The Mavericks finally
picked up their first win of the season, with a solid display
against Thames Valley, although if truth be told should have closed
out the win sooner and much more comfortably, as the Bisons staged a
strong fight back to almost snatch victory
As with every game this season, the Mavericks took an early lead, scoring 4 in the first, and 2 in the second, to open a 6-0 lead. Typified by Shih Yaun Lin beating out a grounder for the first hit, Guildford somehow scratched out 4 runs on a couple of walk some infield singles, and a couple of Bisons errors.
A
fter
Owen Hazelby retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning,
Andy Sheridan and Mike Burdett scored on Tom Sheridan's single into
the gap in right centre. Again Owen retired the side in order in the
second, with the Andy, Lin, Jazz infield making the plays and the
Mavericks were looking to really break the
game
open. However Guildford yet again stranded 3 runners for the third
straight inning, this time with the Bisons 2B snaring a line drive
off Mike Burdett's bat.
At t
he
plate Thames Valley were still struggling, as Owen was in command,
although they picked up their first run, after a great running catch
of a foul pop up behind first by Tom Sheridan, allowed the runner
from third to score. The Mavericks however struggled to score in the
3 straight innings, as the Bisons changed pitcher and Tomas Fratszak
was able to keep Guildford runners off base, with only Owen
reaching.
The Bisons pulled one
back in the 4th, but with Owen still not giving up any walks, the
Mavericks went up 7-2 in the 6th as Jazz Brown drove in a runner
from 3rd, and Shih Yuan Lin who had come in as relief for the
Mavericks and on his debut, was proving equally effective as Owen,
sitting the Bisons down in order in the 6th; striking out two.
In the top of the
seventh, the Mavericks looked to have blown the game wide open, as
they scored 4 times. James Cumper and Heather Armstead scoring on an
Andy Sheridan double, and despite a pitching change, two more runs
crossed, as the Owen and Jazz were walked. Although Lin escaped a
bases loaded jam in the 7th, the 8th was more problematic.
Up by 9 the Mavericks
had extended this to 11 with a couple more runs on some sloppy
infield play by Thames Valley as James again and Lin both scored.
This would have been enough to close out the game on the slaughter
rule after 8 innings, if the Mavericks were able to hold the Bisons
to just a single run.
However the first two Bisons lead off the inning with walks, Orford doubled into the gap to bring two runs in. These were followed by a couple of sliced extra base hits down the right field line, as the Bison tried to fight of Lin's fastball, a line shot just over the glove of Owen at third, and all of a sudden, the Bisons had narrowed the lead to 13-7. However, Lin still had the nerve and experience to restrict Thames Valley to one further run in the innings, striking out two, and getting the third out on a groundout.
The
Mavericks were unable to add to their total in the ninth, as the
luckless Jeremy Abel, found a fielder for the sixth straight time,
despite making contact on each occasion. So Guildford went in to the
bottom of the ninth with a 5 run cushion, although not quite as
comfortable as they should have been.
Again the first runner
got on board, but two strikeouts later the Bisons should have been
down to their last out. Unfortunately, the only pitch to get past
Heather all day, was the third strike on Tam, which then somehow
managed to tunnel it's way through the backstop, preventing any play
at 1st. Another shot down the line, and the Bisons had moved to
within 3, although in trying to make it a 2 run game, Orford was
thrown out at the plate as Lin fielded a ball hit back to him and
nailed the runner, with Heather giving them nowhere to go. Down to
their last out, the Bisons resistance finally came to an end, as a
dipping liner to left field was caught on the run by Jeremy Abel to
finally close out the game.
So at the fourth time of asking, the Mavericks put one in the win column. If they had converted a few more of the chances they had early on, it would have been an easy win, but even then the final score was a lot closer than it should have been. Both Own and Lin pitched great games, and although the Thames Valley pitching got better as the game went on, they never really looked like threatening the Mavericks lead. In fact defensively, Guildford hardly put a foot wrong all day, in by far their best defensive performance of the season. And when it looked like the gods may not be smiling upon them, they still took the chances that came their way and held out for the win.
With a break for the Bank Holiday next week, the Mavericks welcome the Croydon Pirates for a re-match of the season opening game in two weeks time.
Jeremy Abel - Unlucky at the plate
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