It was a photo finish as Dean Marnel attempted to run out a St Kilda batsman. 88832_12 Picture: MATHEW LYNN
By ADEM SARICAOGLU
THE Williamstown Wolves bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 17-6 thumping of St Kilda on Sunday.
The damage was done with a stunning 10-run eighth inning that increased the Wolves’ one-run lead to 11, ultimately blowing the game apart.
But Williamstown coach Dean Marnell insists the game was still up for grabs up until the sudden offensive onslaught.
“It was a good win but it still could’ve gone either way late in the game,” Marnell said.
St Kilda’s American pitching import Anthony Cerafice was making life difficult for Williamstown’s batters for much of the day.
But when Cerafice took a seat in the bullpen at the start of the eighth inning, it was then that Marnell says his side was able to take control of the game.
“We were 3-0 up in the first inning and then after two innings we were 5-1 up, and then he got into a rhythm and he started to throw the ball really well,” he said.
“We had our opportunities to score more but he just came up with big strike-outs at crucial times with bases loaded and that sort of thing, so we shot ourselves in the foot.”
The win was Williamstown’s third in four starts this season, but this Saturday the Wolves will face their toughest challenge yet when they travel to Berwick, who remain undefeated.
Marnell says his side needs to improve on certain areas ahead of Saturday’s clash.
“We seem to be leaving a lot of runners on base.
“That’s something we’ve got to work on, along with situational hitting, so next Saturday we’ll be trying to work on that part of our game.”
