A fine and sunny day greeted us this morning. Brad Simon our starting pitcher and number one gun was born huge. You would not want to feed him. He has done the hard yards growing up at home with more brothers than the de La Salles. He is competitive at musical chairs. His efforts today were superb. He threw up more heat and more variety than a bloke who'd had too much to drink in a Mexican restaurant. His body language lacked generosity and his smile was only for the Gatorade.
His superb pitching display saw two innings, six strike outs. Having played him so often and lost in local State Cup competitions, parents cheered all the louder. Relief really. He threw his off speed pitch with the poise and dexterity of a surgeon. With a great big crooked rusty scalpel.
We skipped away to a 1-0 lead after James laced one up the middle. Before long Ben Hunt had smashed a home run into an unsmiling neighbour's house. Ben, looks like one of those kids who gather on train platforms in groups on your way to work. In fact, he may just be that kid.
Those who buy houses near baseball fields don't surprise easily. Like birds that sit on main roads. No future. Mark Hunt was true to his name securing the ball like a determined lion seeking the stereotypical zebra. Damn those stripes.
At 10-0 Brad Simon returned to his own den and Blake Morris picked up on the mound where he left off earlier in the tournament. Slick, speedy and composed. They tell me this works wonders when you come from Manly. Especially when frequenting their nite clubs.
Young Isaac Whatson. a left hander from Hawkesbury, soon trudged to the plate and with his yellow wand in hand. He scratched and swung. Looked and believed. Suddenly he unleashed and belted one over the right field fence. Magic. An awesome effort for a first year player whose talent is well known, while his work at first base was also polished and precise. His addition to the team added a balance and opened up other options for the coaching staff. He did not disappoint. Finding that ball required the red belly three step. There was also a lunch time beer in that hit.
From there things got messy for South Australia. A couple of their outfielders looked like they's been on a bootcamp in the Barossa. They fumbled and fussed and got worse. They definitely needed those churches in Adelaide as we kept peppering the outfield. It got greener for us as the game went with pitchers and other substitutes joining the feeding frenzy.
Our bats were hot. Barbaro was the best (3 hits from 3 at bats). What concussion? James then smashed one over the right field fence for a home run. Others got close. Hits followed to Tsui (2), Gorman (2), Hunt (2), McCallum (2), Lindsay (1), Hore (1), Stevens (1), Whatson (1), Bohan (1) and Gulieri (1). Dean Frew (1) also hit one down the line for a fast triple. Such things are often the preserve of Buck's weekends.
Mackenzie Bohan also returned to the starting line up and with him came a tremendous play from left field to home base - along with a hit. His brains, enthusiasm and leadership brings a balance and subtle composure to the team.
The boys rollicked today, eventually winning 18-0 in an emphatic five innings mercy victory.
However their intent, purpose and ruthless desire was evident. They are building something strong here. Even Liam is sensing it, helping himself to a pat on the back for their hapless batboy whose work was as rare as a Lance Armstrong confessional speech - or a barber in Cronulla.
From there things got messy for South Australia. A couple of their outfielders looked like they's been on a bootcamp in the Barossa. They fumbled and fussed and got worse. They definitely needed those churches in Adelaide as we kept peppering the outfield. It got greener for us as the game went with pitchers and other substitutes joining the feeding frenzy.
Our bats were hot. Barbaro was the best (3 hits from 3 at bats). What concussion? James then smashed one over the right field fence for a home run. Others got close. Hits followed to Tsui (2), Gorman (2), Hunt (2), McCallum (2), Lindsay (1), Hore (1), Stevens (1), Whatson (1), Bohan (1) and Gulieri (1). Dean Frew (1) also hit one down the line for a fast triple. Such things are often the preserve of Buck's weekends.
Mackenzie Bohan also returned to the starting line up and with him came a tremendous play from left field to home base - along with a hit. His brains, enthusiasm and leadership brings a balance and subtle composure to the team.
The boys rollicked today, eventually winning 18-0 in an emphatic five innings mercy victory.
However their intent, purpose and ruthless desire was evident. They are building something strong here. Even Liam is sensing it, helping himself to a pat on the back for their hapless batboy whose work was as rare as a Lance Armstrong confessional speech - or a barber in Cronulla.
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