NEWPORT Rams were startled by the pitching strength of western suburbs rivals Sunshine Eagles in the Baseball Victoria summer league division2 premiership on Saturday.
The young and developing Rams put on a brave face against the battle-hardened Eagles before going down 6-2 in tricky conditions at KC White Reserve.
Rams coach Grant Weir has tipped the Eagles to go on to glory.
“I actually think Sunshine will win all of division 1,” he said.
“Their pitching is as good as we’ve faced this season. They’ve got a bunch of 27-year-olds, which is mature in baseball terms.”
The Rams will miss the finals after enduring a harsh month of results and personnel changes.
They lost two of their most experience players, Matthew Lawman (knee) and Troy Malthouse (ankle), to injuries and struggled in the leadership department.
The Rams did spring a surprise with victory over ladder leader Mulgrave but lost to lowly Chelsea.
They could finish the season as high as fifth or as low as seventh after this weekend’s final round.
Weir is content with that result in his first season in charge in a 14-team competition.
“I don’t think I’ve ever put a spot on the ladder where I think we should be,” he said. “I think we’re where we thought we’d be at.
“With young players comes inconsistency. You can’t get too annoyed about it; you know it’s going to happen.”
Perhaps a measure of the Rams’ progress is to match them up with the equally young and talented Waverley Wildcats.
The Rams finished above them on the ladder and had their measure in the first round of matches.
The Wildcats, however, hit back with a win of their own last month.
“We’re a young team and I think we’ve met our expectations of where I thought we’d be,” Weir said.
“Most of the Waverley team is in the under-16 and under-18 state sides and they’re below us on the ladder. It augurs well for the future.”
The Rams’ last game of the season is against St Kilda at Tom O’Halloran Field in Albert Park on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Newport is heading to the big dance in the division2 reserves after thrashing Williamstown Wolves 17-5 in the preliminary final on Sunday.
The Rams, with a teenage pitching duo, will take it up to Sandringham in the grand final at Jack Guiliano Field, Black Rock, on Sunday at 1pm.
In division6, Footscray has earned the right to host Essendon in the season decider and will do so at Hanks Reserve in Yarraville on Sunday from 1pm. The Bulldogs will go in as favourites, having already beaten the Bombers once this finals series in a 21-14 hitting fest in the first semi-final a fortnight ago.
Summer League
Division 2: Newport 2 lt Sunshine 6, Williamstown 2 lt Chelsea 5
Division 2 reserves: Newport 17 d Williamstown 5
Division 3: Newport 6 lt Springvale 16
Division 4: Cheltenham 12 d Footscray 10
