With the diamond marked out on near perfect turf on the Willetton football ground, the sun shining brightly, and Soccer finals being played within spitting distance, the stage was set for two classic Grand Finals and let me tell you that is exactly what we were all treated to.

Raiders v Aarks - Curtain Raiser

The early game started with Aarks scoring 7 (3, 2, 2, 0) runs through 4 innings but Raiders were able to maintain the edge scoring 10 (5, 3, 1, 1) as the game reached the half way point.

Both teams scored 6 each in the 5 & 6 innings and it looked like the Raiders had it in the bag going into the last innings with a healthy 3 run lead. But Aarks were not to be denied as they gathered momentum and scored one of the runs required and had the other 2 on base to level the scores. The winning run approached the plate and hit a deep fly ball to left centre but it was gobbled up by left field as the runners advanced to 2nd & 3rd with now 2 outs. Raiders were one out away from winning a Grand Final and Aarks were one hit away from tying the game and placing the winning run on base. The atmosphere was electric and nerves were showing on both sides as the pitcher battled with what could be the last batter. With the count two balls and two strikes the pitcher sent down a sizzler. The batter was ready and as the bat came through and made solid contact with the ball the runners took off toward the plate. The hot shot was fielded deep at short stop and as the fielder came up to throw the ball it was anybodies game. The throw was on its way and so was the runner in a last ditch effort to out run the air born ball; the final result was the ball hit and stuck in the first basemen’s glove just in front of the runner and Raiders won a great Grand Final by 2 runs 16 - 14.

Rangers v Sliders - Main Game.

After being treated to such a thrilling game earlier it was always going to be difficult to maintain the same spectator interest. Sliders turned up ready to play and after a very solid 1.5hrs warm-up/training session prior to the commencement of the game some of us were wondering whether they had over cooked themselves. Early indications were a definite NO NO NO as they bounced out of the blocks scoring 17 runs in the 1st and methodically went about getting 3 outs and keeping a shell shocked Rangers to zero. A serious blow out was on the cards as Rangers managed only 6 runs through 4 innings (0, 5, 1, 0) to Sliders 21 runs (17, 0, 1, 3). It looked like Rangers Grand Final dominance was over with 3 innings remaining but the worm slowly began to turn in the 5th as Rangers added 8 to Sliders 0 and followed it up with another 7 run rally in the 6th. All of a sudden the crowd began to take more interest as Rangers held Sliders to 0 in the top of the 7th and were chasing 2 runs to tie and 3 for a win as they went into bat in the 7th. As batters became runners Rangers were looking dangerous as they scored one run and had the winning run at the plate. In what looked like a boil over Sliders began to look very desperate as they defended a solitary one run lead that stood between them and their first premiership in 14 years. That desperation and mindset was enough for them to conquer their demons and hold Rangers at bay to win another classic Grand Final by the smallest of margins and turn their dream into reality. Sliders 23 - Rangers 22.

Thanks to all umpires who volunteered to assist and congratulations to all teams throughout the finals as they certainly did the association, their respective teams, and themselves proud as all games were played at an exceptionally high standard and therefore made the umpires job a breeze. Let,s also remember the support people who work behind the scenes to ensure we all have an enjoyable day. Commiserations to Aarks and Rangers and there is no doubt any of the 4 sides would have been worthy winners.

Once again congratulations’ to both our premiership teams for 2008 Raiders and Sliders.

Cup (Top 4)

Rangers 47 d Sliders 8

Flyers 16 d Hammers 7 (eliminated)

Plate (Bottom 4)

Raiders 21 d Aarks 14

Cobras 14 d Pirates 12 (eliminated)

2nd Semi Final Sat 30 Aug

Both games were worthy of Grand Final billing as all teams tried to gain the ascendancy early. With only a couple of runs separating all teams going into the 4th innings a close encounter looked inevitable. Unfortunately both the Sliders and Aarks showed why they were placed 2nd & 6th respectively as they went on to win comfortably upon the completion of 7 innings.

Final Scores

Sliders 17 d Flyers 9

Aarks 19 d Cobras 16

Grand Final Sat 6 September

The Grand Final has shaped into what could be two epic games to celebrate the associations 25th year. At the end of the home & away series who would have expected the finals results to reinforce where teams had finished.

Rangers 1st now battle with 2nd placed Slider for the honour of top spot in the competition while 5th placed Raiders confront 6th placed Aarks for the plate.

hard and flat to all sections of the field. We managed a small challenge in the 4th scoring 4 runs but unfortunately that was the end as we went down to a rampant Flyers 38-11.

Defence.

Our defence tried hard all day but once the Flyers hit their straps with a focus on finals success it was a difficult task as they racked up 42 hits from 59 trips to the plate which included 8 home runs and 5 triples.

Offence.

Our start was promising scoring 11 runs through 4 innings but that was where it finished as our batters went down almost in regulation over the latter half of the game.

Batting.

Brett fresh from his honeymoon break showed no signs of HONEYMOON LAG as he lead off at his typical best. The top half of the line up provided plenty of “ON BASE ” opportunities but we were unable to take full advantage and left many potential runs on base. A team batting average of 526% (20/38) which included only 3 doubles was well below previous efforts.

