Rob's Wrap Up - Round 17
Published Tue 20 Feb 2024
BASEBALL (February 17, 2024)
RAMS PULL AWAY
By Robert Laidlaw
IT WAS THE BATTLE BETWEEN the top two division one baseball teams, with Henley & Grange pulling away to win 5-1 over Sturt at Mitcham, with a three-run eighth inning.
The Rams opened the scoring at the top of the first frame, when Jack Partington singled, stole second base and came home on Liam Bul’s double.
In the sixth dig, Bull and Adam Rowe hit singles, with Bull scoring on an error to make it 2-0.
Sturt came back into contention for the win when it scored a run in the bottom of the seventh frame, after Jonas Garcia singled and scored on Matt Macbeth’s double.
But Henley put the result to bed with a three-run eighth, after Bull walked, Landon Hernandez hit a RBI two-bagger and Patrick Inglis smashed the ball over the fence for a two-run dinger.
Jordy Grose pitched seven innings for nine hits and six strikeouts to collect the win, while reliever Hernandez struck out five batters in the final two digs of the game.
A BIG FOUR-RUN second inning set up Adelaide’s 8-1 victory over Golden Grove Central Districts at Plympton.
The Angels scored a run in the bottom of the opening frame, when Max Tracey singled, stole second base and came home on Billy Damon’s hit up the middle.
Then the big second dig, after Ben Ganley singled, Brodie Chapman doubled, an error, Tracey’s three-run, two-bagger and Stefan Welch’s sac fly.
Another two runs in the bottom of the fifth made it 7-0, which included hits from Brady Smith, Ganley and Lachan Pace, and in the sixth Welch doubled and came home of Sith’s single.
The Dodgers finally managed to break through for a run at the top of the eighth, after Josh Conry walked and singles by Jake Shotton and Issac Pearce.
Hugh Batchelor pitched a one-hitter through five innings for three strikeouts to collect the win from the mound.
SOME BIG HOME RUNS in support of the Eldridge brothers saw Glenelg beat East Torrens 6-3 at Payneham.
While Jacob Eldridge did the job with the bat, collecting four hits and two RBIs, his brother Jayden Eldridge was the winning pitcher, conceding seven hits for nine strikeouts in seven innings.
After six frames the game was tied 3-3, but a solo home run from Dylan Bentley in the seventh and Kai Reid’s two-run blast in the eighth were the hits that made the difference.
The Redsox opened the scoring in the bottom of the first dig with a run, after hits to Carter Powell, Dalton Probert and Mark Stewart.
Connor Hill smashed the ball over the leftfield fence for the Tigers in the second inning to make it a 1-1 ballgame.
Then in the bottom of the fifth East Torrens again took the lead, when Braeden Ashworth doubled and advanced to third base on Luke Chandler’s bunt, and crossed home plate on a wild throw, in the same play.
But Glenelg went 3-2 up in the top of the sixth, when Beau Kerns and Jaikob Mathews hit singles, an error and Jacob Eldridge’s two-run hit.
The Redsox came back in the bottom of the sixth to again tie up the scores, when Stewart doubled and came home on Chandler’s hit up the middle.
It was just the Tigers’ big bats that made further ‘noise’, with Bentley and Reid’s home runs, to pull away with a 6-3 victory.
IT WAS CLOSE EARLY but Woodville powered away to beat Port Adelaide 13-3 at Semaphore.
After three frames it was 0-0, then at the top of the fourth Joel Chapman doubled and came home on an error to give the Senators the first run of the game.
But the Magpies had the answer in the bottom of the fourth, when Sammy Steigert doubled and scored on Ethan Murphy’s single, to make it 1-1.
Hits by Wade Moore, Cesar Perez and Drew Janssen, and an error, saw Woodville score three times at the top of the fifth, but Port responded with a pair of runs on Flynn McKee’s two-run single after a pair of walks.
Another Woodville run in the sixth made it 5-3, with the six-run eighth, which included back-to-back home runs from Perez and Janssen, blew the scoreline out.
Janssen hit another dinger at the top of the ninth, with a runner on base, to make it 13-3, with Port unable to answer.
AJ Verastegui pitched six innings for the win, conceding five hits for 12 strikeouts.
BIG HITS AND A BIG RALLY paved the way for West Torrens 11-0 victory over Northern Districts at Ingle Farm.
The Eagles scored two runs in the first inning after Tom McGarry walked and his brother Sam McGarry put the ball over the fence.
Then at the top of the third frame, West Torrens scored another three times, after Jasper Clark hit a home run, Mason Clavell had a RBI single and a wild pitch.
