The Adelaide Bite were able to even up the weekend series beating the Melbourne Aces 9-0 and keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.
In a game that would see the Adelaide Bite score six runs in the opening three innings, it would also lead Melbourne to open its bullpen early as Adam Blackley struggled on the mound.
While the Adelaide hitters were taking control of the game, Dushan Ruzic would pitch for six innings, while striking out nine hitters in the process. Super pitching from Ruzic would give the Bite a perfect start, Melbourne would be in and out in quick succession.
The home side would finish with a disappointing 5 hits for the day; Darryl George would be the only Melbourne batter to get two hits on the day and they would rotate an amazing seven pitchers throughout the course of the afternoon.
A Jeremy Cresswell walk to lead off the opening inning of the game, was directly followed by a Ben Lodge walk as well – Adam Blackley was struggling early. Melbourne could never find their groove, as Adelaide continued to apply the pressure.
A Stefan Welch fly ball to center field would allow the two runners to score, Welch would advance to third and the score was soon 2-0. Angus Roeger would single to bring Welch home from third, before Adam Kam would strike out and end the inning with a 3-0 lead.
Two walks in the second inning would allow Josh Cakebread to score off loaded bases. Melbourne were starting to fall apart and Adelaide would take full advantage. A pitching change to start the third inning couldn’t stem the tide; Andrew Mann would walk the first batter he faced.
After being walked to start the inning, Angus Roeger would score off a Chris Adamson fly ball to left field. Chris Adamson would also get home off another fly ball chance, as the inning ended 5-0 and with Adelaide in full control.
Adelaide would add two more runs in the top of the sixth inning, Quincy Latimore and Tom Brice would score respectively. As things went from bad to worse for Melbourne, designated hitter James Beresford would be ejected from the game to rub salt into the wound.
Another walk would lead to Jeremy Cresswell rounding the bases; he would then score from third base off a Quincy Latimore fly ball to left field. It would be the final run of the match, a crushing victory to even up the weekend series at 2-2 and allow Adelaide to keep one eye on the playoff race.
Melbourne will walk away from the series bitterly disappointed; it will be marked down as the season that wasn’t. A team tipped by many to do big things this season, nothing has clicked on a consistent basis.
Speaking post game, Scott Wearne echoed those sentiments. “It’s a bit disappointing to finish the season like that at home, in front of our crowd. I guess it’s kind of been like that the whole year; we just haven’t been able to play consistent baseball. We showed a few times what we can do; we just can’t put it together for four games.”
With the final home series now completed for the Melbourne Aces, there is just one more week of baseball to be played. They will travel to Perth next weekend in the final week of the 2012/13 ABL season.
While the season hasn’t gone totally to plan, Wearne said there were a few positives to take from the season “We have had lots of young kids get plenty of game time, we have had Carlo Testa and Zac Arneson out here and they have been great. Josh Davies his first Australian team, he has had a really good year and it has helped towards his selection.”
Adelaide sits in fifth place and is on a two game winning streak, with a 6-4 record in their last ten games. They return home next weekend to face the league leading Canberra Cavalry.
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