ROB’S RECAPS - STATE LEAGUE D1 - ROUND 14
AMAZING PERFORMANCE BY KENSINGTON
By Robert Laidlaw [Adelaide versus Kensington photos from Paul Taeuber]
HOW CAN A TEAM IN THE FINALS’ MIX beat reigning premier Sturt 1-0 on Tuesday then go down to the bottom team four days later? It happened when Kensington shocked Adelaide with a 3-1 win at Plympton.
It was an amazing performance by the Cardinals, as they held their collective nerve in the face of adversity to triumph.
Kensington scored twice in the third inning, after Lachlan South doubled and Will Tanner was hit by a pitch, with both coming home when Jack Platten reached base on a wild throw.
Then at the top of the sixth dig, Michael Bishop singled, Tyler Butterwick was hit by a pitch, Deakin Filko bunted, with an error bringing home the Cards’ third run, which instigated a pitching change.
From the mound, Angels’ starter Hugh Batchelor had pitched well, giving up three hits for eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings, but after conceding the third run, he was relieved by Tom Ganley, who struck out the next two batters.
And over the rest of the game, Ganley only gave up one infield hit and a walk, while picking up another eight K2s, in a stint that kept Adelaide in the game.
But the Angels just could not find any form with the bat against Kensington starting pitcher Kensuke Miura, who conceded three hits for six K2s in seven innings.
Teenager Filko came on to pitch the final two frames for the Cardinals, and was under immense pressure, but managed to hold his nerve and help Kensington to the win, giving up just one run in the bottom of the ninth.
That bottom of the ninth was Adelaide’s last chance to make an impact. Chris Congdon was hit by a pitch to lead off, then Lachlan Pace walked and Ty Forney singled to load the bases with none out for The Angels.
Ben Ganley then hit a sac fly for one run, but Filko struck out the next batter, and after walking Billy Damon to again load the bases, induced Henry Cann to hit a fly ball to leftfield to end the game.
WEST TORRENS TOOK 10 INNINGS but managed to beat Woodville 12-8 at Findon, after trailing 5-3 going into the top of the sixth frame.
A Sam McGarry single and three free passes gave the Eagles a run at the top of the first, but in the bottom of the opening dig, Jose Castellano hit safely and Hayden Carroll smashed a two-run dinger to put Woodville 2-1 up.
Then at the top of the fourth inning West Torrens managed a pair of runs to go 3-2 up, after RBI hits to Jude Barker and Nico Vanderlinden.
But the Senators seemed to take control of the game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth frame, after Castellano hit a two-run double and stole two bases, to lead 5-3.
Arguably the most dangerous hitter in the competition then revitalised the Eagles’ chances with a three-run home run at the top of the seventh to put his team 6-5 up
Jude Barker hit a double and came home on Nico Vanderlinden’s single to extend the advantage to two runs.
Going into the bottom of the ninth, Woodville had two runners on and two out, with RBI singles to Troy Nicholson and Tom Dineen making it a 7-7 ballgame and forced extra innings.
The top of the 10th was a nightmare for the Senators. Nico Vanderlinden had a one-out RBI double but after the second out, Sam McGarry was intentionally walked, with an error then gifting West Torrens a second run.
And it got worse, when, with loaded bases, three consecutive walks forced in another three runs, and the Eagles led 12-7.
A pair of walks and hits to Castellano and Carroll gave Woodville some hope in the bottom of the 10th, but it only managed to score one run.
ANOTHER 10-INNING THRILLER was played at Semaphore, where Port Adelaide ‘walked’ it off for a 5-4 victory over Glenelg.
Sammy Steigert singled, stole second base and came home on Dayton Mitchell’s hit up the middle to give the Magpies a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the opening frame.
Then at the top of the fourth the Tigers equalised, after hits to Tyson Arnold and Alec Steff, and a wild throw.
But Port jumped straight back in front with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, when Steigert singled and Mitchell smashed the ball over the rightfield fence – for a 3-1 lead.
