Berwick City Cougars pitcher Jude Power was unable to reproduce his home-and-away season heroics in the club’s maiden Division-Three finals clash against Springvale on Sunday. 28181By Marc McGowan
WHAT a difference Glen Richards makes.
The star former minor leaguer and Australian representative’s magnificent display for Springvale spoiled the Berwick City Cougars’ debut Division-Three finals appearance on Sunday.
The Cougars fell 4-0 behind in the third inning before departing Keysborough’s K.H. Wearne Reserve as 10-1 losers.
Richards missed the teams’ previous two clashes – both Berwick City wins – due to national and state duties respectively.
But he was back with a vengeance on the weekend, giving up just five hits, two walks and one run over nine frames.
Richards also threw seven strike-outs, while amassing two hits and four RBIs himself.
The match was a nightmare for his opposing number, Jude Power, who showed little of the brilliance that carried the Cougars to the finals.
Power started well enough, but his afternoon came unravelled in the third inning.
Berwick City outfielder Adam Silva fumbled Lion Matthew Pallant’s hit to allow Tim Hanson to stroll in the game’s opening run.
Power then gave up two walks before Richards’ near-homer knocked in Pallant, Springvale playing coach Ben Bartlett and David Hermes.
The Cougars’ batters, who had been fairly lively early on, suddenly offered little support as the Lions snatched the momentum decisively.
Power began the fifth frame with another walk before giving up a fifth run and showing the early signs of what became a torrid afternoon behind the plate for veteran catcher Ian Frost.
Berwick City’s only two winners with the bat – Shaun Fahy and Tim Moon – combined in the sixth inning for the visitors’ sole run, but Richards’ wayward frame proved only to be an aberration.
Power’s struggles reached a crescendo at the bottom of the sixth and seventh when, after recording the first two outs in both innings, he completely lost his way.
His pitches were most commonly too short, but he also strayed too high and wide as Frost battled to restrict the damage.
Richards compounded Power’s woes when he pierced the infield to score Myles Barnden for Springvale’s seventh run in the seventh.
Fahy replaced Power for the eighth frame, but proved no more effective as the Lions piled on three more runs.
Frost also sat out the eighth – introducing Aaron Warner to the contest as catcher – to rest his ailing body.
Shortstop Jack Speirs could hold his head high for the Cougars with a proficient game in the field, while also managing a hit.
Porter was positive after the match, looking ahead to his club’s preliminary final match-up with Williamstown at Cyril Molyneux Reserve at 1.30pm on Sunday.
“We didn’t play a very good game in a final. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t good enough,” he said.
“The runs they got, it could have been (only) 6-1 or 5-1 – it was just one of those days.
“Everything that happens now is a bonus – this experience here is a bonus and getting beaten up in a final is a bonus because people won’t be happy with it.
“It will make them dig in a bit more next time.”
