Tigers & Central win

In a dour affair on Friday night in Division 1 baseball under lights at Blue Lake Sports Park Tigers were on the board in their first at bat.

Jarvi Mee singled to right field and came home on Karl Ransom’s single to left field who was then batted in by Matt Thompson after his safehit to centre field.

They added a further run in the top of the third when Matt Thompson picked up his second consecutive hit this time to left field and crossed the homeplate on a passed ball with Harrison Elletson in the batters box.

Federals got the bats going in the even third. Jordan Johnson on base from a fielder’s choice hit to the infield and scored on Alex Reppin’s safety to left field.

Craig Nicholls’ Texas Leaguer to leftfield saw him safely aboard, then Reppin crossed the plate on a pitchers baulk.

Nicholls added the third run for the dig when he raced home on Roy Hutchesson’s sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game three all.

The lead was short lived as Tigers added another in the top of the fourth when Jake England drew a base on ball and scored on Karl Ransom’s hit down the first base line straight to the fielder for an easy out.

The orange and black went further ahead in the sixth adding three runs to their scoreline. Karl Ransom singled to leftfield and he advanced on Matt Thompson’s single to centre field,

Jake Powell’s safe-hit to right field created an error which gave Ransom the opportunity to score.

Kane Harrison’s safehit to left field batted in Thompson and Harrison Elletson’s sacrifice bunt scored Powell giving Tigers the advantage seven runs to three.

The Demons pulled one back in the seventh when Jordan Johnson’s hit to shortstop created a wild throw and he was eventually batted in by Craig Nicholls.

The top of the eighth was a disaster for the Federal pitchers.

Walks to Matt Thompson and Jake Powell, then a hit batter to Kane Harrison loading the bases saw a change of pitchers but things remained the same as another base on ball, another hit batter and a further base on ball saw those three batters cross the plate.

Harrison Elletson was batted in by Jai Hillstone and Jake Powell scored on Karl Ransom’s sacrifice fly before the inning was closed out.

Federals fired back with the bat in the even dig. Clay Carpenter fired a clip to leftfield, Nash Lobley hit an error creating shot to second base and Jordan Johnson also clipped a hit to left field.

Carpenter scored on a pitch that got away from the catcher, Nash Lobley was batted in when Alex Reppin hit deep to left field and some aggressive base running from Johnson saw him also home.

Both teams scored a further run in the ninth and final dig.

For Tigers, Kane Harrison drew a base on ball and scored when Jake England hit into an infield error.

For Federals, Matthew Nicholls hit safely to leftfield and was batted in by Nash Lobley which left Tigers triumphant thirteen runs to 8.

Tigers had 12 base on ball, two hit pitched ball, 13 safehits for eight runs batted in, had nine strikeouts and made five errors. Federals had two base on ball, 13 safehits for five runs batted in, had 11 strikeouts and made three errors.

Saturdays twilight game between South Indians and ladder leaders Central went as expected.

In the top of the first Central got under way quickly. Nathan Meinck drove a safehit to right field to start proceedings then with two out Koby Chant was hit by the pitcher followed by a line drive to third base which loaded the bags.

Dave Harris stepped up to the plate, slammed the pitch to deep left field scoring all three base runners.

In their next at bat they kept pounding the ball creating errors. Josh Chuck drew a walk, again they were suddenly two out.

Nathan Meinck singled to centre field scoring Chuck, Alex Ridding’s hit to shortstop caused an error as did Koby Chant’s hit to third base, bases loaded once more.

Dylan Gull’s hit to shortstop created a wild throw which saw Meinck and Ridding both cross the home plate.

Suddenly the score was seven runs to nil and still not done. Central were at it again in the third.

Brad Walkom picked a base on ball as did Kyall McClean. Nathan Meinck slugged the ball to leftfield for a two bagger which scored Walkom.

Alex Ridding followed with a single also to leftfield which scored McClean, Koby Chant also doubled to leftfield pushing Meinck home, Dylan Gull’s safety to right field drove Ridding across the plate and finishing off the five run splurge Chant scored on Dave Harris sacrifice fly with the score now at 12 to nil.

Up to the even fifth South had only had two runners on base, both from walks in the third. So in the even fifth Ben Nash picked a walk, the next two batters were struck out and finally the Indians had a score on the board when Nash crossed on Ryan Placucci’s safety to right field.

It wasn’t South’s night as the Magpies added two more to their score. In the sixth Josh Chuck drove the ball to left field and scored when Bree Ridding slapped the pitch out to right field.

In the seventh with two out Dylan Gull’s high flyball to shortstop was not completed and he added Central’s fourteenth run when he was batted in by Colby Muller’s drive to leftfield.

Central had three base on ball, two hit batters, 12 safehits for 11 runs batted in, picked up no strikeouts and made one error. South had three base on ball, four safehits for one run batted in, picked up four strikeouts and made eight errors.