Blues thump Saints in top performance
DEAKIN gained an early break and was never seriously challenged in a clear-cut Geelong Baseball Association win over East Belmont Saints at the weekend.
Meanwhile, Mounties completed a great day for the Ballarat club by dispensing with Lara and posting its first A Grade win of the season.
Bellarine feasted on 24 hits and belted six long balls in a thumping win over Colac, who fell away later in a slugfest, while Newport maintained its unbeaten A Grade record by outgunning Guild in what was touted by many as the match of the day.
DEAKIN 13 SAINTS 2
A four-run first was a blow from which the Saints were unable to recover as the Blues launched an offensive assault on Sean Talbot and Josh Lee in turn.
A three-run Mark Rigby homer made the task tough enough, although it reached unmanageable proportions when Saints reliever Josh Lee was taken for six more late runs to set up a thumping win for the Blues.
The Blues will derive great confidence from a solid allround performance that saw Rigby, Pat Moulton, Lyons, Chris Webb and Andy Medew do serious damage with the bat.
Scattering four hits over six innings, Webb carded the win before closing duties were handed to Moulton, a returning top-line player who will be valuable in support of the Deakin cause this winter.
Deakin will be at home to Colac on Saturday, while Saints — now at two wins and four losses — will travel to Bal- larat to take on a Mounties outfit that is building in confidence after a first win.
NEWPORT 11 GUILD 4
While both clubs were missing key personnel, Newport made an emphatic statement to other A Grade clubs, leaving no-one in any doubt that the Rams are indeed here to play.
Although the Lions gained an early break, Rams starter Jayde Thorne settled into his work and applied the clamps to the opposition offence as his side manufactured a five-run fourth inning and careered away with another four in the last for a powerful win.
Making some uncharacteristic and costly defensive errors, Guild tried three on the hill but was unable to contain a quality Newport outfit that was well-served by Zac Seipolt, manager Aaron Green, David Land and Troy Malthouse, while Lee Harty was best of a Lions offence that struck out eleven times to Thorne in his complete-game outing.
Slipping to second, the Lions will put this one behind them and will be bent on atonement when they make the trek to Lara next Saturday, while Newport will be at home to Bellarine in what is shaping up as an entertaining matchup between two strong offensive units.
MOUNTIES 7 LARA 6
With wins in all three grades, Mounties shook off an early outburst by the Lara offence to edge away in the third and withstand a fourth-innings challenge as both clubs toiled hard to gain the decisive break.
While Mounties starter Gavin Smith gifted nine walks over four innings, the Wildcats returned the favour by making a couple of crucial defensive blunders that gleaned five unearned runs for the home side before a clearly hurting Scott Jones closed out the game with his side leading by the narrowest of margins.
Ben Hammer, Dan Anson, Clinton Lewis and Travis Arandt were productive with the bat for Lara, while George Davidson, Leigh Ashmore, Matt Jones and Jedd Miller delivered for Mounties.
Mounties will be at home against the Saints next Saturday for what looks like a winnable game, while Lara will be hoping for the return of a couple of key players when it plays host to Guild.
BELLARINE 20 COLAC 8
The Bears were at their best for the road trip, blasting three in the first off Colac starter Michael Reid, whose side hit back with four of its own as both clubs traded blows in producing a total of 19 runs in the first two frames.
With solid options in Lachlan Hockey, Pat Brackley and Simon Murry, the visitors were able to stifle the Colac offence while going on a scoring spree in a contest that may not have reached the heights of defensive brilliance but which generated some staggering offensive numbers.
Going six from six, Bears Manager Cameron Brown belted two home runs, Brock Wells left the yard twice as did Lewis Weldon, while Lachlan Hockey complemented a superb game with three innings of pitching work.
Wayne Visser and Murry were damaging with the bat while Alex Lewis proved a standout in the Colac offence, receiving stout support from Reid and Brendon Delorenzo.
Now equal second with Guild, Bellarine will face a tough away game against Newport on Saturday, while Colac will meet Deakin at the university.