylan Gull hit safely to centrefield giving all three outfielders a piece of the action in three plays, Dave Harris followed up with a single to rightfield that scored Ridding and finally Colby Muller’s blast to centrefield for a standup double scored both Chant and Gull.

From that point on the game was mostly controlled from the mound, Dylan Chuck, Central and Clay Carpenter, Federal, and some tight and sometimes brilliant fielding.

Federal were on the board in the top of the third after Riley Rolph picked a walk and scored on Craig Nicholls safety to centrefield. Central added one more in the bottom of the fifth when Nathan Meinck drew a base on ball and was batted in by Koby Chant when he singled to the outfield.

From that point on both defences held tight with the game going the required eight and a half innings with Central not having to bat in the bottom half of the dig.

The Magpies now head straight to the grand final in a best of three series commencing on Friday, March 22, with the possible next two games being played the following day.

Federal and Tigers play next Saturday afternoon at 4pm to decide who the challenger to the title will be.

Whilst Tigers have held the upper hand over the season both teams have gun pitchers and neither will hold back.

Karl Ransom for Tigers and Alex Reppin for Federal will both be going hard to ensure their passage to the big one.

Batters will have to be on their metal to take the game away from the hurlers in a game of mental toughness batter over pitcher, pitcher over batter.

The game may come down to which team makes the least errors or makes difficult plays look simple. May the best team win.

Due to the hot weather predictions for Saturday all competition was cancelled including semi-final. The exception to the rules were the Minor League which played their game last Tuesday evening and the scheduled games on Friday evening/night. As results of teams playing still minor rounds results would not have had any effect on placings in preliminary finals.

However, it did effect Division 3 whereby now it is ruled that the top team goes straight to the grand final while the third team is deemed the winner and will play the second team in the preliminary final. Unfortunately the bat is taken from the hands of the fourth team and sadly do not get to have a say in their ultimate destiny.

PRELIMINARY FINAL DRAW

MARCH 15

Big League – South v Tigers Dia 1 6pm

MARCH 16

Division 1 – Tigers v Federal Dia 1 4pm

Division 2 – Central v South Dia 1 2pm

Division 3 – Central v South Dia 1 12 noon

Junior League – Tigers v South/Federal Dia 3 12 noon

Little League – Tigers/Federal v South Dia 5 10am

Minor League – Federal v Central Dia 5 12 Noon

The Mount Gambier & District Baseball League will hold its Presentation Night immediately following the Division 1 game in the clubrooms where an interested crowd of about 100 is expected to attend.

RESULTS

DIVISION 1

Tigers 13 (Jai Hillstone, Kane Harrison, Jake England 2, Ben Marcus, Mitch Thomson, Matt Thompson, Pat Kermond) d South Indians 3 (Ben Nash, Riley Parsons, Jesse Balshaw, Deklin Joyce, Tarkyn Morale, Jett Lewis); Central 5 (Koby Chant 3, Dylan Gull, Dave Harris 2, Kyall McClean, Nathan Meinck, Dylan Chuck, Alex Ridding, Colby Muller) d Federal 1

(Alex Reppin, Craig Nicholls 2, Alex Pearson, Clay Carpenter, Jordan Johnson, Nash Lobley)

BIG LEAGUE

South Indians 7 (Charlie Clark, Riley Parsons, Ryan Meek, Jett Lewis, Nate Habner, Levi Stringer, Shayla Cole, Linkon Ratcliffe) drew with Tigers 7 (Will Merchant 2, Henry Martin, Cameron Scott, Kaleb Kermond, Flynn Hillstone)

MINOR LEAGUE

Federal 6 d Tigers 4 (Alfie Merchant 2)