Teenage Berwick City Cougars pitcher Martin Kennedy gave up two home runs against St Kilda at Cyril Molyneux Reserve on Sunday. 23822By Marc McGowan
ST KILDA became the Berwick City Cougars’ fifth victim of 2008 in a 7-5 result at Cyril Molyneux Reserve on Sunday.
The Saints led 5-1 at the top of the sixth inning, only for veteran pitcher Jude Power to turn the game with both bat and ball.
Power relieved left-hander Martin Kennedy in the sixth and did not concede another run in a dominant display.
Kennedy gave up home runs on poor pitches in the fourth and fifth frame and could not match his strong form of recent weeks.
The Cougars added three runs in the sixth inning before Power smashed a two-run homer in the seventh to give his team the lead for good.
Berwick City playing coach Wayne Porter, who went four-for-five at the plate, knocked in his side’s seventh and final run in the eighth frame to cap the come-from-behind win.
Allan Pender, who is back playing after a seven-year hiatus, Adam Silva, Aaron Warner, Mark Gibbens and Jake McLardy all impressed with the bat.
Porter was pleased to be back in the winners’ circle, but is not getting ahead of himself.
“It was a good, stock-standard win. We’ll see how we go this week and ride the roller-coaster a bit further,” he said.
“We have a reasonably hard run coming up, so we’ll see how we go.”
Power is unavailable for Sunday’s clash, which begins at 3.30pm, with Preston at Latrobe University.
Martin Kennedy will start on the mound again, while fellow teenager Matthew Kennedy will pitch in relief. Porter is also hoping to regain the services of Matt Clements before Christmas.
“Matty’s right arm is still not feeling like it should and he wants to make sure he’s okay before trying to throw 30 or 40 pitches in a game,” Porter said.
“He’s a bit sceptical (about the injury) and lacks a bit of confidence that he’ll stand up to the task.
“He’s had a pretty bad run with injuries, but maybe he’ll pitch in the last couple of games then have a rest over Christmas.”
