COUGARS and Gunnedah Giants prevailed in contrasting fashions in their Tamworth first grade baseball successes at the Field of Dreams on Saturday.
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On the Chris Parsons Diamond the Cougars overcame a three-run deficit in the ninth and final inning to rally with a wonderful four-run surge to beat Warriors 10-9 while the Giants clobbered Cavaliers 16-2 on the John Carter Diamond.
The Giants were overpowering with Grant Sipple outstanding on the mound, skipper Jamie Eveleigh said.
“Grant pitched great for us. He pounded the strike zone and, even though we made a few errors in the field, he pitched us out of trouble,” Eveleigh said
“Anthony Wason caught a great game.
“And we also hit the ball well again.”
Eveleigh led the way in that batting department with four hits while Jeremy Lee and Grant Sipple also came up with three apiece.
“Matt Forrester threw well for Cavaliers but couldn’t tame our hitting,” Eveleigh added after the two sides had also played out a thrilling 13-all draw in second grade.
“We stranded the winning run at third base in the final inning,” Eveleigh added.
“It was a neck and neck battle all the way.”
He said it was a fitting result.
Brodie Cleal pitched well again despite plenty of errors behind him and Matt Bryant impressed at his first outing on the mound for the Giants.
“Matt then backed that up with an appearance in A grade on the mound and looks to have plenty of potential,” Eveleigh said.
“Good games from Simon Mitchell, Eathan Baker and Angus Renton helped them while Pat Bryant also had a great first game.”
Warriors had held the lead until their fateful last innings when the Cougar bats came alive in a sparkling late rally to steal the game.
“It was a real topsy turvy game,” Warriors co-coach Mitch Holt said.
“Cougars led 3-nil early then we pegged them back and led 9-6 going into the ninth inning.
“But Cougars strung some hits together and scored four.
“They hit the ball real well – outhit us 18-12 during the game too.”
Jeff Chandler pitched all nine digs for Warriors and did a great job as well as smacking three hits and a double.
James Psarakis (3), Chris Dyson, Mick Martin, Mitch Holt, John Warren and Todd Brazel all had hits for the Warriors while Kris Bird starred for Cougars.
Bird started on the mound, was replaced by Brock Ridgewell and came back to close out the Warriors.
He also had two hits while Ridgewell had three.
Scott Hurn led the way in the Cougar hits department though with four while Brian Hopton, who also caught well, Richard Bullock, Wesley Krannenberg, Rob Bowen and Lachlan Morrison also hit well.
“They all hit well,” Holt said.
“They hit the ball into the gaps.”