By Sean Talbot
The two-time reigning premier Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers snapped a 3 game losing streak at Kings Park in Upper Ferntree Gully on Sunday, putting a visiting Geelong team to the sword and running out eventual 8-2 winners. It looked like the Tigers of old right from the first inning, as base hits combined with aggressive baserunning and sloppy Geelong defense lead to two runs crossing the plate and the first time the Tigers have held a lead in any inning since their Round 1 mercy rule win over Melbourne, also at home.
Outstanding right from the word go, staff ace Jarrod Rogers was at the peak of his powers as he utilised a 4 pitch mix combined with brilliant command and a lively fastball that kept the visitors off balance and never allowed them to get comfortable. Working quickly as he does when he is at his best, Turner had a lightning fast 1-2-3 second inning that saw him need only 7 pitches to retire the side, all of them strikes.
“I felt really good today. The boys backed me up with the sticks which was amazing, and we scored runs early which gave us momentum in the field as well,” Turner noted in his post-game comments with Sean Talbot.
Continuing to refuse to let the Geelong hitters get settled, Turner continued to attack the zone, again putting up quick scoreless innings in the 3rd and 4th as the usually potent Geelong line-up was placed in the proverbial rocking chair by one of the leagues best pitchers.
Breaking out for 4 runs through a combination of safe hitting, team centered at-bats and more Geelong errors, the Tigers put the game out of reach in the 4th inning, plating 4 runs to take a 6-0 lead, giving Turner all the run support he would need and more, putting the screws to Geelong who had no answers to the mix of veterans and budding superstars, with all 9 players either recording hits or using their at-bats to advance runners. Leading the way on offense for the Tigers was young gun Jack Ratcliffe, who went 5-for-5 from the leadoff spot and truly set the tone for the Tigers throughout the afternoon.
“I felt pretty good, I was just looking for my pitch, and when I got that pitch I was looking to do damage. To back up Jarrod is always good, and was great to come away with a win” Ratcliffe remarked in his post-game comments with Talbot.
Turner was relentless for his part in twirling an absolute gem, going 7 scoreless innings whilst only surrendering 3 hits, handing the ball to veteran left-hander Wes de Jong who threw a scoreless 8th inning, giving the Tigers a chance to invoke the 10-run mercy rule, however they could not capitalize and left 2 runners on. After making some offensive changes in the top of the 9th and sending some of their own young charges to the plate for an at-bat once the game was all done but the shouting. To their credit, the Baycats plated a pair to get on the board, however it was too little, too late as de Jong slammed the door shut on a commanding 8-2 win to get the reigning premiers back in the win column and improving to 2-3, jumping into a 7-way tie for 7th place with Doncaster, Port Melbourne, Fitzroy, Williamstown, Newport and Blackburn.
In the curtain-raiser, it was 1st v 2nd as both sides came in undefeated sporting perfect 4-0 records. Starting on short notice, Tristan Mealey took the ball for the Tigers, who would themselves in unfamiliar territory as the young Baycats team jumped them for 4 runs in the top of the 1st on a combination of safe hitting, defensive miscues and a few lucky bounces that all seemed to go the way of the boys from the bay. To their credit, the Tigers were not going to go down without a fight, plating 1 in the first while going to work on holding Geelong scoreless in the 2nd and 3rd innings, whilst creating 3 runs themselves as the line-up of veterans patiently allowed Geelong’s starter to run into trouble as he struggled to consistently find the strike zone.
Mealey gave way to Sean Meldrum after 4, who was again jumped by Geelong who pushed a single run across in the 5th inning, before Meldrum settled into his work, throwing a scoreless 6th inning to give the home side their last chance to steal the win in front of the home crowd. As they have done all season, the Tigers created opportunities for themselves, putting pressure on Geelong’s defense to score a game-winning 3 runs to take a 7-6 lead into the last inning, with Meldrum slamming the door shut to seal the win.
