BANDITS HOLD ON NINTH
Ninth-inning tally puts Brisbane past Melbourne
MELBOURNE, 18 November – After slight delay due to a quick moving thunderstorm in Melbourne the Jet Couriers Melbourne Aces came out strong, but couldn’t keep the lead in the end losing 4-3 to the Brisbane Bandits.
Shane Lindsay started the night for the Aces and he came out with his major league arm. He pitched 5 innings giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits.
The Bandits were the first on the board coming out with 1 run in the first, but the Aces answered right back. After a lead off hit by pitch by Dominic Ramos, Elliot Biddle came to the plate and blasted a homerun to left field, putting the score at 2-1 Aces.
“I am seeing the ball alright,” Biddle said. “I just got to keep getting good pitches to hit and keep seeing it the way I am seeing it.
Brisbane then took back the lead in the second after a few key hits by Tasei Makihara and Matthew Roxburgh.
The score stayed 3-2 until the fourth inning when Hayden Dingle lead off with a homerun over the left field fence which tied the game at 3. Bandits left fielder Roxburgh was caught off guard by Dingle’s hit and started to charge the ball that ended up going way over his head.
Blake Cunningham came in for Lindsay in the top of the 6th inning and was lights out. He has been the go to relief pitcher for the Aces this year. He went 4 innings without giving up a run on 2 hits.
“It is always important to have a bullpen,” Cunningham said. “Because the starters are doing their job getting through the innings keeping the runs down so it is all up to us to keep it that way and do a good job.”
The Bandits came away with a run in the top of the 9th off of an Edwards error in right field. Roxburgh reached on a single up the middle and batted in off of the fly ball to left that Edwards misplayed.
“We aren’t doing the right things late in the game,” head coach Phil Dale said. “Exicuting situations with the bat and not playing good enough defense, which makes us lose the game by one run.”
The Aces have played hard and are hungry for wins and will be back at the Showgrounds tomorrow at 6 p.m. to get revenge on the Bandits. Nic Ungs is scheduled to start on the mound.
“We are playing really good against [Brisbane]. Everyone is hitting the ball and pitchers are throwing strikes, so I don’t see why we can’t win the last two games,” Cunningham said.