Saints’ win puts the club within striking distance of top spot
CONTINUING its strong late-season form in Geelong Baseball Association, Lara recovered from a deficit to overpower Deakin 11-3.
In doing so it scuppered any Blues hopes of a post-season berth. The conditions didn’t affect the Saints, who recorded a thumping 17-0 home result over Ballarat Royals. In the allimportant clash rescheduled to the stadium on Sunday, Bellarine conceded a 12-run start to Guild in an error-laden contest before mounting a late recovery that delivered the league leader a vital 15-14 win.
SAINTS 17 defeated ROYALS 0
Saints have placed themselves within striking distance of top spot in the A-grade standings — a remarkable achievement for a club that lost its first three games and was without classy all-rounder Josh Lee for several weeks.
With rain delays appearing inevitable in this contest, Saints wasted no time in establishing early authority by launching a full-on assault against Royals starter Brendan Robinson, who was tagged for 10 in the bottom of the first.
The result of a walk, a HPB, an error and a damaging 10 hits, including a triple by Keenan Spence and doubles to Lee, Cody Anderson and Will Brennan were among the carnage.
After sending 16 hitters to the plate in that initial outburst, the Haloes were somewhat more modest in the second — plating another four as the visitors called upon Scott Jones before Mitch Collins was pressed into action against a Saints offence that continued to deliver.
It was one-way traffic for the shell-shocked visitors, who drew five passes from Saints southpaw Cody Anderson.
They were unable to make scoring inroads against a side that played flawless defence behind a pitcher who faced just 13 hitters, went hitless and whiffed five. LARA 11 defeated DEAKIN 3 The unforgiving conditions were a poignant reflection of a season that promised so much yet has delivered so little substance for a Blues combination that a few months back was favoured to threaten for a premiership.
Positive early portents were delivered for the visitors by way of a run in the first and two-spot in the second off Lara starter Chris Lewis.
Deakin workhorse Chris Webb put up three initial zeros against a Wildcats that could have been even better placed for a dash at the finals had split results and tight finishes gone its way.
Standouts for Deakin, Rudy Jaramillo (three hits and an RBI) and Zac Seipolt (two and one), were afforded minimal offensive support by a club that could muster just seven hits, while Lara would be delighted with the contributions of Cam Forbes, Jared Berman, Mitch Miller, Jarrod Fraim, Ross Wilson and Dan Anson (two hits).
BELLARINE 15 defeated GUILD 14
Three walks, a pair of errors and six hits — including a three-run James Renouf homer — helped deliver a nine-run first for the Lions, seven of those unearned off Bellarine starter Pat Brackley.
Three more in the second — all unearned after two telling defensive slip-ups — drew Simon Murry to the hill for Bellarine.
It launched a spirited recovery against Hayden Peoples, taking him for six on four walks and five hits as the game developed into a battle of attrition.
With Murry spinning a modest two-run top of three — and errors again playing a lead role — the Bears sprang to life in the equaliser as Guild tried three on the hill to no avail.
A lead-off infield hit by Ben Shay, four successive passes and a wild pitch set the table for Wayne Visser.
He cleared the bases with a timely double to spark a ninerun blast and a winning break for Bellarine, which all in all was gifted 11 walks despite being out-slugged 10 to eight by Guild.