Springy comes through

By Stuart Teather
SPRINGVALE’S women’s baseball side faced its toughest challenge of the season on Saturday against Malvern, but still came out on top with a 6-4 win.
The Lions got off to a blinding start thanks to three runs in the first innings, giving the side a healthy buffer throughout most of the game.
With Vic Brown starting on the mound, Malvern found it difficult to score early, but managed to even the ledger by the fifth innings, tying the scores at 4-4.
Having cruised through the year undefeated and hardly challenged, the Lions found themselves in an unusual position — battling for the lead.
Then everything went wrong.
Brown, who had put in a solid performance from the hill, broke her wrist sliding into third base, putting the Lions in a dangerous position against a team renowned for its hitting prowess.
But Springvale covered the gap nicely with another of its pitching guns, with Kellie Manzie throwing two shutout innings, ensuring the Lions maintained their unbeaten start to the year.
Coach Mick Wearne said it was important for his side to have a decent battle.
“It was pleasing for us to have a closer game, it’s been getting a bit hard to keep the girls enthused,” he said.
Wearne said losing Brown, who plays at third base, was another blow to the Lions, who are short of depth.
“She’ll be out for probably six or eight weeks which is a bit tough. Fortunately we have a fair bit of depth in our pitching, but we don’t have that much in the team. We’re starting to stretch it now, we’ve lost our second-baseman (Bronwyn Lasky) as well to study, she’s doing her PhD and she’s out for the rest of the year as well.”
Meanwhile the men had a resounding win over Chelsea on Sunday, smashing the Division Three welterweights 15-2. It took just one innings with the bat to sink Chelsea, with the Lions piling on an incredible 10 runs in the first.
The runs dried up after the brutal first innings, but the damage was well and truly done and the Lions took a massive win.
Rob Hogan belted a homer and a double for four RBIs, Matthew Pallant hit at 1000, and Rob Novotny and Myles Barnden picked up two hits each.
The win ensures the Lions remain on top of the ladder after eight games, ahead of Williamstown on percentage.
This week the men’s side travels to St Kilda, while the women’s takes on Doncaster in a blockbuster top-two showdown at home.