Rob's Wrap Up - Round 9

RAMS GO CLEAR TOP

By Robert Laidlaw

HENLEY & GRANGE BEAT STURT 4-1 in a mid-week division one baseball clash at West Lakes, with top spot on the line.

The victory has pushed the Rams three points clear of Sturt, which remains in second position on the ladder.

Jack Partington was hit by a pitched ball in the third inning, and travelled around the bases on two wild pitches and a wild throw, to give Henley an early 1-0 lead.

Then in the fifth dig, hits by Liam Bull, Landon Hernandez and Patrick Inglis, combined with three walks, saw three runs cross the plate and the lead blow out to 4-0.

A solo home run by Terrell Joyce at the top of the sixth put the Saints on the scoreboard.

Wilson Lee pitched six innings for the win, conceding three hits for eight strikeouts.

WOODVILLE CAME FROM BEHIND to beat Port Adelaide 4-3 at Findon.

The Senators took an early lead when Drew Janssen tripled and came home on Cesar Perez’s single in the bottom of the opening frame.

But disaster struck for Woodville at the top of the fourth when the Magpies scored three times, after an error, three hit batsmen and two walks.

The Senators pulled one back in the bottom of the fourth, after hits to Wade Moore and Joel Chapman, while in the bottom of the fifth managed two runs to take the lead, on Mitch Fienemann’s two-run single.

Reliever AJ Verastegui came on in the fourth frame with two out, and went the rest of the way to claim the win, pitching 2.1 innings for two hits and two strikeouts.

ADELAIDE HELD ON TO beat Golden Grove Central Districts 5-4, after leading 5-0 after five innings, at Illyarrie Reserve.

The Angels scored a run in the opening frame, after Max Tracy singled and three walks.

Lachlan Pace and Ty Forney combined hits for Adelaide’s second run in the fourth dig, while at the top of the fifth, two walks, Brayden Edwards’ single and an error saw another two runs, and a 4-0 lead.

It looked like it was game over at the top of the sixth, when Stefan Welch doubled and came home on Billy Damon’s sacrifice fly, but then the Dodgers fought back to put a scare in the Angels’ camp.

Two walks, Josh Conry’s RBI double and a wild pitch saw two runs score in the bottom of the sixth, then in a last ditch effort in the bottom of the seventh, Nick Wallis doubled, Harry Bastian walked and Brandon Manzella hit a one-out two-run double, but that was it.

Damon pitched five shut-out innings to claim the win, conceding two hits for three strikeouts.

* * * * *

RESULTS:

Henley & Grange d Sturt 4-1 (hits: H&G – Inglis 2, Lee, Bull, Hernandez, Acosta; Sturt – Knuckey, Joyce (hr), Macbeth, Garcia. WP: W. Lee; LP: J. Tindall).

Woodville d Port Adelaide 4-3 (hits: Woodville – Janssen 2, Perez 2, Moore, Fienemann, J. Chapman; Port – Arriola, F. McKee, M. Schrapel, Bird. WP: AJ Verastegui; LP: S. Steigert).

Adelaide d GGCD 5-4 (hits: Adelaide – Welch 2, Pace 2, Tracy, Forney, Damon, Edwards; GGCD – Manzella, Conry, Skein, Green, Wallis. WP: B. Damon; LP: N. Holt).

Premiership points: Henley & Grange 17, Sturt 14, Woodville 12, Adelaide 10, East Torrens 10, Southern Districts 10, West Torrens 10, Goodwood 9, Glenelg 8, Port Adelaide 8, GGCD 4, Kensington 4, Gawler Rangers 2, Northern Districts 0.

** Half of this round was rained - out ***