A day to forget for the Division 1 lads. Gave up to much too early with none of our pitchers getting on top or in a rhythm.
Only highlight of the day was a solo home run by Tyson Arnold
The sun greeted the lads as they rolled to the park to take on the rams of Henley at home on Sunday.
Hayden fresh of his two innings of relief in the ones last week got the start in the twos to stretch his innings out.
He dually made this a wise decision by getting us in to swing before the coach had time to finish his water.
It was going to be a tough day in the batter’s box as Henley where doing the same and stretching some a grade arms for the future double headers
Although Jacob, Aled and Sonny did not get on they showed that this game was not going to be a walk over by all having lengthy at bats.
Hayden took the pill for the second inning giving up a leadoff single that took a Warney hop on sonny allowing the runner to get to second. Heads up by Jess at third fake throwing to first on a ground ball had the fortunate runner quickly erased at third
A strike out and pop up would end the inning with no damage.
Despite hits to Wurfel and coach Z we just could not get that next hit to get them across leaving two stranded after two.
Hayden finished his work in the third with ease leaving the game with an excellent 36 pitch 25 strike performance.
The middle innings feel into a pitcher’s duel with Flynn coming in to relief Hayden being excellent over the first 3 frames only giving up a lead of single but then shutting the door by pounding the zone striking out hitters or getting them to pop up at will.
Unfortunately the luck went Henley’s way in the top of the 7th with one out they managed to flair one into right field for only their third hit for the game. Unfortunately this inspired the number 9 hole guy who dually hit a double down the left field line to score to flair guy. Henley 1 nil up.
With time running out down by a run it was time to bring in someone who at least looked the part of a homerun hitter in Harro, who proceeded to act like a proper lead off and walk. The tying run was on. Not wanting the unit to be tired for his div 1 pitching debut in the black and gold the coaches turned to young Lovelock to take the big man’s position at first. Obelix got him to second with a great execution ground out allowing us to get back to the top of the line-up 1 out with a runner on second.
A pitching change was then made bringing in another A grade calibre arm to try and quall our uprising. Jacob would have none of that sending a base hit to left. We now had runners on third and first with Aled at the plate. After Jacob was allowed to walk into second Aled smashed one through the hole at short scoring both Archie and Jacob. We added an insurance run when Mags hit a dribbler to third which was thrown away allowing Aled to score. When the final out was made the time was up. Bays win 3 – 1
What a game from these guys they showed real fight to stay in the game against two pitchers that Henley will defiantly be using in a grade this year. Flynn looked in complete control and showed us all what he is capable off great work kid.
I hope this win shows the guys they can compete against anyone. Never get down trust in the process and you will come out on top
With not much on offer in the way of arms I gave the ball to Alex Marsh, who battled through the conditions to find himself in a tough spot in the first inning and a sore wing to match. With bases loaded and 1 out still in the 1st, G Kilpatrick took the pill for the home team and got us out of an early jam.
Some great AB’s by youngster Archie Lovelock and a hard hit double to L Thompson saw us score our first run. Greg Abroe lead off with a double in the late innings and we probably actually ended up with more hits on the day, but failed to get the big ones with runners on base. Kai Reid played his first game in the 3s for year, had a great AB, and then his day was ended prematurely coming off second best in an ugly outfield collision. Happy to say he came back all clean and hopefully will get back out on the field in the coming weeks. Killer was awesome on the bump for us in his first long outing in years on the hill.
It will be an interesting year, but the young guys are the key to the clubs future, improving their skills and knowledge of the game is paramount and even after 2 games we are certainly heading in the right direction.
With our longest road trip of the year coming in round we opted for a bus trip of sorts and with several delays at the pickup, we rolled into Illyarrive Ave with about 25 minutes to game time. A quick fire pre-game and we kicked off the year with not much fuss in the 1st innings. We put 4 runs in the second inning on the Dodgers starter with a couple of HPB and timely hits from Lachy Eldridge, Deebs, Marshy and Kloeds knocking in the runs.
Gamer Eldridge had a great start to the season on the bump and Stevens closed out the game over the final 2 frames. Both helped themselves out with the bats with 3 hits and 3 runs between them. I managed to rob Stevenson of an RBI as I couldn’t shake the trailer on a base hit to left, and was promptly gunned down at the dish after a couple of stop-go’s on the way from 2nd to home.
A decent win against a quality opposition away from home. Wins will be a premium this season, so it is nice to rack one up early on.
Finally week one came around with a road trip to face the Trolley Dodgers of Golden Grove, and despite the fact that not one trolley or anything golden was encountered on the journey, the Snakes Alives were ready to roll into the 2019/20 season.
Missing last season’s MVP in Hollywood Holmes due to a pre-season basketball mishap (the poor bugger snapped his ACL in his haste to depart the court for the post-game pancake spread) and Mister Freeze, coach Beef Borrito snapped up a fresh recruit in Van Wilder who had exactly one training under his belt and a tally of zero games to his name in the last six years.
The good guys had first use of the very old sticks, and it was the Fenomenon who worked a magnificent 10 pitch at bat that ended in a single up the guts. The Jouster was up next, and forgoing the green hornet for a bit of black fake timber, proceeded to knock a triple and help score the Tiges first run of the season. A Krajinator single doubled the fun and after the first half, we had ourselves a 2-0 lead.
Kymbo Slice took over on the hill and had the leadoff guy rolling one to Vdub for a 6-3. The dosage was repeated for another 6-3, before the boys continued their own game for a third 6-3 to close out the inning. For those of you scoring at home, that’s a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 inning, equalling the scoreline of the final of the Australian Tennis Open in 1977 when hard serving American Roscoe Tanner defeated the long haired Argentinian Guillermo Vilas.
Inning two was a good one for the Tiges, with old guy Borrito knocking a one out double to get the party started. New guy Van Wilder, always keen to join a party did just that with a single in his first plate appearance in six years before V-Dub, Fendog and the Jouster going single-double-double to keep the yet to be used scoreboard virtually ticking over. Kymbo Slice wanted more insurance so he provide himself with some via a double before Ghost Faced Killa banged a single as the good guys went 8-0 to the good after one and a half.
The home team got on the scoreboard in the second courtesy of a few knocks and Boriito going full Domingo Ayala and launching an attempted out at home into the backstop about half way up, sending spectators flying as they feared the Brett pill might make is way over the fence and into their faces.
The rest of the game was mostly uneventful with the only concern a leg injury to The Snorkel King, forcing A-A-RON into relief for a couple of K’s mixed in with a couple of walks before the Slice snaffled one at third to end the game and send the boys scrambling for their hoodies, a dog and a beverage. A solid start to what shapes up to be a very tough campaign.
