THE Division 1 Mount Gambier team were bats away in the first game of the Berri tournament against the ACT Wildcats with safe hits to Fiona Finch, Bec White and both Deb Hicks and Chrystal Lock chiming in with two RBI singles each and five runs on the board.<\/p>\n
However the fielding radar was a bit on the fritz despite Carissa Richards throwing strikes, with five clangers hurting and seven runs against was the result and lots of time chewed up which was against the Mount Gambier line-up in shorter timed games and the score ended up reverting back.<\/p>\n
White tripled after Rej Smith and Hicks were at it again, and Leanne Little plus Lock had the scorer\u2019s green pen going.<\/p>\n
The second game was a much closer affair against USC Bears although the Mount Gambier team was again on the wrong side of the 5-2 ledger.<\/p>\n
USC rolled out their state pitcher in Alix Hitchcock and remained patient in the batting box with Allana Feast taking a few batters to find her groove in the pitcher\u2019s circle for Mount Gambier.<\/p>\n
Leyna Bruggemann hit a sac fly to score Hayley Burner in the first as Burner showed her jets, with a double to left in the third.<\/p>\n
That was pretty much it as Hitchcock took control but Finch was stellar at shortstop with several lovely plays and Richards had the coach\u2019s heart condition calling for the nurse with some one handed left field catches.<\/p>\n
Weirdly the draw had Nount Gambier playing USC again and for the third game of the day, Bruggemann rolled the arm over and had the USC girls bluffed.<\/p>\n
She wandered off with a 9-4 W, KCing Hitchcock with a big change up, two extra base hits and three RBIs.<\/p>\n
Smith, Hicks, Feast, Lock and Sez Thomson brought smiles to the faces of MGSL life member and chief scorer Di Humphries as well as her first assistant Sarah Polderman with hits galore.<\/p>\n
The first game on day two had a grand final feel and in a tight contest, the score reverted back with the timed game to a 2-1 win to USC with seasoned campaigner Mel Strapps in the pitching circle.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, after two safe hits, Finch ripped her calf and her tournament was done, much to her disgust and the team\u2019s spirits.<\/p>\n
Richards pitched beautifully while making a couple of smooth plays fielding off her own.<\/p>\n
Hicks\u2019 terrific hitting form continued with a triple and solid defence at third base, Bagshaw came in for what would have been a game winning at bat had her double that scored three counted on the scoreboard at the end, while Little suggesting the pinch hitter was a stroke of genius.<\/p>\n
Aimee Brooks and Bruggemann put on a bunting clinic and Richards got her rally cap on with a two out single and Thomson found safe grass with her shot to right.<\/p>\n
Lock was not one to be outdone, legging out an infield single.<\/p>\n
Although Mount Gambier had played USC three times, they had not yet faced Sunraysia and when they did, some of our fielding yips struck again, hurting the super consistent strike thrower in Lock, which resulted in a 9-6 loss.<\/p>\n
Signs were very good in the batting box against genuine velocity pitching as Smith smoked two doubles and a single for RBIs, Bagshaw two singles of her own and White two with two RBIs to her name as well.<\/p>\n
Burner chimed in with a hit and a sac fly, Lock, Brooks, and Thomson all having safe hits.<\/p>\n
Richards stroked a ripper two RBI single to right to keep Mount Gambier in the game.<\/p>\n
In facing the ACT Wildcats for the third game of four for day two, Bruggemann was throwing ominous pies early from the middle and had three runs against her in the top of the first dig.<\/p>\n
Mount Gambier bounced back with two of their own via Bruggemann and Hicks both singling for RBIs. Brooks singled in the second but got herself thrown out at one on a base running clanger and that seemed to jolt Bruggemann into gear and there were no more safe hits given to ACT over the next three innings and the 8-3 win.<\/p>\n
Feast was channelling her inner Belinda White (star South Australian & Australian representative) at shortstop, making five key plays without batting an eyelid.<\/p>\n
