Welcome back GBC
After a long eleven week preseason we finally get to the beginning of the season that we have all been training our chub off for.
First game we head to Woodville. With a mass walkout on their hand we were unsure what we would come up against. The Unknown.
Our boys were raring to go and really looked keen all day.
Our pitching staff were looking fresh and battled hard for us all day but our hitting was the winner on the day.
The return of Max "Houston" Brown was instant with a homer in his second AB then a bunt hit in his second. Bloody gifted that bloke
Mason Clavell swung it well with a couple hits and a hit and run dinger. Great to watch.
But the most impressive outing of the day was Dylan "Pickles" Bentley. Smashed it all day and picked up his first Div one homer. Very fun to watch as its the year of the pickle.
With week one done and a win on the board we head to Port to face the magpies.
Big challenge but boys are looking forward to it.
Also Chris Burkholder who is due to return soon has just won the Czech baseball league with Ostrava arrows. Well done legend and see you soon
Good luck this week tigers
The season is upon us. With rumours the Senators had more resignations then the ones on Malcom Turnballs old government the lads rolled out to the ball park not really knowing what to expect.
With our usual lead off now plying his trade in the ones and new recruit back to the club Sonny having to fix clogged toilets and internet services we had to change things up at the top of the line-up.
Rion took over the duties and duly walked in the top of the first a slow running stolen base and walks to coach Zed, Elliott and a hit by pitch to Hill set the scene for Joe to hit a double to right Bays score 4 early.
The rest of the inning was not pretty with two walks two hit by pitches resulting in us putting up 9 before the senators had a chance to swing the sticks.
Enter Aussie for his first Div 2 start in GBC colours and he did not disappoint carving through their line-up without breaking a sweat.
We kept adding to the score throughout the rest of the game through walks HPB and timely hits from Mags, Gluyas, Elliott and Jacob Eldridge who had the day’s best hit smashing a double down the right field line allowing himself to collect 3 RBI's for the day.
On the pitching front Aussie was superb allowing one cheap hit through 3 innings pounding the zone and showing why he is going to be a handy pickup for us this year.
Flynn came in to throw the last 3 and although looked a little rusty did his job Bays going on to win 16 to 1
Next week will be a challenge taking on magpies in swooping season is always difficult especially on their home deck
With a home opener we took the rare chance to raise our championship banner from the year before to the rafters, this was quickly followed by the realisation that we can’t officially go back to back due to circumstances beyond our control, cheers. After receiving no rings and dropping down a grade we ran out opening day to a very good opposition celebrating year 100 in their newly minted commemorative jerseys. After a 10 minute plate meeting to discuss a host of new rules, the blue finally was able to call play ball and Lachy Eldridge sent down the first pitch of the season.
Gamer worked a 1, 2, 3 first inning and just like that, baseball was back. With our regular 1-2 punch busy thanks to Big Dawg Deeble working his griller out in the Barossa and Marshy watching the monster trucks get higher than the AFL home teams at Adelaide Oval, I tried to make one of those modern thinking line-ups where a clean-up type hits 2nd. As a result, I will be going back to a regulation line up next week for sure. Both starters had gotten thru the first 3 only giving up 1 hit each, Handy with a lead off ground rule for us was stranded on base in the 2nd. A couple of walks and 2 errors later the Eagles had the bases juiced with 2 outs when they dumped a single into centre and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. This innings would spell the end for Lachy after a mixed start and those errors force him to throw more than enough for an opening start.
Shaw and Bender started us with back to back singles to lead off the home half of the 4th, a BB later and we had the bases loaded, coach Millar was able to squeeze a double down the RF line and all the sudden it was back to 2-2. Paddy Gluyas followed this with a huge 2 out single to put the home team up 3-2.
Bender took over mound duties and thanks to a fly ball out followed by a double play he chalked up his own 1-2-3 innings. With Kloeds at first Shawy hit one into the sun to the Eagles RF hit a double of sorts and get us to 2nd & 3rd no outs, a sac fly to right plated a run, but again we left another guy on base.
We tacked on a couple of insurance runs in what would be the bottom of the last, and walked away with a decent 6-2 W. A lot to work on, but we’ll sure take it early in the season.
After an off-season that had Boris coaching two teams, changing divisions, checking the wrong program on numerous occasions and experiencing a few Kyriosesque dummy spits directed at the antics of City Hall, thankfully it was time to play some baseball. After the longest plate meeting since Rebel Wilson sat down for Christmas dinner, Wilbur Wilson took the pill for the good guys and the season was underway.
The boys took a little time to settle in the field early, but Wilbur’s fine work including two K’s against the Utah Saints had us going into the bottom of the first trailing by just one. Our new recruit from Thailand – The Cave Darter – drew the season’s first green pencil from team scoranager (that is scorer + manager) Mad Dog, however the boys failed to manage a coloured in circle in the first. No matter as Wilbur rolled through the top of the second to give the good guys a second crack, and this time the results were tastier than a coconut covered Jennifer Hawkins. Hits to Mr. Freeze, Big Kraj, The Super Dry Warrior, Vdub, Cave Darter and a well-placed pop-up from BA saw the Snakes Alives put up a five spot to take a 5-1 lead.
The good stuff continued with Wilbur piffing a quality four innings with no further damage to the correct side of the scoreboard while our boys added a few more runs with timely hitting, plus some solid baserunning assisted by late recruit Juchzenfest who looks trim and ready to burn up the basepaths in 2018/19.
Wilbur handed the keys over to The Cave Darter to blow the cobwebs out and despite some early radar issues managed to put a nice full-stop on the game by whiffing the final two hitters. All in all a solid 10-1 first up hitout despite missing studly team Boris stalwarts in Sherlock Holmes, Kymbo Slice, HSR and the Fenomenon.
Hit Parade: Darter (4), Mr. Freeze, Krajinator, Vdub (2), Killer, Super Dry Warrior, Juchzenfest, BA (1).
We rolled out a new look team combining Div 6 tigers dads with the past legends of Div 7 last year and so far so good the transition went very well .
Mitch started and got to about 50 pitchers and easily could have done more, but being the first game no need to push pitch counts, it was just a good get started game
Sanga came in to relief and close, did it in comfortable style so both did there jobs well
I felt our fielding overall was good, turning a double at home was the high light and Marty Beyers pick up at first from a bad throw was excellent, Marty Beyer the common thread there.
Nearly all pick up hits the 2 Marty (Beyer /Leaker) RBI's at the right time, Mitch,Fenny, Luders and Mundy also contributing with the bat. Spike, Thomas and Sandercock serviceable games, Sandercock solid behind the dish
Well done to all regards Mutz
We pulled the team together Thursday night and my thanks to all involved in coordinating the 6/7s because it can get a little testy, my personal thanks to CJ and Ali on this matter, All The players involved in this process were very patient .
Woodville had a very good team filled with players that have played lots of baseball and at a high level, In the first inning they hit drives after drive very hard to defend so we found ourselves 7 nil down ,after that ,we could only chase
Luders ,Tom and Mundy pitched and all pitched ok
I felt we had many excellent times at bat. Luders leading the way ,Tom putting good swings on and Ali line drive was special .Sarah had good times with the bat and in the field .
Need to field a little better, We have not done any work fielding so it should improve with practice . Heath Hill game both in the field and in the box was competent ,well done
Many encouraging moments so upwards from here