“From the Diamond” Round 9
RIPLE THE BANG FOR RAMS & MAGPIES PULL ONE OUT OF THE FIRE
December 6, 2025
THE GAME WAS CLOSE until Henley & Grange smashed three consecutive sixth inning home runs, before going on to beat Gawler Rangers 8-3 at West Lakes. With a slender 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the sixth, lead-off man Wilson Lee put one over the centrefield fence. Next, Koki Yonezawa deposited the ball over rightfield, then Jordan Hodges made it three-on-the-trot with his smash over centrefield, to make it a 6-2 ballgame. Lee and Hodges had already hit dingers in a three-run first frame, after Gawler had tallied two in the top of the opening dig, when Aidan Prokopec smashed a home run and Raph Pelletier and Dylan Child reached on hits and pulled off a double steal for a 2-0 start. Gawler pulled one back at the top of the seventh, when Ethan Badcock walked, went to second base on Zak Heintze-Unger’s single and scored on an error. But that was it for the Rangers, while Henley managed single runs in the bottom of the seventh (Lee RBI double) and eighth (Phil Acosta RBI single) digs. Jordy Grose pitched five innings for the win, conceding eight hits for four strikeouts, while reliever Rolando Heredier-Bustos gave up two hits for eight K2s over the game’s final four digs. For the Rangers, starting pitcher Seb Heintze-Unger settled down after the early onslaught to throw 4.2 frames for three hits and five strikeouts.
WEST TORRENS WAS 10-3 DOWN going into the bottom of the sixth inning at Lockleys against Goodwood but rallied to pull off a miraculous 15-11 victory. Going into the top of the third frame the Indians trailed 2-0 but mounted a seven-run rally – Sam Galpin doubled, Peter Paech was hit by a pitch, Cooper Pratt bunted, Griff Weber smashed a three-run dinger, Billy Sutton doubled, Saxon Gibbs singled, Nick Carfora walked, Tyler Howarth had a two-run hit and Galpin singled. Sam McGarry smashed a solo shot in the bottom of the third for the Eagles but Goodwood managed another two runs at the top of the fourth, on Sutton’s two-run single, and another run in the fifth after hits to Howarth, Paech and Pratt. Trailing 10-3 entering the bottom of the sixth, West Torrens began its fightback with five runs, after Oscar Weber’s three-run dinger and Jacob Scott’s two-run single. The Indians made it 11-8 with a run at the top of the seventh, after hits by Paech and Pratt, and a Weber RBI groundout, but it wasn’t enough. James McFarlane led off the Eagles’ eighth with a solo shot, followed by Sam McGarry’s second homer of the game, then hits to Jasper Clark, Nick George (two-run double), Austin Gallagher, Mason Clavell, Tom McGarry and McFarlane, for seven runs to go 15-11 up, before holding Goodwood out in the ninth. West Torrens’ reliever Masa Sawada was the winning pitcher, after throwing 5.1 innings for five hits and nine strikeouts.
NORTHERN DISTRICTS CONTINUED ITS recent good form with a 10-2 victory over Glenelg at Ingle Farm and climbed off the bottom of the table. The blueprint for the game started in the opening inning, even with the Reds first batter Kevin Whately, who smashed a long home run, which was followed by hits to Josh Whelan, Luke Barrientos, Tom Fraser and Nick Clifton for another three runs and a 4-0 lead. After Josh Whelan singled in the bottom of the second frame, Cam Dziego put one out to make it 6-0 North. Then at the top of the sixth dig the Tigers finally broke through, after Liam McCallum walked, Conner Hill singled and an error, to make it 6-1, but North took advantage of five walks, Barrientos’ three-run double and Clifton’s sac fly for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 10-1. The final run of the game was scored by Glenelg at the top of the eighth, when Tom Huttunen singled, stole second, went to third on McCallum’s infield hit and scored on a fielder’s choice. From the mound, Barrientos spearheaded the win, pitching a one-hitter over seven innings for 14 strikeouts.
THE CLOSEST GAME OF THE ROUND was at Semaphore, where Woodville managed to squeeze out a 4-2 victory despite being out-hit 7-3. A scoreless game was broken open by the Senators at the top of the third dig, when, with two out, Cesar Perez and Jose Pimentel walked, Alfredo Rodriguez singled and Olive Hayes walked in a run before a second came in on a wild pitch – 2-0 Woodville. In the bottom of the third the Magpies managed a run after Sammy Steigert singled, stole second, went to third base on a wild pitch and came home on Campbell Hodgetts’ ground-out. Then in the bottom of the fourth Port tied the game at 2-2, after Jack Stead was hit by a pitch, Dayton Mitchell walked, Tommy Bird singled and Steigert forced in a run when hit by a pitch. Woodville managed to go 3-2 up at the top of the fifth, after an error and Rodriguez’s RBI single, and got an insurance run in the seventh when Perez’s smash left the ball-park. Pimentel pitched 6.1 innings for the win, conceding five hits for six strikeouts.
