Firebirds Hold Off Late Push from Cats in Tight One
The Central Firebirds came out firing early and did just enough to hold off a determined Carine Cats outfit, taking a 7-5 win on Tuesday at Empire Ballpark.
Charlie Moffat was the spark for the Firebirds, delivering a clutch single in the first that brought home four runs and set the tone. The Cats didn’t back down though, immediately levelling things up with some heads-up base running and a timely single from Lucas Campbell.
The Firebirds reclaimed the lead in the second with a fielder’s choice RBI and padded it further in the third thanks to another knock from Moffat and a fielding error from the Cats.
Samuel Finlay was solid on the hill for the Firebirds, going five innings and striking out six while allowing no earned runs despite some traffic. Joseph Panomarenko finished the job with 1.1 scoreless innings to seal the deal.
Moffat finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, leading the Firebirds’ offence. The Cats showed patience at the plate, tallying seven walks and a couple of multi-hit performances from Campbell Weir and William Scott, but couldn’t bridge the gap late.
Wanneroo Edge Out Titans in Pitching Duel
In a low-scoring arm-wrestle at Tom Bateman Reserve, the Wanneroo Giants pulled off a gritty 4-3 win over the Southern Titans thanks to some late hustle and steady relief pitching.
The game broke open in the fifth when Taylor Benseman doubled in a run before Austin Mackie followed up with an RBI single. The Titans responded in the bottom half, levelling things via a triple from Noah Russell and an error.
With things tight, the Giants capitalised on two passed balls in the eighth to squeeze in the go-ahead runs. That proved enough, with Benseman returning to the mound to shut the door over three scoreless innings.
Mackie impressed on both sides, fanning nine over nearly five innings of work and adding a hit and RBI. Russell led the Titans’ offence with a triple and RBI, while Rylan Hunt drew two walks as the team showed good patience at the dish.
The Giants now shift focus to a home clash against the Eastern Phantoms next Tuesday.
Phantoms Outlast Giants in See-Saw Thriller
The Eastern Phantoms and Wanneroo Giants traded blows in a Tuesday shootout, but it was the Phantoms who held firm late to claim a 7-6 win at Tom Bateman Reserve.
Wanneroo struck first via a Samuel Lemieux RBI double, but the Phantoms quickly countered with Hunter Gordon and Andres Rapy driving in runs. The Giants fought back with a big fourth inning, retaking the lead 4-2 behind hits from Palmer, Lemieux and Mackie.
But errors proved costly for the Giants in the fifth, with the Phantoms capitalising on two miscues to cross home three more times. They never trailed again.
Nathan Hanks led the Phantoms with two knocks, while Noah Romeo ran wild on the bases with three steals. Their defence was sharp too, playing error-free baseball.
Lemieux and Taylor Benseman knocked in two runs apiece for the Giants in a valiant effort, but the Phantoms’ pressure proved too much.
Southern Hills Run Wild Over Carine
The Southern Hills Warriors put on a show on the basepaths and turned up the pressure in a 10-6 win over the Carine Cats at Tom Bateman Reserve.
The Cats actually led 4-1 after a busy bottom of the first, with Ari Boekhorn, William Scott and Tobias Waddle all chipping in RBIs. But the Warriors didn’t blink, storming back in the fourth with three runs and keeping the momentum rolling from there.
Nicholas Rieka was a standout, going 2-for-3 and knocking in three runs, while also helping his team dominate the running game. The Warriors racked up a whopping 10 stolen bases, with four players swiping multiple bags.
The bullpen held strong too, with five Southern Hills arms combining to hold the Cats scoreless over the final five innings.
Despite nine walks and multi-hit games from Scott and Aidan George, the Cats couldn’t claw back as the Warriors’ pace and pressure proved the difference.
