Broken drought Deakin’s delight

DEAKIN has claimed its first A grade pennant in 16 years, its 4-1 win ending Guild’s stranglehold on the Geelong Baseball Association.

Guild had won the past five consecutive A grade crowns, but came up just short in a thrilling grand final at Geelong Baseball Centre on Saturday.

Star Deakin pitcher Tayler Rowe claimed the MVP award for his impressive performance.

“Tayler’s effort was really something special today,” an emotional and outgoing Deakin manager Leigh Holmes said.

“I thought about taking him out in the ninth, but he wouldn’t have it. He read my mind, I reckon, and uttered a few colourful words to the effect that I wasn’t getting the ball off him in any case.

“He struck out the last three Guild hitters, so he was definitely in the right.”

Guild’s Brad Egan breezed through the first two innings before running into trouble in the third, when Andy Medew lashed a two-out triple to clear the bases. Cameron Gibbons followed with a double to score the young Deakin catcher and give his side a 4-0 lead.

While a string of hard-hit balls and that big innings looked ominous for Egan, he collected his thoughts and settled to spin another courageous outing in the knowledge that the Lions had only Andy Radevski of its frontline pitching staff available in the pen.

While the Egan effort over the last six frames was a gem — albeit in a losing side — it was overshadowed by right-armer Rowe. Rowe was simply superb and would have collected the shutout for Deakin were it not for an unfortunate defensive slip-up when the ball was dislodged on a tag play at first base.

“We hit him hard early, but Brad’s effort summed up why they (Guild) have been so successful,” Holmes said.

“He — and all of their players — just keep fighting to stay in the game, whatever the situation. “They did that again today. “I never felt that we were safe until that last strikeout.”