Hello and welcome to a special edition of Line Drive a recap of the grand Final by number one correspondent The Legend, The master and great bloke Kevin Pool

North East Baseball Association wound up their season on Sunday playing the Grand Final games at Targoora Park Wangaratta in perfect conditions.

N.A.S.C. Bears and Wangaratta Rangers Black played off for the “A” Grade pennant, Rangers Black batted first and were off to a good start when their lead- off batter, Mark Drage hit a two base git to centre field. Drage then went on to third off their second batters hit and with two runners out was brought home when their fourth batter got on base from a fielding error to have one run on the board before their third out was made. Angus Young started on the mound for Rangers Black and threw well for the first three innings, having only four batters face the plate in each inning and no batter got past first base safely. Rangers Black brought two more runs in their third turn at bat when some good base running forced Bears into rushing their fielding throws and ending in errors to Rangers advantage allowing them to hold a three runs to nil lead going into the fourth inning. Rangers Black batters went three up – three down in their turn at bat. The Bears first batter to face the pitcher in their dig. Greg Daniel hit a home run to centre field with the second pitch thrown to him, their next three batters got on base. Two from walks and one from a two base hit with bases loaded. Bears youngest player in Brad Nicholson, hit the very first ball pitched to him over the cones at centre field for a home run, bringing on a Grand Slam – another four runs for Bears and a pitching change for Rangers Black, Young had thrown 70 pitches, 38 of them strikes and Bears were starting to get his style.

Rangers’ Canadian player Bryan Wilson was their lucky player brought on to pitch and to try and stem Bears run flow. After walking the first batter to face him, Wilson struck-out the next batter to get the first out. Their fourth batter was put out at first base for the second out and the third out was made at home when the runner was caught trying to steal a run and Bears run rate was brought to a holt. With one out in their fifth inning, Rangers Black brought in another run when Nathan Pool was forced around the diamond by his fellow batters after hit a stand-up double to centre field, Rangers trailed by just one run at the bottom of the fifth inning with the score Bears five runs to Rangers four. Bears were held from scoring in their turn at bat, in fact neither team could get a break in the next four innings with the most batters from either side to face the pitcher was four in any one dig. With time running out and at the top of the ninth inning, Rangers Black had nothing to lose but to throw everything into their last turn at bat. With Bears pitcher, Greg Daniel already having thrown over 130 pitches and showing signs of tiring, Rangers lifted their game and being back at the top of their batting order, had their first three batters on base. Tetsu Kamiyama hit to the outfield to bring in two runs and the Rangers hit the front for the first time in the game. With a safe hit to the outfield, Rangers Black brought in another four runs before they lost their third out and held a five run lead. Bears were yet to bat and the pressure remained to hold them out. Bears first batter was thrown out at first by a perfectly fielded ball by Nathan Pool at third base and thrown to Cam Scott at first. Their second batter was struck-out watching a strike go over the plate and Wilson finished off a good stint on the mound with another strike-out for the game after throwing 89 pitches, 58 of them strikes and after being bridesmaids to Bears for so many years, Rangers could celebrate well into the night with a well-deserved win 10 runs to Bears 5.

Rangers Orange played Wodonga Warriors 1 for the “B” Grade trophy and were soundly beaten by a much better side on the day.

Chris Jones started on the mound for Warriors 1 and had only thrown ten pitches when Rangers Oranges third out was made. Not to be disheartened, Rangers first pitcher, Brendon French only had to throw six more before they had side away and it looked like we had a game on our hands. Another three up – three down for Rangers Orange and Warriors were back into bat and bat they did and the errors mounted up by Rangers in their fielding and by the time Rangers got the third out, Warriors 1 had 16 runs cross the plate, all from fielding errors. Rangers lost heart, everything they did went wrong and although Warriors stopped stealing bases and running on past balls, they still managed to bring in another five runs in each of their next five innings to run out with a massive 36 runs to Rangers Orange scoreless and only one safe hit for the game.

Benalla Bandits played Porepunkah Panthers for the “C” Grade cup and won in a tight nine innings game with Bandits 10 runs to Panthers 9.

Hello and welcome to this weeks edition of your weekly insight to the personalities who make up Wangaratta’s only Baseball club; The Wangaratta Rangers. Since the last edition much has happened both on and off the field in Rangerland. Last Sunday under cloudy then sunny,then cloudy then sunny skies, the players from six clubs had the opportunity for one last shot at some silverware. In the C-grade game, Benalla and Porepunkah played out a very entertaining and thrilling game with Benalla getting over the line in the last innings. In the B-grade Wodonga were just too good for Wangaratta Rangers Orange. While in the A grade game in-front of a large jovial crowd Wangaratta left it really late in the game to finally overcome a gallant Bears team by the score of 10-5. From all accounts the game was played in great spirit and many players flashed the bat and leather throughout the game. This writer is pretty sure that more will be said about these games in the Wangaratta Chronicle during the week. So it’s now time to wrap up North Eastern Baseballs’ biggest day on the calendar. Through the eyes of Line Drive.