TIGERS came out of the blocks firing in the Mount Gambier & District Baseball League Division 1 grand final series but in the end, reigning champions Central successfully defended their title on the newly named Sid Hosking Field at Blue Lake Sports Park.<\/p>\n
Tigers dominated game 1 with a 15-5 scoreline before Central bounced back in the do-or-die game two with an 8-4 win.<\/p>\n
The reigning titleholders then dominated the series decider with a 17-1 demolition, with Kyall McClean taking out the series MVP \u2013 the Burner Family Trophy.<\/p>\n
In the final game of a hard\u2013fought three\u2013game series, Central dominated from the get-go delivering a commanding 17\u20131 victory to secure the championship.<\/p>\n
Tigers actually struck first, scratching across a run in the top of the first on a well\u2013placed ball that led to an error but that early spark was quickly answered\u2014and then some.<\/p>\n
Central flipped the script in the bottom of the first, erupting for eight runs on five hits.<\/p>\n
The big blow came off the bat of Colby Muller, who delivered a two\u2013run single that energised the entire dugout.<\/p>\n
The onslaught continued in the second inning, where Central added five more runs.<\/p>\n
Josh Chuck started things with a double, McClean followed with a two\u2013run single, and a pair of errors helped push across additional runs.<\/p>\n
McClean was the engine of the offense all day.<\/p>\n
The leadoff hitter collected four hits in five at\u2013bats, driving in five runs with a combination of timely singles and a triple.<\/p>\n
Chuck added two hits of his own, and the team showed excellent discipline at the plate, drawing six walks – Dylan Gull leading the way with two.<\/p>\n
On the mound, Gull was nothing short of dominant.<\/p>\n
He went the distance, tossing seven strong innings while allowing just five hits and one unearned run.<\/p>\n
He struck out seven and walked only one, keeping Tigers\u2019 hitters off balance from start to finish.<\/p>\n
For Tigers, Joseph Sims came on in relief and provided five innings of work, striking out five and showing plenty of fight on the mound.<\/p>\n
Matt Thompson, Toby McKinnon, Riley Rolph, Jai Hillstone, and Alex Reppin each collected hits, ensuring the offense continued to compete throughout.<\/p>\n
The game was a fitting conclusion to a thrilling series. Central\u2019s explosive early innings, combined with a masterful pitching performance and a disciplined approach at the plate, proved to be the winning formula.<\/p>\n
A dominant performance to close out the series and claim the championship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TIGERS came out of the blocks firing in the Mount Gambier & District Baseball League Division 1 grand final series but in the end, reigning champions Central successfully defended their title on the newly named Sid Hosking Field at Blue Lake Sports Park. Tigers dominated game 1 with a 15-5 scoreline before Central bounced back […]<\/p>\n