If 5-0 wasn’t a big enough advantage, the Eagles more than doubled that with a six-run rally in the fourth, which included hits to James McFarlane, Clark, the McGarry brothers, Jacob Scott and Tyrone Hambly.
North then brought in relief pitcher Zane Tomaszek, who finished the game without allowing another run, conceding six hits for four strikeouts in 3.2 innings.
James Snellgrove threw five digs for the win, collecting four strikeouts for one hit, while reliever Carter Roe picked up three K2s for no hits in two frames.
A FOUR-RUN FIRST INNING was the major difference in Goodwood’s 7-3 victory over Kensington at Erindale.
That four-run rally started when lead-off batter Matt Hutchings was hit by a pitch. Griff Weber reached on a wild throw, Josh Cakebread had a RBI groundout, Jeremy Cresswell hit a sac fly, Tom Fiebig singled and Cooper Hunter hit a two-run dinger.
Then at the top of the fourth dig, the Indians had another big rally, capped by Hutchings three-run home run, after Josh Bradley had walked and Peter Paech singled – for a 7-0 lead.
Kensington managed its first run in the bottom of the fifth, on Austin Gallagher’s solo home run, then scored twice in the eighth, after Lachlan Spratt singled, Bryce Allen was hit by a pitch, Nick Platten had a RBI hit, and a wild pitch.
Koki Takahashi pitched five innings for the win, conceding five hits for three strikeouts.
SOUTHERN DISTRICTS STARTED WELL and dominated throughout to beat Gawler Rangers 12-2 at Christies Beach.
A four-run opening inning set the tone of the game, as the Hawks benefited from hits to Jake Campbell, Luke Hansen, Brett Hattersley, Ben Short and Ben Jones.
While the Rangers scored a run at the top of the fourth dig, after hits to Zac Heintze-Unger, Link Ryan and Seb Heintze-Unger, South replied with two in the bottom of the fifth (Byron Turner’s two-run double) and two in the sixth (Campbells’ two-run dinger), to sprint out to a 8-1 lead.
Gawler managed a run at the top of the seventh, set up by Aiden Prokopec’s double, but the Hawks answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh (Jones RBI single) and two in the eighth (after hits to Campbell, Tailen Hobson and Nick Rees) to end the game.
* * * * *
Division one baseball results:
West Torrens d Northern Districts 11-0 (hits: WT – T. McGarry 3, Clark 2 (hr), S. McGarry 2 (hr), Clavell 2, Scott 2, Barker, Hambly, Na. Vanderlinden, McFarlane; North – Clifton. WP: J. Snellgrove; LP: T. Fraser).
Adelaide d Golden Grove Central Districts 8-1 (hits: Adelaide – Tracey 3, Forney 2, Smith 2, Ganley 2, Welch, Damon, Chapman, Pace; GGCD – Shotton 2, Walsh, Manzella, Pearce, Rodgers. WP: H. Batchelor; LP: N. Holt).
Goodwood d Kensington 7-3 (hits: Goodwood – Hutchings (hr), Weber, Cakebread, Cresswell, Fiebig, Cooper (hr), Paech; Kensington – N. Platten 3, J. Spratt 3, Gallagher 2 (hr), J. Platten, L. Spratt. WP: K. Takahashi; LP: K. Butterwick).
Woodville d Port Adelaide 13-3 (hits: Woodville – Perez 3 (hr), Janssen 3 (2 hr), J. Chapman 2, Taheny 2, Bravo 2, Moore, Fienemann, Kuhn; Port – F. McKee 2, Steigert, Murphy, Stead, M. Schrapel. WP: AJ Verastegui; LP: T. McKee).
Henely & Grange d Sturt 5-1 (hits: H&G – Inglis 3 (hr), Bull 2, Partington, Rowe, Hernandez; Sturt – Mitchell 2, Altamura 2, Lightbody, Joyce, Brebner-Russ, Garcia, Macbeth. WP: J. Grose; LP: J. Brebner-Russ.
Southern Districts d Gawler Rangers 12-2 (hits: South – Campbell 4 (hr), Hattersley 2, Short 2, Jones 2, Hobson, Hansen, N. Paparella, Rees, Turner; Gawler – Prokopec 2, S. Heintze-Unger 2, Z. Heintze-Unger, Bawden, Ryan. WP: M. Johnston; LP: S. Heintze-Unger).
