Kookaburras Douse The Inexperienced Flame Line-up
Illawarra Mercury
Monday September 16, 2002
Illawarra Flame dropped their second game of the 2002-2003 Sydney Major League baseball season with a narrow 2-1 away loss to Baulkham Hills Kookaburras at Northmead Reserve yesterday.
Baulkham Hills outhit Illawarra 10-4 but the Flame did not concede an error in the game while the Kookaburras gave up one.
This loss comes on top of Illawarra's 8-3 defeat by Baulkham Hills in their season opener at Blacktown Olympic Park last Thursday night but there are encouraging signs there for the Flame.
``While the offence hasn't been up to what we would like, the pitching and the defence were most pleasing," Flame media officer, Frank Booth, said yesterday.
``We are missing Jye Pitt in the middle order batting and his absence is being noticed."
Work commitments have prevented Pitt from playing early in the season but he is expected to be able to play next month.
Nathan March had made himself unavailable for selection but answered the call to play when the Flame needed him yesterday.
``Considering the inexperienced playing staff, it was a good performance against Baulkham Hills," Booth said.
Jonathan Hall was the starting pitcher for Illawarra, pitching seven innings, giving up 10 hits but because the Flame defence was so good, only two of those hits were converted into runs.
Brad Drain threw the closing inning after he had pitched five innings last Thursday night.
Drain pitched one inning yesterday and did not give up any hits or runs. The Kookaburras went 1-0 ahead in the bottom of the second inning.
Illawarra came back with one run in the top of the third and the way it was scored gave them hope had they been able to get more runners on base later in the game.
Lead off hitter Matthew Dubois got on first base with a safe hit, advanced to second on a Stephen Beck sacrifice bunt, then to third on a Hall single before being batted in on a March sacrifice fly to centrefield.
Baulkham Hills replied with one in the bottom of that third inning but in the balance of the game neither side was able to score any further runs.
The Kookaburras were getting runners on base but Illawarra's defence made sure they were not converted into runs.
Baulkham Hills went on to leave seven runners on base.
In lower grades away against Baulkham Hills, the Flame second grade lost 11-0 but third grade won 5-4 yesterday and under 18s lost 7-3 on Saturday.
In their first home appearance this season at Fred Finch Park this Saturday, Illawarra will play Macarthur in a double header.
© 2002 Illawarra Mercury