“From the Diamond” Round 16

State league Division One | 31ST January and 3RD February 

Cardinals Mark 100 Years with Statement Win

Kensington celebrated 100 years since its first A Grade match in fitting fashion, defeating Goodwood 12-5 at Erindale in front of a strong crowd of former players and dignitaries.

Despite Goodwood opening the scoring in the first inning after Brodie Heeps crossed the plate following a wild pitch, the Cardinals quickly seized control. Kensington erupted for five runs in the bottom of the first, sparked by Lucas Scott’s single before Michael Bishop launched a go-ahead home run. Lachlan South then electrified the crowd with a three-run blast to cap the rally.

 South continued his standout performance with another home run in the third, while Bishop finished with three hits and a homer of his own. Tyler Butterwick later sealed the celebrations with a two-run home run in the seventh to complete the scoring.

On the mound, Clay Kennedy set the platform for Kensington with 4.1 solid innings, allowing three hits while striking out seven. Deakin Filko was outstanding in relief, throwing 3.2 hitless innings with seven strikeouts to secure the milestone victory.

Rangers Create History Against West Torrens

Gawler Rangers also celebrated a historic breakthrough, defeating West Torrens 9-7 for their first-ever Division One win over the Eagles at Karbeethan Reserve.

The Rangers dominated early, racing to a 7-0 lead after four innings thanks largely to Zak Heintze-Unger’s explosive performance. Heintze-Unger drove in multiple runs, including a three-run home run in the fourth inning, while Ethan Badcock and Aidan Prokopec provided strong offensive support.

West Torrens responded dramatically in the fifth inning when James McFarlane blasted a grand slam to reduce the deficit. The Eagles continued to fight back late, but Gawler held firm behind Tyler Renken, who pitched six strong innings, before Badcock closed the game to seal the historic victory.

Magpies Edge Saints in Thriller

Port Adelaide secured a tight 5-4 win over Sturt at Semaphore in a see-sawing contest.

Sturt opened the scoring early before Dayton Mitchell’s two-run home run handed Port Adelaide the lead. The Saints responded midway through the game, highlighted by Jordan McArdle’s two-run homer, before reclaiming the lead in the fifth inning.

However, Port Adelaide answered again in the sixth before capitalising on a defensive error in the eighth inning to score the eventual winning run. Sturt pushed late but couldn’t find the equaliser.

 Adelaide’s Power Display Too Strong for East Torrens

Adelaide delivered an impressive offensive performance to defeat East Torrens 11-3 at Plympton.

The Angels set the tone early, scoring four runs in the opening inning through RBI hits from Max Tracey, Stefan Welch, Henry Cann and Rahmen Martinez. East Torrens responded in the third inning when Carter Powell scored following Aiden Lucas’ hit, but Adelaide quickly extended its lead with Tracey’s two-run double.

Lucas later gave the Redsox some hope with a two-run home run in the seventh, however Adelaide responded immediately. Welch and Cann combined for another run before Brayden Edwards and Welch both launched home runs in the eighth to secure a comfortable victory.

Lee’s Relief Masterclass Leads Rams

Henley & Grange produced another dominant performance, defeating Golden Grove Central Districts 10-2 at West Lakes.

After conceding two early runs, Wilson Lee produced a remarkable relief pitching display, throwing eight innings while allowing just two hits and striking out 13 batters.

Offensively, Liam Bull’s home run helped spark a five-run second inning, while Cameron Tilly added a two-run homer later in the contest. Jack Partington and Jose Paula also played key roles as the Rams steadily built their winning margin.

Henley & Grange continued their strong form later in the round, overpowering Goodwood 12-2. Wilson Lee, Cameron Tilly and Liam Bull again led the offensive charge as the ladder leaders maintained their premiership momentum.

Senators’ Offensive Explosion Continues

Woodville showcased its batting depth with a commanding 13-2 victory over Northern Districts.

Jose Pimentel set the tone with a two-run home run in the opening inning, while Jose Castellano and Cesar Perez also joined the home run list as the Senators scored multiple runs in each of the first five innings.

AJ Verastegui delivered a strong performance on the mound, pitching five innings with 10 strikeouts to secure the win.

Woodville backed up that performance later in the round with a 6-0 shutout win over Kensington. Jamison Hill starred with a complete pitching performance, conceding just four hits while striking out six batters.

