Cubs A leave Black blue
SUCCESSIVE home run hits by Jason Scammell and Greg Wicks lifted Cubs A to an emphatic 12-2 Cairns Baseball League majors competition victory over Shogun Black at Trinity Beach on Sunday.
Shogun Black has proved to be a bogy side for the powerful Cubs A line-up this season, winning both of their previous clashes, but found itself outgunned on Sunday.
The match appeared set to be a tight tussle with Cubs A leading 3-2 after three innings before Scammell stepped to the plate with loaded bases and unleashed a grand slam home run at the top of the fourth.
Wicks then added insult to Shogun Black’s injury by following Scammell’s lead and belting Yoshick Minora out of the park and out of the pitching duties, as Cubs A grabbed a 9-2 lead and a stranglehold on the match.
Cubs A veteran Matt Bolton, who returned to the side this season after a short-lived retirement, said his side had been determined to beat Shogun Black.
"The last two times that Shogun Black have rolled us they’ve been good defensively and have made their regulation plays and beaten us hands down," he said.
"But we have been playing a lot better baseball over the last month, the guys are starting to hit their straps."
As well as being in form, Bolton said Cubs A players had also been determined to prove a point by beating Shogun Black, if only to themselves.
"The boys wanted to prove they could beat them, not for revenge, but just to prove a point to themselves," he said.
As well as providing the batting heroics alongside Scammell, Wicks also combined with Kevin Gosden to limit the opportunities for Shogun Black batters with excellent pitching.
Wicks struck out eight batters in his four innings on the mound with Gosden striking out three from his three innings.
John Tolentini, Nathan Francis and Cameron Davis also showed good form with the bat as did Yohei Ogawa for Cubs Black.
Scammell later backed up to pitch the entire seven innings in Cubs B’s 19-7 win over Heat B. The remaining major league match resulted in competition leaders Shogun Heat edging out a determined Reds B 12-11.
Shogun Heat retains its spot at the top of the ladder with Shogun Black and Cubs A snapping at its heels.
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On line: Cubs A player Nathan Francis is ready to put bat on ball in Sunday’s match. Picture: JAKE NOWAKOWSKI
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