The Wanderers and Concordes United clash was a one-sided affair to open the third Mount Gambier Softball League round at Blue Lake Sports Park on Saturday.
Wanderers showed all of its might with the bat as the safe hits flowed freely with multiple hits to Jo and Em Hart, while Cathy Whiting, Sarah Moretti, Teresa Hatch and Belinda Bonney struck singles.
The highlight was a triple to youngster Lily Clifford-Finch, while Concordes United battled hard with Sarah Thomson getting two safe hits. But Wanderers were too good and won convincingly by 19 runs.
Concordes White took on Demons and the pair played out a one-run thriller. The Concordes side hoped to take advantage of the absence of Montana and Mackenzie Millard, but Demons came out of the blocks firing and scored four runs to open the game thanks to Sharna Beck and Kelly Morale.
Morale was also tasked with pitching duties and was excellent early on, while Billie Jones pitched her heart out for Concordes. Emily Sutherland took a great catch at left field to deny Hayley Burner a hit, but Demons scored four runs in the next innings to gain a big early lead.
With the score at 8-1 Concordes appeared done and dusted, but provided a grandstand finish by scoring eight runs in the last innings thanks to hard hitting across the board and two massive hits from Billie Jones which resulted in four RBI’s off her own bat.
After snatching the lead, Concordes just had to hold Demons to win the game and thanks to a pick off at second executed by catcher Sam Brown, an induced pop up fly off the bat of Manning and a strike-out by Jones, they sealed a great come from behind win.
Warriors Blue drew first blood in the interclub rivalry after a 19-4 win over Warriors White. White jumped out of the blocks showing ominous batting form with a lead off triple to Justine Koop, who was scored by Sarah Polderman’s double.
The runs kept flowing as Taylor Wilsmore and Bri Dunn crossed home plate courtesy of a Clare Chaplin single up the middle.
Warriors Blue responded to snatch the lead with five runs highlighted by a home run hit to rightfield by Nicole Vause, who was thrilled to also celebrate her eldest son’s 13th birthday.
Polderman took the weight of pitching responsibilities for White and finished the inning striking out three batters. But Blues then held strong in the field and did not concede a single error to only give up three more safe hits over the remaining four innings.
White’s newcomers Bec Cornish and Lyndall Feast put good bat on ball, but Alison Schultz and Bec White were quick to stop runners in their tracks at second and first base respectively for Blue.
Vause was outstanding with three safe hits, while Schultz, Kirsty Young, Angela Queale, White and Leyna Bruggemann also chipped in with a hit each. Polderman persisted for Whites striking out six Blues batters before claiming her side’s 2019-20 best and fairest award in a COVID-19 delayed Warriors presentations.
Erin Chaplin was runner-up best and fairest, while Koop claimed the batting award. Vause was awarded the Blues’ best and fairest award followed by Simone MacDonald, while Kelly Doyle received a well-deserved best team person award.