Glenelg d East Torrens 6-3 (hits: Glenelg – Jac. Eldridge 4, Judd 2, Hill 2 (hr), Kerns 2, Mathews, Bentley (hr), Reid (hr); ET – Stewart 3, Ashworth 2, Powell, Probert, L. Chandler. WP: Jay. Eldridge; LP: W. Couzner).
Premiership points: Henley & Grange 41, Woodville 31, Adelaide 30, West Torrens 30, Sturt 30, Port Adelaide 26, Southern Districts 26, Glenelg 25, Goodwood 23, East Torrens 19, Kensington 15, Gawler Rangers 8, GGCD 4, Northern Districts 2.
INDIANS GO AGAINST THE TREND
By Robert Laidlaw
WITH THE TOP SIX TEAMS in division one baseball all playing sides out of finals considerations, it was a round of expected results, except Goodwood’s stunning 11-8 victory over West Torrens at Mortlock Park.
Early it looked like the Eagles were heading for an easy victory, as it scored five unearned runs in the second inning, after an error, and hits by Jacob Scott, Tyrone Hambly, James McFarlane, Jasper Clark and Tom McGarry.
But the Indians mounted a fightback in the bottom of the fourth with three runs, to cut the deficit to just two, at 5-3, after hits to Griff Weber, Josh Cakebread, Jeremy Cresswell and Tom Fiebig.
Then amazingly Goodwood hit the front with a four-run rally in the fifth, with big hits from Weber, Cresswell, Fiebig and Huntley Cooper.
And the Indians big bats continued to make an impression in the bottom of the sixth with another four runs, fuelled by Matt Hutchings’ double, a hit batsman, Cakebread’s RBI single and an error, for an 11-5 lead.
At the top of the seventh and final frame, West Torrens made a late charge, after McFarlane doubled, Tom McGarry hit a two-run, two-bagger and Mason Clavell had a RBI single, to close the final margin to just three runs.
WITH TERRELL JOYCE DOMINATING, Sturt had a 13-3 victory over Golden Grove Central Districts at Mitcham.
A six-run second inning set up the Saints’ victory, which saw three walks, singles to Zach Altamura, Jonas Garcia and Jack Dawson, and a two-run double from Joyce.
The Dodgers seemed to get back into the contest with three runs at the top of the fourth frame, after a pair of walks, an error, Noah Rodgers’ single and two successful double steal attempts.
But Sturt had the answer with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, with Mitch Lightbody hitting a solo home run and Joyce smashing a two-run dinger, to make it 9-3.
Another run in the fifth was followed by three runs in the sixth, after another Joyce two-run home run and doubles to Dayton Mitchell and Garcia.
Damon Arnold pitched the complete game for the win, conceding three hits for seven strikeouts in six innings.
WOODVILLE HAD AN EXPECTED 8-0 victory over Northern Districts at Findon, to hold onto second spot on the premiership ladder.
The Senators opened the scoring in the bottom of the second, after an error and Greg Bravo’s sacrifice fly.
Then in the third frame, consecutive hits to Mitch Fienemann, Troy Nicholson and Joel Chapman saw three runs cross the plate and the lead out to 4-0.
Joel Chapman had a RBI single in the fourth, while in the fifth dig, three walks, a hit batsman and Drew Janssen’s two-run double saw Woodville go 8-0 up, and hold the Reds out the rest of the way.
WITH GOOD PITCHING AND good hitting, Port Adelaide was too good for Glenelg at Semaphore, and came away with a 7-1 victory.
In the bottom of the first inning, Nick Vasic singled and Flynn McKee hit a two-run home run, with Ethan Murphy then collecting a RBI hit after Sammy Steigert’s double, for a 3-0 start.
Then in the second frame, hits to Wil Paech, Tommy Bird and Flynn McKee saw another two runs, while in the fifth, Murphy hit a two-run dinger, to make it 7-0.
Kai Rei hit a solo home run at the top of the seventh for the Tigers’ only run of the game.
Steigert was solid from the mound, conceding four hits for six strikeouts in seven innings.
ALTHOUGH MADE TO WORK HARD, Adelaide managed a 5-1 victory over Gawler Rangers at Plympton.
The Rangers scored a run at the top of the first inning, after Forest Crawford singled, stole second base and came home in a double steal attempt.
In the bottom of the opening frame, the Angels equalised, after a pair of walks and Billy Damon’s RBI single.
In the second dig, a pair of singles to Lachlan Pace and Max Tracey, combined with two errors, saw two runs and a 3-1 Adelaide lead.
Then in the bottom of the fifth, three walks and hits by Damon and Brady Smith capped the game’s scoring with another pair of runs, for a 5-1 victory.
