Saturday’s hot weather caused problems with the Mount Gambier and District Baseball League’s scheduling, with all junior baseball games cancelled.
However, senior games went ahead as scheduled with game times reduced. Division 1 were matches were scheduled for double headers, and these went ahead with game times reduced to a maximum of two hours.
CENTRAL MAGPIES BLISTER MILLICENT BANDITS IN GAME 1
Millicent went on the attack in the first inning of their game at Blue Lake Sports Park against Central Magpies.
Jordan Johnson found himself at first base after his hit to third base resulted in an error and he was batted in by Anthony Mutton.
The Magpies were quick to reply adding two runs of their own.
Consecutive singles to Josh Aston and Brad Lynagh saw them hit the bases and were both batted in by Jake Turner’s two bagger to left field.
They added four more in the bottom of the second. With two out Chris Roberts was hit by a pitched ball, Josh Aston and Brad Lynagh both hit consecutive safe hits to left field with Roberts crossing the plate on Lynagh’s hit and Mitchell Cutting’s hit to right field scored both Lynagh and Turner.
The Bandits doubled their score in the third when Jordan Johnson again found himself safe at first on an infield error and crossed the home plate on a dropped flyball.
In the even third dig, Justin Tzioutziouklaris was thrown a walk and with two out Chris Roberts was also walked and a pitch that got away from the catcher saw Tzioutziouklaris score.
Millicent did not help themselves in the bottom of the fourth when a series of base on balls and hit batters took them out of the game.
Lead off batter Jake Turner was hit by the pitcher, back-to-back walks to Mitchell Cutting and Blade Sturges added to their woes but two strikeouts in a row brought them back into the game.
That however was short lived as Daniel Ferguson was dropped at centre field scoring both Turner and Cutting, Chris Roberts was again hit by a pitched ball, Josh Aston’s fourth safe hit for the game saw both Sturges and Ferguson touch home, Brad Lynagh’s third safety of the game saw all the bases occupied with the mercy rule being invoked when Jake Turner picked a walk forcing Roberts home.
Central Magpies had nine safe hits, five base on ball, three hit batters, nine runs batted in, four strikeouts and made three errors. Millicent had two safe hits, one base on ball, one run batted in, two strikeouts and made three errors.
NOT QUITE FOR MILLICENT IN GAME 2
Central Magpies picked up where they left off in the bottom of the first in game two of their double header against the Millicent Bandits.
Josh Aston was dropped in the outfield, walks to Brad Lynagh and Jake Turner, Mitch Cutting’s damaging two bagger to left field scored Aston and Lynagh, Blade Sturges batted in Turner and Cutting scored on a wild throw across the diamond.
The Bandits were immediately back in the game, tying things up in their next at bat.
Darcy Pink was put down at left field, Saxon Altschwager took a hit from the pitcher, James Fleming clouted a safety to centre field which scored Pink, Phil Altschwager loaded the bases when he picked a base on ball, Darcy Hogan drove a hit to deep left field allowing both Saxon Alschwager and Fleming to score and finally Nick Cory batted in Phil Altschwager, levelling the score at four apiece.
Magpies moved ahead by one in the even dig.
Josh Aston was dropped again in his second at bat and batted in when Brad Lynagh clobbered a double to left field.
Millicent tied the game up again in the next dig when Jordan Johnson was hit by the pitcher and batted in by Anthony Mutton’s safety to right field.
Central scored the winning run in the fifth after Jake Turner was hit by a pitched ball and was batted in by Mitchell Cutting who punched a huge standup triple to centre field.
Central Magpies had five safe hits, two base on ball, one hit batter, five runs batted in, one strikeout and made one error, Millicent had five safe hits, two base on ball, two hit batters, five runs batted in, seven strikeouts and made two errors.
CENTRAL RED HOT IN THE SUMMER SUN AGAINST TIGERS
In game 1 of the double header against the Tigers at Blue Lake Sports Park, Central left no doubt who is top dog.
Keeping Tigers scoreless, the black and white put on a batting clinic.
Batting first, Central batters Kyall McClean, Nathan Meinck and Dylan Chuck all hit safely, with Meinck batting in McClean, Meinck crossed home plate on an error, Dylan Gull’s sacrifice fly to left field scored Chuck, Koby Chant picked a base on ball and Dave Harris hit safely to the infield.
Josh Chuck the lined a shot out to left field which saw Chant cross the plate, Cooper Smith punched a hit to centre field which batted in Harris and McClean’s safe hit to right field saw both Chuck and Smith score.
All in all, 12 batters for seven runs in the first.
In the second Central did even better, punching the ball to all parts of the diamond.
A double to Dylan Gull, a triple to Koby Chant scoring Gull, a walk to Dave Harris before a single to left field from Colby Muller which scored Chant and Harris.
Josh Chuck got on at first on an error, Cooper Smith on board on a fielder’s choice loading the bases, Kyall McClean hit by the pitcher forcing Muller home, a walk to Nathan Meinck pushed Chuck across the plate, Dylan Chuck’s sacrifice fly to centrefield scored Smith and finally Dylan Gull’s second two bagger saw McClean and Meinck home.
Thirteen batters went out for eight runs.
There were three runs in the third when both Josh Chuck and Cooper Smith picked up singles and were batted in by Kyall McClean when he crunched a double to left field and he was batted in by Koby Chant.
A solitary run in the fifth saw Central run out winners 19-0. Dylan Gull hit a double for the third time in the game and was batted in on Koby Chant’s double to right field.
Central had 18 safe hits, six base on ball, one hit batter, 18 runs batted in, one strikeout and made one error. Tigers had two safe hits, three base on ball, two strikeouts and made four errors.
CENTRAL’S HITTING SPREE CONTINUES IN GAME 2
Game two saw Central continue where game 1 left off as the first four batters all registered safe hits.
Central’s Kyall McClean, Nathan Meinck, Dylan Chuck and Dylan Gull starred, with McClean home on a wild pitch and Gull’s single to centre field scoring Meinck and Chuck.
In the bottom of the first Tigers’ Riley Parsons hit safely to the outfield as did Matt Thompson. They were both batted in by Dyllan Lane who struck a double to deep right field.
The orange and black hit the front in the bottom of the second when Pat Kermond’s hit to second forced an error, Riley Parsons was hit by a pitched ball and they both crossed home plate on a wild throw after a fielder’s choice.
The lead was short lived as Central scored two in the next inning.
Kyall McClean drew a walk, was batted in by Nathan Meinck who was batted in by Dylan Gull.
There were two more in the fourth. A centre field hit to Dave Harris, fielder’s choice to Colby Muller and a hit pitched ball to Josh Chuck loaded the bases, before a base on ball to Bree Ridding forced Harris across the plate and a safe hit to Nathan Meinck batting in Chuck.
There were another two in the fifth with consecutive doubles to both Koby Chant and Dave Harris with Harris’ hit scoring Chant and Josh Chuck batted in Harris.
The black and white put the game to bed in the sixth scoring six runs with the game time limit reached.
Dylan Chuck picked a base on ball, Dylan Gull hit a standup double to left field, Koby Chant’s single to left field batted in Chuck, Dave Harris’ double to centre field scored Gull, Colby Muller was thrown a walk loading the bases, Josh Chuck was also thrown a walk forcing Chant home, Bree Ridding’s hit into a fielder’s choice scored Muller and a pitcher’s balk allowed Chuck to cross the home plate for the sixth run of the inning.
Central had 15 safe hits, six base on ball, two hit batters, 12 runs batted in, two strikeouts and made three errors. Tigers had five safe hits, two base on ball, one hit batter, two runs batted in, eight strikeouts and made one error.
