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2062 Preliminary Finals

Game 1 - Central Coast vs Adelaide Venom

Greg Ahern eased through the top of the 1st, inducing 2 popups before ending the inning with a well-constructed strikeout of Auger. Southpaw Cam Kneale, in his 1st start of the postseason, didn’t start off so assured. He walked Tomas Zartuche before getting a regulation groundball to short. Sadly, however, Xavier Culaham couldn’t hit his target at 2B and instead of Adelaide being 2 down with nobody on, they were instead none down with 2 on. An out later, Richard Moore hit a deep double to centre, scoring Zartuche. That was all the damage the Venom could inflict, taking a 1-0 lead.

Ahern didn’t handle Auger so well his next time up in the 4th, the Thunder star latching onto a cut fastball and depositing it way back in the right-centre bleachers. Tie game. The battle between the 2 continued in the 6th, Ahern fanning Auger on 3 pitches.

The scores were still knotted after 6, Central Coast with 7 base hits to Adelaide’s 3. Ahern gave up a 2-out single in the 7th and was pulled. He’d thrown 6.2 innings for 8 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks, and 9 strikeouts. He’d thrown 113 pitches to Kneale’s 83, his counterpart with only 1 K next to his name.

Adelaide sparked somewhat to life in the bottom of the 7th, snatching the lead via a 2-out RBI single from 9-hitter and DH Mitch Goddard. Central Coast were retired in order in the top of the 8th. Venom catcher Li Hayes showed why he was currently favoured ahead of Norm Donaldson in the bottom of the inning, his 421-foot fly extending the Venom’s lead to 2. Thunder catcher Humphrey was left cursing next hitter after he dropped a Gary Young foul pop-up. 2 pitches later Young cleared the right-centre fence to make it 4-1. Kneale (7.2IP, 8H, 4R, 3ER, 3BB, 1K) came from the mound shortly thereafter.

Bailey Naylor, back as Adelaide’s closer after 2 seasons in the setup role, strode out for the 9th. He had a 6-12 regular season record, with 32 saves. Luo singled up the middle off Naylor’s 1st pitch. Humphrey flied out to centre. Gilleland walked, bringing the tying run to the plate. Cox struck out looking. Culaham struck out swinging and Adelaide held on to win. Final score: 4-1 Venom.

Luo continued his hot postseason form, going 3-4. The Venom attempted 3 steals and were gunned down each time.

Game 1 - Cairns Crocs vs Christchurch Cowboys

Even though Cairns earned a first-round postseason bye, they didn’t get home advantage for their matchup with Christchurch. This was because the Crocs’ got to the playoffs on a wildcard, whereas Christchurch won their division.

Neither side scored through 2. Top of the 3rd, and Stephane Lecomte led off with a single before Gary Baker obliterated a changeup, putting it 431 feet back over left-centre. 2-0 Cairns. Jeremy Hofmann responded by upping the pace, fanning 2 of the next 3. Hofmann was still angry in the 4th, striking out 2 more, bellowing with clenched-fist delight each time.

Utting’s double in the bottom of the 6th was only the 2nd hit of the night for Christchurch, though they’d drawn 3 walks off Victor Doubleday. Next man up, Hauer, made it 4 walks before Fookes slapped the 1st pitch of his at-bat to left for a single. Bases full. Doubleday didn’t seem to want to throw to Kelvin Pickhills, who patiently walked a run home. Reardon spanked a pitch up the middle, but Lecomte broke quickly to snare it, starting an easy 6-4-3 double-play to end the inning. 2-1 Crocs.

Hoffman (6.0IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BB, 4K) was replaced by Ralston for the 7th, the wily veteran demonstrating his guile, striking out 2 of the 3 hitters he faced, doing so with a fastball that barely touched 140 km/h.

Doubleday walked his 6th of the night to begin the 7th, but immediately worked a 6-4-3 double play before striking out only his 3rd victim of the night. Ralson stayed on for the 8th, giving up an infield single to begin the inning. A 3-6-3 double-play cleared the bases, before Ronald Aitken fought his way to a 7-pitch single. Correa singled to right and Aitken attempted to go from 1B to 3B. RF Reardon was having none of that, the 37 y/o showcasing his tremendous arm to see Aitken tagged out.

Christchurch sent closer Digby out for the 9th, desperate to keep the difference 1. Digby got through the inning unscathed and the Cowboys readied themselves to face Crocs’ closer Martin Silva, who had a 9-5, 37 save record for the regular season. Pickhills walked on 9 pitches. Reardon ground out 5-3, but the tying run advanced to scoring position. Krajancic flied out to right. Hayes walked, and Seinosuke Nakashima was sent out as a pinch-hitter. The move didn’t work, as he went down on a regulation ground-ball to 2B.

