After rain denied Baseball in Melbourne on Friday and Saturday, the Aces finally were able to play their home openers on Sunday. They swept a doubleheader against the Canberra Cavalry 6-2 and 10-2 to improve to 4-6 for the season in the Australian Baseball League. In the seven-inning afternoon game Melbourne scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to break a 2-2 tie en route to the win. Scott Wearne, Grant Karlsen and Itaru Hashimoto went deep for the Aces, Nick Kimpton for Canberra.
In the night game the Aces kicked off the game with a six-run first and never looked back to win by eight runs. Scott Wearne and Takahiro Ijyuin (grand slam) homered and combined for six RBI. European Baseball wise Dutch shortstop Mariekson Gregorius went 0-for-7 with a walk in the twin bill for Canberra. German outfielder Donald Lutz only played in game one and collected a single in three at-bats. He also committed his first error of the season.
A third game was played in the ABL on Sunday with the Sydney Blue Sox shutting out the Brisbane Bandits 1-0 in a rain-shortened game. Alex Johnson scored the lone run in the second, when he crossed the plate on a fielding error by shortstop Shuhei Fukuda. Vaughan Harris went five scoreless two-hit innings for the win.
Results:
Thursday, November 25:
Adelaide – Perth 7-9
Friday, November 26:
Melbourne – Canberra ppd
Adelaide – Perth 3-9
Sydney – Brisbane 1-6
Saturday, November 27:
Adelaide – Perth 4-2
Melbourne – Canberra ppd
Sydney – Brisbane 3-1
Melbourne – Canberra
Adelaide – Perth 11-4
Sydney – Brisbane 3-12 (11)
Sunday, November 28:
Melbourne – Canberra 6-2 (7)
Sydney – Brisbane 1-0 (6)
Melbourne – Canberra 10-2 (7)
Standings:
- Adelaide 8-4
- Sydney 8-4
- Perth 7-5
- Brisbane 5-7
- Melbourne 4-6
- Canberra 2-8
Live Play by Play and more information on the Official Website of the Australian Baseball League