Best Batting.

Jarren had a perfect return from a number of weeks away 4/4 (1000) which included a double, Bretto 4/5 (800) with a double, and Rudders 3/4 (750)

Plays of the Day.

Difficult to find anything outstanding other than to say everyone hung in there and continued to do their very best throughout a day where we were under fire from our opponents bat as balls were launched to all parts of the field.

Congratulations to Stewy and his lovely wife on the arrival of their long awaited baby and their worries will only be LITTLE ONES then BIG ONES!!!!!!!

Too little too late though as we went down Sliders 17 Brewers 7 to end our finals run for 2008. With one game to end the home and away rounds we are looking at ending on positive note to begin our 2009 campaign.

Defence

Stew pitched the 7 innings hitting the corners on the majority of occasions. A couple of crisp shots back through the middle coupled up with a few errors was the difference in the field.

Offence

Two runs through 5 innings and seven runners left stranded really left us with a difficult task with two bats left. Our batters began to find their range in the seventh but once again too little too late. A team batting average of 457 (16 from 35) not enough to get us over the line.

Best Batting

Bretto & Ads 3/4 (750) were our best which included a double each and a triple to Ads to lead the way batting in 3 of our 7 runs.

Plays of the Day

Difficult to find one this week but a near miss was the ball that just popped out of Frizz’z glove at full stretch to see Goldie take a diving attempt to pick up the falling ball which just eluded his glove. Great effort guys.

Al worked hard on the mound and was certainly well supported by his team mates. Another great performance as the team continues to build on previous outings. It was a terrific spectators game as both sides tried to use their respective base running players, hitters and defense to their advantage.

On the day Brewers ran out winners in a very tight game by the narrowest of margins: Brewers 18 – Pirates 17.

Defence

Al worked hard on the mound all day by moving the ball around the plate to keep the opposing batters thinking all day. He was well supported by the infield and outfield

Offence

Once again we scored in every innings which shows when we have runners on base our batters are ensuring they move the runners around and take up a position on a base themselves. A team bating average of 550 (25 from 45) and 5 walks continues to show we are becoming more selective with our hitting pitches.

Best Batting

Adrian 3/3 (1000) Peter G & Goldie 4/5 (800) and Rudders 4/6 (600)

Plays of the Day

Down the left side we saw Andy take a hot line drive and Rudders take a classic as he chased down a high fly ball in shallow left on the line.

At a crucial part of the game Goldie and Peter Speedy teamed to perfection and showed the value of players backing up. As Goldie attempted to make the catch in Right Centre it popped out of his glove and Peter S fired the ball into 2nd to make the out and shut down what could have been an expensive innings. Well done guy!

View the photos from Game 14.

All in all everyone must be congratulated on the way they applied themselves throughout the game. We scored in every innings with a total of 21 hits but were unable to match the Rangers 29 hits as we went down fighting with the final score being Rangers 26 – Brewers 15. Congratulations to Shells who found a perfect pitch to unload on and score his first home run.

We should all be looking forward to our next three games with a great deal of optimism!

Defence

The battery had a tough day out but was well supported by both outfield and infield. The outfield saved many extra bases with great fielding and back up and made the catches when they were there to be taken. The infield knocked down the ground hits and made the outs around the bases.

Offence

A team batting average of 525 (21 for 40) which included 2 home runs and 6 doubles is a very solid effort as everyone was a lot more selective at the plate and made the pitcher work for his outs.

Batting

Goldie, Al, Rudders, & Peter G lead the way with 4 from 5 (800) followed by Andy 7, JC 2 from 4 (500).

Plays of the Day

A great team effort in the way everyone supported one another and stuck at our tasks through out the day even when carrying injuries.

Alas, once again the “shit hit the fan” and we found ourselves struggling to hold off a late charge from the Hammers as they hammered our defence and began an effortless scoring spree. Finally after numerous pitching changes we managed to stop the onslaught and get the three outs required to bring up our third win.

Brewers 27 v Hammers 22

Defence

Our defence was exceptional beginning with our battery (Al to Brett) leading the way. It was well supported by our infield with Sapi having a blinder on 3rd base. The outfield was in a mean mood and ran down many hits which quite simply stopped the extra bases our opposition have been getting in previous games. A great effort by all and following our “tour of duty” lets take ensure we take this approach into our next game against the Rangers.

Offence

A total turn around here as everyone stepped up to the plate with a “CAN DO - WILL DO” attitude. Everyone looked for and executed signals throughout the day and when we had runners on base the hitters at the plate did the job by ensuring runners advanced. As a result everyone crossed the plate and have RBIs against their performance.

Batting

Brett as our lead off did an excellent job with 5 hits from 6 at bats and set the tempo for the game as we continued to hit throughout the lineup. With a team batting average of 690 (34 from 49) and no one under 500 it was a great day out. We must continue to build on this performance over the coming weeks.

