Newport Rams let a match-winning lead slip in their 6-5 loss to Essendon Bombers in the Baseball Victoria summer league division 1 at Boeing Reserve on Sunday.
The newly promoted Rams were on the cusp of securing a victory against last year’s grand finalists to add to their impressive opening-day win over Geelong Baycats.
But a late show from premium bats in the Bomber line-up saw the Rams cough up a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth on the arm of tiring import Travis Bass.
Bass had good command in the prior three innings after coming on in relief for starter Griffin Weir, but he couldn’t sustain it into the last.
PICTURE GALLERY: Newport Rams v Essendon Bombers
“It was his first game after getting here last week,” Rams assistant coach Gavin Young said. “He was getting a bit tired, but we had two out, a few runs in hand and we thought we could squeeze through and he could get us out of the innings. In hindsight, we probably left him in a bit long.”
The Rams led for most of the game with Weir impressive on the mound. The young starter gave up two runs on five hits in five innings.
“He did a great job again to get us in a good position,” Young said.
Two-hit Troy Malthouse busted the game wide open in the fourth with a three RBI double. Jordan Young also had two hits.
The Rams just couldn’t seal the deal, leaving a number of runners on base throughout the game.
While the loss hurts in the short term, Young believes it will be a valuable learning tool for his young side.
“So many players learned so much out of today,” he said. “I don’t like losing, but this is a long journey for us – it’s about the future and being a powerhouse in division 1. We’ve got guys who will be here for another 10 years .”
In division 2, Williamstown Wolves had a nailbiting 10-9 win over Mulgrave to make it two-from-two.