A 10-RUN FOURTH INNING set Adelaide on its way to an 18-1 victory over Kensington at Erindale. Both teams scored a run in the opening frame, the Angels on Stef Welch’s RBI single and the home team after hits to Jordan Spratt, Haru Riley and Tyler Butterwick. But neither side could break through in the next two digs, which led to Adelaide’s avalanche in the top of the fourth. It started with a Riley Yeatman single, then a hit batsman, three walks, an error, another two walks and Brayden Edwards’ grand slam home run. Ben Ganley also smashed a dinger, as the game was all but over at 11-1. Ian Heck hit a RBI double in the fifth, then in the sixth, hits to Yeatman, Taj Williams and Ty Forney saw another run, and a 13-1 advantage, before a five-run rally in the seventh, Lachlan Pace’s three-run home run the highlight. From the mound, Heck threw six innings for the win, conceding five hits for seven strikeouts. [photos from this game by Paul Taeuber].
FOUR MULTIPLE RUN-SCORING innings laid the foundation for East Torrens to beat Sturt 11-4. At the top of the opening frame, a Charlie Ashcroft single sandwiched around two errors saw two runs for the Redsox to lead 2-0. The Saints tied the game in the bottom of the second, when Matt MacBeth walked and Gus Hennessy belted a dinger. But East Torrens quickly went ahead again at the top of the third, after doubles to Ashcroft and Aiden Lucas, and an error, for two runs and a 4-2 lead. A five-run rally in the fifth put the Redsox in charge, with two walks and hits to Jay Sanderson, Lucas (two-run double), Braeden Ashworth, Carter Powell and Luke Chandler. While Sturt managed a run in the bottom of the sixth, after hits to Simon Baumer, Jonas Garcia and Hennessy, East Torrens went further ahead with two runs at the top of the seventh, on Harry Deliyannis two-out, two-run two-bagger. Sam Stewart batted the Saints’ final run of the game in with a single in the bottom of the eighth dig. From the mound Connor Yeatman pitched five innings for the win, conceding six hits for eight strikeouts, while Luke Chandler took five catches in rightfield.
SOUTHERN DISTRICTS BATTED CONSITENTLY to beat Golden Grove Central Districts 11-0 at Illyarrie Reserve. The secret to the Hawks’ success was scoring in every inning bar one in the game, with a solid team effort. Byron Turner hit a dinger in the first frame, and in the third, Nick Hutchings singled, stole second base and came home on Ben Short’s hit up the middle to make it 2-0. Lucas Doyle singed and ran all the way home from first base on Andre Benjamin’s single to right field in the fourth dig, while in the fifth, Brett Hattersley doubled and scored on Jake Campbell’s hit to make it 4-0. In the sixth inning, Turner had a RBI single and Hattersley a two-run hit in a three-run rally, while at the top of the seventh and final frame, two walks, two hit batsmen, an error and hits to Luke Hansen and Doyle scored another four tallies to make it 11-0. From the mound, Jacob Morin pitched six innings for two hits and seven strikeouts.
December 9, 2025
WHILE ALL LOOKED LOST for Port Adelaide going into its last at bat against Kensington at Erindale, a miraculous last inning fightback saw the Magpies triumph 6-5 in division one baseball. Trailing 5-3 entering the top of the sixth and final frame, Sammy Steigert and Todd Trebilcock collected singles, but a pick off erased one of the runners. Then two walks loaded the bases, with Jacob Tobias hitting a sac fly and Flynn McKee scoring two runs with his hit up the middle, for a 6-5 Magpies’ lead. The Cardinals had one last chance to respond in the bottom of the sixth but could do no better than one baserunner with a one out walk. In the bottom of the opening dig, Kensington scored a run after hits to Jordan Spratt, Michael Bishop and Tyler Butterwick. But Port answered with a run at the top of the second after a pair of walks, Steigert’s sac bunt and Trebilcock’s RBI fielder’s choice. Jordan Spratt hit a two-run double in the bottom of the second inning but the Magpies again had the answer at the top of the third, after a wild throw scored a run and Dayton Mitchell hit a dinger, to make it 3-3. When Spratt collected his third hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth and Sean Maple cleared the fence with his long blast, the Cardinals seemed to be in control with a 5-3 lead, which stood up until Port’s final hooray!
HENLEY & GRANGE JOINED Adelaide (and Southern Districts) at the top of the table by beating the Angels 8-2 at West Lakes. Consecutive hits by Wilson Lee, Cameron Tilly and Koki Yonezawa saw one Rams’ run in the bottom of the first and another in the second on Jose Paula’s sac fly. Then in the bottom of the fourth Henley scored four times, on Jack Partington’s two-run homer, Lee’s RBI single and an error. Adelaide made a charge at the top of the fifth dig with two runs after Taj Williams and Ty Forney collected hits, and wild throw. But the Rams answered in the bottom of the frame, on RBI hits to Paula and Tilly. What hurt the Angels was walks, as they conceded eight, with five of those runners scoring. From the mound Lee went the distance, giving up three hits for six strikeouts in six innings. [photos from this game by Paul Taeuber].
