Rob Laidlaw
IN the first game of the New Year, Gawler Rangers battled top division two baseball side West Torrens down to the wire at Lockleys on Sunday before falling 0-1.
It was an incredibly tight and tense game, with the Eagles only scoring an unearned run in their final at-bat to steal the glory in a finals-quality match-up.
It is always disappointing to lose, but the way the Rangers stuck to the task to the very end was admirable and should be a catalyst for plenty of belief going forward.
Gawler had its chances, especially in the first inning, when Ben Strong led off with a hit, and although out on a fielder’s choice from Rhys Argent’s miss-hit, Argent was successful in stealing second base, but was ‘hung-out to dry’ between the second and third.
When Wyatt Ryan came up with a nice single to right-field, questions of ‘what could have been’ were raised.
But the tenacious Rangers, behind another fine pitching performance from Josh Lands, continued to battle hard with the top team.
The game remained scoreless until West Torrens managed to squeeze a run home on a tight play, before it lost a runner at home plate after a great recovery from Lands and Noah Okeil.
Except for one error by Gawler in that fateful final frame, its fielding was exceptional, especially in the outfield.
At left-field Ryan took two catches, while Jake Rodda took three in centre-field, and Ben Nottle led the trio with four at right-field.
For his part, Lands went the distance from the mound, conceding four hits for five strikeouts in another top-notch outing.
This Sunday the Rangers host Glenelg at Karbeethan, a side Gawler battled with in December and triumphed by a single run.
Elsewhere, although trounced 0-15 by West Torrens, the Rangers’ division three team showed some promising signs with a number of younger players gaining valuable experience, while the division seven team played one of its most competitive games this season before going down 8-17 to East Torrens.
Gawler’s women return to the diamond on Friday, with an away game against Golden Grove Central Districts.
