BRISBANE WIN SERIES – STILL HAVE PLAYOFFS IN SIGHT
Josh Roberts and the Bandits celebrate that they are still in the playoff race.
Josh Roberts hit two home runs, including a solo shot in the sixth inning to cap off his team’s scoring, and the Brisbane Bandits picked up a big series win with a 5-2 victory over the Jet Couriers Melbourne Aces Sunday afternoon at RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane’s third win in the five-game set.
Roberts started Brisbane’s crucial series finale with a solo homer in the first, as well, staking his team to a 1-0 advantage, and his teammate Steven Greer drew the Bandits even in the next inning after Melbourne’s Elliot Biddle brought in two with a homer of his own in the top of the second. With the longball, Biddle has now homered in four straight games.
All even at two entering the fifth, the Bandits broke through against Aces starter Jeff Jamnik (4.1 IP/4 ER) when Ryan Battaglia lifted a two-run home run of his own out to centre to give Brisbane the lead for good.
Josh Warner (4.0 IP/2 ER), Simon Morriss, and ace Alex Maestri, pitching out of the bullpen for just the second time this year, combined to shut down Melbourne’s offence which only mustered six hits.
The loss dropped Melbourne to a tie for third place in the league with Adelaide and Canberra and brought Brisbane to within a game of a tie for a playoff spot. The Bandits finish the 2011/12 season with a trip to 2010/11 league runners-up Adelaide while the Aces host Canberra in Melbourne.