Hawks Continue to Soar

Southern Districts extended their strong run of form across the round with two impressive victories.

The Hawks recorded an 8-0 win over Glenelg, powered by home runs from Matt and Nick Hutchings before a late offensive surge sealed the result. Gary Grosjean was dominant on the mound, striking out 15 batters across eight innings.

Southern Districts carried that momentum into their clash with Port Adelaide, recording an 11-2 victory. The contest remained tight early before the Hawks exploded for six runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by Ben Short’s three-run double and Jake Campbell’s two-run single. Riley Moore later added a three-run home run to complete the victory.

Dodgers Fight Back to Claim Important Win

Golden Grove Central Districts responded strongly in their matchup against Glenelg, securing a 5-2 comeback victory.

After trailing early, Matt Phillips sparked the turnaround with a home run to level the scores before Jake Shotton’s two-run double in the fifth inning gave the Dodgers the lead. Matt Watkins delivered a strong pitching performance, throwing three hitless innings to secure the win.

Eagles Pull Away in Torrens Derby

West Torrens bounced back strongly with an 8-2 win over East Torrens in the Torrens derby.

Sam McGarry set the tone with a three-run home run in the first inning before the Eagles steadily added to their lead through contributions from James McFarlane, Austin Gallagher and Mason Clavell, who all delivered extra-base hits.

Relief pitcher Joel Chapman controlled the contest from the mound, pitching five strong innings to secure the victory.

Rangers Rally Again to Defeat Sturt

Gawler Rangers continued their impressive form with an 8-4 comeback win over Sturt.

Trailing entering the sixth inning, the Rangers produced a six-run rally driven by key hits from Sam Bawden, Seb Heintze-Unger and Dylan Child. Sturt responded with a home run from Jackson Brebner-Russ but couldn’t close the gap.

Angels Hold Strong Against Northern Districts

Adelaide added another win to its campaign with a 9-3 victory over Northern Districts.

Ian Heck and Stefan Welch both delivered home runs, while the Angels combined timely hitting with disciplined pitching to maintain control throughout the contest.

Henley & Grange continue to lead the competition on 42 points, followed closely by Adelaide (40) and Southern Districts (38). West Torrens and East Torrens remain in finals contention, while Woodville and Gawler Rangers continue to build strong late-season momentum.

Premiership points: Henley & Grange 42, Adelaide 40, Southern Districts 38, West Torrens 32, East Torrens 30, Woodville 30, Gawler Rangers 29, Port Adelaide 27, GGCD 19, Sturt 16, Glenelg 14, Kensington 14, Goodwood 10, Northern Districts 7.

Women’s League Division 1 | 1ST FEBRUARY

Adelaide extended their strong run of form with a 6–3 victory over Southern Districts, overcoming an early three-run deficit to secure their seventh consecutive win against the Hawks. Southern Districts struck first, with Wendy Sharp delivering two scoreless innings to start the contest, while Deb Hutchings collected her league-leading 11th hit-by-pitch. Adelaide responded strongly through the middle innings, with Angela Mourtzios throwing a complete five-inning performance, allowing just one earned run while striking out seven to bring her season tally to 35. A standout defensive moment came from Lilian Sterry, who produced a sharp line drive catch at third base before firing across to first to strand a Hawks runner.

Glenelg delivered their most dominant performance of the season, powering past Kensington 19–3 on the back of an 11-hit offensive display. Karizma Bergersen, Jamie Stott, and Erin Harris each recorded multi-hit games to lead the Tigers’ attack, while Carla McLaren celebrated her first hit in Women’s Division 1. Kensington found some resistance through Maddy Walpole and Tracey Robinson, who both finished two-for-two and drove in the Cardinals’ runs. On the mound, Kylie Lok secured her fifth win from ten starts, continuing her consistent season and lowering her ERA to 7.1.

Woodville maintained their position at the top of the table with a hard-fought 13–8 win over Sturt. The contest remained tight through the opening three innings before the Senators broke the game open with a decisive seven-run fourth inning. Peyton Daniels continued her standout season, driving in four runs and adding two more triples to extend her league-leading tallies to 39 RBIs and six triples. Alice Brown set the platform with a solid three-inning start, supported in relief by Amara Quinn and Sarah McMahon to close out the victory.