PAKENHAM Pumas hit the ground running in the Dandenong Baseball Association’s first round, beating Dingley 7-2 in B1 competition and narrowly losing 11-12 in B2 in a reduced innings match.
In the B1 game, the first innings went scoreless with neither team able to hit the lead. Pakenham struck three runs in the second with a run of five hits from their first five at-bats.
Stuart Brunton was impressive at the pitcher’s mound, holding the Pakenham lead and getting three outs from four Dingley batters.
The Pumas went quiet in the middle innings as the Dingley pitcher’s curve balls starting dropping through the strike zone. Dingley scored in the fourth and fifth innings. Another run was added by Pakenham in the seventh, after Ash Hind smashed one out to right field for a double and was batted home by Joey Thorpe.
Brunton continued his strong pitching, outfoxing the Dingley batters as they failed to score more runs. Pakenham finished well in the ninth, scoring another three runs. When Brunton struck out the last three Dingley batters, the match ended 7-2 in Pakenham’s favour.
Meanwhile, Pakenham narrowly lost to Dingley in the B2 game, going down 11 to 12.
A massive hit on the first at-bat to Red Hunter was converted into Pakenham’s first run when a Rob Printz hit went through the Dingley short stop. Four runs came in Pakenham’s first innings, with first gamer Scott Olding hitting one out to centre field, which scored for the Pumas.
The second innings started with six Pakenham hits, scoring two runs before Dingley found their range, adding three runs to make it 6-5.
The third innings was a run-fest, with Pakenham hitting another five runs and Dingley drawing level with a two-out rally to score six for the innings. Dingley hit the winning run in the fourth innings, to take the game 12-11.
People in Profile: Publishing her dreams
While most teens are dreaming about the future, Isabella is already living hers, publishing a novel while still in Year 9. Gazette journalist Afraa...