Final score: 2-1 Cairns. Doubleday (8.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 7BB, 3K) was plenty wild, his 7 walks equalling the AUNZBL postseason game record, set in 2023 by Rick Hoolahan and seen again in 2034 with Russell Puckeridge on the mound.

Game 2 - Central Coast vs Adelaide Venom

Central Coast opened their account in the 3rd, Morimoto coming home off an Auger single after an error by Moore at 1B put him in scoring position. An out later Humphrey went long, deep and handsome, crushing a fastball into the centrefield bleachers to score 3 more. Adelaide sac-flied 1 home in the bottom of the inning to make it a 3-run game.

The Venom got on the board again in the 4th, Welch singling home Young to make it 4-2. Mitch Goddard blooped a 2-out RBI-single in the bottom of the 5th to reduce Central Coast’s lead to 1. The pattern was broken up in the bottom of the 6th, the Venom unable to score despite several deep flies.

Auger cracked his 2nd double of the night in the 7th, driving a run home to give Central Coast a little bit of breathing space. Gu Luo followed up with a 2-run drive over right-centre. 7-3 Central Coast.

Adelaide put men on 2B and 3B with 1 out in the bottom of the inning before Humphrey couldn’t handle a regulation fastball, chasing it back to the fence. 1 run scored and the other runner advanced to 3B. Young blistered a single to left to make the score 7-5. Moore singled and Zglinicki (6.1IP, 12H, 5ER, 1BB, 3K) came from the mound after another disappointing postseason outing. Reliever Allen Jiang got the next 2 outs without any trouble, the Thunder heading into the 8th with a 2-run lead.

Robinson Saldana’s (7.0IP, 10H, 7R, 4ER, 1BB, 7K) night was also done and Aaron Fingleson got through the inning unscathed despite an error by the shortstop and a wild pitch.

An errant throw in the bottom of the 8th by Thunder 2B Luo, usually a stellar defender, saw the Venom bring the go-ahead run to the plate with nobody out. Cong Pi singled to left and the bases were juiced. Zartuche ground into a U6-3 double-play but a runner scored to make it 7-6. Goddard singled up the middle and Andrew Benbow crossed home plate with the game-tying run. Young hit his 3rd two-bagger of the night to score Goddard and give Adelaide the lead. Moore hit a fly deep, deep to right-centre but Liao chased it down, his running catch ending the inning.

Naylor come out for the 9th and needed only 1 pitch to get Morimoto to ground out. Downes struck out on a massive curveball. Auger ground out 5-3. Final score: 8-7 Adelaide, who snatched it at the death.

Goddard went 4-4 for the Venom, while Auger was 3-5 for Central Coast with 2 doubles.

Game 2 - Cairns Crocs vs Christchurch Cowboys

All eyes were on Dan Pankhurst, coming off that 8.1-inning, 3-hit, 0-run performance against Christchurch. He would take on Damian Flemming, who had struggled through the last couple months of the regular season.

Pankhurst eased through the 1st inning, getting 2 soft groundball outs to go with a strikeout. Flemming, however, immediately found himself in trouble, giving up a triple to leadoff hitter Vega. Utting’s deep ground-out to 2B scored Vega and Flemming massaged the mound with his heel. Two outs later Fookes doubled off the left-centre wall, scoring off Kelvin Pickhills follow-up single. 2-0 Cowboys after 1.

Cairns’ nabbed 1 back in the 2nd, Dwyer’s 2-out single bringing home Correa, who’d led off the inning with a single. Correa tied the game in the 3rd with a 2-out single to right scoring a hustling Lecomte.

Utting drilled a changeup that was left high in the zone down the RF line and into the bleachers in the bottom of the inning, giving Christchurch back the lead. 3-2 Cowboys.

The score remained the same until the bottom of the 6th, when Flemming got himself in early trouble, walking the first 2 hitters of the inning. He got the next 2 outs before Hayes somehow made contact with a fastball very low and away, singling up the middle to score both runners. 5-2 Cowboys.

Pankhurst (6.0IP, 7H, 2ER, 1BB, 3K) retired after 6, replaced by Ralston, who got his usual standing O as he trotted to the mound. He went 1-2-3 through them to move to 3.1 scoreless 2062 postseason innings. Flemming (6.0IP, 7H, 5ER, 3BB, 2K) also sat down after 6, comprehensively losing this battle of the extreme groundballers. Souhtpaw Umashankar Meenakshi was his replacement. Meenakshi got through the inning on 8 pitches.

