By ADEM SARICAOGLU
A “FREAKISH” play by Williamstown pitcher Josh Lee proved to be the difference between the Wolves and the Werribee Giants in Division Two Summer League baseball on Sunday.
The visiting Wolves were up 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning at Presidents Park, but the Giants had the game-tying run at third base with pinch-runner Andrew Christou.
On a squeeze bunt play with one out, Christou bolted for home and in any normal circumstances would have tied the game on the play.
However, after diving for the ball and quickly scooping it to catcher Jason McDonald, Lee managed to pull off a miraculous defensive play just as Christou collided into McDonald.
The Wolves then secured victory with a quick strikeout – handing the Giants their seventh loss for the season.
“It was a freakish play, really,” Werribee coach Phil Balzer said shortly afterward.
“The run should’ve scored, which would’ve tied the game and forced it into extra innings or given us the chance to score the winning run in that inning.
“So things didn’t go our way but when you strike out 14 times, you’re not really giving yourself much of a chance.”
In what proved a tight tussle from start to finish, the fourth-placed Giants were able to match it with the ladder-leading Wolves.
However, it was those 14 strikeouts that ultimately cost Werribee its 11th victory, according to Balzer.
“That’s just way too many (strikeouts) and that didn’t give us enough opportunities to put the ball in play and put some pressure on Williamstown to make those plays,” Balzer said.
“We struck out five of their guys, so if we allow only five strikeouts ourselves then that’s nine more balls we put in play, and you expect some of those to be hits.
“That’d give us more scoring opportunities, so that was the big difference in the game.”
With just two more regular season games to come before the finals series kicks off in March, Werribee remains an outside chance of finishing second on the table.
This Sunday the Giants will travel to take on St Kilda before hosting Springvale in a game that could ultimately decide second spot.
