The red-hot Centrals took on South in a Friday night blockbuster under lights at Blue Lake Sports Park.
With South starting to challenge the top sides this shaped as a danger game for Centrals, so coach Dylan Gull took the mound to get his side going.
It would be a battle of the coaches on the hill with Ryan Placcuci doing the honours for South.
South started with a bang in the first innings, with hits and a number of walks helping the Indians to a seven run first innings and looking to have a shell-shocked Centrals on the ropes and in trouble after just one innings.
Centrals responded like all good teams do, but still trailed by four at the break.
Centrals found plenty of bat on ball and continued to push at South by adding another run in the second innings and three more in the fifth, while South could not trouble the scoreboard and all of a sudden, the Centrals army was getting louder and hit the front thanks to Mitchell Cutting’s magic with the bat.
Centrals scored two more over the next couple of innings and South could only manage one more before time eluded and the game was called.
South came agonisingly close but Centrals were just too good in the end.
Centrals finished the game with 16 safe hits to just six and moved another two points clear on top of the ladder.
A sunny Saturday afternoon saw Federals aiming for a breakthrough maiden victory against a hot and cold Tigers.
Tigers, coming off a big loss the week before to Centrals, needed to fire and get a win to stay close to Centrals at the top of the table.
The Tigers made a big statement with coach Karl Ransom benching himself after a poor outing last week and Patrick Kermond and Harrison Elletson getting the call up.
Tigers started well with plenty of bat on ball contact but just no runs to show for the first innings.
Federals were up for a hard task facing former player Alex Reppin who was on song on the hill picking up 11 strike outs and keeping a clean sheet on the scoreboard.
The game was all Tigers after the first innings, with big numbers of hits and big numbers crossing the plate.
Tigers brought home 15 runs and took the win, which was made all the sweeter for Joe Sims in his 250th game for the Tigers.
Tigers picked up 15 hits to just three for the night.
Federals star Alex Person was best for Federals with two hits while it was Alex Reppin for Tigers with four hits, and Jake Powell with five runs batted in that helped Tigers cruise back to second spot in the standings.
