Rangers’ decisive win
Toowoomba brings up a huge 25-run victory
The Toowoomba Rangers have sounded out their finals hopes with a devastating 25-0 defeat of Redcliffe on Sunday.
Playing in their first home game since October 21, the Rangers showed how comfortable they were at Commonwealth Oval, never giving the third-placed visitors a chance.
The win moves the side into fifth spot on the GBL division three ladder, half a win behind Wests Bulldogs and the Padres who dropped to fourth.
A clinical opening innings saw the home side race out to a seven-run lead at the bottom of the first, and player-coach Daryl Luchterhand said it was the level of intensity needed to continue their push for a finals berth.
“We just came out so aggressive with the bats, it was just outstanding,” Luchterhand said.
“They were missing some players and pitchers apparently, but we were missing a couple as well.
“We trained really well in the lead-up. We had an intersquad game last Sunday and our A-graders swung exceptionally well. We trained hard on Thursday, swung the bats good and brought it to the game.
“Everything seemed to click for us, and there was a lot of intent.
“It was a game we had to win, and now it puts us less than a game behind Wests and Redcliffe in third and fourth. There’s still a lot of hard work to do, but we’ve started the year in the right fashion.”
The Rangers were able to pile on runs in each innings of the game, keeping the Padres shut out in the process.
“If we can start like we did every weekend against the rest of the opposition, we’re going to be mighty hard to beat,” he said.
“We dropped seven runs on them in the first, and we’re quietly confident with Sam (McNiece) and Daniel (Luchterhand) at the mound that no team will be able to score more than five runs against us.
“It’s one of the things we spoke about, and our goal has to be able to score at least six runs.
“It was pleasing the way we scored every innings. Sometimes when you score seven in the opening innings you can sit back and say the job is done.
“But we came out and scored another in the second, six in the third and 11 in the fourth.”
Lucherhand praised an overall team effort for the decisive victory in keeping Redcliffe scoreless.
Toowoomba’s home-stand at Commonwealth Oval is short-lived however, with the Rangers’ next four games on the road, starting with the Carina Redsox Red on Sunday.
WE’RE QUIETLY CONFIDENT WITH SAM (MCNIECE) AND DANIEL (LUCHTERHAND) AT THE MOUND THAT NO TEAM WILL BE ABLE TO SCORE MORE THAN FIVE RUNS AGAINST US.
DARYL LUCHTERHAND