Central defeated South Indians in the Mount Gambier and District Baseball League’s Division 1 game at Blue Lake Sports Park in the first of the two games played.
After South were unable to put any runs on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning Central went straight on the attack adding four in the bottom of the inning.
Lead off batter Jobe Harten was aboard on a wild throw from short stop followed by consecutive safe hits to Dave Harris, Dylan Chuck and Alex Ridding with Chuck batting in Harten
Ridding’s two bagger allowed Harris to score, Dylan Gull’s sacrifice fly to right field batted in Chuck and Patrick O’Hehir’s sac fly saw Ridding home.
Alex Ridding picked off another two bagger in the even third and was batted with another sac fly from Colby Muller.
The black and white was in front five runs to nil.
In the bottom of the fifth they doubled their score
Dylan Chuck got on board after picking a base on ball, a single from Alex Ridding, a double from Dylan Gull which scored both Chuck and Ridding, a triple from Colby Muller which scored Gull, a double from Sam Ruwoldt which scored Muller and finally Cooper Smith’s hit into a fielder’s choice scored Ruwoldt.
The lead blew out to 10 runs and was in mercy rule territory.
The Indians were finally on the board in the top of the sixth
Brad Walkom hit safely to left field, Zac Ratcliffe dropped at right field, Brent Masterman singled to right field scoring Walkom with both Ratcliffe and Masterman crossing home on fielder’s choices to temporarily halt the mercy rule being invoked.
It was only temporarily though as South failed to add to their score in the seventh whilst Central added the requisite three runs.
Colby Muller doubled to right field and was batted in by Patrick O’Hehir, then a pitching lapse with the next three batters receiving base on balls Sam Ruwoldt, Cooper Smith and Kyle McClean with McClean’s free base pushing home O’Hehir, and Ruwoldt crossing home plate on Dave Harris’ hit to right field with game being called with the mercy rule in play.
Central had 12 safe hits, five base on ball, 13 runs batted in, three strikeouts and made two errors
South Indians had four safe hits, two base on ball, three runs batted in, eight strikeouts and made three errors.