Baseball Victoria – Divisions 2 1st, Finals 2
MAKING it two-for-two from the senior teams, Springvale Lions’ men stepped up this week to claim the club’s fourth premiership this season.
After taking an extra-innings win in the first of the three-match series at Melbourne Ballpark, Springvale ensured there would not be a third clash needed with a thrilling 10-8 win over Moorabbin.
Led by coach Scott Wearne, who plays for the Melbourne Aces ABL team, the Lions marched into the finals on the back of five successive wins before rolling the minor premiers Sunshine to set up a grand-final showdown against the Panthers.
It was all square at 4-4 through four innings before the floodgates opened for Springvale – Glenn Mascoll started the run-fest with a solo home-run before Tim Brown hit in Lucas Price and a first base error helped push Springvale out to a handy 8-4 lead.
Moorabbin didn’t concede from there, bringing the margin back to one before Wearne took to the mound at the bottom of the sixth innings.
Wearne would hold Moorabbin to one run for the final three innings – an exceptional closing effort from the traditional shortstop/in-fielder at the elite level.
With a two-run lead in the final innings, Springvale picked off the final two Moorabbin runners at second base to earn its first senior men’s Division 2 premiership since 1998/99.
SPRINGVALE LIONS ROSTER: Scott Wearne, Caleb Poole, Glenn Mascoll, Lucas Price, Myles Barnden, Glen Richards, Tim Brown, Neal Cavanagh, Sam Drummond, Brad Croft.
