Matte Finish

Upon arriving at the Blacktown Olympic Baseball facility the Defensive Specialist was faced with 2 immutable facts:

1) It was hotter and steamier than 2 rats making love in a wool sock

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2) Sydney ace Chris Oxspring was not in the Blue Sox rotation.

The heat and humidity was obviously going to affect both ball clubs but the prime time Sydney pitcher not being available to take the ball at the start of the game could put a severe crimp in the Blue Sox’s title chances. Logic suggests that with his first spring training approaching in a couple of weeks, Oxspring was looking to shift down his work load so that he’ll be reasonably fresh and ready to impress when he gets to the US (and yes that sentence had unintentional rhyming awesomeness).

With a lacklustre crowd in attendance (the vast majority of third base line seating was empty), Sydney number 2 David Welch took the ball with the goal of shutting down the Heat and propelling his team directly into the grand final. Southpaw Daniel Schmidt got the nod from skipper Brooke Knight for the Heat who were looking to steal another series on the road and set themselves up for a grand final at their home yard. Both pitchers settled in after giving up early doubles in the first inning (Luke Hughes with a ground rule double to right centre and Mitch Dening a gap shot to left) and proceeded to make short work of the opposing hitters.

The Defensive Specialist has waxed lyrical about the firepower contained within the Heat line up and in the 4^th inning the bats got going. Allan De San Miguel drove a ball to the right centre gap that Dening appeared to have a bead on. Just as he closed on it, rightfielder David Kandilas ploughed into him causing the ball to rattle away and allowing De San Miguel to rumble into third. Kandilas was shaken up after the collision but remained in the game. Luke Hughes then hit a sac fly to right to plate De San Miguel, and Robbie Widlansky stroked a ball into left to keep the inning going. With Evan McArthur at the dish Widlansky broke for second as Welch picked over to first. Geriatric first baseman Brendan Kingman double pumped and threw to Michael Lysaught covering second. Widlansky appeared to block Lysaught’s view as the ball caromed off his larynx allowing Widlansky safe passage into second. Lysaught was briefly rattled but also remained in the game. McArthur then drove a ball into leftfield to push Widlansky in for the second run.

Schmidt had the ball on a string, surrendering only 1 hit through 6. After the rough 4^th Welch managed to quell the Heat bats. He was relieved by Oxspring in the top of the 7^th which struck the Defensive Specialist as an interesting move. On one hand manager Glenn Williams wants to keep the game close and which better guy to do so. On the other hand you’ve now burned your best pitcher for the remainder of the series in a losing contest.

The game wasn’t a losing contest for much longer as Dening scorched a 1 out double to right in the bottom of the 7^th. After an Alex Johnson ground out, Kingman limped to the plate like Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series. On the first pitch he made like Gibson by smashing a fastball for a game tying 2 run blast to leftfield.

Game tied 2-2.

With Dae-Song Koo rolling it over in the Sydney pen, Oxpsring trotted out for the 9^th inning after racking up 5 K’s in 2 innings of work. He started the 9^th by punching out McArthur but Ronnie Welty poked a ground ball through the infield to right to put a runner on for the Heat. Matthew Kennelly then got radical on an inside fastball and murdered it to leftfield for a 2 run blast that put the Heat up 4-2.

Heat closer Brendan Wise was summoned from the pen to shut things down in the 9^th. After a quick out he walked Dening but then induced a chopper to third that McArthur fed to Hughes who deftly turned it over to first with a hustling Dening on his hammer to end the game.

*The Defensive Specialist apologies for waffling less than he usually does but with game 2 fast approaching it seemed prudent to knock out the comprehensive review immediately after the game rather than trying to double up on Friday.

The Deep in the Hole player of the game could easily go to Daniel Schmidt who went 7 innings allowing only 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 4 but for his 9^th inning long ball heroics Matthew Kennelly gets the nod – congratulations!

Things are suddenly a little dicey for the Blue Sox with both of their aces spent and a series deficit in place. They’ll turn to either Craig Anderson or Wayne Lundgren to try and turn things around in game 2. Once again attention has to be turned to the stagnant Blue Sox offense that managed only 4 hits (2 by Dening) and never seemed to threaten.

For the Heat things are on the up and up. With a severely depleted starting rotation they’ll sent beanpole Trevor Caughey to the mound. Fans will remember that he shut the Blue Sox down in his last start. The offense will take heart that they pulled a W against arguably the two best pitchers in the league and will be raring to finish the series off on Friday night so that they can sample all that the Penrith night life has to offer before heading back to Perth and preparing for the Grand Final series.