Berkeley Eagles have asserted their claim for this year’s Illawarra Baseball League first grade title with an emphatic 19-8 win over minor premiers the Northern Pirates.
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What was most impressive was they did it without their ace, Tim Atherton, who was unavailable for the game.
The Eagles' batters blasted 18 hits over eight innings and were able to prevent further Pirates misery when the 10-run rule was evoked.
A nasty moment midway through the game involved a fielding collision between Pirates' right fielder Peter Faulks and second base Paul Cuthbertson that resulted in Cuthbertson being taken to hospital for a shoulder injury and cut above his left eye.
The wheels seemingly fell off for the Bucs with Eagles scoring 15 runs in the final four innings; their offence led by Aaron Tritton (4-5), pitcher Blake Barnard (4-6) and Chad Blanch's three hits that included a double and 3 runs batted in (RBI). Bucs' infielders Bobby Twedt and Bill Daly had six of 11 hits.
It puts the Eagles into the grand final for the first time in six years.
The loss will see Pirates take on Wests Cardinals next week in the preliminary final after the Red Birds dispatched Dapto Chiefs 12-nil in the minor semi final played at Hector Harvey Park. Chiefs had no answer for Cards' starter Alex Osborne who threw six shut out innings for no hits, six strike outs, no walks and just a single base runner coming from a hit batter. Closer Sam Rada gave up the only Chiefs' hit to Troy Green but struck out two to preserve the clean sheet for his side inside seven innings.
