Eastern Athletics (SL) v Southern Mariners (SL)
The Defending Champions Southern Mariners took on the Eastern Athletics in game 1 . A quick start saw mariners score 5 in the first two innings and kept the Athletics scoreless behind a Declan Croker start. The 2nd innings saw a big double play to shut the Athletics down.
Back and forth for the remainder of the game saw the Mariners push the lead out to 6 -2 Lead. The top of the 6th score 2 runs to bring the game back to 6 - 4. The bottom of the 6th saw the Mariners extend their lead to 9 -4. The top of the 7th came around and a big double to the left field fence by Julian Vance score another run, however a fly out and a bullet throw to the plate by John Paul Calill stopped the Athletics from scoring.
Final score Southern Mariners 9 Eastern Athletics 5
Geelong Baycats (JL) v Southern Mariners (JL)
Southern Mariners JL team pitchers, Josh Smith, Jai Cebular, Sam Skinner and Adam Harris combined to shut down the Geelong Baycats on the morning of Day 1 of the Junior League Champs. The 4 pitchers combined to only give up 2 hits and 11 K's between all 4.
The Baycats trio of Sam Lazarus, William More and Hayden Peoples struggled to hold the Mariner lineup who scored constantly to force the first 10 run defeat.
Final Score was Southern Mariners 13, Geelong Baycats 0
Northern Diamondbacks (SL) v Western Mets (SL)
A tough day at the office for Connor Hughes of the Western Mets who threw his full compliment of 93 pitches while struggling to hold a rampant Diamondback offence who plated 11. The remaining 4 pitches for the Mets combined to hold the Diamondbacks to 3 runs. The pick of the Diamondback hitters were Nicholas Pascuzzi and Jaidyn Wild who both connected for Triples.
For the trio of Diamondback pitchers, Tim Reid, Cody Rodwell and Samuel Wild combined to hold the Mets hitters to 3 hits.
The Diamondbacks look forward to facing the Eastern Athletics while the Western Mets will face the Southern Mariners at 6pm on Diamond 1
Eastern Athletics (JL) v Northern Diamondbacks (JL)
Home Runs, Home Runs and more Home Runs were the flavour of the day on Diamond 4 where the Eastern Athletics feasted on the the Diamondback pitching to, as a combined team, hit 7 home runs, with Sadi Nergiz connecting with three round trippers and not far behind him, Charlie Collins, connecting with 2 bombs of his own to be the pick of the Athletic hitters.
The Diamondback look to bounce back against Baycats, while the Athletics have a break before facing the Giants of Sunraysia
Eastern Athletics (SL) v Northern Diamondbacks (SL)
The Eastern Athletic SL team jumped out to commanding 19 - 3 lead until the bottom of 5 innings. The Diamondbacks need 7 runs to force game into the 6th innings. A spirited fight back from the Diamondbacks saw runners at 2nd and 3rd (tying run at 2nd). A single to right field scored the runner from 3, and with a head full of steam, the runner from 2 rounded 3rd and headed to home. A perfectly excuted cut play saw a throw from Rightfield to the first baseman, who in turn delivered a perfect strike to the plate saw the runner cut down and the final out made.
Geelong Baycats (JL) v Northern Diamondbacks (JL)
Sunraysia (JL) v Southern Mariners (JL)
The Southern Mariners jumped the Sunraysia Giants in the 2nd innings scoring 8 runs. They were never really headed adding to the score consistantly over the 5 innings to take the game out 19 - 5.
Highlights for the game included
Cameron Zimmerman (Mariners) and Mitchell Shane (Mariners) put a long ball over the fence, with Raiden Wakefield ( Giants) depositing one for himself.
Western Mets (SL) v Southern Mariners (SL)
In the final game, the Western Mets shocked the Southern Mariners by scoring 7 runs in the top of the first innings. Some hits and uncharacteristic errors from the Mariners put the mariners in the unsuspecting game location of having to chase up 7 runs. The Mets added another 2 over the next two innings, however the Mariners chipped away at the lead before finally taking it in the bottom of the 4th innings. A couple more zeros by the Mets and the Mariners plating another two, and the game was complete with the Southern Mariners escaping out of a tight situation to win 12 - 9
Eastern Athletics (JL) v Sunraysia (JL)
On the final game of the Junior League tournament for Day 1, the Eastern Athletics accounted for another 6 home runs with the stand out being Mitch Thomas hitting a grand salami.
And Lindsay Barbany for Sunraysia has hit his first home run, a great effort.
Follow all of the Junior League results here
After Day 1, the Junior League ladder looks like the following
The Senior Ladder after Round 2