Veterans shine in season resumption

WANDERERS V DEMONS

The first game back post Christmas break saw Demons takone on Wanderers on Diamond 1.

Demons started the bat with the ever so trusty Em Hart who earnt herself a walk to first.

Bella Morale was caught out in her first at bat by second base Maddie Beck.

Cody Manning and newly returned post injury Kezia Feast both earnt safe hits to land them on base, followed by Krissie Smith, who scored three RBIs with her bat to right field.

The defensive whizz Lily Clifford-Finch took a fly catch at short stop and Demons ended the offensive with five runs.

Aggressive batter Fiona Finch met her match in Katelyn Laube who took a text book ground ball from second to get Finch out at first.

Clifford-Finch was patient in the box and earnt herself a walk before Emily Little scored the only safe hit for Wanderers in the offence.

Wanderers were unable to score but fought back hard in the second on the field with three consecutive fly catches from Sonia Morris, Charli Kaigg and Clifford-Finch.

Demons matched the pace with a fly catch from Morale at short and the most incredible action shot fly catch from Krissie Smith at centre who ended up on her back but still managed to keep the ball tight in her glove.

Kat Chaplin had a hot ground ball to left field landing her on first before a play from Manning to Burner secured the third out for the dig with Demons keeping Wanderers at no score.

The Red and Blue came alive in the third with seven safe hits.

Little placed a text book bunt scoring two RBIs and landing herself on third base.

Laube scored two RBIs with a safe hit to centrefield and Tieran Vos earnt herself two safe hits in the innings.

The Dees walked out of the third with 10 runs.

Right field was hot under the collar in the defence against the green with Finch, Kaigg and Emily Little all scoring safe hits.

Morris and Clifford-Finch had their eye on the ball earning walks to first.

A fly catch from Little and Hart and an in field fly out ended the innings with Wanderers scoring three.

Demons scored two in the last innings with a safe hit from Manning and walks from Burner and Morale. Morris and Little caught out Hart and Smith and Carrissa Richard’s who worked hard on the mound all day made a play to one.

Wanderers were unable to score in 4th as the Demons defence held strong with fly catches from Feast, Morale and a K2 from Manning.

CONCORDES WHITE V WARRIORS BLUE

Warriors Blue and Concordes White played on the corella damage free diamond two in front of a rather large crowd for their first game back.

Blue’s Taylor Pearson led off with a walk before sneaking two bases, Bignell hit an infield single with her new bat and not to be outdone Leyna Bruggemann helped herself to a right side line drive, going with an outside pitch for an RBI.

Concordes White’s pitcher Dana Jones walked the next two hitters before bouncing back and striking out the following three in a row.

Aleesha Tucker stroked a nifty single up the middle to Analeigh Anderson, scored by Jones smashing junk for a triple who then scored on a pitch in the dirt.

Margie Wilkey took the count full before grounding out, Kate Altschwager forced a Caroline De Castella Bradshaw error, and Pauline Long hit one back to Bruggemann who played the lead runner.

Chrissie Coomber took one to the leg with good sport, bringing up Codie Jackway who doubled to Kloe Phillips at left.

The shot of the day went to Tara Dowdell with an absolute ripper safe hit to Kelly Anderson at right for an RBI before Bradshaw shut down the innings with a 6-3.

Blue’s Kelly Anderson walked but was put out base running on a tricky fly ball that bounced in between several players off Pearson’s bat.

Tucker took a stunning catch, denying Bignell a certain safe hit before Bruggemann fanned the crowd with a stupidly huge swing before she remembered what a strike was and connected with it, the wind helping the shot over Altschwager’s head for a homer and a bump rounding third with Wilkey, who was manning her base.

Angela Queale forced an error and Bradshaw chimed in with a lovely single to left.

Long made the last out, putting out Phillips at first.

Blue’s defence tightened up with Pearson taking the catch off the dangerous Jones’ bat, Queale had Wilkey out by an eyelash and Alschwager struck out.

Blues added five more as Analeigh Anderson was scored by her mum’s single to Wilkey, Renee Parker had some good cuts, Pearson singled to Tucker before Bignell hit another one to her which just bobbled out after she covered a lot of ground.

Bruggemann blooped one into no man’s land before Queale belted one to Altschwager who took a fantastic catch that saved her side at least three runs.

Bradshaw hit an RBI infield single and then rookie Phillips stepped up and drove one to the outfield, scoring her mate Bignell and got the crowd to their feet with excitement.

Analeigh Anderson legged out an infield single before the innings was closed.

Concordes White’s Long hit a routine ground ball to Queale that she muffed twinging her back in the process, recovering thankfully for the foul fly catch off Coomber’s bat and a controversial Jackway ground ball out.

