Dapto Chiefs maintained their push for a top two spot by beating arch-rival Wests Cardinals, while Shoalhaven Mariners claimed their first win of the Illawarra baseball season in round 16 on Saturday.
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Chiefs pitcher Mitch Simon gave up just four hits in seven innings in the 3-1 win over Cardinals, while Mariners ended an eight game losing streak by beating Berkeley Eagles 11-8 in Nowra.
At Cringila Park, Simon’s shut-out of Cards featured key pick-offs to short-stop Mark D’Antonio to nab Nathan Grogan in the fourth innings and another to strand Mitch Austin also at second base in the sixth dig.
Both teams managed just six hits with Chiefs scoring a run in the fifth and two in the seventh to lead 3-0 when Simon left the game.
Cards scored their only run in the eighth, with the impressive work of former Australian Schoolboys rep Simon, backed up by some excellent Chiefs defence proving the difference.
Mick Talty also pitched well for Cards, throwing seven innings for six hits, four strikeouts and five walks, with Trent D’Antonio pitching two hit-less innings of relief.
Mitch Thompson (2/5) had two doubles and Stuart McCarthy (2/4) led the Chiefs hitting, while Austin (1/4) was on base three times for Cards.
Cards and Chiefs are battling with leaders Northern Pirates to finish top two and earn the semi-final double chance.
Meanwhile, at Ison Park, Mariners upset Eagles 11-8 and out-hit the visitors 14-5 in a convincing win.
Eagles led 4-0 after two innings but a string of errors in the fourth innings gifted Mariners five runs - including four unearned - to hand Shoalhaven a 7-4 lead they did not relinquish.
Mariners starting pitcher Brad Inglis was solid through four innings, giving up only two hits and one earned runs, with Kai Meuronen valuable in relief with four innings for three hits, and five walks but only two earned runs.
Eagles starting pitcher Luke Brown left the game in the fourth innings after giving up nine hits but sloppy defence meant five of the Mariners 11 runs were unearned.
Lachlan Seidel (3/4) had 3RBIs for Shoalhaven, while Murray Lugg had three hits including an RBI.
Mick Shipp and Chad Blanch had two hits each for Eagles who remain fourth and with only four more regular season games should still make the playoffs.