Guild takes thriller against Wildcats
PLAYED in inclement weather, the Geelong Baseball Association produced some hardfought contests in A Grade competition, where Guild hung on for a one-run result over Lara Wildcats — in a game that produced 27 runs — while Newport edged out Bellarine to remain undefeated.
In contrast with the two thrillers, East Belmont Saints went on a scoring spree to blank Mounties in a one-sided contest, while Deakin was pushed all the way by a dogged Colac Braves before forging ahead against an opponent that struggled for offensive production against quality leftarmed pitching.
DEAKIN 7 d COLAC 1
Plating three unearned off Colac starter Alex Lewis in the second, Deakin was pretty well held through the middle innings before withstanding a challenge in the fifth and edging away with a productive flurry towards the end.
Conceding just three hits over the contest, Pat Moulton (five innings for two hits) and Chris Webb dominated the Colac offence.
The Deakin line-up took advantage of nine free passes and some timely conversion provided by Moulton (two hits and an RBI), Glenn Morris (two and one) and Andy Medew (one and two).
Although the Colac trio of Lewis, Josh Hay and Michael Reid kept their side in the game, the surfeit of walks — combined with a couple of costly errors — helped gift three unearned runs to the Blues.
The Blues posted their fourth win of the season to hold fourth placing over Saints.
Deakin will be at home to Lara next Saturday, while Colac faces a tough away game against Newport, which thrashed the Braves in their first encounter this season.
NEWPORT 7 d BELLARINE 6
In a much-anticipated clash between two of the league’s stronger offensive teams, Bellarine paid for some errant defence in conceding five unearned runs while remaining well in the contest until the Rams edged ahead in the bottom of the last — on a Jason Lester sacrifice fly.
Playing catch-up for most of the game, Bellarine drew level in the fifth — and again in the sixth — on the back of timely hitting by Lewis Weldon (two hits and two RBIs) and Wayne Visser (two-run homer), Cameron Brown (two hits) and Chris Barker (two hits), although the Rams had enough in the tank in support of solid outings by David Asp and Jason Lester.
Lachlan Hockey was impressive over four for Bellarine — in conceding just five hits and no earned runs before Simon Murry spun a quality relief stint that was not quite enough to contain a Newport offence led by Zac Seipolt (two hits and three RBIs), Reece Longstaff and a string of others who chimed in when it mattered.
Highballing at the top of the table, Newport will be at home to lowly Colac Braves next Saturday, while Bellarine will trek up the highway to take on Mounties.
SAINTS 18 d MOUNTIES 0
Off to a flyer with four in the first, Saints were relatively untroubled in this contest — especially after posting a fivespot in the third and blasting seven more in the fifth for a confidence-building shellacking of the Ballarat outfit.
Going hitless over four innings, Emerson Rickard held the Mounties batters in check before Josh Lee closed out the game with a similarly controlled outing that helped collectively limit the Mounts to one hit while not issuing a walk overall — in contrast, the home club gifted a damaging eleven walks and three HPBs.
In the manner that has typi- fied their three winning games thus far, Saints applied a team effort in offensive production, with the standouts being Steven Fox (three hits and four RBIs), Charles Thompson (two and two), Josh Lee (two and two), George Polley (two and two) and Marcel Ernstzen (two and one).
Now holding fifth, Saints will face a tough assignment against Guild at the stadium next Saturday, while Mounties have drawn a third consecutive home game — this time against Bellarine, which will be smarting from a tough loss to Newport.
GUILD 14 d LARA 13
For two grand clubs that have dominated the league over the past twelve years, this was an extraordinarily highscoring contest — one in which every player going to the plate posted at least one hit. While defensive errors were a factor for both clubs, Guild looked well in control after smacking four in the first and six in the second before the Wildcats sparked up against Lions ace Brad Egan — who departed the contest with six earned runs against his name and his side not yet safe.
Although not fully supported by his defence, Dan Anson spun a decent relief stint for the Wildcats, who applied their own pressure to the Guild defence to plate four in the fifth and another two in the last to fall just short.
Jarryd Wood (three hits) was a livewire for the Lions along with Lee Harty (home run for three ribbies), Tyler Luther-Wilson (two hits and three RBIs), Tony Kilfoyle, Chris Durston and Troy Snarey, while old stager Ben Hammer (three and three) was terrific for the Wildcats.
Second-placed Guild will be at home to Saints next Saturday and Lara will be chasing its second win when it meets Deakin at the university.