“It was really good. We had a bit of a slow start, but the boys battled away, and this is the first time we’ve been pushed a little bit, being in an unfamiliar situation of having to come back, but it was good to find it here today and we went from there” Meldrum noted to Talbot in his post-game. “Ash (Geary-Smith, catcher) did a great job, with a couple of key blocks late in the game and kept us going as we look forward to next week and hope to improve to 6-0”. As mentioned, the win sees Upwey maintain top spot with a perfect 5-0 record, with Geelong falling to 3rd behind Essendon.
Travelling down the freeway to Geelong on Saturday, the 3rds came up short against top-of-the-ladder Geelong 8-5, though having their chances to steal the win but unable to capitalize. Geelong to their credit have been an offensive force early in the season, being far and away the leagues strongest squad while also winning multiple premierships within the last 5 years. The result sees the Tigers record their first loss of the season as they now share equal 5th with Blackburn sporting a 3-1-1 record, while Geelong improve to 5-0 and remain in first.
It was a happy trip home for the 4ths however, as they scored early and often against a developing Geelong squad, eventually running out 8-0 winners. Coach Richard Ferguson was fantastic on the mound, leading the way and giving his team every chance they would need, as they continued to show why they are the team to beat whilst showing the depth of the Tigers, continuing their perfect start to the season and sitting equal 1st with Essendon at 5-0.
In a game they would probably prefer to quickly move on from, the Region Metro East 5ths travelled to Napier Park to take on Waverley, and were comprehensively outplayed, taking an 18-4 drubbing on the chin against an impressive line-up that has a reputation for scoring freely against all comers. To their credit, the Tigers kept applying pressure, however the experience of the boys in red was too much to handle. The loss sees the Tigers fall back under .500 to 2-3 in a 3-way tie for 6th with Research Gold and Monash Uni.
It was a different story at home on Sunday for the Metro League South 6ths, who jumped the visiting Malvern squad early and never let them back into the game, taking out a 17-5 mercy-rule win on the Kings Park back field, no doubt showing that last weeks unfortunate forfeit v Springvale was just what the doctor ordered to light the fire and set them in motion for what is surely a sign of things to come. The win sees the Tigers jump back above .500 to 3-2, sitting clear in 3rd place behind Springvale (5-0) and Bonbeach (4-1).
In the Lady Tigers game, the girls jumped a visiting Moorabbin team in the 1st, overcoming an early 1-0 deficit to plate multiple runs in the first 4 innings while settling in behind a strong start from young ace Chelsea Mosbey who was outstanding with her command, weaving in and out of trouble before handing the ball over to Billie McCulloch, who ensured the didn’t let the pressure of a tightening ballgame get to her, throwing the final 2 1/3 innings to seal a great team win. Finding herself in a 2-on, 0-out situation in the 2nd inning, Mosbey forced a groundball to McCulloch off the Moorabbin bat, starting what would turn into an inning-ending 6-4-3-2 triple play, certainly something that is rarely seen at any level of baseball, but certainly a feat that was more than a welcome sight.
“I felt pretty good. At some points the ball wasn’t going where I wanted it to, but enough went where I wanted them, and I was really happy with how the all the girls handled it. They (Tigers) were great in the field and I think the energy was great, staying boosted through the game which only picked up once we turned our inning-ending triple play in the 2nd inning” Mosbey was quoted after the game.
The Lady Tigers also improve to 5-0 to start the season to sit atop the Womens Metro South ladder, tied with Chelsea who have taken the league by storm and also sit 5-0.
The Lady Tigers are back on the road this coming week, travelling to Kingston Heath Reserve to take on 5th place Cheltenham, while the Men’s 1sts and 2nds will be on the road to Sandringham in what is a must-win game for both clubs in the late game. The Upwey 3rds and 4ths will in-turn host Sandringham, while the 5ths host Waverley Black and the 6ths travel to Moorabbin.
