Baseball
Williamstown Wolves have breezed past the Moorabbin Panthers and into the Baseball Victoria summer league division 2 grand final for the second year running.
The Wolves claimed game one of the semi-final series 17-7 at Preston midweek before clinching game two at home with a tougher 10-5 scoreline on Saturday.
Wolves coach Dean Marnell said depth in his pitching ranks proved the difference in the 2-0 series win.
“It just helps to have all those pitchers,” he said, pointing to Jason Lester, David Asp, Josh Lee, Ryan Camov, Nathan Rogers and Aaron Green.
“It’s really handy to have so many options because if a guy has a bad inning or two, you can get him out straight away.”
With the run support generated by the batters, the Wolves’ pitchers didn’t need to be at their best.
Lester was solid as the game-one starter, while Asp got the nod in game two.
Asp encountered some trouble in his first two innings but settled down to last into the fifth.
The pick of the pitchers was reliever Josh Lee, who had an impact on both games.
Lee’s four-inning effort in game two when it was in the balance ensured the Wolves did not need to face a third game.
“He was sharp,” Marnell said. “It’s the best he’s thrown this year.”
The bats were scorching hot for the Wolves and team hitting was the order of the week. They piled on 27 runs in two outings.
“We were also dropping some bunts down and manufacturing runs,” Marnell said. “We ran the bases really well and just executed. They hustled and kept the pressure on.”
The Wolves will meet Springvale Lions in a best-of-three grand final series at the Melbourne Ball Park. The opener is tonight at 7.30pm, followed by games on Saturday and, if required, Sunday, both from 1pm.
Marnell is “pumped” about getting the chance to defend last summer’s title.
“That’s what you play for,” he said. “We started pre-season in August and the guys worked their backsides off.
“It’s not just our ones – it’s our twos and threes, and our assistant coaches do all the hard work.
“Our batting practice throwers are probably throwing 1000 balls a week so our hitters can get their work in.
“It’s rewarding for those guys to make it to the big dance.”
LANCE JENKINSON