BEHIND A SOLID OUTING from the mound by Jayden Eldridge and a big game with the bat from Liam McCallum, Glenelg triumphed 4-1 over Goodwood at Glenelg. Eldridge went the distance, conceding four hits for eight strikeouts in seven innings, while McCallum batted 1000, with three hits and a walk, while scoring three of the four Tigers’ runs. In the bottom of the opening frame, McCallum walked, and advanced to home after hits to Dylan Bentley and Kai Reid. In the third dig, McCallum doubled and scored on Bentley’s hit up the middle. The Indians closed the gap at the top of the fifth when Sam Galpin doubled, went to third base on Billy Sutton’s bunt and came home on Cooper Pratt’s single to make it a 2-1 ballgame. But Glenelg answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, after McCallum singled, Reid hit a RBI double, Connor Hill singled and Jacob Eldridge had a RBI hit for the final runs of the game.
TWO BIG HOME RUNS FROM James McFarlane went a long way in helping West Torrens beat Sturt 6-1 at Mitcham. The Eagles scored the game’s first run at the top of the second inning when Jasper Clark tripled and came home on Kaneko Daisuke sac fly. Then at the top of the third frame, Mason Clavell doubled and McFarlane hit his first dinger of the game to make it 3-0. Mitch Edwards smashed a home run in the bottom of the fourth to breathe some life into the Saints’ cause but doubles by Bailen Thomas and Clavell in the sixth were the highlight of a two-run rally for West Torrens, and at the top of the seventh, McFarlane connected for his second fence-buster. Arlo Maryczak pitched four innings for the win, conceding two hits for eight strikeouts.
GAWLER RANGERS STARTED WELL and finished all over Golden Grove Central Districts for an 18-1 victory at Illyarrie Reserve. At the top of the opening inning Aidan Prokopec and Raph Pelletier collected hits to set the table for Dylan Child’s three-run home run. In the second frame, three walks loaded the bases for Pelletier’s three-run double, to make it a 6-0 ballgame with the Rangers well in charge. The Dodgers managed a run in the bottom of the third dig, but Gawler answered at the top of the fourth on Child’s RBI double, while in the sixth inning, Pelletier had a RBI single and Child smashed a two-run dinger, for a 10-1 lead. Gawler’s final act was an eight-run top of the seventh, which featured a pair of errors, two walks, two hit batsmen and hits by Brad Przibilla, Seb Heintze-Unger, Ethan Badcock and Nathan Schreier. Badcock pitched four frames for the win, conceding two hits for six strikeouts in a relief appearance. Between them, Pelletier and Child batted 1000 with seven hits, 6 runs and 10 RBIs!
AFTER A BIG FIRST INNING by both teams, East Torrens kept going the rest of the way to beat Northern Districts 9-2 at Ingle Farm. At the top of the opening frame, an Owen Couzner walk and hits to Charlie Ashcroft and Aiden Lucas gave the Redsox a 2-0 start. But the Reds responded with a pair of runs to tie the scores at 2-2 in the bottom of the first, after Kevin Whately led off with a home run and three consecutive one-out hits by Cam Dziego, Luke Barrientos and Michael Whelan. Jay Sanderson hit a dinger in the second to break the deadlock, while in the fourth dig, Sanderson walked, Mark Stewart singled, Dalton Probert hit a RBI double and Harry Deliyannis had a two-run hit, to make it 6-2 East Torrens. Then in the sixth frame, Stewart hit a lead-off homer, Deliyannis doubled, Ashcroft walked and Lucas hit a two-run double to pad out the scoreline, 9-2. Deliyannis pitched six innings for the win, conceding five hits (four in the first dig) for 10 strikeouts.
SOUTHERN DISTRICTS EASILY accounted for Woodville at Findon, with a 15-2 victory. All the damage was done early, as the Hawks scored three runs at the top of the opening frame, on Jake Campbell’s two-run single and Matt Hutchings’ RBI hit. And if that wasn’t enough to set the blueprint of the game, South then piled on seven runs in the second dig, with Matt Hutchings’ two-run double and John Inglis’ two-run dinger the highlights. Gary Grosjean pitched four innings for the win, giving up just one hit for six strikeouts.
Premiership points: Adelaide 20, Henley & Grange 18, Southern Districts 18, Port Adelaide 16, Woodville 16, West Torrens 16, East Torrens 14, Gawler Rangers 13, Sturt 11, GGCD 10, Kensington 6, Goodwood 4, Northern Districts 4, Glenelg 4.
By Robert Laidlaw