Blues’ win over Bears sets stage for repeat clash
ALREADY assured of the minor premiership in Geelong Baseball Association, Guild tuned up for the A Grade finals with an 18-3 romp over an undermanned Mounties in the final round, while Colac finished its season in a positive vein with a 5-4 result over Lara.
Saints and Newport fought out a thrilling 1-1 draw, a result that served to secure second placing for the Rams — compliments of fourth-placed Deakin Blues, who edged out Bellarine 6-5 in an entertaining contest that foreshadows a repeat stoush in the elimination final next week.
Semi-finals will be played next Saturday, at the home ground of the higher finishing team in all senior grades.
While Deakin had little to gain from this contest, the home side certainly did in its hopes for a double chance.
Although Bellarine slugger Wayne Visser went deep in the fourth, solo homers by Cameron Lyons in the second and the fifth gave Deakin the ascendancy until the Bears levelled scores in the sixth on a two-run bomb by Lewis Weldon.
However, the Blues held more in store for Bellarine reliever Pat Brackley, who had thrown a clean sixth before the Deakin lower order came alive with a three-spot delivered by way of a walk and four consecutive hits for a lead shaved to within a whisker in a nine-innings arm-wrestle.
While the two Lyons blows were decisive, he shared the Deakin heroics with Chris Webb, who complemented his complete winning game with two hits to offer great offensive support along with Kobe Greenhalgh (two hits and two ribbies), Sam Fraser (two and one), Lachlan Medew and Connor Hickey as the visitors amassed 10 hits to seven against an opponent that was best-served by Weldon, Visser, Chris Barker (two hits and an RBI) and Brackley (two knocks).
With Newport forcing a draw with Saints, the Deakin win ensured that Bellarine would finish in third placing on the A Grade table for a home elimination final against the fourth-placed Deakin in what shapes as another ripping game at Wallington next Saturday.
In a winter season that has been characterised by blowouts and by a clear majority of games not stretching to the regulation nine innings, this was one of three wonderful baseball contests of the final round — although it remained a stalemate after eight.
With second placing potentially up for grabs, the Rams went with South African Olympics qualifying squad member Jayde Thorne, who did not let his side down, spinning six innings for two hits and nine strikeouts despite a solitary unearned run on a wild throw in the first.
But while Thorne and reliever Jason Lester (two innings) were ultraimpressive for Newport, an errorless Saints defensive unit was brilliant in support of Josh Lee, whose six slick innings on the hill were only slightly marred in the fourth — when Newport converted a walk and three hits into its only run — before hardthrowing youngster Connor Hughes closed out the game with aplomb.
Newport has had a terrific season and has certainly earned a crack at reigning champion Guild Lions for the qualifying final at the stadium next Saturday.
There would be few if any Geelong Baseball Association people — except the Wildcats maybe — who would not be delighted with the manner in which Colac has finished a disappointing season on field.
Competitive in several of its games, the Braves have struggled for depth at this level and have tended to fall away later in games — not so in this one, however, as they recovered from a deficit to draw level in the seventh on four hits before plating the go-ahead in the bottom of the eighth against a tough Lara offensive outfit.
Finishing sixth and eighth respectively, Lara and Colac are no doubt aware of their current limitations, yet have displayed the character and the commitment that will enable them to build further for 2019.
Another club that has struggled to perform consistently at this level in 2018 — too often through unavailability of key personnel — Mounties registered four wins for the season and were competitive in numerous games while absorbing more beltings than they would have liked.
Facing league-leading Guild with a depleted squad was always going to be tough for the Ballarat club — and so it transpired, with the Lions plating four in the first, five in the second and an emphatic seven in the third of a lopsided contest before the Mounts rallied with three in the last, including a two-RBI Mitch Collins single.
While it is mothballs at A Grade level for Mounties, Guild is building ominously — with its qualifying final clash against Newport at the stadium next Saturday the first hurdle as it rolls towards another A Grade title challenge.