Ralston took a great return catch in the top of the 8th on his way to another scoreless inning. Fookes crushed the 1st pitch of the bottom of the inning, a belt-high Meenakshi fastball, over the CF wall to put the Cowboys 4 runs in front. That run meant Ralston started the 9th. Rodriguez flared a single to right. Lara got jammed up on an inside fastball, going down on strikes. Dwyer swung through a deceptively straight fastball to also strikeout, and Ralston was replaced by Whiskin for the final out. Whiskin froze up Murphy with a giant curve and this one was done and dusted!

Final score: 6-2 Christchurch to level the series. Ralston fanned 4 in his 2.2 innings, reminding plenty of his glory days.

Game 3 - Central Coast vs Adelaide Venom

Moore led off the top of the 2nd with a double off the leftfield wall but was left stranded at 3B. Pi doubled in the 3rd but also couldn't progress to homeplate. A pair of singles to Central Coast in the bottom of the 3rd gave them their first scoring opportunity with only 1 out on the board. Downes singled up the middle, scoring 1, before Auger got a fastball he could pull. And pull it he did, sending it deep over right for a 3-run homer. 4-0 Central Coast as they fought to stay alive in the postseason.

They weren’t done yet, though, Liao doubling to right and scoring off a 2-out Gilleland single to left. Rafael Hurlson was a dejected man coming from the mound at inning’s end.

An angry Young destroyed a Juhl fastball to begin the 4th, sending it onto the upper deck of the leftfield stands. Moore and Acevedo both singled just over the glove of SS Culaham. Welch chopped a single up the middle and just like that Adelaide had the bases juiced with nobody out. Hayes’ soft single to left scored 1, reducing the deficit to 3 and keeping the bases at maximum passenger allowance. An out later, Pi sac-flied another runner home, the inning ending with the score 5-3.

Culaham belted a HR to begin the bottom of the inning, Hurlson’s ERA at 18.00. He got the next out and was then removed, having thrown 3.1 innings for 7 hits, 6 earned runs, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts.

An error on an awkward bounce in right saw Morimoto wind up at 2B. He advanced to 3B on a ground-out and came home on a wild pitch. 7-3 Thunder. It became 8-3 when Luo singled home Auger, who’d walked earlier. 8-3 Thunder, the 5-run advantage restored.

The action settled down after that, both sides retiring in order in the 5th. The scorers were back in action in the 6th, Hayes grooving a slider 437-feet back into the left-centre stands, scoring 2. Liao robbed Benbow of extra bases with a sensational diving catch and Juhl blew Pi away with some high heat. 8-5 Central Coast.

Juhl (7.0IP, 8H, 5ER, 1BB, 5K) took a seat after 7. A pair of walks by his relievers brought the tying run to the plate with 1 out but the Venom couldn’t do anything with the opportunity.

Canavan marched out for the 9th. Pi walked on 5 pitches. Zartuche struck out. Goddard hit a fastball nearly in the dirt up the middle for a single. Young fanned on a great sinking fastball. Moore ground out weakly to 1B and the Thunder were still alive.

Final score: 8-5 Central Coast.

Game 3 - Cairns Crocs vs Christchurch Cowboys

Vega singled to begin the game but hurt his neck soon after when sliding hard into 2B to break up a double-play. While not seriously injured, he would miss at least the rest of this series. 19-game winner Clint Kline, who’d got through the season basically throwing only a fastball and a forkball, eased through the first 2 innings, fanning 3 hitters. He lost his rhythm a bit in the 3rd, hitting 2 batters, but got through the inning without the scoreboard changing.

The Crocs got a rally going in the bottom of the inning, Baker opening the scoring with an RBI-single. Lecomte led the charge on a double-steal and Utting argued with the 3B umpire for a good minute after Lecomte was called safe. Aitken drove another run home with a hard ground-out to 2B before Baker chanced his luck on a shallow fly-out from Correa. Reardon’s throw was a fraction high and Baker was called safe. 3-0 Cairns.

Rodriguez showcased some fine defensive 1B skills in the top of the 5th, swiping a tag for the 2nd out after a high throw pulled him off the bag before charging a soft grounder and racing Hayes back to 1B for the final out of the inning.

