by www.baseballeurope.com
The 2009 Malta National League Baseball season came to an end on May 3rd, as the Mellieha Northenders dominated game three to win their fifth championship in six years. The three- game series between the Mustangs and the Northenders brought great baseball to our local fans along with a few memorable heroics.
The Mayor of Mellieha, Mr. Robert Cutajar threw the ceremonial pitch in front of a sizeable crowd, to open the third game of the playoffs. The visiting team was shut down quickly by starter Marlon Borg. He took only five pitches to finish the inning. Mellieha quickly took advantage of Mustangs’ starting pitcher Mark Buttigieg, as they forced him to walk three batters out of the first four that he faced. Mellieha later took the lead after a fielder’s choice down the middle allowed the leadoff hitter to score easily. A two-run double by Silvan Busuttil then gave Mellieha an early three-nothing lead in the first. Busuttil later scored in the fourth run after second baseman Steven Grima drove the ball to right for a single.
The Mustangs were shut down once again by Marlon Borg in the second, because for the second time in a row, he shut down the side in order. The bottom of the second was the decisive blow to the Mustangs, as first baseman Keith Bartolo launched a bomb over the left field fence, gathering three runs batted in with one swing of the bat. Single base-hits by Grima and Ryan Borg scored in the ninth and tenth run of the game, giving Mellieha a comfortable cushion to work with.
Marlon Borg pitched effectively again in the third, but his perfect game was broken by a defensive mishap with two outs. Borg struck out the next batter to strike out the side. The Northenders extended their lead to eleven in the bottom of the inning, thanks to Bartolo’s fourth run batted in of the game, with a single to right.
The visitors finally got on the board in the top of the fourth, as first baseman Reuben Gatt lead off the inning with a single into left-center field. He later came in to score while Mellieha was turning a six-four-three double play to get the first couple of outs of the inning.
The Mellieha Northenders managed to hold on to the ten-run lead, as Kevin Spiteri flied out to right for the final out of the game, with the Northenders beating the Mustangs on mercy rule. Manager Ray Bartolo was later presented with two championship trophies; one sponsored by the Council of Mellieha and the other being the MABS Championship Trophy.
