Top players tune up for State titles

Warriors 12 d Concordes United 2

After some last minute confusion about game time, Warriors started a player short and shuffled positions where rookie Haley Lindner and Jasmine Disselbach responded to the deep end and played second and first base respectively like seasoned campaigners.

Lindner calmly fielded a ground ball off the bat of Concordes speedster Dana Jones, throwing to Disselbach for the first out of the game setting the defensive tone for Warriors.

Concordes Julie Beck was patient picking a walk, moved around by Sarah Thomson who is having another cherry ripe season, before Allana Feast stepped up with the RBI single that scored Beck.

Warriors responded in the bottom half of the dig with two, courtesy of a Sarah Polderman RBI single to centre, and offensive pressure via Kelly Doyle and Dodsy Dodds.

Doyle started the second taking a high foul fly behind the plate as she contended with pitcher Leyna Bruggemann throwing the ball all over the shop.

Melissa Chuck was lurking over at third, making the next two plays having Concordes three up three down.

Bruggemann blooped a single to Harmony Kennett at right, before double checking Chuck really wanted her to steal.

Skylea McLean singled followed by Polderman tripling scoring two, and then scoring herself on a Chuck RBI single up the middle.

Doyle chimed in with a fabulous double, Dodsy stroking a single and Disselbach being hit by a pitch loaded up the bases for Bruggemann.

Despite sister Codie Jackway suggesting to Feast that she brought the situation on herself, pitcher Feast had Bruggemann’s number, the latter hitting one straight up in the air for the final out.

Concordes were held scoreless again before Warriors added another three with Polderman adjudicated safe on a close running bunt play.

Chuck added another RBI to her season tally, and Dodsy belted a double to Thomson at left leaving the score at 9-1.

Despite striking out two Concordes hitters in the last dig, Bruggemann’s focus slipped into a psychological vortex throwing three uncharacteristic walks in a row before having her bacon saved by Lindner who threw one home for a force out.

Jones came back after an 0-2 count to walk, scoring the second and last Concordes run.

Warriors put on another three in the bottom of the fourth after Bruggemann jagged another single, McLean forced a throwing error from Beck, Polderman walked and Chuck hit a sac fly with the end score 12-2.

Special mention to Concordes youngster Dianne Wilson who did a great job behind the plate in the second half of the game, picking up several pitches in the dirt.

Also a shout out to returning Player of the Grand Final, from last season, Leonie McCallum, who made a couple of plays at third for Concordes, one a cracking backhand, showing her composure is second to none.

Demons 14 d Concordes White 1

White was up to bat first starting their line up strong with Karley Pearson, but a caught fly ball to Simone Little at third left her unable to start her batting team off.

A K2 from Demons pitcher Billie Jones and another caught fly ball to short stop Cody Manning meant White were unable to score at their first bat.

Demons were eager to bring back their strong batting style, after a slow start for them on the bat in round nine.

A home run from Em Hart, a triple from Manning and a single from Kezia Feast teamed with aggressive base running allowed Demons to score three runs in the first.

Demons held White tight again at the bat, with three outs from four batters.

Keely Lunsmann from White scoring a safe hit past second base for her team.

Demons came out firing again on the bat with youngest and fastest Demon, Sofie Morale hitting a blinder to left field to score her first ever home run.

White, Alli Kreplin took a caught fly at first and Lauren Lunsmann fielded a ground ball at short stop for an out at first, but Demons confident base running gained them another five runs.

A safehit to centrefield from Amber Smith and a walk for Pearson meant White had two runners on bases, but were unable to score after a double play from Manning.

White catcher Sam Brown and third base Kylie Cook took advantage of Feast’s daring lead at third after a three bagger and locked her into a trap play she was unable to come back from.

Fortunately for coach Feast her Demons girls took off again on the bat with safe hits from Jones and Morale, scoring their team another four.

In one of the warmest games of the 2023/24 season, Demons took the win 14-1.

Wanderers 15 d Bandits 6

Finally some decent weather this season greeted the players out at Blue Lake Sports Park with Wanderers and Bandits going head to head in a see sawing affair early.

With Wanderers batting first, Rej Smith lead off and hit a hard hit ball out to the right field fence managing to score from her own hit with an in the park home run to start the game.

With Lily Clifford-Finch stepping up with yet another triple for the season, both Leanne and Emily Little also collected safe hits scoring four for the Wanderers early.

Bandits came out swinging and put two of their own on the score board through a hard hit ball from Maddie Redman with safehits from Chantel Macdonald and Tilly Dohnt to help keep the game evenly poised.

With a further five safehits, Wanderers were able to score five more in the second dig and extend their lead with Charlie Kaigg smashing the ball to the left field fence for a triple scoring three runs off that hit alone.

More of the same for the Bandits in their second at bat picking up a further two runs with their chief destroyers proving the difference again through Redman, Macdonald and Dohnt all reaching base successfully.

Wanderers were consistent again in the third collecting another six runs through their usual suspects in Smith and both Little’s stretching the lead out to 15-4.

Bandits yet again put another two up on the board thanks to some late hitting from Chrystal Lock giving them a chance to stay in the game.

Rej Smith and Chantel Macdonald pitched the majority of the game for their teams with both pitching well and were consistent for their teams keeping it very tight at the plate.

Whilst Bandits pushed hard all day, it wasn’t quite enough with Wanderers running away 15-6 winners.

Mount Gambier Softball League will have no games this weekend due to the Country Championships taking place in Adelaide.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN BEGGS