Eastern League Pennant Series
Game 3
Wellington 9 – Queensland 4
The Athletics won game 3, taking advantage of Eagles miscues and also taking a 3 games to none lead in the series.
Queensland got on the board first, when singles by 2B Jilineko Balignasay, SS In-sin Moon, LF Jonathan Matby and 1B Quentin Puddy brought in Balignasay in the bottom half of the 1st.
Wellington responded in the 2nd, when a 2B Tom Addis triple brought home LF Bob Boynton.
Wellington took the lead in the 3rd, when a C Dylan Watkins single scored 3B Ryley McLarnon, who had led off the inning with a triple.
Queensland took their first lead in the series in the 4th. SP Julius Hunt singled in Quentin Puddy, who had reached third on a double play, to tie the score. Jilineko Balignasay then singled in RF Ben Watson, who had been intentionally walked. Queensland led 3-2 after 4 innings.
But the Eagles would lose the lead in the 7th. CF Colin Blyth reached second on an error, and advanced to third base after SS Gabriel Fairless grounded out. He then came in to score when Eagles SP Julius Hunt dropped the throw while covering first base, allowing SP Michael Hanley to reach base safely with two outs.
Wellington took the lead for good in the 8th, thanks to RF Quentin Stubber’s two-run homer.
They would put the game out of reach in the 9th, scoring 4 runs, thanks to doubles by Colin Blyth and Quentin Stubber and singles by Gabriel Fairless and 1B Onel Arcusa.
Queensland’s final run in the bottom of the 9th proved costly. Jonathan Matby hit a one-out double but was injured on the play and replaced by Sadatake Mizuno. A single by Quentin Puddy drove in Mizumo to make the score 9-4. C Oscar Clapp then hit into a double play to end the game.
Jonathan Matby was diagnosed with hamstring tendinitis in the 9th inning. He will be out 2-3 weeks.
RF Quentin Stubber would earn Play of the Game honours, going 2 for 4, with 1 HR, 1-2B, 2 R, 1 BB and 4 RBI.
Game 4
Queensland 3 – Wellington 1
The Eagles staved off elimination thanks to an outstanding pitching performance by SP Darren Stewart.
Wellington got on the board first when 1B Byron Tope drove in C Dylan Watkins from third in the top of the first. But Stewart would shut them down the rest of the way.
Queensland got all the offense they needed in the 4th. RF Sadatake Mizuno led off with a double and reached third on a passed ball by SP Raśl Lecero. Mizuno came in to score on a sac fly by LF Tony Dan. SS In-sin Moon singled and scored on C Oscar Clapp’s double. Clapp came in to score on an error at first base to make it 3-1 Eagles.
SP Darren Stewart (9.0 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1.00 ERA) won Player of the Game honours.
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Western League Pennant Series
Game 3
Kingston 7 – Sherburn 5
Kingston took game 3 from the Tigers, scoring 7 runs on 15 hits.
Pelicans opened the scoring in the 1st. Leadoff hitter CF Shoshu Shimizu hit a double, reached third on a ground out and scored on a sac fly to left field.
Sherburn responded in the bottom half. After 2B Roy Abe reached base on an error and third base on consecutive ground outs, he would come in to score on LF Robin Harney’s single.
Sherburn took the lead in the bottom of the 2nd, when C Joe Gault doubled and then scored after consecutive ground outs.
But Kingston retook the lead for good in the 3rd. RF Chong-sik Lee and SS Okura Ito reached base on an error and single respectively and advanced on a groundout. A wild pitch by SP Dillon Green allowed Lee to score to tie the game. Back to back walks to LF Jayden Tennant and 2B Mo Symes loaded the bases. Ito would come in to score on a fielder’s choice.
Kington made it 5-2 in the 6th, thanks to a solo home run by Okura Ito and back-to-back doubles by 1B Fergus Chitty and Jayden Tennant.
In the 8th, Fergus Chitty hit a solo home run to make it 6-2.
In the top of the 9th, Albert Howard scored on Chong-sik Lee’s single.
But the Tigers would put a scare into the Pelicans in the bottom half. After 1B Jeaic Risbrough reached base with a 1-out single, Joe Gault deposited a 2-2 offering from SP Joey Cumberledge into the left-centerfield bleachers. 3B Mick Lanfear immediately followed up with a double and scored on a single by PH Dong-min Lee to make it 7-5 Kingston. But Roy Abe hit into a fielder’s choice at 2nd to end the rally and the game.
Player of the Game honours went to Kingston’s SS Okura Ito, would went 4 for 5, with 1 HR, 1-2B, 2 R and 2 RBI.
Game 4
Kingston 9 – Sherburn 8
The Pelicans and Tigers continued to put on an offensive show in Game 4.
The Tigers got on the board first. After scoring a run in the bottom of the 1st, Sherburn added 3 in 2nd. 3B Mick Lanfear led off with a walk and took third on a throwing error when he stole second. Lanfear came in to score on a groundout. RF William Neal scored on 2B Roy Abe’s single after reaching base on a walk and a steal of second. The Tigers made it 4-0 when SS Gary Watkinson doubled in Abe.
Kingston scored two runs in the 4th, thanks to a solo shot by 1B Fergus Chitty and a run scoring single by 3B Albert Howard.
Kingston would get to within one of Sherburn in the 6th, when Howard singled in C Cereneo Tolentino from second.
The Tigers would make it 6-3 when Mick Lanfear hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the 6th.
But the Pelicans came storming back in the 7th. CF Shoshu Shimizu led off with a double, reached third on a RF Chong-sik Lee single and scored on a SS Okura Ito single. After LF Jayden Tennant walked to load the bases, 2B Mo Symes singled to score Lee and Ito to tie the game at 6-6.
Sherburn regained the lead in the bottom of the 7th, when C Joe Gault sinlged in LF Robin Harney from second. The Tigers would make it 8-6 when Roy Abe hit a solo home run in the 8th.
But the Pelicans regained the lead for good in the 9th. Fergus Chitty made it 8-7 after leading off with a walk, advancing to third on a Jayden Tennant double and scoring on a ground out. After a walk to Cereneo Tolentino, Albert Howard singled in Tennant to tie the game. Shoshu Shimizu singled in Tolentino for what proved to be the winning run.
Sherburn went down in the 9th after a leadoff walk to Robin Harney and three consecutive fielder’s choices at second.
In a game that feature a number of standout performances on offense, 3B Mick Lanfear was selected as Player of the Game, going 2 for 4, with 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB and 1 K.