And that’s how the score remained through to the top of the ninth dig, where Glenelg managed to score twice to force extra innings, after an error, a Tom Huttunen single, a Jacob Eldridge walk, a Flyn Luders RBI fielder’s choice and a wild throw – 3-3.
At the top of the 10th, Jaikob Mathews was the placed runner. Deiken Burnside bunted, and Elliott Ross hit a sac fly to put the Tigers up. Glenelg had two more hits, to Connor Hill and Tim Day, but could not add to its tally.
Then the bottom of the 10th, with Brodie Arriola the placed runner. Steigert had a RBI single to make it 4-4. Matt Christenson bunted into an error, Flynn McKee was intentionally walked to load the bases, and after a strikeout, Tommy Bird picked a four-ball RBI base on balls, to walk it off.
Steigert started on the mound for the Magpies and pitched 7.2 innings for five hits and 11 strikeouts.
AN AMAZING TURNAROUND by East Torrens saw the Redsox grab victory from the jaws of defeat against Golden Grove Central Districts at Illyarrie Reserve, with a five-run top of the ninth, to win 11-9.
Trailing 8-6 going into the top of the ninth, a big two-run double by Luke Chandler, and Braeden Ashworth’s three run home run helped the Redsox reverses their fortunes and steal the points.
The Dodgers still had to bat in the bottom of the ninth but only managed one run, on Jake Shotton’s one-out RBI single, with East Torrens’ reliever Aiden Lucas striking out the final two batters to preserve the win.
After the Redsox scored a run at the top of the third dig, after two walks and Carter Powell’s RBI groundout, the Dodgers exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the third.
Brandon Manzella hit a triple, Matt Phillips, Daniel Youngblood and Shotton hit singles, Noah Rodgers had a RBI walk, which was followed by Tyler Green’s two-run double and Nick Wallis’ three-run dinger, to give the edge to the home side.
Will Couzner had a RBI single in the fourth dig and Dalton Probert hit one up the middle for two more in the fifth, as the Redsox closed the gap to 4-7.
In the bottom of the fifth, Josh Conry doubled and came home on Green’s sac fly for the Dodgers, with East Torrens scoring single runs in the sixth (on an error) and eighth (two errors and a Stewart single), to close to 8-6, which led to the final response in the ninth.
IT WAS CLOSE FOR A while at Karbeethan Reserve, until Southern Districts unleashed an 11-run seventh inning to beat Gawler Rangers 16-3.
At the top of the opening inning Jake Campbell walked, stole second base, went to third on Nick Hutchings’ bunt and scored on a wild pitch. Then Matt Hutchings singled and Brett Hattersley smashed a two-run home run to give the Hawks a 3-0 start.
Then at the top of the third dig Nick Hutchings and Hattersley both put balls over the fence as South went 5-0 up.
In the bottom of the third frame the Rangers got on the scoreboard with two runs, on Dylan Child’s double, after Zak Heintze-Unger and Aidan Prokopec had hit singles.
Trailing 5-2 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, Gawler looked right back in the game when an error and hits by Noah Okeil and Ethan Badcock saw two men on and one run in with none out, but a double play quelled the threat.
At the top of the seventh the Hawks just kept pushing to extend its 5-3 lead, eventually scoring 11 times, helped by five errors, three walks and two hits each to Tailen Hobson and Hattersley (who had four RBIs in the rally).
IT WAS RAINING HOME RUNS at Ingle Farm, where Henley & Grange beat Northern Districts 18-5.
The Rams dominated throughout, with North managing a single run in the bottom of the fourth dig after hits to Albert Dominguez and Cam Dziego, and another four runs in the bottom of the seventh and final frame, on Tyson Lees’ grand slam home run.
It was the long ball that was what was behind most of Henley’s big day out with the bat, as it scored consistently on the back of five home runs.
Wilson Lee hit a two-out dinger in the first inning, while in the third dig, Koki Yonezawa connected for a fence-buster, as the Rams led 4-0.
