NEWPORT Rams are in a menacing mood at the moment. The red-hot Rams sit on top of the Baseball Victoria summer league division 2 ladder with a flawless 5-0 record.
They have won their first five games in a canter by a combined total of 55 runs and an average winning margin of 11.
The Rams posted another mercy-rule win on Sunday, pounding the hapless Springvale Lions 15-2 in a one-sided contest at KC White Reserve.
Rams assistant coach Gavin Young told the Weekly the run of good results had come on the back of a strong team bond created under the leadership of coach Grant Weir.
“There’s a good culture built by these guys,” Young said. “The team camaraderie is pretty good at the moment. Everybody has got everyone’s back.
“When someone is down, someone steps up for them and that’s all you can ask.”
The Rams are showing no signs of slowing down. Some detractors will tell you the Rams are yet to face the so-called glamour clubs.
But you can only play the team that’s in front of you and the Rams are by no means getting ahead of themselves.
“It’s a long season and we take one game at a time,” Young said. “Our goal is to go out there and play good, solid, strong baseball and we believe the outcome will take care of itself. We’re doing a lot of things right at the moment.”
The Rams’ bats have been hot all season and that continued on Sunday when they forced the umpires into calling the game after seven innings under the mercy rule.
The best part of the Rams’ offensive efforts was the shared responsibilities.
“When we came up to bat, we stayed composed and just team-hit,” Young said. “We were doing the small things right, we were able to back everyone up and play as a team. It was all about moving a guy across one base at a time.”
The Rams had their worries in the pitching department. Starter Griffin Weir is still finding his rhythm and location.
“It wasn’t one of his best outings,” Young said. “The good thing about him today was that when he was struggling, he worked out of it and kept on getting better as the game wore on.”
Liam Vicary-Lovegrove, a “hit and miss” reliever last year, has become a dependable arm out of the bullpen this season.
The Rams will square off with the Werribee Giants at President’s Park on Sunday.
