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CENTRAL Baseball Club needed just two games to claim the Mount Gambier baseball premiership on the weekend.
The best-of-three series pitted Central against South Indians but the former wrapped the title up in the early Saturday afternoon game, as Central claimed the Sid Hosking premiership cup.
Central lined up undefeated for the season and was first on the board in game one on Friday night in front of a vocal.
In the bottom of the second dig Dylan Gull’s hit to left-field was put down, Brock Keding took four balls and Koby Chant dropped a timely bunt to load the bases.
Ethan Chuck’s sacrifice fly pushed Gull over the plate, Jordan Aston’s Texas-leaguer to left-field scored Keding and Chant was driven in by Alex Ridding’s two-bagger to right-field giving the Magpies a three-run jump.
The Indians returned fire in the top of the sixth when consecutive hits to Bruce Morale and Dean Hamilton put the first two batters on base.
With one out Alex Lewis produced a hit to load the diamond.
Travis Lockwood batted in Morale and Jesse Balshaw batted in Lockwood, still leaving all the bases occupied.
However, consecutive strikeouts to Central pitcher Dylan Chuck left those runners stranded.
The final run scored for the game came from Central.
Chant got on base from an uncharacteristic error from the South third baseman and he crossed the plate on a wild throw to give Central a four run to two win.
The Indians face a do-or-die scenario in game two, with the third game scheduled if required.
However, Central piled on the pressure early and never relented.
After winning by default last season due to the coronavirus, Central’s last premiership was in season 2014/15.
Chant kicked the scoring off after he doubled to centre-field and was batted in on Jordan Aston’s sacrifice fly.
South then took the lead in the top of the third when Bruce Morale arrived at first base on a fielder’s choice and Damien O’Dine singled to right-field.
Dean Hamilton’s safe-hit to right-field pushed Morale across the plate and O’Dine was batted in by Alex Lewis.
However, the lead was short-lived as the Magpies broke the game open in the top of the fourth to all-but put the premiership to bed.
Brock Keding hit safely to centre-field and Chant followed with a safe-hit to left-field.
Ethan Chuck then dropped the perfect bunt to load the bases and prompt coach Bruce Morale to replace pitcher Ryan Placucci on the mound with himself.
It did not stem the flow of hits and the runs came easily from the aggressive batting and base running.
Alex Ridding’s hit to centre-field scored Keding, Kyall Mclean’s hit to the same spot and the ensuing error allowed Chuck and Ridding to score.
Dylan Chuck doubled which pushed McClean home and Dylan Gull’s follow-up double scored Chuck for six runs in the inning to lead 7-2.
From there the game fizzled out to some extent, with tighter pitching and South going to the bullpen once more to put Hamilton back on the mound after his start the night before.
For Central the 19-year-old Ethan Chuck lasted the distance.
South only had five more runners on base for the remainder of the game while Central had only one.
Central shortstop Alex Ridding was awarded the Burner Family Most Valuable Player of the Grand Final Series presented by Toby Burner.