Then a six-run fourth seemed to finish the game as a contest, with five walks and three hits – two by Luke Trevaskis and one by Jordan Hodges
In the fifth, Yonezawa hit a RBI double and Patrick Inglis a RBI triple, while an inning later, Lou Helmig and Lee hit back-to-back dingers, and in the seventh, Jet Clohessy connected for a three-run homer.
Lee pitched five innings for the victory, conceding four hits for six strikeouts.
BEHIND THE BATTING OF Mitch Lightbody and Terrell Joyce, Sturt was too strong for Goodwood at Mortlock Park and triumphed 16-5.
Lightbody singled and came home on Joyce’s hit for the game’s first run at the top of the first inning.
Then a five-run second frame set the Saints’ win up, with Lightbody hitting a two-run double and Joyce a solo dinger.
Two-baggers by Blake Farr, Zach Altamura and Lightbody at the top of the third saw another pair of runs, and a 8-0 lead, with the Indians responding in the bottom of the third with two runs, on Billy Sutton’s home run.
A four-run top of the fourth, with Lightbody hitting another two-run double, saw the lead out to 12-2, and then three further runs in the fifth, with Tyson Ottoway collecting a two-run two-bagger.
Goodwood refused to just lay down and mounted a challenge in the bottom of the fifth, with three runs, after hits to Sam Galpin, Dylan Howarth, Sutton and Brodie Heeps.
Joyce had a RBI single at the top of the sixth, with the game finishing after seven frames, the Saints 16-5 up.
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Division one baseball results:
Sturt d Goodwood 16-5 (hits: Sturt – Lightbody 4, Joyce 3 (hr), Farr 2, Altamura 2, Ottaway 2, Baumer, Beaumont; Goodwood – Sutton 2 (hr), Heeps 2, Galpin, D. Howarth. WP: A. McClure; LP: K. Kurrika).
Henley & Grange d Northern Districts 18-5 (hits: H&G – Yonezawa 3 (hr), Trevaskis 3, Helmig 2 (hr), Lee 2 (2 hr), Inglis 2, Clohessy 2 (hr), Bull, J. Hodges; North – Regnier 2, Fraser, Lees (gshr), Dominguez, Dziego. WP: W. Lee; LP: T. Marshall).
East Torrens d Golden Grove Central Districts 11-9 (hits: ET – Couzner 2, Stewart, Lucas, Probert, L. Chandler, Ashworth (hr); GGCD – Manzella 3, Youngblood 2, Shotton 2, Green 2, Phillips, Conry, Wallis (hr). WP: C. Ashcroft; LP: T. Green).
Port Adelaide d Glenelg 5-4 in 10 innings (hits: Port – Steigert 3, Mitchell 2 (hr), Murphy 2, Vasic, Arriola, Bird, Paech; Glenelg – Ross, Hill, Arnold, Day, Steff, Huttunen, Jac. Eldridge, Edgar. WP: F. McKee; LP: A. Steff).
Kensington d Adelaide 3-1 (hits: Kensington – J. Spratt, Bishop, South, W. Tanner; Adelaide – Forney, Damon, Cann, Pace. WP: K. Miura; LP: H. Batchelor).
West Torrens d Woodville 12-8 in 10 innings (hits: WT – S. McGarry 3, Ni. Vanderlinden 3, Gallagher 2 (hr), Barker 2; Woodville – Castellano 4, Carroll 3 (hr), Hayes 2, Nicholson 2, Dineen, Bravo. WP: M. Clavell; LP: A. Carroll).
Southern Districts d Gawler Rangers 16-3 (hits: South – Hattersley 4 (2 hr), Hobson 2, N. Hutchings 2 (hr), M. Hutchings, Turner, Rees; Gawler – Z. Heintze-Unger 2, Prokopec 2, Bawden 2, Okeil 2, Badcock 2, Child. WP: B. Hattersley; LP: S. Heintze-Unger).
Premiership points: Southern Districts 34, Henley & Grange 34, Woodville 30, Sturt 30, West Torrens 26, Adelaide 24, East Torrens 22, Port Adelaide 22, Gawler Rangers 16, Glenelg 14, GGCD 10, Goodwood 10, Northern Districts 4, Kensington 4.