Damon pitched six innings for the win, conceding five hits for five strikeouts.
SOUTHERN DISTRICTS KEPT PACE with the top six after a 13-3 victory over East Torrens at Christies Beach – with Brett Hattersley smashing two, three-run home runs.
The Redsox looked strong early when they scored twice at the top of the opening inning, after Carter Powell was hit by a pitch, Mark Stewart had a RBI double and an error.
But then the fireworks started, in the bottom of the first, when Carey McLeod hit a two-run dinger and Hattersley smashed a three-run fence-buster.
Jake Cambell then joined the list of ‘master-blasters’ with a two-run shot in the second frame, as the Hawks went 7-2 up.
While the Redsox pulled a run back at the top of the third after Dalton Probert’s double, South answered with two runs in the bottom of the third, then in the fourth dig took a stranglehold on the game with another three-run dinger from Hattersley.
Nick Hutchings went the distance from the mound for the win, conceding six hits for six strikeouts in five innings.
ANOTHER STRONG PERFORMANCE from ladder-leaders Henely & Grange saw the Rams beat Kensington 9-2 at Erindale.
At the top of the first inning, lead-off man Jack Partington walked, stole second base, went to third on a wild throw and came home on Wilson Lee’s ground-out – 1-0 Henley.
Then the floodgates opened in the second dig, as the Rams scored five times, after hits to Giovanni Garbella, Patrick Inglis, Jet Clohessy, Partington and Landon Hernandez.
In the fourth, singles from Jay Couzner and Clohessy, and sac flies to Partington and Hernandez, saw another pair of runs, and an 8-0 advantage.
The Cardinals managed to make some noise with the bat in the bottom of the fourth, scoring their first run on Jack Platten’s RBI double, then in the sixth, Austin Gallagher hit a two-bagger and scored on Jack Platten’s second double of the game.
Landon Hernandez smashed a solo home run at the top of the seventh to cap the scoring.
From the mound, Lee pitched six innings for five hits and eight strikeouts to claim the win.
* * * * *
Division one baseball results:
Port Adelaide d Glenelg 7-1 (hits: Port – F. McKee 2 (hr), Steigert 2, Murphy 2 (hr), Bird 2, Vasic, T. McKee, Paech; Glenelg – Bentley, Reid (hr), Steff, Day. WP: S. Steigert; LP: B. Kerns).
Adelaide d Gawler Rangers 5-1 (hits: Adelaide – Damon 2, Tracey, Forney, Smith, Pace; Gawler – Prokopec 2, Worden, Crawford, Child, Ryan. WP: B. Damon; LP: N. Antoine).
Southern Districts d East Torrens 13-3 (hits: South – Hattersley 3 (2 hr), Campbell 2 (hr), McLeod 2 (hr), N. Paparella, Turner, Hutchings; ET – Stewart 2, L. Chandler 2, Powell, Probert. WP: N. Hutchings; LP: C. Yeatman).
Sturt d Golden Grove Central Districts 13-3 (hits: Sturt – Joyce 3 (2 hr), Mitchell 2, Altamura 2, Garcia 2, Lightbody (hr), Dawson; GGCD – Skein, Conry, Rodgers. WP: D. Arnold; LP: J. Hardman).
Henely & Grange d Kensington 9-2 (hits: H&G – Hernandez 2 (hr), Clohessy 2, Partington, Lee, Rowe, Garbella, Inglis, Couzner; Kensington – J. Platten 2, N. Platten, Gallagher, Hassani, Allen. WP: W. Lee; LP: A. Hassani).
Goodwood d West Torrens 11-8 (hits: Goodwood – Weber 3, Cresswell 3, Cakebread 2, Fiebig 2, Hutchings, Cooper, Heeps, Paech; WT – T. McGarry 2, Scott 2, McFarlane 2, Clark, Barker, Hambly, George. WP: J. Bushell; LP: B. Marsh).
Woodville d Northern Districts 8-0 (hits: Woodville – Moore 3, T. Nicholson 2, J. Chapman 2, Perez, Janssen, Fienemann, Kuhn; North – P. Whelan, Robinson, Hee. WP: T. Nicholson; LP: P. Whelan).
Premiership points: Henley & Grange 43, Woodville 33, Sturt 32, Adelaide 32, West Torrens 30, Port Adelaide 28, Southern Districts 28, Glenelg 25, Goodwood 25, East Torrens 19, Kensington 15, Gawler Rangers 8, GGCD 4, Northern Districts 2.
