IT was March come early for the Williamstown Wolves. On the menu was Fitzroy, a proud club unlucky to be relegated from division 1 and heading into the game on the back of two narrow one-run losses.
The Lions might have been 0-2, but the Wolves were under no illusions about the mammoth job they faced against a team likely to push for a finals berth.
“They’re a quality outfit,” Wolves playing president Ryan Camov said.
“They were unfortunate to drop down from division 1 last year after losing eight games by a run or less.
“It was a good game of baseball. A high standard played by both sides.”
The Wolves, eager to bounce back from a shock defeat to the Werribee Giants seven days earlier, held on for a gutsy 9-7 win at Merri Park.
The momentum see-sawed throughout the game, but the Wolves were in front on the scoreboard from go to whoa.
“We broke it open in the eighth,” Camov said. “We scored four runs in that inning to take a 9-5 lead and gave up two in the last.
“We’d been in front all day, then it got close through the middle and we pushed away again in the eighth.”
Playing coach Dean Marnell was a big factor in the outcome.
The first-year leader went 4-from-4 and is hitting .875 after eight at bats this season.
“He’s 7-from-8, which is just phenomenal,” Camov said.
“He’d be a league ahead of the rest of the hitters in this league at the moment. He’s been stroking the ball and making it look easy.”
Veteran starting pitcher David Asp and new recruit Josh Lee worked hard on the mound.
Asp has turned back time to own the starter’s role.
“David’s in his late 30s so he’s doing good to come out and still be very competitive at this level,” Camov said.
“He was great again today. That’s three starts he’s had and they’ve all been competitive.”
The Wolves return home for a blockbuster with St Kilda at Greenwich Reserve on Sunday.
Firsts: Fitzroy 7 lt Williamstown 9
Seconds: Fitzroy 4 d Williamstown 2
Thirds: Williamstown 5 lt Fitzroy 14
Fourths: Williamstown 6 lt Fitzroy 18