Best Batting

Frizz 5/5 & Shells 2/2 1000, Brett 5/6 833, Sapi 4/5 800,

Plays of the Day

Sapis effort at 3rd and the outfield’s ability to run down hits and back each other up,

Congratulations to our Newlyweds: Brett & Raylene - May all their worries be only LITTLE ONES!!!!!!!

We had a blistering start with Andy allowing one hit in the first and 3 outs for no runs scored. Brewers answered the call with Frizz beating out a hit down 3rd and stealing 2nd. Al and Goldie got out which brought Jarren to the plate with 2 down. A hit to centre field scored Frizz but unfortunately Peter G was our 3rd out. We managed single runs again in the 2nd, 4th, & 5th and almost doubled our score in the bottom of the 7th with another 3 runs. Too little too late as we went down to Raiders 27 – 7.

Each of us must find a way to get on board base and ensure the batters following push them around and become runners themselves. Jarren and Rudders were the only consistent contributors throughout the day both batting 1000 and batting in 6 (3 each) of our seven runs.

Sapi TALENT SCOUT EXTRAORDINAIRE turned up in his Bag o’ Fruit to check out the new up and coming team in the comp — a team that has some rare individuals with an abundance of talent.

The presence of a “talent scout” dazzled and clearly impacted on our player’s performance on the day, with only Jarren and Rudders able to stand up to the close scrutiny from 1st Base. Even the hat made no difference as Sapi was overheard to say “I will turn up next week in disguise so that I blend in more — that’ll put the Team at ease and I might see some REAL talent.”

Defense

Our defense was equal to the task. The battery worked well and Andy’s effort on the mound to come back on many occasions from 3 balls to a full count situation was pleasing. The infield and outfield complemented each other and it was great to see the ball being thrown to the correct location throughout the game. Raiders clearly outhit us on the day (Raiders >35 to Brewers 11) lead by Knighty with 1HR, 3 doubles & 2 singles from the No3 position.

Offence

Not a lot of joy here with 32 times at bat, 15 hits, 2 walks and a miserly 7 runs. Atrocious.

Batting

Jarren 4 for 4, Rudders 4 for 4, and Goldie 2 for 4 accumulated 10 of our 15 hits. As mentioned in previous reports it is essential we individually identify our strike zones accurately and learn our best hitting pitch. The pitch we can guarantee a base hit 90% of the time.

Best Batting: Jarren & Rudders 1000, Goldie 500.

Plays of the Day

Pete G’s catch at Right Field will go down in the annals of history as one of the great catches at right field. With the ball tailing away to his right he made a last minute lunge which left him in full flight with out-stretched hand & glove. As he hit the ground the glove came up and low and behold the ball had stuck.

A great out, Pete!

Mark Shellard flied out to centre field for the 1st out which brought up the top of the line up Shane Ruddick who singled to left filed and stole 2nd to set up the draw. Clint Sapienza then popped up a foul ball which was dropped “PHEW” by the catcher to give him another life line which he used to perfection with a double to left centre field tying up the game. With a couple of minutes to play Brad took the long handle to the bat and with another double scored Clint for the win 23-22.

A great effort team. We can approach the rest of the season knowing and believing in each others ability to dig in and make it count when we need to.

Defence

Our pitchers had a difficult day as we used Stewy, Adrian, and Alan to keep our defense tight. Our infield was a little loose in the corners early but good work thru the middle and in the outfield was giving the battery the support it required. It was very pleasing to see Brett and Mark take the next step forward as they both played excellent games.

Offence

As the game progressed so did our confidence which saw players looking for signals and executing them. Well done let’s keep this going.

Batting

A greatly improved performance. When runners were on base we executed the basics throughout the day and looked for signals. Only 6 runners were left on base and that is a significant effort from everyone. A team batting average of 562 with 23 runs scored is something we need to look for each week. Continue to identify your best hitting pitch and be patient.

Best Batting: Andy, Jarren, Stew, Al, & Peter Speedy all 1000. Brett 800, Shane, Brad, & Frizz 666 closely followed by Clint 500 and Adrian 400.

That’s TEAM batting guys and clearly shows what we are capable of TOP EFFORT.

Best Players: Impossible to pick one or two players. When we needed the extra effort there was always someone who stepped into the breach up and made it happen.

Best Plays: Stew bouncing off the plate to field the short balls. Al coming in to pitch with a 2 ball count to close the innings down. Rudders, Clint and Brad combining to score the crucial runs. Marks underarm rocket to Clint to get the leading runner and an important out. Brettos great job behind the mask and his amazing bunt with a vertical bat.

Defence

Our pitchers struggled on the day to find a consistent zone without placing the ball down the tube. However our defence tightened from the 3rd innings and we held our own throughout the latter stages.

Offence

With to many runners left on base we must all focus on selecting “GOOD HITTING PITCHES”.

Batting

16 hits produced a miserly 9 runs from 36 times to bat. Once again we must work harder with runners on base.

Best Batting: Rudders (4 for 4), Peter Gaudieri, (2 for 2), Stewy (1 for 1).

Best Players: Rudders, Peter Gaudieri, Goldie, Jarren, & Frizz