Lions aim for improvement

By Paul Pickering
DESPITE registering two comfortable wins, it was a mediocre weekend on the diamond for the Springvale Lions Baseball Club.
So lofty are the expectations down at K.H. Wearne Field that four-run victories to the Division One women and Division Three men will be cause for some concern ahead of crucial encounters this weekend.
The lady Big Cats conceded an early lead before overrunning Port Melbourne 9-5 on Saturday, with Kellie Manzie-Novotny throwing some late-innings heat to deny the Mariners an upset victory.
Springvale’s top-three batters – Shae Lillywhite, Siobhan Taylor and Manzie-Novotny – provided the lion’s share of the hitting, while pitchers Vic Brown and Cat Row emerged from the bullpen to strike telling blows at crucial junctures of the game.
While the win kept the reigning premiers in familiar position atop the league ladder, an improved performance will be needed to account for third-placed Malvern this Saturday.
Springvale’s men book-ended a 6-2 victory over Preston with three runs in the first inning and two in the final term.
Brad Hughes capitalised on a promotion from the reserves – and some nervous Preston pitching – with an early hit that brought in three of his team-mates in the Lions’ first dig.
Springvale struggled to lay bat on ball in the next seven innings, while star pitcher Glen Richards also battled rare control difficulties.
In the second term, Richards paid a hefty price for conceding his first hit for the season, with two Preston runners crossing home plate after being walked on base.
But Richards regained his rhythm to record 17 strike outs for the day in a marathon 145-throw stint on the mound.
Hughes, Matthew Greene and Rob Novotny all had multiple hits for the afternoon.
Springvale will now host Williamstown this Sunday in a top-of-the-table clash between the only undefeated teams in the division.