Match Reports
C Grade Match Report v GMBC
30 May 2009
Knox 3 def by GMBC 16
The replay of last season's A3 Grand Final? Well ..... sort of. GMBC were ready to go with seven of their GF ten players, and a re-entry list of six to back them up.
Captain Scott's original list of ten players had kind of reduced to seven starters (with only three GF team members available) until not too long before commencement time. However, a team was on the field and raring to go.
In the absence of other recognised pitchers, Captain Scott marched onto the mound and threw the first strike. Second pitch had leadoff Wayne Roberts hitting a ground ball to third, where Ramo picked up and made the out to Aggers at first. Dale Gibson watched, swung and put back to the pitcher for the second regulation out to first. Ryan Jenkins checked out a few more pitches but popped up to Jarryd at second. Three up, three down was a good start.
Michael Yule led off, and after a couple of fouls, singled to LF. Captain Scott watched a couple of balls from Whytie, then singled to RF advancing Yuley to third. Aggers sized things up and sacrificed nicely to RF to get the first run on the board. Ramo took on the first pitch but could only get it as far as Wayno at short, who effected the double play to close the dig. Knox 1-0 after one.
Big hitting Joe Keiper was up. He fouled off three but watched one too many and was Kd looking. Grant Mack tested out a few before managing to put a ground ball just out of comfortable reach of Chris Dean's backhand at short. Catcher Glen Pitts flied out to Scott D at LF. Whytie went LF as well but managed to put it over Scott's head for a double. Mack scored. LF was the place to go as Josh D-D singled to bring the speedy Whyte home. Kritter ground out to JC at second. Two runs in.
Big A was ready. He watched the first two balls, then latched onto the next pitch big time to send it flying well over the fence at LF .... and Karina wasn't there to see his first HR for Knox! Scott D continued his lusty swinging routine, but ground out to second. Chris Dean stepped up and slammed a lovely double out to RF. He advanced to third when a pass ball got away from Pitts. JC fouled a couple, then Kd. Jack Archer was at the plate for the first time with this company. He squeezed a ball through to RF to score Chris, and our "new" boys were doing the job. Yuley ground out to third. Knox 3-2 after two.
Wayno obviously decided the time was right. With the count at three balls, he launched the next pitch over the fence ...... at LF. Gibbo swung at the first pitch, but straight to Yuley at RF. Rhino decided to get a bit of the action, and he lofted over the fence at .... LF ...... for a solo HR. Joe went up the middle with a ball that fell in short over the infield to get him on base. Chris was ready for Mack at short, and covered the ball well to get the out at first. Pitts Kd for side away. Two runs in.
Captain Scott was fired up, but mishit for a pop up to short. Aggers followed him back to the bench with a ground ball to short. Ramo gritted his teeth and hit out of the infield to get on. Arnaldo was making contact again, but was caught at RF. No runs. GMBC 4-3 after three.
LF was the place to go. Whytie doubled. Josh changed the rhythm with a shorter shot over the infield left of centre. Kritter ground out again to second bringing Whytie home. Wayno singled to LF to score Josh. Gibbo kept up the flow to LF with a double. Captain Scott strayed from the zone to walk the next two batters and bring one across the plate, before Mack put one up the middle to bring in two more. Pitts joined the LF barrage to add another run to the growing tally. Whytie was up again. This time his ground ball to short had Pitts out at second, but Mack scored. Josh singled to short. Kritter skied a foul ball towards the Knox dugout, but Aggers was equal to the task to end the innings. Seven runs scored.
Now would be a good time to get some runs back for a bit of respectability. Scott D got on with a single to LF. Chris swung hard again but skied the ball to Wayno at short. Much screaming to Scott to get back to first had him looking around wildly and coming back, but not hard enough to beat the throw for the double play out. JC ground out to short. No runs. GMBC 11-3 after four.
Captain Scott retired from the firing line and sent brother Ramo to the mound. "In all honesty", he didn't have too many other options! Aggers, Big A and Yuley stayed in place, while everyone else tried out a new position. Wayno looked to get after Ramo. He fouled off five before Ramo retired him ..... looking. Gibbo flied out to LF. Rhino looked to have dumped another one over LF, but it fell just inside the fence for a double. A ground ball to Chris at third was the third out for a scoreless innings.
"Let's go - score some runs" said Captain Scott. Jack popped up to third. Yuley K'd. Two down, and Whytie gave up his first BB for the day. Captain Scott was aboard. Aggers hit the first pitch! His single up the middle saw Scott flying to third. C'mon Ramo! Ramo ground out to third. No runs. GMBC 11-3 after five.
Mack went after Ramo and skied to ... LF. Jack positioned himself well to get glove to ball, but couldn't hold on to it, and Mack was on second. He went to third as the ball escaped Arnaldo. Pitts popped up a high foul fly behind third. Chris went back and judged it well, but a very alert Mack converted the "sac" as Chris was still delightedly recovering from the effort of "the take". Whytie hammered to short where JC couldn't control the ball and it rebounded away putting the runner at second. Josh doubled to LF scoring Whytie. Kritter singled ..... to LF, then was out at second on Wayno's RBI ground ball to short. Gibbo singled to LF, and chased Wayno home on Rhino's double to RF. It was looking ugly again as the ninth batter came up, big hitting Joe, who hadn't really gotten on to anything today as yet, stepped to the plate. He swung mightily at the first pitch and it went sailing out to right of centre. With all the LF activity, Captain Scott was fielding well left of centre. He streaked across the outfield (hope those hammys are OK) and threw himself arm outstretched at the ball .... and came up with it! Dynamite catch to halt the carnage. Five runs scored .... all unearned.
Last chance. Big A Kd. Scott D chased his ground ball down the first base line, but couldn't beat it. Chris Kd. Game over. Final score: GMBC 16 d Knox 3.
The boys put up a fighting effort against a very strong big hitting GMBC unit. Games against GMBC are usually recalled in terms of how many home runs are hit. The boys did a great job to keep them to just two (from their 18 hits), and get one back of their own (go Arnaldo) from their 8 hits. Whytie pitched his usual consistent game, and Ramos 1 and 2 both threw an excellent strike to ball ratio. 18 hits to 8 is pretty hard to overcome, but everyone put in with nearly all players getting a hit against quality opposition. Thanks to the boys who stepped up at very short notice to ensure we had a team to put on the diamond.
