BASEBALL
LATROBE VALLEY
THE Moe Newborough Dodgers put an end to Churchill’s three-peat aspirations in last weekend’s preliminary final to set up a showdown with Traralgon Redsox for the GDF SUEZ LoyYang B Latrobe Valley Baseball A grade premiership.
The scene was set early when the Dodgers answered a first innings run scored by the Braves with two of their own.
Scores were tight up to the fifth innings, with Moe Newborough leading 6-4, but the sixth innings saw the Dodgers pull away with four runs, followed by one in the seventh and three more in the eighth.
The Braves scored in the ninth but were utlimately shut down and, ended their season with a 14-5 loss.
Dodger Nathan Robinson was hot with the bat, scoring four times, including one on the back of a timed single and double.
Nathan Simpson was menacing on the mound and was well relieved by Jason Smith who finished the game out.
The Braves were left to rue missed conversions, stranding 11 runners on base for the day.
B grade
THE Churchill Braves faced a tough Traralgon lineup in the B grade preliminary final, which proved a close contest up until the final inning.
The Braves scored two runs in the first to put the Redsox in chase mode.
Churchill scored once more in the fourth before the Redsox opened their scoring with one of their own.
Two more Traralgon runs in the fifth tied the game up, but the Braves got two runners home in the sixth before a pitching change strangled the Redsox in their last two innings.
The Braves took the win 5-3 to set up a grand final with the Moe/Newborough Dodgers.
C grade
C GRADE offered up another salivating baseball banquet in a match which saw the Churchill Braves and Traralgon Redsox trade the lead four times throughout the contest.
The result was decided in the last innings when the Redsox came from behind to win 11-10, setting up a grand final with Morwell Cougars.
