By Gavin Staindl
THE Division Two Berwick Cougars have been beaten 11-5 at home to a strong St Kilda side that had control of the match from the outset.
Tim Laird opened the Cougars pitching for the first time in Division Two and “was around the mark” according to coach Wayne Porter but could not stop St Kilda jumping out to a quick 4-1 lead.
Martin Kennedy came in to relief pitch for the debutant in the fifth innings but also gave up three runs.
By then the damage was done and the four runs Shaun Fahy allowed in the final innings only served to create a greater buffer.
The Cougars offence lacked power and consistency and despite four RBI’s from 15-year old Mark Surtees and four hits from Porter, St Kilda was always able to respond with runs of their own.
“We scratched a few hits together but then we gave up a few runs ourselves,” Porter said.
“We are not hitting enough runs. Five today was good, but then we need to keep them under five,” Porter said.
The Berwick Cougars, who consistently beat St Kilda last season, failed to get on top of opposing pitcher, Scott Harris.
Harris threw all nine innings and had control the whole time.
Porter and his team now travel to Altona Ball Park to face Melbourne in the last game of the year.
“We need to go into the break and really attack the second half after Christmas,” Porter said.
MEANWHILE, the Springvale-Berwick women had a painful week, going down by one run to cross-town rivals Springvale and losing by eight runs to league-leaders Doncaster.
Pitching the full seven innings on the Saturday against Springvale was Risa Nakashima who can consider herself unlucky to have lost the 1-2 game.
Nakashima kept the Cougars in the match with her controlled pitching but was let down by team-mates in the final innings.
The Japanese import gave up no earned runs, struck out eight and walked only four batters on her way to the unfortunate loss.
Leading 1-0 in the sixth innings, Springvale-Berwick only had itself to blame as errors once again proved to be the game breaker.
In the previous loss to the Lions, errors proved the deciding factor and last Saturday the Lions scored in the sixth and seventh inning on errors made in the field.
“Risa (Nakashima) pitched really, really, well and deserved the win but errors cost us the game,” coach Simone Wearne said.
The five errors in the final two innings compounded a bad week for the Cougars who were “quietly flogged” by Doncaster 8-0 in Doncaster.
Starting pitcher Jacinda Barclay gave up eight runs in the first innings and from there no scores were made.
“Honestly, we haven’t been playing that well.
“It will be interesting to see how the girls respond,” said an injured Wearne.
The Cougars will play Malvern in the final game of the year and will need to win if they are to remain in the top four.