Tara Dowdell was at it again with another fabulous hit up the middle for an RBI but was put out by Parker playing the lead runner and putting Bradshaw under pressure.

In the last dig Blues were held scoreless despite Pearson, Bignell and Bruggemann singling.

Kelly Anderson made great contact but it went straight to the reliable fielding glove of Jones.

Jackway caught Pearson stealing with Dowdell putting the tag on her like a pro.

Queale flew out and Concordes needed five for the win.

Jones singled to left with Phillips getting the ball in quickly to limit any extra bases, Wilkey flew out and then Altschwager hit a solid single that created a 1-3 situation.

The call was made, as was the play, and Bignell threw her out at second for the second out as the run scored and now no one on.

Bradshaw glided over to make the last play of the game, helping her side consolidate their position in the top four.

CONCORDES UNITED V WARRIORS WHITE

Warriors White flew out of the 2026 gates with a huge first innings, putting nine green circles together as United initially struggled to find the strike zone.

Steph Chant put a shot out to left that was millimetres out of United’s Aimee Brooks’ reach and Linda Dodds hit a spritely single to Jerri Lee Cooper at second.

Mel Chuck then scorched one that tipped off Tylar Kennett’s glove but Cooper was all over it, tossing it back to Kennett at first for a flash out.

Ball magnet Kelly Doyle got hit by a pitch, before Sarah Thomson sharply played the lead runner and then Jasmine Disselbach had new year’s yippies swinging at one over her head for the last out.

Warriors pitcher Sarah Polderman was locked and loaded, zinging down her lasers but United’s lead off Rosie Clark was unfazed, lining a great shot to the coolest of cucumbers, Hannah Taylor at second.

Thomson drove an absolute pearler to Mel Chuck who expertly took the catch and touched her base for a perfectly executed double play.

Brooks followed suit, hitting to the right side to Chuck who was subsequently chastised for picking the stationary ball up with her glove.

United’s own rock, Bec White, had taken over pitching for her side and worked hard, limiting Warriors to only another three runs for the game.

Although she hit Taylor, White came back with strikes to Warriors team favourite Harlow Castleman.

Polderman zinged one to Thomson, Dodsy hit one back to White who played the lead runner before striking out Chuck.

Taylor was at it again on defence for her team, taking a catch off White’s bat.

Polderman’s radar went frustratingly on the fritz according to the umpire’s strike zone, walking the next two before having Cooper out and then Linley Pollard skied one into Dodsy’s basket at left.

White was on her game again for United in the pitcher’s circle as she struck out two more batters and snagged Castleman’s infield fly before putting her team back in to hit and three runs on the board.

Emalee Dowdell patiently walked before being put out as the lead runner as Polderman and Disselbach combined for a smooth play.

Thomson’s bat was hot as she sent another hard shot to Taylor, Brooks walked and ran the bases with intensity, being scored on White’s grounder to Disselbach before Polderman shut the innings down, combining with Doyle and Chuck for a K2-3.

Chuck lined a beauty to left to lead off the last, Doyle was again hit – no doubt she will have her ice pack award on hand next week – before Chant took a BB.

Disselbach continued her RBI form, hitting behind the runners to Cooper at second, Taylor also had an RBI putting the ball into play but being thrown out by Thomson.

Wilson looked like a seasoned veteran as she took the catch at centerfield that Castleman sent her way for the last out.

United got Warriors tickers going as they put another four on the board in the bottom of the last.

Pollard and Tekani Clark walked, Rosie put Chant under pressure at third then Thomson drilled one up the middle scoring two.

Taylor made a great play to have Brooks out a one, with Thomson turning homeward, Doyle chased her back towards third and a trap play ensued with Thomson cleverly scoring in the end.

White hit one to the outfield that Dodds did a somersault over, luckily Castleman had her teammate’s back, limiting additional bases.

Polderman sealed the win with a KC to close.

RESULTS

Demons 18 (Cody Manning, Kezia Feast, Katelyn Laube & Tieran Vos 2; Simone Little, Krissie Smith & Hayley Burner d Wanderers 3 (Emily Little 2; Fiona Finch, Charli Kaigg & Kat Chaplin); Warriors Blue 9 (Leyna Bruggemann 4 (HR); Taylor Pearson, Maddy Bignell, Caroline Bradshaw 2; Kloe Phillips, Analeigh Anderson and Kelly Anderson) d Concordes White 6 (Dana Jones, Tara Dowdell 2; Aleesha Tucker, Kate Altschwager & Codie Jackway); Warriors White 12 (Sarah Polderman, Linda Dodds, Melissa Chuck & Stephanie Chant) d Concordes United 7 (Sarah Thomson 2; Rebecca White)