Springvale pitcher Cat Row threw five tidy innings in the Lions’ 9-2 win over Waverley on Saturday.By Paul Pickering
AFTER suffering just their second defeat of the season last Thursday night, the Springvale Lions Division Three men bounced back on Sunday to take revenge on the team that had inflicted their first back in December.
The Lions – who retained top spot despite losing to Williamstown 9-5 last week – had atonement on their minds when they returned home to K.H. Wearne Field to face St Kilda on Sunday.
And it was Springvale strike force Glen Richards who set about establishing the Lions’ dominance early on, reeling off nine strike-outs and picking off a base runner to play a hand in the first 10 outs.
But St Kilda pitcher Joe Keiper proved equally effective – if less destructive – with his off-speed deliveries, ensuring a scoreless deadlock through five innings.
The Lions finally broke through in the sixth, when Glen Richards batted Mathew Greene in for the first run of the afternoon.
Another three hits reaped two runs for Springvale in the eighth, leaving relief pitcher Rob Hogan to close out for a 3-0 win.
Richards finished with 19 strike-outs for the match, taking his season tally to an astonishing 153.
And while Springvale head coach Mick Wearne said the team had quickly shrugged off Thursday night’s loss, he was pleased to see the Lions bounce back against St Kilda after struggling to collar their pitching staff in recent encounters.
Equally satisfying for Wearne was the form of the Springvale Division One women, who defeated Waverley 9-2 on Saturday.
Returning from a week’s break, the Lions led from start to finish in an ominous show of strength.
Pitchers Cat Row and Ella Holien combined to stifle the Waverley hitters, while the Lions looked much more comfortable over the plate.
“The break must have done them good, I think,” Wearne said.
“I’ve been at them to ease down and try to peak towards the finals, but that was probably our best game all year.”
Springvale will host second-placed Doncaster – which the Lions defeated in last season’s grand final – at K.H. Wearne Field in Keysborough from 3.30pm on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the men will travel to play Preston on Sunday.
