Press Release Australian Baseball League
SYDNEY, NSW — Leicester City. The Cleveland Cavaliers. The Chicago Cubs. Now, add the Jet Couriers Melbourne Aces to the list of teams that achieved the near-impossible in 2016.
After seven years of never winning a series on the road, the Aces swept the reigning champion Brisbane Bandits, proudly presented by WellDog, in Brisbane, taking sole possesion of first place on the Australian Baseball League ladder in the process.
Around the league, both Sydney and Canberra won their respective series, creating a two-way tie for second place between them, while the Bandits and Bite sit tied for third and the Heat are in fourth.
CANBERRA (7-5) def. ADELAIDE (5-7)
Canberra proved why they are the best-hitting team in the league right now, scoring 34 runs over the weekend in a series win over Adelaide. Boss Moanaroa went 3-for-5 at the plate and drove in four runs in the Cavalry’s 10-9 series-opening victory. Canberra also took Game 2, by an 8-4 final score, and young pitcher Brodie Vassalakis (1-0, 5.87) earned his first career ABL win in relief.
Eight of the Canberra starting nine tallied more than one hit, and the three-four lineup duo of David Kandilas and Mike Reeves drove in six runs in the home team’s 14-6 series-clinching Game 3 win. Detroit Tigers prospect and young Bite stud Jack O’Loughlin tossed five innings of two-run baseball to hold the Cavalry bats at bay in the series finale, giving the Adelaide offence support as they put eight runs on the board to win 8-2 and avoid being swept.
MELBOURNE (8-4) swept BRISBANE (5-7)
Melbourne punctuated its first-ever road series win with a sweep of the Bandits in Brisbane. Former Major Leaguer MarKKKKKKKKKKKK Hamburger (2-0, 0.95) tossed a complete-game shutout in the opener, striking out 12 batters while walking one and allowing just two hits. Back-to-back-to-back home runs hit by Ronald Acuna, Roman Collins and Mike Walker propelled the Aces to a 7-3 win in the six-inning, rain-shortened second game of the series. The homers were part of a six-run fifth inning that gave Melbourne the lead before the rain came.
Wet weather on Saturday night forced the two teams to play a pair of seven-inning games on Sunday. The delay in play seemed to benefit the home Bandits, who came out swinging early on in the first contest, taking a commanding 5-0 lead by the middle of the game. But the Aces rallied, scoring once in the top of the sixth and five more times in the top of the seventh to win 6-5. Rookie shortstop Jarryd Dale hit his first career ABL home run in dramatic fashion in the series finale, belting a grand slam that consisted of more than half of the offence in the Aces’ 7-3 win.
SYDNEY (7-5) def. PERTH (4-8)
The Blue Sox continued their fight to remain in the top three this round, while the Heat struggled in the first two games but salvaged the series finale. Trevor Foss (1-1, 5.71) tossed a gem in Game 1, going 6.2 innings and allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out eight batters, to lead Sydney to a 6-4 win. Tigers prospect Zac Shepherd had the game-winning RBIs in both games of a Saturday doubleheader, clinching the series win for the home side. Shepherd drew a bases-loaded walk in extra innings in the first game as Sydney beat Perth 2-1.
The Heat held a narrow lead in the nightcap, until Shepherd put the Blue Sox ahead 2-1with a two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth, a lead that held. But the Heat rallied in the finale, winning 5-1 behind six strong innings from the Big Lefty, Dan Schmidt (1-1, 6.60). Veteran Luke Hughes went 2-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the offence in the victory.