Saturday’s twilight Mount Gambier and District Baseball League Division 1 game between South Indians against ladder leaders Central went as expected.


In the top of the first Central got under way quickly.


Nathan Meinck drove a safe-hit to right field to start proceedings then with two out Koby Chant was hit by the pitcher followed by a line drive to third base which loaded the bags.


Dave Harris stepped up to the plate, slammed the pitch to deep leftfield scoring all three base runners.


In their next at bat they kept pounding the ball and creating errors.


Josh Chuck drew a walk, again they were suddenly two out.


Nathan Meinck singled to centrefield scoring Chuck, Alex Ridding’s hit to shortstop caused an error as did Koby Chant’s hit to third base, and bases were loaded once more.


Dylan Gull’s hit to shortstop created a wild throw which saw Meinck and Ridding both cross the home plate.


Suddenly the score was seven runs to nil and still not done.


Central was at it again in the third.


Brad Walkom picked a base on ball as did Kyall McLean.


Nathan Meinck slugged the ball to leftfield for a two bagger which scored Walkom.


Alex Ridding followed with a single also to leftfield which scored McClean, Koby Chant then doubled to leftfield pushing Meinck home, Dylan Gull’s safety to right field drove Ridding across the plate and finishing off the five run splurge Chant scored on Dave Harris’s sacrifice fly with the score now at 12 to nil.


Up to the even fifth South had only had two runners on base, both from walks in the third.


So in the fifth Ben Nash picked a walk, the next two batters were struck out and finally the Indians had a score on the board when Nash crossed on Ryan Placucci’s safety to rightfield.


It was not South’s night as the Magpies added two more to their score.


In the sixth Josh Chuck drove the ball to leftfield and scored when Bree Ridding slapped the pitch out to rightfield.


In the seventh with two out Dylan Gull’s high flyball to shortstop was not completed and he added Central’s 14th run when he was batted in by Colby Muller’s drive to leftfield.


Central had three base on ball, two hit batters, 12 safe-hits for 11 runs batted in, picked up no strikeouts and made one error.


South had three base on ball, four safe-hits for one run batted in, picked up four strikeouts and made eight errors.


TIGERS TROUNCE FEDERAL


On Friday night under lights at Blue Lake Sports Park Tigers were on the board in their first at bat.


Jarvi Mee singled to rightfield and came home on Karl Ransom’s single to leftfield who was then batted in by Matt Thompson after his safe-hit to centrefield.


They added a further run in the top of the third when Matt Thompson picked up his second consecutive hit this time to leftfield and crossed the home plate on a passed ball with Harrison Elletson in the batters’ box.


Federal got the bats going in the even third, with Jordan Johnson on base from a fielder’s choice hit to the infield and scored on Alex Reppin’s safety to leftfield.


Craig Nicholls’ Texas Leaguer to leftfield saw him safely aboard, then Reppin crossed the plate on a pitcher’s baulk.


Nicholls added the third run for the dig when he raced home on Roy Hutchesson’s sacrifice fly to leftfield to tie the game three all.


The lead was short lived as Tigers added another in the top of the fourth when Jake England drew a base on ball and scored on Karl Ransom’s hit down the first base line straight to the fielder for an easy out.


The orange and black went further ahead in the sixth adding three runs to their scoreline.


Karl Ransom singled to leftfield and he advanced on Matt Thompson’s single to centrefield, Jake Powell’s safe-hit to rightfield created an error which gave Ransom the opportunity to score.


Kane Harrison’s safe-hit to leftfield batted in Thompson and Harrison Elletson’s sacrifice bunt scored Powell giving Tigers the advantage seven runs to three.


The Demons pulled one back in the seventh when Jordan Johnson’s hit to shortstop created a wild throw and he was eventually batted in by Craig Nicholls.


The top of the eighth was a disaster for the Federal pitchers.


Walks to Matt Thompson and Jake Powell, then a hit batter to Kane Harrison loading the bases saw a change of pitchers but things remained the same as another base on ball, another hit batter and a further base on ball saw those three batters cross the plate.


Harrison Elletson was batted in by Jai Hillstone and Jake Powell scored on Karl Ransom’s sacrifice fly before the inning was closed out.


Federal fired back with the bat in the even dig.


Clay Carpenter fired a clip to leftfield, Nash Lobley hit an error creating shot to second base and Jordan Johnson also clipped a hit to leftfield.


Carpenter scored on a pitch that got away from the catcher, Nash Lobley was batted in when Alex Reppin hit deep to leftfield and some aggressive base running from Johnson saw him also home.


Both teams scored a further run in the ninth and final dig.


For Tigers, Kane Harrison drew a base on ball and scored when Jake England hit into an infield error.


For Federal, Matthew Nicholls hit safely to leftfield and was batted in by Nash Lobley which left Tigers triumphant 13 runs to eight.


Tigers had 12 base on ball, two hit pitched ball, 13 safe-hits for eight runs batted in, had nine strikeouts and made five errors.


Federal had two base on ball, 13 safe-hits for five runs batted in, had 11 strikeouts and made three errors.