Tara Murray
A loss on Sunday hasn’t dampened Williamstown Wolves confidence in the Baseball Victoria summer league division 2.
The Wolves sit atop the ladder with three rounds remaining, including a midweek match this week.
Wolves’ Daniel Chircop said things had gone really well so far.
“We have three games to go before finals and everything is in our hands which is what you want,” he said.
“We were really happy with the first three games after Christmas. We played three teams that were lower on the ladder and it has not been an issue.
“The game against Cheltenham on Sunday, it was disappointing to lose but there were some good signs though.”
The Wolves lost Sunday’s game 7-6, having lost their starting pitcher during the week and one of the main hitters withdrew before the game.
Chircop said it gave others an opportunity to step up.
“It was a good game of baseball,” he said. “Cheltenham threw everything at us and only just got the job done.
“Jason Lester started as a pitcher for the first six innings and kept us alive and gave us a chance to win.
“While it’s disappointing to lose, it reflects where we are at.”
The Wolves have a tough run home with matches against other sides in the finals mix.
Chircop said while some people would like an easy run home, they are keen to test themselves against the best in the competition.
“We want to win two of our last three matches and cement top spot and gain automatic promotion into division 1 for next year,” he said.
“We play Newport, Ormond and Doncaster, the other three teams in the top four. It will be a good test and it lets you know where you are at.”
The Wolves second, third and fourth sides are set to miss finals, but Chircop said there was really good participation across all grades.
The club also has two under-16 sides with several players also playing senior baseball.
Chircop, who coaches the women’s side, said it had been really good having a women’s team for the first time in a long time.
“It has been fantastic,” he said. “They really love the game and it’s really enjoyable.
“I think we are doing a good job.”
Meanwhile, Newport Rams had a 10-0 win against Bonbeach on Sunday.
The Rams sit in fourth spot.
The Wolves and Rams face each other on Thursday night.