Hicks was sensational with the bat, launching one that absolutely would have gone over the fence at home for a three run homer to go with her earlier single and sac fly, bringing her game total to five for RBIs.<\/p>\n
Feast doubled to score her battery mate Bagshaw who had singled to left.<\/p>\n
Burner continued to show how truly fast she is with an infield single and a few plays at second base.<\/p>\n
As the sun set on a wonderful Berri day for our fourth game of the day, Feast pitched a blinder for the 7-3 win against her West Torrens teammate Cara Venning pitching for Sunraysia.<\/p>\n
Burner pulled out a zinging triple then an infield single, Hicks had two safe hits and more RBIs, and Feast scored two with a great shot to right.<\/p>\n
She also had a tremendous double play line drive catch, turning to then throw out the lead runner.<\/p>\n
Playing at first base in what would be one of the five different positions on the diamond she played throughout the weekend, Bagshaw was unstoppable with three safe hits including a double as well as six put outs.<\/p>\n
With three wins and four losses going into the last day, the Mount Gambier Division 1 team needed to win both early games to have a shot at a grand final spot and they delivered with a stinging seven on the board in the first dig against ACT.<\/p>\n
Smith, Bruggemann, Hicks, and White singled while Smith, Brooks and Thomson also forced errors with their speedy base running.<\/p>\n
Feast started in the middle and there was a glimpse of unsteadiness in the field followed by a few strong shots so the coaching brainstrust pulled the trigger on the pitching change with Smith coming in and limiting the damage.<\/p>\n
Bruggemann had suggested to Bagshaw to take advantage of the large gap at centre left early then for once matched her mouth, lining a homer with the yellow submarine to the very spot.<\/p>\n
Hicks chimed with yet another hit in the tournament as did Feast, both to left.<\/p>\n
Mount Gambier did enough to come away with a 8-4 victory and had their tails up heading into the last minor round game against Sunraysia.<\/p>\n
Having choked against Sunraysia two years earlier, Bruggemann ambled out to the pitching circle and her team backed her in all the way to a 7-4 win.<\/p>\n
Little was behind everything as catcher, with the hematomas to prove it, and Bagshaw was solid as a rock at third.<\/p>\n
Bruggemann managed to field and throw the ball on the full and straight on no less than three separate occasions after letting a firm shot up the middle get the better of her.<\/p>\n
The Mount Gambier gang came away with safe hits to seven of the nine starters with Burner, Smith, and Bagshaw singling, Bruggemann doubling, and Richards pumping her side up with a pearler RBI single to centre.<\/p>\n
Brooks was the pick of the team with her two safe hits matched by two RBIs – it was her sixth game on the trot after missing all of day one\u2019s games with an iffy calf.<\/p>\n
It all came down to the big one, with this being Mount Gambier Diviion1 team\u2019s first grand final appearance in the three years they have attended the Berri tournament.<\/p>\n
USC coach Rita Meijer had her crew cherry ripe ready, going with Hitchcock in the middle and herself smashing in the go ahead runs in the fifth and final dig with a huge base clearing shot, more than showing her home run derby win was no fluke.<\/p>\n
Mount Gambier started with one run care of Smith\u2019s safe hit and swift legs and Hicks had an infield single, showing leg speed as a definite part of her repertoire.<\/p>\n
Lock was called upon to do what she does so well and throw strikes.<\/p>\n
She also showed her grit in smashing a double to right in the second dig which scored two runs after Feast led off with a single having won the battle of a long at bat.<\/p>\n
Lock fielded fabulously including with a dazzling knee sliding catch, while only giving up three safe hits including a cheeky bunt by Bronwyn Pendelton going into the fifth.<\/p>\n
Bagshaw\u2019s sparkling form continued with another two safe hits but it was not to be.<\/p>\n
The Mount Gambier girls ended up on the wrong side of a 7-3 score.<\/p>\n
Deb Hicks\u2019 outrageous form was recognised with tournament MVP honours.<\/p>\n