Heathcote (4.1IP, 8H, 3ER, 2BB, 2K) was pulled after allowing a 1-out walk in the 5th, having thrown 89 pitches in less than 5 innings.

Seinosuke Nakashima, Vega’s injury replacement, singled in the 6th, Christchurch’s 1st hit since Vega’s game opening single. Sadly for the Cowboys that did not spark a rally, Rodriguez again showing how it was done to start a U3-6 double-play to end the inning.

A 2-out Reardon double in the 7th opened Christchurch’s account, Fookes scampering home all the way from 1B. Ralston came to the mound with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th and engineered 2 groundball outs. It was possible he forgot he wasn’t at his home park when the inning ended, however, as he tried to gee the fans up with some enthusiastic arm-waving. The effort didn’t work, instead earning him a few boos, though most Crocs’ fans remembered Ralston fondly from his 2 seasons in their colours.

Nakashima hit his 2nd single of the night in the 8th and Kline (7.2IP, 5H, 1ER, 0BB, 5K) was marched from the mound, surely satisfied with his efforts. Ralston gave up his 1st run of the postseason in the bottom of the inning, Lara’s deep double scoring Rodriguez.

4-1 Cairns heading into the top of the 9th, Silva on the mound. Fookes ground out back to the pitcher. Kelvin Pickhills went down 5-3. Reardon lined out to right. Final score: 4-1 Crocs to put themselves within a game of the Championship Series. All 6 of Silva’s pitches were in the strike zone. As well as shining defensively, 1B Rodriguez also went 3-4 and scored a run.

Game 4 - Central Coast vs Adelaide Venom

Both defences traded blows through the first 2 innings. Liao bounced a single over the head of 3B in the bottom of the 3rd, driving Culaham home and giving Central Coast the lead. Morimoto then singled Liao home and the Thunder jumped ahead 2-zip. Aggressive baserunning on Downes’ single to right put runners at 2B and 3B, Morimoto scoring off Auger’s ground-out. Luo then drove Downes home. 4-0 Thunder after 3.

Ahern again didn’t look his usual self in the 4th but got through the inning without damage. He struggled through the 5th, throwing 25 pitches, but didn’t come out in the 6th. He went 5.0IP for 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 walks, and only 2 strikeouts. Reliever Bruno Budd, whose arm had dramatically dropped off in 2062, gave up 2 singles before surrendering a 3-run dinger to Culaham. He was yanked and a menacing Apaghana Potluri fanned 2 of the next 3.

Cam Kneale had only thrown 72 pitches after 7. He looked to have eased through the 8th as well until Liao dropped a regulation 2-out fly in right. Next up, Zartuche punched a single to left and the runner scored, putting a listless Adelaide on the board. Kneale stayed on for the 9th. Young singled to left. Moore crushed a single to the same vicinity. Acevedo flied out to right, Liao making no mistake this time. Welch got rung up on a fastball. Benbow ground out 4-3 and this series was all tied up.

Final score: 7-1 Thunder, Kneale deservedly going the whole game (9.0IP, 7H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 3K).

Game 4 - Cairns Crocs vs Christchurch Cowboys

Nakashima continued his good form from the previous game, leading off this encounter with a single to the edge of the RF grass. He advanced to 2B on a passed ball and scored when Utting doubled into the RF corner. Doubleday settled down after that, retiring the next 3. 1-0 Cowboys after half-an-inning.

Baker allowed his 2nd passed ball in the top of the 2nd after Reardon drew a leadoff walk. Doubleday’s frustration with the veteran catcher was obvious. 2 pitches later and Baker couldn’t handle the pill again, Reardon coasting to 3B. Doubleday resorted to changeups and got the strikeout. He walked the next, got a strikeout, then walked another to juice the bases with Utting back up. Utting made nice contact but a combination of hitting to the longest part of the field coupled with the wind kept the ball in the park, the end result an easy catch to the CF. Doubleday gave the air a one-two punch but avoided any conversation with his catcher as they headed to the dugout.

In the 3rd, Rodriguez’s double and Lara’s walk gave Cairns a good opportunity with 1 away but they couldn’t convert. Doubleday, who walked 7 in 8 innings his last start, walked the first 2 hitters in the bottom of the inning, giving him 5 already in this game. He got a 6-4-3 double-play to ease the pressure some but Reardon barrelled a single to right to drive the runner on 3B home. 2-0 Cowboys.

After walking his 6th to begin the 5th, Doubleday was yanked, remonstrating with his manager all the way to the dugout. An out later, after a balk saw the runner move to 3B, Fookes’ sac-fly brought him home. 3-0 Cowboys, Doubleday going 4.0 innings for 3 hits and 6 walks. He struck out 4.

