Springvale’s storm strikes

By Gavin Staindl
SPRINGVALE has made a damning statement to the rest of Division Two after it thumped old Division One powerhouse team Bonbeach 13-1 at Wearne Reserve.
As the rain began to pour late in the Sunday, so did the Springvale runs.
Behind a two-run jack by Luke Price in the fifth innings, the Lions added a further seven runs in the sixth and another four in the eighth to run away with the match.
Despite numerous rain delays, pitcher Brad Hertzler remained unfazed throwing a no-hitter through six innings before Scott Bailiey closed out the match.
Coach Mick Wearne was surprised at the minimal resistance shown by a Bonbeach side that two seasons ago was pushing for finals in Victoria’s prime competition.
“I was pretty confident we could win but I didn’t expect to win by as much as we did,” Wearne said.
“We were always in control. They’re not the strongest of hitting teams so when we got the big lead they were never going to score enough to win.
“They will definitely be a top six side but I was happy to play them and happy to beat them,” he said.
Apart from driving to Werribee only to have the Division Two women’s match called off, the weather meant it was a relatively quiet Saturday for the Wearne family.
Both the Springvale Puma’s and Springvale Lions had their Division One matches abandoned but the games are expected to be rescheduled for a later date.