The Sydney Blue Sox and the Melbourne Aces concluded the first December game day in the Australian Baseball League with a doubleheader on Sunday. In game one in the morning a two-run double by 2010 HSV Stealers catcher Patrick Maat in the bottom of the sixth lifted Sydney to a 2-1 victory over the Aces in seven innings. Melbourne led since a solo shot by Yoshiyuki Kamei in the top of the first. Wayne Lundgren (W 3-2) picked up the win after nine strikeouts in six strong innings. Travis Blackley pitched five scoreless one-hit innings for Melbourne. Jumpei Ono (L 0-1) took the loss in relief.
The second game of the twin bill ended in a 1-1 tie after eight innings due to time restrictions in the end. Even the IBAF Extra Inning rule in the eighth couldn’t help determining a winner. After neither team was able to score in the first seven frames, a RBI single by Melbourne’s Takahiro Ijyuin and a sac fly by Sydney’s David Kandilas helped two runners over the plate in the last inning. In the standings the Blue Sox have taken over first place with a 10-4 record. The Perth Heat and the Adelaide Bite follow with .500-plus records. The Canberra Cavalry moved into fifth with the three-game sweep this weekend.
Results:
Thursday, December 2:
Perth – Brisbane 1-8
Canberra – Adelaide ppd
Friday, December 3:
Canberra – Adelaide 3-1
Canberra – Adelaide 11-6
Perth – Brisbane 7-2
Sydney – Melbourne 3-1
Saturday, December 4:
Perth – Brisbane 1-3 (12)
Canberra – Adelaide 6-1 (7)
Sydney – Melbourne ppd
Canberra – Adelaide ppd
Perth – Brisbane 3-2
Sydney – Melbourne ppd
Sunday, December 5:
Sydney – Melbourne 2-1
Sydney – Melbourne 1-1
Standings:
- Sydney Blue Sox 10-4
- Perth Heat 9-7
- Adelaide Bite 8-7
- Brisbane Bandits 7-9
- Canberra Cavalry 5-8
- Melbourne Aces 4-8
More information on the official website of the Australian Baseball League
