Second Semi Final - 18/1/13 v Victoria Blue

With a tight win yesterday, we knew we were in for a battle with Vic Blue in the second semi final match up. They had lost and were looking to get their campaign back on track. In this phase of the top four, the trick is not to come fourth. Fourth place means you play off against fifth place, with catastrophic implications for your pitching rotation.

Today was about clean hitting and intelligent baseball - error free. Regretably we were unable to do all of these and it cost us...the game.

A sunny mid 20's day started before the winds from the south east began gusting up to 40kph and wreaked havoc.  The wind seemed to be autographed by Santa at times, such was its freezing nature. Pitchers threw into the fierce face of it and hitters rode with it. Early on it was at least a forty metre wind for a hitter.

No surprise therefore that in the first innings for Vic Blue, they hit a home run and got four runs in. Our starting pitcher, Dan Myrmell was never comfortable. The winds see sawed and the game was a slippery dip. At 0-4, we ignited, hitting an amazing 10 runs. Dan Myrmell bounced back with the bat however and was first to hit a home run at centre field. Soon after, Dean Frew hit a Grand Slam (loaded bases and a home run scores every runner). Impressive stuff at a clutch moment in the game.

Then James stepped up. For James, who started this game at first base, his tournament to date had been steady with glimpses of brilliance. He stepped up after the hoopla of the electrifying Grand Slam which had immediately preceded his arrival. A certain deflation gathers at such times in the reflective crowd. Paul Keating may have had a longer tenure as PM with this knowledge. No matter, a hushed, windswept Diamond 2 stood still. James then unleashed and planted another one out of the park. It was impressive for its mental strength at this moment in the game - not its result. It sailed long and handsome out of the park. Wind assisted. In fact eleven home runs were eventually hit in the game. More hits than the Bay City Rollers.

With nearby bush fires in Victoria, we too were burning up the park. The wind to be fair was the batter's closest friend. Then our opponent leapt off the canvas. We inexplicably crumbled with dropped catches, missed throws and leaked 11 unearned runs.

We were as ugly as a half sucked mango. Shoulders fell and hopes waned. Christian Eckberg was unlucky and our fielding poor. More errors than Lara Bingle, but only a fraction as pretty.

Suddenly we were down 17-10. We had lost the initiative and with it some hope. No matter, the runs continued. Dean Frew hit another home run and James Percival and Mackenzie Bohan also hit well. Reliable and sure.

Percival also had the misfortune of running into the back fence of the ground attempting to take a catch. Commitment. He collapsed like he had been shot and had two battered knees, a papercut and a subscription to the Benny Hill Show on Foxtel. A pink bag waits perhaps...but there was some strong competition for this.

As the game narrowed off we were able to lock it up at an unbelievable 19-19. We scratched and fought. Never say die. Gorman, Whatson and finally Wilkins pitched. Nothing spectacular but steady and wind afflicted.

The deadlock at the end of seven innings saw the tie breaker activated again. This of course was the second tiebreaker between both teams this week. We still held hope...(and she didn't mind). In an extraordinary game, the tie breaker was required even in an exaggerated and ballooned scoreline. To the diamond we returned and suddenly we were under the pump. Too many walks. It seems like Bronte to Bondi at times. Vic Blue kicked to a five run lead.

In the final chase, Barbaro put a home run out of the park. He showed impressive steel. We got close, but ended at 22-24 and recorded our second loss. At the same time Western Australia powered to a second win and we were faced with the reality of a must win v Western Australia this afternoon or we needed to start thinking about playing the extra game v Team 5 tomorrow. It was a huge disappointment.

We were undisciplined when it counted. Millionaire shots. James, amongst others, was guilty hitting a first pitch straight to first base when patience and better judgement was required to win the game. The impetuous nature of youth combined with the high tempting winds, change sense to hollow brainless hitting. Some sort of miracle seemed required. We were all walking around picking up the pieces...the wind had near blown tatoos off the arms of every ugly umpire in the joint.