WESTS Cardinals scored four runs in the top of the ninth to claim a 10-6 victory over Dapto Chiefs and clinch a spot in Saturday’s Illawarra baseball grand final.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The third-placed Cards will face minor premiers and defending premiers Northern Pirates in the premiership decider at Fred Finch Park, Berkeley.
Cards and Pirates will fight out the grand final in first, second and third grade after Pirates beat Chiefs 10-2 in last Saturday’s final in second grade, while Cards beat Berkeley Eagles 6-2 in the third grade final.
In first grade it was Cards’ second straight elimination final victory after beating the fourth-placed Eagles 8-5 in the opening week of finals.
‘‘It was close at the end and a few things went our way but it’s good to reach another grand final,’’ Cards skipper Josh Dean said.
‘‘Our guys have won grand finals before and once you get to that one-off last game it’s a matter of doing the basics well. We know what we have to do it’s just a case of executing.’’
Chiefs finished second after the 18 round regular season, but had their major semi-final against Pirates washed out and then had their season ended with last Saturday’s defeat.
Cards led 4-0 in the top of the fifth innings before a rusty Chiefs rallied with two runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Cards scored an unanswered run in the sixth to lead 5-2 and scored another run in the seventh for 6-2 before Chiefs responded with two runs in the seventh and then tied the game at 6-6, with two unanswered runs in the eighth.
But Cards scored four runs in the ninth, including benefiting from a highly controversial overturned call on a dropped ball, which loaded the bases.
Chiefs ace Mitch Simon didn’t pitch with Tyson Graham going five innings for 10 hits with three strikeouts and replaced by Mitch Thompson, who conceded six runs off three hits in 3.2 innings of relief.
Cards rested Mick Talty and went with Scott Sartori who was significant in the victory, throwing 142 pitches in eight innings for 12 hits, with 11 strikeouts.
Josh Dean was the clutch hitter, going 3/5 and driving in five of Cards’ 10 runs.
Nathan Grogan was 3/3, plus two walks, with Sartori a factor in the batting box as well as on the mound, going 3/6.
Cards kept Chiefs in the game by making five errors but Sartori was good enough to keep Chiefs from having a big innings, with Dapto scoring in only three of the nine innings.
In second grade, Cards are minor premiers and take on the second-placed Pirates for the title.
Pirates are the minor premiers in third grade and face a confident Cards who finished second and eliminated Eagles in last Saturday’s final.
Illawarra baseball officials are hoping the rain stays away and the Major League grand finals can be held at the neutral Fred Finch Park.