The first double header weekend of the season and what a time for the young Macaws to play their worst baseball this season. On Saturday it was home in a very tough wind against Grassy park Crusaders. This game will surely rank as the worst display of our young season, but luckily the boys pulled a rabbit out of the hat to score 5 runs in their last batting turn to level the game at 16-16 before bad light suspended the game.

Jesse Johnson got his second start and was not his fluent self, but he was hurt badly by his defense. Jesse pitched three complete innings and faced one batter in the 4th striking out 3 while also hitting 3 batters, before he was replaced. By that stage he had conceded 10 runs of which only 3 were earned runs. The defense made well over the recorded 7 errors with drop catches being the order of the day. Derick Bayliss relieved Jesse and, although he held crusaders to scoring only 3 more runs in 4 innings, he too was sabotaged by more errors. Michael Scritten took over from Derick and also conceded 3 runs and made one error himself.

With all these errors it would be tough trying to find positives, but scoring 16 runs ourselves must be a good thing. Jared Haynes (2-5, 2K’s, RBi), Luke November (3-6, SF, HBP), Damian Perkins (1-1, RBi), Lance Gordon (2-6, BB, SB, K, RBi) Marvin Mahoney (2-5, 2B, 2 RBi) and Jesse Johnson (1-2, 3 BB’s) RBi) contributed to the offensive side.

The most exciting part of this game happened in the Macaws last batting turn. Down 16-11 with one out in the 9th inning and the game all but over, this young team decided it was time to wake up and make a run at Crusaders. 2 hits followed by a HBP, pinch running and pinch hitting changes being made and all of a sudden we were in the game. A hit up the middle by lance Gordon scored the tying runs in the fast fading light. Then, with Lance on first and two down, an over eager attempt to get into scoring position ended the inning at 16-16. It was evident we would not be able to start a new inning so the game was suspended and will be completed in a week’s time due to the double header weekend.

Lots of lessons for these young players, but that’s what young teams do.