Williamstown Wolves have a long way to go to recapture last season’s title-winning form in the Baseball Victoria summer league division 2.
The Wolves were 13-3 winners over the Bonbeach Bluejays at Bicentennial Park on Sunday, but coach Dean Marnell isn’t getting carried away with what he described as an “ugly” win.
“We didn’t play that well, but we got the chocolates, so I’m happy with that,” he said. “We haven’t been playing too well, so hopefully our best baseball is just around the corner.”
The Wolves endured a rough week on the diamond. Of their three games in seven days they won just one.
The manner of the losses is what most concerns Marnell.
“We’re in one of those little slumps at the moment,” he said. “It’s the little things that we’re not doing right … we’re making too many mental mistakes.”
The Wolves trailed 3-1 in the fourth inning after Josh Lee ruined an otherwise solid start on the mound by giving up two walks before he was taken over the fence for a three-run homer.
“He was in control and pitching really well,” Marnell said. “He could’ve easily got out of the game not conceding any runs, but they put up that three-run shot.”
It seemed to flick a switch in the minds of the Wolves batters, who slammed on 12 unanswered runs to blow the Bluejays pitching to smithereens. And the Wolves relievers, Jason Lester and Ryan Camov, tamed the batters when it was their turn on the mound.
The Wolves have back-to-back matches against third-placed Berwick City Cougars this week.
“These games are huge for us,” Marnell said.
