The Australian Baseball League resumed play on Thursday with three games. The Canberra Cavalry lost an extra inning thriller to the Brisbane Bandits in 13 innings. A sac fly by Trent Baker in the top of the decisive frame pushed the game-winner over the plate. One frame earlier German right fielder Donald Lutz (2-5, HR, 2B, BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI) had answered a homerun by Rory Rhodes with his third long ball of the season. Lutz already had tied the game in the seventh, when he scored on a double by Michael Wels. Brisbane had erased a 0-4 deficit and had taken a short-lived 5-4 lead in the sixth. Dutch shortstop Mariekson Gregorius went 0-for-6 with a walk.
The other two games were decided in the first nine innings, but didn’t lack any drama. The Perth Heat ended a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Sydney Blue Sox. Trevor Caughey (W 1-0), who played for Technika Brno last summer, issued just four hits, a run and two walks in 5 1/3 innings, striking out nine. Chris Oxspring (L 4-1) matched the nine Ks in six frames, but also surrendered four hits, two runs and a pair of walks to take his first loss of the season. In game three of the day the Melbourne Aces came back from an early 0-6 deficit to beat the Adelaide Bite 11-8. Tom Brice led the way for Adelaide, going 3-for-4 with two homeruns and five RBI. His teammates Yong Sup Kwak and Jeremy Cresswell also went deep. Brett Tamburrino, Scott Wearne and Andrew Russell hit the ball out of the park for Melbourne. The Bite defense didn’t help its pitchers as they committed seven errors which resulted in six unearned runs.
Results:
Thursday, January 6:
Melbourne Aces – Adelaide Bite 11-8
Canberra Cavalry – Brisbane Bandits 6-7 (13)
Sydney Blue Sox – Perth Heat 1-3
Schedule:
Friday, January 7:
7pm Melbourne Aces – Adelaide Bite
7pm Canberra Cavalry – Brisbane Bandits
7.30pm Sydney Blue Sox – Perth Heat
Saturday, January 8:
7pm Melbourne Aces – Adelaide Bite
7pm Canberra Cavalry – Brisbane Bandits
7.30pm Sydney Blue Sox – Perth Heat
Sunday, January 9:
1.30pm Canberra Cavalry – Brisbane Bandits
1.30pm Sydney Blue Sox – Perth Heat
3pm Melbourne Aces – Adelaide Bite
Live play by play and complete coverage of the Australian Baseball League on the official website