Hofmann also walked the first hitter in the bottom of the inning, and was also subbed, though he’d been throwing much better than his counterpart and had only delivered 70 pitches. His relief, Scott McAuley, gave up a single down the RF line to Lee, who advanced to 2B as Murphy dived in safe at 3B. Lecomte singled up the middle and both men scored. Suddenly it was a 1-run game! An out later Aitken walked and a couple pitches later Cairns went for the double-steal. Rather than firing to 3B, however, Hayes rifled a shot to 2B, and Aitken was comfortably tagged out. Correa flied out and the score was 3-2 Cowboys after 5. Hofmann’s match figures were 4.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 2BB, 3K.

Christchurch added to their lead in the 6th, Corless’s nub ground-out seeing the runner at 3B rush home. Baker continued his mare behind home plate, allowing another passed ball which saw runners at 2B and 3B but Wells dialled up the velocity to strike out Utting and end the inning. 4-2 Cowboys.

In the bottom of the inning, Lara singled and Dwyer doubled, giving Cairns 2 runners in scoring position. Murphy walked on 4 pitches. Bases loaded, 1 out. Lee ground out to 1B but Murphy’s hard slide prevented a double-play and allowed Lara to cross home-plate unchallenged. The inning ended with Cairns again back within 1 run.

Gold Glove winner Utting made an error in the bottom of the 7th, allowing the leadoff hitter, Baker, aboard. Groundball pitching and good fielding meant Cairns were unable to profit.

Rodriguez hustled up the line to beat out a throw from the catcher in the bottom of the 8th, putting the tying run at 1B with no outs. Lara singled wide of the shortstop. Tying run at 2B, go-ahead run at 1B. Dwyer ground into a 3-6-3 doubleplay, Rodriguez now at 3B but with 2 out. Murphy struck out and Christchurch held onto their lead.

Nakashima led off the top of the 9th with a single and advanced to 3B on Utting’s single to right. Hauer’s fly to the RF wall allowed Nakashima to tag up and come home, giving the Cowboys some insurance.

Digby marched out for the bottom of the inning, his handlebar moustache bristling in the breeze. Lee drove the 1-0 pitch into vacant pasture in left for a single. Lecomte singled up the middle past a diving Nakashima and Lee put the afterburners on to dive in safely at 3B. Baker’s fly to left wasn’t deep and was an easy out but Lee had wheels and came home to make it a 1-run game. Aitken continued his dismal postseason, struck out looking at a fastball on the outer half of the plate. Correa ground out to Utting and the Cowboys had held on to send this to a Game 5 back in Christchurch.

Final score: 5-4 Cowboys. Nakashima, with his 2-3 also including a walk and 2 runs, took out PotG.

Game 5 - Central Coast vs Adelaide Venom

Zglinicki versus Saldana for the decider, Central Coast fans sure Zglinicki was due to live up to his ‘Mr. Dependable’ nickname.

Both pitchers eased through the 1st. Both leadoff hitters made base in the 2nd but a double-play ended Central Coast’s chance at early runs and Zglinicki showed good guile to retire the next 3 in his half of the inning.

The Adelaide infield turned another DP in the 3rd while Central Coast weren’t quite quick enough to double up Zartuche in the bottom of the inning. He advanced to 2B on Goddard’s pop fly into vacant space in shallow CF, both the CF and SS hesitating to call the catch. Young struck out watching 3 fastballs in a row and the threat was over.

Adelaide showcased some nice outfield defence in the 4th, while Acevedo showcased his wheels in the bottom of the inning to beat out a double-play. No damage was down, however, the score still knotted at zero after 4.

Humphrey and Gilleland both singled to begin the 5th before Young started a 4-6-3 double-play with a behind-the-back flip. Culaham flied out to centre and Humphrey was left stranded at 3B. Welch then put a large blemish on Adelaide’s defensive display, throwing the ball into the dugout from 3B at the beginning of the 6th, Liao ending up in scoring position. Morimoto ground out to 1B but Liao advanced to 3B and it looked certain the deadlock would be broken. Downes crushed a fly to the RF warning track and Liao tagged up, coming home without a throw. 1-0 Central Coast.

