A HOME run by Hayden Carroll from the final pitch of a three-game grand final series was a thrilling denouement for Wanderers to claim their fourth consecutive Sunraysia Baseball League title.
Player of the final Carroll’s second homer saw Wanderers lead Eagles for the first time in the deciding fixture, his effort at the bottom of the eighth innings earning his side a 9-8 victory to secure the 2-1 series win on Sunday at Aero Ovals.
In game one on Saturday, Carroll secured five safe hits and Zac Cranston and Nick Tregeagle two each as Wanderers secured the 8-4 victory.
Any thoughts of a straight sets victory were quashed as Eagles, led by home runs to Aaron Shillabeer and Taylar Pay, found momentum with a solid 11-2 victory in game two on Sunday.
The deciding contest, in front of a sizeable crowd, took place almost immediately afterwards and went down to the wire, providing an exciting end to the season.
Wanderers coach Nick Carroll praised the standard of the entire series.
“The standard over the three games was fantastic, both teams played really well and to have it in front of a really crowd was great,” he said.
“It’s rare you get a game decided on the last one of the day, let alone a home run, but Hayden had the lead off the bottom of the eighth inning and managed his second (home run) of the game.
“Eagles actually held sway for probably 75 per cent of the game, at the end was the only time we were in front so we were glad to get them at the end.”
With little rest to speak of between games two and three, Carroll said it was all about getting his players to rest and recuperate.
“It was pretty warm out there but we were lucky we had pitchers who were still pretty fit that were able to help close it out,” he said.
In B Grade, Lindsay Barabary led Hawks to a 6-0 victory over Wanderers, while in the C Grade intra-club derby, Ollie Hayes starred as Wanderers Gold defeated Wanderers Green 11-3.
SUNRAYSIA BASEBALL LEAGUE GRAND FINAL SCORES
SBL Results – Grand Finals 2023
A GRADE
GAME 1
Wanderers: – 1 2 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 – 8
Eagles: – 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 – 4
Safe hits: –
Wanderers – H Carroll 5; Z Cranston and N Tregeagle 2; A Job, A Carroll and B Douglas 1
Eagles – S Zaccone 2; H Grambau, M Austin, M Gee, T Pay and S Knudsen 1
GAME 2
Eagles: – 3 2 0 0 2 1 0 1 2 – 11
Wanderers: – 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 – 2
Safe hits: –
Eagles – A Shillabeer (inc. 1 h/r) 3; T Pay (inc. 1 h/r), M Austin and N Kuhn2; M Gee, S Zaccone and S Knudsen 1
Wanderers – A Job 3; H Carroll (inc. 1 h/r) and B Douglas 2; A Carroll and Z Cranston 1
GAME 3
Wanderers: – 0 2 1 4 0 1 0 1 – 9
Eagles: – 2 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 – 8
Safe hits: – Wanderers – H Carroll (2 h/r’s), A Job and A Carroll 2; J Malycha and T Boromeo 1
Eagles – M Gee and S Knudsen 3; N Nichols 2; T Pay, M Austin, S Zaccone and N Kuhn 1.
Player of the Final – H. Carroll (Wanderers)
B GRADE
Hawks: – 0 1 0 0 3 2 0 – 6
Wanderers: – 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0
Safe Hits: –
Hawks – J Moras and Z Stainer 2; D Whitelaw 1
Wanderers – L Baldock 1
Player of the Final – L. Barbary (Hawks)
C GRADE
Wanderers Gold: – 3 5 0 3 X – 11
Wanderers Green: – 2 0 0 0 1 – 3
Safe Hits: –
Wanderers Gold – Troy Kortekaas 3; O Hayes, Toby Kortekaas, M Baldock, G Fallon and T Job 1
Wanderers Green – A Efstratiou 2; B Bertalli and R Evans 1
Player of the final – O. Hayes (Wanderers Gold)
