The Mount Gambier Softball League resumed its competition following the festive break, with Demons securing a comprehensive 12-4 victory over Bandits.
Sarah Nieuwenhuizen started Demons bat off strong with a disciplined bat getting her on first with a walk and stealing bases every pitch to steal her way to home.
Bandits made it hard for Demons to get on base with three outs at first base, keeping Nieuwenhuizen the only score for the first innings.
Demons’ Em Hart made her debut as pitcher.
An out at first, second and a K2 from Hart at the plate after four batters meant Demons held the lead by one run with Bandits unable to score.
Bandits’ Chantel MacDonald worked hard at the mound and Demons struggled to get into their solid batting groove.
Steph Chant put a strong bat to left field to start Demons off, however her team could not bring her home leaving her at 3rd base after three outs from Bandits from ground infield plays.
Demons were unstoppable in the second, getting three outs from three batters.
A play at first from Meg Merrett saw the first batter out, followed by Hart scoring two K2s at the plate with batter two and three.
Bandits were eager to hold Demons at bay, allowing only Nieuwenhuizen, for the second time, to be Demons only score home.
Bandits’ pitching and fielding allowed them to keep strong with Demons batters Jones, Manning and Feast to be the three outs for side.
After a disciplined field from Bandits, it was time to take advantage of Demons’ low score with the bat.
MacDonald put a safe hit to left and Fox a safe to centre.
Williams, Redman and Lock capitalised on fielding errors from Demons and Bandits left the innings with four runs on the board.
Demons were itching to show off their fierce batting and being down on the scoreboard lit the fire for them to do just that.
Merrett and Chant both delivered triples, while Manning, Jones and Little scored doubles.
Safe hits were also scored by Morale, Feast and Nieuwenhuizen and Demons came back in true Demons batting style to score 10 in the 4th.
Manning pitched the last innings for Demons and on their team high they kept Bandits at no score leaving the final score at 12-4 Demons’ way.
Wanderers 9 d Concordes United 2
Wanderers took on Concordes United in tough conditions in the first game since the Christmas break.
With a wet slippery ball it was tough for both pitchers early before they started to find their respective grooves.
Rej Smith had Wanderers off to the perfect start with a double to left field, however she managed to extend that with some errant throws allowing her to score safely off the very first at bat of the game.
With Wanderers finding multiple ways to reach first base, they were able to score one more in the first taking an early 2-0 lead.
United certainly did not have the run of luck they needed early.
With four strong hits all to left field, impressing all onlookers at the game, although it was the defensive efforts of Lily Clifford-Finch that stole the show.
She managed all three outs in the first and then the first out in the second inning as well shutting out any chance Concordes had of scoring early.
Hits to Smith, Clifford-Finch and Lovekin gave Wanderers a strong second innings, leaving them with a 6-0 lead going in to the third.
Julie Beck for Concordes found herself unlucky in the third dig in what was soon becoming the story of the day, with a ripping line drive only to hit the glove of Emily Little at third base before she even knew it was there.
After a quiet inning, both teams struggled to score in the third with the score now at 7-0 in favour of Wanderers.
In the last innings, Wanderers scored twice more through Smith’s third and Lovekin’s second hit for the day extending their lead to nine.
With Concordes batting last, their bats started to find some gaps with Jackway and Kennett picking up a late hit each to put two runs on the board, unfortunately that’s where it finished for Concordes.
Allana Feast battled strongly all day for Concordes and pitched well, it was Leanne Little for Wanderers who had a high strike time ball ratio helping keep things tight before Smith finished it off in the last, Wanderers finishing up 9-2 winners over Concordes.
Warriors 13 d Concordes White 2
Concordes White were raring to go after a sharp looking warm up, scoring one in the top of the first with some speedy running from Alli Kreplins who scored from third on a double play.
Keeley Lunsmann showed great poise, facing a number of pitches before singling to left.
Warriors immediately came back with Justine Koop spanking a Kreplins pitch over Tara Lee Doll’s head, legging out an in the park home run.
Jarvo Queale picked a walk, later questioning if there was a league trophy for the most walks in a season, and Warriors gun Sarah Polderman zinged a double but both were left on base as Keeley Lunsmann calmly took the next two catches to retire Warriors.
Warriors knuckled down in the field despite Concordes’ TL Doll smartly dispatching a Leyna Bruggemann pie for a double to left with Daena Wombwell attempting to perform a forward roll while fielding the hit, a score of 7.2 awarded for the manoeuvre.
Mel Smailing scorched a single up the middle with Polderman throwing a strike from centre field to Koop at the plate, having Doll for the third out.
It was in the bottom of the second where Warriors did the damage, Haley Lindner led off with an infield single followed by consistent bat on ball with Warriors moving their base runners around.
Saintly Jasmine Disselbach swung the bat hard and with genuine conviction, forcing a Concordes error before Caroline Bradshaw singled to Amber Smith at right for an RBI.
Polderman was on fire and hit a gargantuan in-the-parker for three RBIs, backing up with another homer next dig.
The Smiling Assassin Melissa Chuck chimed in with a single and was scored when Bruggemann half volleyed one into the fence, her old legs were no match for the speed of Koop or Polderman to run out a home run.
Wombwell doubled which was followed by another double to Koop and that clicked over the 10 run rule.
Concordes’ Kreplins dug out a low Bruggemann change up for a crisp single which was the last safe hit they squeezed out of the veteran.
Jarvo then led Warriors off with a zinger to Kate Altschwager at left, scored by Polderman and the score at 13-1.
Kylie Cook was outstanding at third for Concordes, snagging a couple of line drives.
Concordes put pressure on the Warriors field, Jarvo throwing a pineapple from third to Chuck at first and Polderman uncharacteristically spilling one but recovering to get an out at second with Lauren Lunsmann having correctly held up on the fly ball.
Pollard’s fly ball was good enough to score a run for Concordes before Maddie Bowd came in facing seven pitches before popping up for the last out.
Warriors were kept scoreless in the bottom of the fourth before the mercy rule was invoked and second position on the ladder consolidated.
