Heat get edge in ABL marathon
Perth Heat have one hand on the Claxton Shield after overcoming Canberra Cavalry 4-3 in a tense opening game of the Australian Baseball League championship series at Barbagallo Ballpark last night.
The Heat took extra innings to take the crucial first game in the three-game decider, with the Cavalry needing to win tonight to force a third game tomorrow and stop Perth from claiming a third championship in four years.
Perth were one out at the bottom of the 14th inning with Corey Adamson on first when US import Joey Wong doubled on a fly ball to let Adamson in for the winning run and the walk off win.
Title holders Canberra came to Perth as the underdogs after the Heat won 10 more regular season games.
But the visitors had a stranglehold on the match when they went to the sixth inning up 3-0.
Perth hit back with two runs in the sixth and another in the eighth to draw level and force extra innings.
The man with the most wins in the ABL during the regular season, Jack Frawley was trusted to start in the all-important opening game.
The American allowed two runs in the second inning and leaked another in the fourth as the visitors had the Heat in trouble.
But Frawley was back to his stingy best after that, pitching three scoreless innings before Brendan Wise replaced him in the eighth.
Scott Mitchinson and top reliever Cameron Lamb then stepped in late to prevent any more Canberra scoring.
Starting Canberra pitcher Brian Grening pitched five scoreless innings and had two out in the sixth when Matt Kennelly hit through centre field to allow brother Tim through for the Heat’s first run of the night.
Canberra manager Michael Collins then decided to bring Clint Everts in to relieve but he had a bad start, allowing Allan de San Miguel to walk to first.
Exciting teenager Sam Kennelly was struck with the bases loaded to allow Brandon Tripp to walk through Perth’s second run and draw within one.
It was Tripp again who helped Perth level in the eighth, taking advantage of a Mike Crouse fielding error on a de San Miguel hit to get home from first base.
