Winter Round 10 Results

Rangers made it three from three over the weekend with all grades posting victories in a successful weekend. The C2’s marched along to the tune of a 12-4 victory over Baulkham Hills, whilst the E2’s came up big with a 33-6 romp over the Tigers. In the D2’s a very gutsy victory saw Rangers hold off a fast finishing North Ryde RSL 12-10 at Pioneer Park.

Offenses dominate as gutsy Rangers D2’s hold out Nth Ryde 12-10

Scoreboard, or should I say iPad operators were kept busy at Pioneer Park on Sunday Rangers D2′ and Nth Ryde combined for 22 runs over five innings on 25 hits including 5 extra base shots.  On a perfect afternoon for baseball, the game played on neutral territory at Pioneer saw a first with both teams sharing a dugout due to local council regulations. The proverbial line in the sand was drawn as both teams looked to bounce back after the previous week.

With Grant Lacey swinging potentially the hottest bat in the grade, his move to the top of the order proved a masterstroke providing 3 hits from the leadoff position as Rangers plated 4 runs in the top of the first with four straight two out singles from Steve Graham, Brad Rockwell, Matt Payne, Kevin Dinn and Jeff Watts all notching up first innings offence.

Dinn was sharp at first base applying a perfect tag to strand the baserunner at first, along with a great overhead catch from Richard Ash in left as both teams progressed through until the bottom of the second before Ryde posted it’s first run with Rangers closing out the innings with a 4-1 lead.

Rangers lead off the third innings thanks to walks from Tricia Vermuyten, another Kevin Dinn single and Wattsy getting in the way of one Roger Dorn style before a Grant Lacey single scored Dinn but unfortunately saw Tricia Vermuyten tear her calf whilst rounding third. With only 8 Rangers players in the field and a hobbled Kevin Dinn taking first after a nasty knee knock, Nth Ryde seized on the opportunity to plate three, bringing the score back 5-4 in Rangers favour before Rangers fought back with hits from Rockwell, Payne and Dinn and a courageous at-bat from Vermuyten padded out a 7-4 lead.

Nth Ryde clawed another back in the bottom of the fourth on a sac fly before Rangers put on five runs in the fifth, with the injury plagued Rangers away side capitalising on singles from Lacey, Graham, Rockwell, Payne along with a Richard Ash walk to score two and then load the bases.

In two very courageous at bats, and despite neither being able to walk, let alone run, Kevin Dinn drew a six pitch base on balls with a hobbled Vermuyten scoring two on a hard line drive to short, avoiding back to back automatic outs with the two combining for two further runs which ultimately proved the difference.

Ryde fought back hard in the bottom of the last scoring 5 with some great outfield coverage from Rangers and a cool pitching performance from Steve Graham ultimately snatching the win. Three hit games from Lacey, Rockwell, Dinn and Payne along with multi RBI performances from Vermuyten and Watts standouts amongst a very solid team effort in a much needed victory.