The third round of the 2021-22 Mount Gambier and District Baseball League season was full of action with a pair of doubleheaders at Blue Lake Sports Park last weekend.
Under the Friday night lights Tigers took on Millicent/Federals.
Game 1 saw a pitching affair and Millicent’s Jack Hateley and Tigers Karl Ransom where both on song throwing a complete seven innings each.
When the umpire called time and the game was separated by 1 the barest of margins with Tigers taking a two runs to one victory.
Tigers welcomed back Jesse Forster to the diamond from injury and he started with a bang picking up two hits while Jake England continued his rich vein of form since being selected in the Division 1 side with another important hit to score the run that mattered.
For Millicent/Federals it was Roy Hutchinson who again found himself with two big shots to left field.
Millicent certainly can feel hard done by, Brayden Morton took a screamer at centre field early in the piece to stop Millicent from emptying the bases and help Tigers take the two points.
In the following game of the night, Tigers was a class above the Bandits from the get go.
The boys in orange and black put four runs across the plate in the first, followed by a 10-run second to snatch a commanding lead and shut the door on Millicent leaving town with any points.
Whilst the Millicent/Federals boys did rally to bring home four runs in the fourth innings, it was all too late and the margin was just simply too great.
Tigers took two wins from two games to make coach Ransom happy, whilst Millicent/Federals certainly had their chances and will be disappointed to leave emptied handed.
Game two saw big performances from Foster, Morton, Tyler Horrigan, Matt Thompson and Karl Ransom combining for a whooping 14 hits in game two.
For the Millicent/Federals boys Jordan Johnson and Tom Winkley were the guys that showed fight with the bat.
In the match of the round a red hot centrals took on the South Indians in a classic double header on Saturday evening at Blue Lake Sports Park.
Dylan Chuck took the ball for Centrals whilst Ryan Placcuci was called upon for the Indians.
South showed plenty of fight in the opener and scored early but the class of Centrals was too much.
Nathan Meinck led the way with three hits showing why he is a star of the competition and was supported again well with the Centrals boys having 11 safe hits to South just two.
Chuck was simply just too classy on the mound and showed why he was the reigning league medallist.
Travis Lockwood led from the front as he held the Indians to only two hits over seven innings.
Centrals ran away with a six runs to three victory which was the perfect start for Dylan Chuck’s Centrals boys.
A lop sided batting card was all the difference with Centrals again outclassing the Indians the final contest 12 hits to four in front of a cold but vocal crowd.
Ethan Chuck was in control early on the hill whilst South went for stalwart Dean Hamilton as their game two starter.
Koby Chant led the way with three hits and is putting together a nice start to the season which would almost see him firming as an early leader to the league best and fairest standings.
Dylan Gull and the human road block Kylle McLean again performed with two hits apiece.
For South it was a case of the bats going cold on the night which helped Centrals take the two wins from as many games to remain undefeated.
For the Indians, coach Bruce Morale will have the young guys on the training track as they will look to regain some of that hitting power they showed early in the year.
