The all-conquering Berkeley Eagles had just won their fifth straight Illawarra Baseball League premiership when talk quickly turned to going for a sixth title on the trot to celebrate the club's 50th anniversary in 2023.
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Eagles player/coach Chad Blanch admitted his ageing playing group talked about coming back in 2023 to do it all again, just moments after downing grand final opponents Dapto Chiefs 12-2 on Sunday.
"Coming back has definitely been on everyone's minds," he said. "We are an ageing side but all the players said it was important to come back and try and win a sixth title on the trot.
"We are definitely going around one more year and six in a row would be the cherry on our 50th anniversary celebrations. It will be great if we could do it."
Blanch said though it was important to celebrate their latest success, adding Berkeley pitcher Josh Doyle played a major role in the grand final success.
"Josh was dominant on the mound. He threw the whole seven innings and gave up only two runs in the fifth. The game was well and truly won by then," Blanch said.
The player-coach himself played a leading role in the win, contributing four hits, one home run and five RBI's.
Eagles' catcher Mick Shipp also got three hits, two of which were doubles, and four RBIs.
Blake Barnard also batted well, adding a couple of RBIs and finishing with three from five at bats.
"We had a very experienced line-up and we had a game plan and we executed it perfectly," Blanch said.
"We went in their knowing they had a good young pitcher in Lachie Rosser but we had a game plan to make him throw as many pitches as possible early on.
"We ended up getting him to pitch some 75 pitches after two innings, by which stage we already led 6-0.
"With their starting pitcher throwing 75 pitches at that early stage it was always going to make things hard for them and much easier for us to go on and win the game.
"It was a great team effort from us, as has been the case throughout the season."
Blanch praised the performance of the young Dapto Chiefs outfit.
"I really respect the chiefs young outfit. I'm really respectful of what their coach Jye Pitt is trying to achieve with the team," he said.
"I don't want to blow our own horn so to speak but I think this group of players is probably the best seen in the Illawarra comp. What we've achieved over the last five to six years is something special.
I think this group of players is probably the best seen in the Illawarra comp. What we've achieved over the last five to six years is something special.
- Berkeley Eagles player/coach Chad Blanch
"Even though we are an ageing outfit, we are still a quality side and one of the best first-grade sides ever on paper and what we've done the last five or six years.
"I'm really proud of the boys and especially Josh Doyle. Josh has been in and out of the squad the last five years with injuries and work and what not but he was fantastic this year.
"It was really good to see him top off the best year he has ever had with such a dominant performance on the mound so I'm really happy for Josh."
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
