Picture: THOMAS MILES
CENTRAL v SOUTH INDIANS
CENTRAL consolidated the top spot of the Mount Gambier and District Baseball League Division 1 ladder with an easy win over South Indians on Saturday.
The Indians were first to hit the board, scoring the opening run of the game when Jesse Balshaw was hit by a pitched ball and rounded home on Bruce Morale’s single to centre-field.
However, Central soon replied and eventually ran away to an eight-run win.
In the even first inning, Kyall McClean doubled to left-field and was batted in by Dylan Chuck’s hit into an error at second base.
Chuck scored on an error, hit by Dylan Gull, by the same fielder to give Central the lead.
The bottom of the third saw Brock Keding hit safely to left-field and he was batted in by Gull’s two-base shot to left-field.
Gull crossed the plate when Mark Kilpatrick’s hit forced another error at second base.
South doubled its score in the top of the fifth when Damien O’Dine hit into an error at short-stop and was batted in by Balshaw.
But it provided little resistance to the Central dominance, as the Magpies added a further run.
Chuck doubled into left-field and was batted in when Gull’s hit – also to left-field – fell safely.
In the bottom of the sixth, lead-off batter Alex Ridding banged a two-bagger to left-field and eventually crossed home on a wild pitch, which gave Central a four-run lead.
From there the Magpies powered away in the bottom of the eighth with four more runs.
Kilpatrick’s hit to third base resulted in an error at first and he crossed home on Ridding’s second two-base hit.
Ridding then scored on Ethan Chuck’s single to left-field, while McClean picked a base on ball, Ethan Chuck crossed the home plate on Nathan Meinck’s safe hit to right-field and McClean was batted in by Gull’s third safe hit of the game to round out the scoring.
It was no surprise Central came out on top with a total of 12 safe hits, along with one base on ball, seven runs batted in, two strike outs, nine runners left on base and just two errors.
On the other hand the Indians had only three safe hits, no base on ball, four hit batters, two RBI, four K’s, six runners on base and five errors.
TIGERS v FEDERAL
IN a six-day period Tigers turned around from a 10-run mercy loss, to record a 10-run mercy win.
Up against Federal in round 13 of the Mount Gambier and District Baseball League Division 1 competition, Tigers wasted no time putting runs on the board.
In the top of the first, Federal’s starting pitcher Kane McMillan threw consecutive walks to Jesse Foster, Brayden Morton and Tyler Horrigan to load the bases.
The first two were batted in by Ben Marcus, while Horrigan and Marcus then crossed home thanks to Kane Harrison, who made his return to the senior line-up.
Federal fought back in the even dig with both Alex Reppin and Wade Chant hitting safely.
Reppin scored on Tom Rundle’s sacrifice fly to left-field and Chant crossed home on Gavin Smith’s single to centre-field.
No runs were scored in the second and third digs, but Tigers added to its total in the top of the fourth.
With two out Morton walked, before Horrigan hit into an error at shortstop which scored Morton and Marcus’ flyball was dropped by the catcher.
Both he and Horrigan added to the score on Garth Ransom’s double to left-field.
Tigers extended the lead further in the top of the fifth.
Ash Dumigan picked a base-on-ball, Riley Rolph singled to right-field and Jesse Foster arrived at first base on a fielder’s choice.
Dumigan scored on a wild throw from the pitcher off a hit by Horrigan, while Marcus’ hit into an error saw Rolph score.
Foster touched home-plate on Garth Ransom’s hit to an infield out and finally Horrigan scored on Karl Ransom’s hit into an error by the Federal third baseman.
That gave Tigers an 11 run to two lead.
Federal managed to pull one back in the bottom of the sixth when Reppin doubled to right-field and scored on a wild throw from the catcher.
However, the mercy rule was applied in the eighth inning after Tigers’ Brandon Telford and Rolph both crossed the home plate.
On its way to victory Tigers had six safe hits, 12 walks, nine runs batted in and six strike outs, while leaving 11 runners on base and making a single error.
Federal also had six safe-hits, two RBI, 11 K’s and left three runners on base, but with no walks and seven errors the Demons could not recover.