Young started the bottom of the inning with a double down the 3B line. An out later Acevedo drove a single up the middle and Young took on the throw to dive home safely. Tie game again. Acevedo, who’d advanced to 2B on the throw home, stole 3B in a tight call, the Thunder 3B coach getting thrown out of the game after nudging the umpire with his chest in the ensuing dramatics. Welch made up for his error by twisting a line-drive into the LF corner. RBI-double and the Venom were in front. Hayes singled up the middle, Welch wisely pulling up at 3B. Benbow flied out to right and Welch took on the throw to make it 3-1.

3 batters, 3 groundball outs in the top of the 7th. Zglinicki was beginning to throw up in the zone, as evidenced by 2 fly outs to deep right in the bottom of the inning. Young then crunched another fly over left, only this one didn’t fall inside the fence. Solo HR, Young’s 3rd of the series, to push the difference to 3 runs. Moore went opposite field, doubling to left, to extend the inning but Acevedo ground out to 3B for the final out.

Saldana (7.0IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, 2BB, 3K) had a fine outing, taking his seat in the dugout in the 8th to watch proceedings. Reliever Aaron Fingleson was menacing, striking out the first 2 hitters of the inning before getting a broken-bat grounder for the 3rd out. Zglinicki (7.0IP, 9H, 4ER, 2BB, 3K) also headed to the bench for the 8th but cut a very different figure to his opposite, undoubtedly mulling over his poor overall postseason showing.

The Venom couldn’t add any more insurance in the bottom of the inning and Naylor came out to close the game. Morimoto led off with a single and Downes followed with a humpback liner to centre. Tying run at 1B, no outs. Auger struck out. Luo also struck out, both batters frozen up. Humphrey swung through a 1-2 fastball and that was the series done and dusted!

Final score: 4-1 Venom, and Adelaide had the opportunity to make it 4 in a row! Young (.429/.455/.952, 3HR) deservedly took out series MVP.

Game 5 - Cairns Crocs vs Christchurch Cowboys

Flemming, with 1 awful postseason start so far, would again tackle Pankhurst, who was 2-0 in the 2062 playoffs with a 1.26 ERA.

Aitken, 1-13 before tonight’s game, rode a 2-2 fastball into the RF bleachers in the top of the 1st to give Cairns a quick 1-run advantage. Flemming induced 3 groundball outs to run through Christchurch in the bottom of the inning.

Cairns continued making good contact on Pankhurst through the next 2 innings but weren’t able to profit. Hayes singled up the middle in the bottom of the 3rd to record the Cowboys’ first hit of the night but could advance no further than 2B.

In the 4th, Baker got thrown out at 3B on a Correa single thanks to another terrific throw from Reardon. A batter later, Rodriguez drilled a Pankhurst fastball off the CF wall for an RBI-double to push Cairns further ahead. Utting then made another uncharacteristic error to allow Lara aboard, Rodriguez gliding into 3B in the process. Dwyer dribbled out to the pitcher to end the threat.

Kelvin Pickhills started the bottom of the inning with a walk, advanced to 2B on a wild pitch and scored 2 outs later when Reardon singled to right. 2-1 Crocs.

Correa got picked off at 1B after singling in the 6th, which was a pity as the next 2 hitters singled. Next man up, Dwyer, also singled to bring 1 runner home. Murphy continued the rally, his sharp single to left scoring another to make it 4-1.

Lecomte’s leadoff single in the 7th signalled the end of Pankhurst’s night (6.0IP, 10H, 5ER, 1BB, 3K), this performance a far cry from his previous 2. An out later Aitken singled off reliever McAuley, and Lecomte cheekily led a double-steal, Hayes’ throw well late. Correa was intentionally walked, bringing up Rodriguez. He got plunked for the second time in the match, allowing Lecomte to cross home-plate without harassment. Lara struck out but Dwyer managed an infield RBI-single. Murphy cracked the first pitch of his at-bat into CF for another single, this one scoring 2 runners. 8-1 at the 7th-inning stretch mark, Cairns cruising towards a series victory.

Flemming (6.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 2BB, 4K) was replaced for the bottom of the inning.

The score was still the same heading into the 9th, Carl Rowlands giving the home fans something to cheer about, striking out 4 of the first 5 hitters he faced. Reliever Cain Sheng, who’d thrown the 7th and 8th, came to the mound for the bottom of the inning with the possibility of recording a save should he go the whole inning. He was on point, striking out Utting to end the game and give Cairns the series win.

Final score: 8-1 Crocs. There was only ever 1 team in it this day. Rodriguez went 3-3, with 2 runs, 1 double, 2RBI, and 2 HBP. He was also named series MVP, cranking out a .526/.571/.632 stat-line.