Geraldton softball season round 15 action: Suiside edge out Martians, Blaze defeat Rams in men’s division one

There are only two rounds left to play for the majority of teams in the Geraldton softball season and despite most ladder positions set, clubs are not letting up, even in extreme heat.

In men’s division one, Suiside continued to march forward and secured another impressive win against Martians. In a close game that finished 9-7 in favour of Suiside, both teams performed well both at bat and on the field.

Suiside took an early lead, scoring five runs in the first two innings, while Martians managed only one run until the fifth inning, where they made a late push.

Jack Garland stood out for the winners with a triple and showcased some good defensive moments as the catcher. Jy Thurstan performed well on the pitcher’s mound for the winners. Tane Brott pitched effectively for Martians, tallying seven strikeouts and also hitting a single and a double at bat.

Batavia Blaze had another great game, this time defeating Rams 8-3. Blaze’s Eli Etherton put in a solid batting performance with back-to-back three-run hits.

In the field an amazing pitching performance by 16-year-old Jack Etherton kept the Rams batters at bay, only letting two runs in his spell before Sean Thompson finished the game.

Adam Gilchrist at first base played his best game all year, getting multiple outs and fuelling the team’s morale.

Player/coach Sean Thompson could not hide his pride after the game.

“We’re all having fun and learning a lot along the way,” he said.

“We planned to finish strong and leave it all on the diamond, and that we have done so far. I’m extremely proud of each of them.”

In the women’s division one games, Pi’s Panthers had a key win over Suiside, moving the team to third place on the ladder above their beaten rivals. The hard-fought contest finished 7-5 in favour of Panthers.

“We are very happy with the win; it keeps us in the hunt for finals,” Pi’s coach David Sutton said.

“We have been plagued with injuries and am grateful for the div two girls stepping up. Natalie Wisewould, Kylie Morgan, Selina Kittle and Jodi Reed all shone for us on the diamond today.”

Rams had a win over Suiside, 16-7.

“It was a great win,” Rams coach Deon Harrison said.

“We had a couple of players missing in Haylee Coker and Harmonie Narkle, but they got it done.

“One more game to get through before finals. I’m stoked we have had a solid season; it sets us up on top, and we can relax next week while the other four teams all have a chance to play finals. It should be great to watch.”

Marlins beat Martians in the other division one game and Taryn Purcell was once again in fine form on the pitcher’s mound for the winners.

Martians made too many fielding errors to stay in contention.

In men’s division two, Martians Red finally defeated their rivals Martians Black 5-4 and Rams beat Blaze in a tightly contested game, 8-6. Rams also had another win in their doubleheader, taking down Gunduwa 15-12.