Top four triumph

By Marc McGowan
BERWICK City Cougars playing coach Wayne Porter is still not talking finals despite his side moving inside the top four with a 32-10 triumph over Footscray before the Christmas break.
The victory was the Cougars’ eighth of the Baseball Victoria Division Three season – opposed to five losses – but they are only a win ahead of sixth-placed St Kilda.
The extraordinary scoreline did not spare Berwick City starting pitcher Martin Kennedy, who lasted just one and two-third innings.
Porter replaced the teenager on the mound after he conceded six runs in the second frame.
The Bulldogs added another run off Porter, in a rare pitching appearance, in the second inning, but the coach gave up just three more over the final five frames.
The Cougars established a 10-0 lead at the bottom of the second and, despite Footscray cutting that advantage to three in the same inning, went on with the job.
Porter was pleased with the result, but admitted there were a few “rough areas” in his players’ display.
“Everybody, (hitter) one through nine, got a hit for the day, but, in saying that, when you score 32 runs it’s a bit hard not to,” he said.
“We have eight games left in the season and if we can finish over .500 (more wins than losses) I’ll be happy with the season.”
But Porter, who again bemoaned the club’s lack of pitching depth, refused to predict finals for his team.
“If you start thinking the wrong things you don’t show up every week,” he said.
“We pretty much have no right of playing finals yet.
“When you win 12 games you normally scrape into fourth, but it’s a bit of a struggle between six teams at the moment.”
Berwick City’s finals bid resumes at 3.30pm on Sunday 18 January against Williamstown at Cyril Molyneux Reserve.