Guild’s grand final run ends
AFTER years of moderate achievement at A Grade level, East Belmont Saints have won through to the Geelong Baseball Association Grand Final with an 11-6 result over Guild Lions.
A tight contest through four, the preliminary final came alive in the fifth, when Saints responded to a Lions challenge with a four-spot followed by five more in the sixth to establish a game-breaking lead that was efficiently protected by Emerson Rickard in relief of fellow southpaw Cody Anderson.
With Trevor Elliott (four hits), Dion Kirchner (three hits), Steven Fox (three RBIs) and Will Brennan (three RBIs) showing the way in offence, Saints have secured their first A Grade grand final appearance since winning the title in 2008 – and just their second in the past 15 years since nailing back-to-back flags in 2003 and 2004.
Taking advantage of a Saints error, Guild plated a run in the first off starter Cody Anderson, who settled quickly into his work and went scoreless through the next three – including a run of four straight strikeouts – while his side levelled it up with an unearned run in the bottom of four off Hayden Peoples, who gave his side another quality start. Losing his radar in the fifth, Anderson walked five of seven hitters he faced – for three runs — before Emerson Rickard was called upon to stem the flow.
Facing a decent deficit, Saints seemingly relished the departure of Peoples for Jarrod Durston, who tattooed one hitter, walked another and conceded six hits – including a Will Brennan triple — in a sustained outburst that gleaned a five-run lead for the haloes after six.
While Travis Duxson restored some balance for the Lions, the damage had been done – delivering Rickard a substantial buffer within which he could operate in closing out the contest against an opponent that was unable to produce the irresistible offence that has been its trademark this season.
Although Anderson issued a generous eight passes overall and his side coughed up a couple of unearned runs, Guild could muster just six hits over the nine-innings contest, with Durston (two hits and two RBIs) being the standout.
By contrast, Saints had contributors throughout the order, with prime movers in Trevor Elliott (four hits and an RBI), Dion Kirchner (three and one), Brennan (one and three), Steven Fox (one and three) and Keenan Spence (two hits).
In qualifying for the grand final against Bellarine Bears, Saints have brought an end to a remarkable run of 10 grand final appearances on the trot for Guild, including eight pennants during that era.
This will be the first time in 25 years that Saints and Bellarine have played off for the A Grade title.