Cubs facing uphill battle
Rays’ clean sweep has Coomera side in peril
THE axe is hanging over the Coomera Cubs’ season after a clean sweep at home to the finals-bound Redlands Rays knocked the GBL baseball side into desperate territory.
With seven games left the Cubs must win at least five to be any chance of qualifying for A Grade finals.
Pitching import Josh Guyer threw well in the first match, a 3-0 defeat, but the Cubs were again let down by a failure to fire with bat.
Coach Andrew Azzopardi inserted himself into the batting line-up in the second match and despite hitting a two-score first innings home run could not solve his side’s batting malaise by himself.
There were fiery scenes in the changing rooms as the bitterly disappointed coach challenged his players to step up or risk watching a promising season wash away.
“It was horrible,” Azzopardi told the Bulletin.
“It’s been a bad week for us, I’m frustrated and I had to tear them all a new a ******* .
“It’s time to put or shut up because our season is on the line going forward.
“They need to put up the wins or their season is over.
“Coomera has been pushed back down the ladder and they’ve got to claw their way out.
“If we don’t win five of the next seven we can kiss the season goodbye.”
If the Cubs cannot regroup in time for Wednesday’s clash with the lowly Narangba Demons, a fivemonth season will have gone to waste.
Azzopardi vowed changes would be made to the line-up, with the Cubs’ B Grade side already assured of a finals berth.
“I hope we can right the ship,” he said.
“We’ve got to travel up to Narangba to make up for a washout.
“We’re playing a cellar dweller and it’s a chance to see the bats come alive against a weaker team.
“If it doesn’t changes are going to happen coming into the last six or seven.”