SOUTH INDIANS 6 d FEDERAL 4
SOUTH Indians bounced back from last week’s defeat to claim a nail-biting 6-4 victory over Federal in Round 6 of Mount Gambier and District Baseball Association’s competition on Saturday.
The Indians scored a single run in the bottom of the first innings to open the ledger for the day when lead-off batter Ben Nash worked his way around to third and scored on a passed ball from catcher Josh Wilsmore.
Federal evened the score in the top of the third when Alex Reppin singled to third base, beating out the throw across the diamond and crossing the plate on Matt Denys’ hit to the infield.
The Indians added to their score in the even inning, when with two out Dean Hamilton drove the ball into deep right-field for a three-bagger, followed by Bruce Morale’s two-run homer high over the left-field fence.
Federal added one more to its box score in the fifth after Reppin got on board from a fielder’s choice play and scored on a wild pitch from Nash.
The game was tied up in the top of the seventh when consecutive ball on balls were pitched to Demons Clay Carpenter and Reppin.
Carpenter scored on DeNys’ single to left-field and Reppin scored home on Alex Pearson’s infield out.
However, the tussle was not over and South returned fire in the even dig when it rallied with two scoring runs.
Bruce Morale doubled into left-field, followed by a single – also to left-field – from Travis Lockwood, which scored Morale.
Lockwood then scored on Jason Henke’s safe hit to right-field.
Federal failed to add to its score over the final two innings and left South to a two-run victory.
South hit safely nine times, picked one walk and had 13 strikeouts, making only two errors, while Federal picked up eight safe hits, one walk and one hit batter, along with no strikeouts and five errors.
TIGERS 6 d/w CENTRAL 6
THE battle between ladder-leader Tigers and bottom-placed Central did not go as expected in the late Division 1 baseball game on Saturday, when the 11-inning match concluded in a six-all draw.
Brayden Morton scored first for Tigers in the bottom of the first dig after he picked a walk and scored on Tyler Horrigan’s fielder’s choice hit into shortstop.
Tigers scored again in the bottom of the second when Ben Marcus hit a two-bagger into centre-field and crossed the plate on Mitch Crosbie’s single.
But Central responded to tie up the score in the top of the third, when Brad Lynagh walked and scored with bases loaded.
Kyall McClean had picked up a single into right-field and crossed the plate on a steal home to tie the game at two-all.
In the top of the fifth with two out, McClean hit a two-bagger to right-field and Nathan Meinck followed with a single, which scored McClean.
Meinck scored on an error at second base to give Central a two-run lead.
However, Tigers returned to the front in the bottom of the inning, when it scored three more runs.
Matt Thompson singled and Ben Marcus drew a base on ball.
They both scored on Riley Rolph’s double to left-field, while Rolph crossed the plate on a wild throw.
The arm wrestle continued and in the top of the sixth, Central’s Lauchie Tilley and Darren Smith singled.
They both scored on McClean’s third hit for the night into left-field, to give the Magpies a one-run lead.
Tigers drew level in the top of the eighth when Alex Harkness found himself at first after an error by Central shortstop Tilley.
He stole second and went to third on a wild throw, before he crossed the plate on Horrigan’s short hit into an out at first base.
Three more tight innings were played in the time allowed, in a stalemate between pitcher and batter.
No more runs were scored in that time and the game concluded with a six-all draw.
Central had 11 safe hits, picked up seven base on balls and eight strikeouts.
For Tigers, it managed seven hits, eight walks and 12 strikeouts.
The Magpies made seven errors, while Tigers only made three.
