By Gavin Staindl
BERWICK/SPRINGVALE has been crowned the women’s Division One champions in their first year of competition after beating cross-town rivals Springvale 8-7 at Wearne Reserve.
In perfect conditions last Saturday, Berwick/Springvale hit six runs in the first innings to set up a likely win in the opening 15 minutes.
Australian representative Shae Lillywhite led off with a double before a walk to coach Simone Wearne and a hit to Japanese import Risa Nakashima had the scoreboard ticking over.
Hits to Rosa Guardiani, Jess Lees and Janine Cavanagh added to the tally and before the innings was out the Cougars had amassed six runs before the home side could even swing the bat.
Coach Wearne admitted with six runs in the bank it would be tough for their opponents to beat the Cougars given the quality of starting pitcher Nakashima.
“With Risa (Nakashima) pitching it (the score) was always going to be tough to beat (us),” Wearne said.
The number one pitcher in Japan and one of the best in the world, Nakashima was not able to shut out the strong Springvale batting line-up and gave up runs in the first, third and fifth innings.
“I was very, very, very nervous.
“In the sixth I asked Risa ‘Do you want me to come in for you?’ and she just said ‘No. No. I am fine,’” Wearne said.
In the end Nakashima had good reason to be confident as she tossed out the remaining two innings giving up only one more run.
But that is not to say it was without drama.
In the final inning Springvale had a runner at second base and after the Cougars intentionally walked Kelly Manzie, the winning run was on base with only one out.
“It was a risky move but she is a good little player Kelly so we thought we would intentionally walk her,” Wearne said.
Fortunately, Nakashima got the second out without giving up a run and the final batter up was Springvale’s Nicole Garner who popped up to Jess Lees at second base.
“She (Lees) has been inconsistent in the field all year… she had dropped a fly ball in the outfield earlier in the year that cost us a game so it was a bit of payback I think,” Wearne said.
With her heart in her mouth, Wearne waited anxiously to see weather Lees would make the catch that was quickly dipping.
“When she caught it everyone was like ‘Oh my God, she caught it’ then ‘Oh my God, we just won the grand final.’”
“It was very good… they are a great bunch of girls,” Wearne said.
Berwick/Springvale is a fragmentation of Springvale players formed under the name of Berwick/Springvale late last year to add more competition to the women’s baseball league.
“It was just a way to help baseball… I never thought we would make the finals so to win the grand final is a little bit of a shock,” Wearne said.
MEANWHILE, Berwick in their last match of the Division two season has smacked Mulgrave to the tune of 20-14 at Robert Booth Reserve.
The Cougars hit six runs in the first innings and three in the second to register their second highest score for the season after only two innings.
However, a shaky fifth innings almost ruined the perfect ending to the season for Berwick.
Berwick 15-year-old Matthew “The Mexican” Chilcott, who was making his first start in the firsts, gave up only three runs before he was replaced by Ricky Collins in the fifth inning.
Chilcott, who missed out on getting rookie of the year by a “bee’s diaphragm” pitched strongly and can consider himself unlucky not to have pitched an extra inning needed to get the win.
Collins, however, proceeded to give up seven runs in the fifth before he was replaced by Mark Surtees, but not before Mulgrave had pegged back the lead to 11-10.
Rounding off the 15-year-old pitchers for the day, rookie of the year Surtees threw three-and-a-half innings before Matt Kennedy returned from a shoulder injury to finish off the remainder of the match.
The 20 runs is four better than their previous season best of 16 against the winless Footscray.
The Cougars registered 20 hits on the bats of Ben Robinson (four hits), Ian Frost (three hits) Sean Fahy (two hits) and Porter who also chimed in with three hits.
Despite this abundance of runs, Porter still admitted to nerves.
“Even in the bottom of the ninth I was still nervous and going crook,” Porter laughed.
Porter was quick to praise his players for holding onto a lead even after giving up a costly innings.
“This was the only time we gave up a big innings and was still leading,” Porter said.
