Illawarra baseball premiers Northern Pirates beat the rain to claim their first win of the season with Saturday's 23-6 belting of Shoalhaven Mariners at Nowra's Ison Park.
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A stop-start season due to wet weather and the Easter break left the Pirates with a solitary draw heading into round four, following a complete wash-out in round three, plus a 2-2 deadlock with Wests Cardinals in round two and an opening round bye.
Pirates were happy to make the trip south and led 18-2 after just four innings. Both clubs will need to improve their defence after Pirates made four errors and Shoalhaven six.
Pirates out-hit the home side 10-7, with Lachlan Maher going 2/4 with a double and an RBI, while Luke Rich (1/1) had 4RBIs, including a two-run homer in the fifth innings.
Last season's competition Most Valuable Player, Brenden Lower went 2/6 including an RBI, plus pitched a solid four innings for two hits, two strike-outs, and two runs.
Murray Lugg had three of Mariners' seven hits, including a double, with one RBI.
Shoalhaven's starting pitcher Kye Meuronen was erratic, giving up eight walks in just 2.1 innings.
Pirates are premiers in second and third grade and completed an impressive day at Ison Park with their second grade side winning 10-2 and third grade side thrashing Mariners 16-2.
The wet weather struck for a second straight round with Cardinals' round four home game against Berkeley Eagles at Cringila Park on Saturday washed out.
With no play on Anzac Day, Mariners are the only side without a win or a draw in the five team first grade comp heading into round five on Saturday May 2.
Mariners are at home to Cardinals in round five, with Dapto Chiefs hosting Pirates. Eagles now have the bye and face a month between games.
