It was massive week for baseball in Pakenham with the Pumas two regional teams taking each other on in a history-making day for the club. Here’s how the week unfolded.
JUNIORS
Pumas Big League took on Newport Blue this week and came away strong winners 10-1. Cooper Porter threw an excellent game keeping the Newport bats quiet and getting himself out of a couple of jams. Liam relieved the last, to secure the win. Bats were strong all game and Coadhey lead the way with three hits. Great game again by the boys.
Pakenham Pumas SL90 could not keep pace with Upwey FTG SL90 losing 5-2 on Sunday. Will Mayberry started the game for Pakenham. The pitcher allowed three hits and five runs over four innings, striking out 10 and walking six. Oliver Corrigan, Tyler Whitelaw, and Callum Farrow each collected one hit for Pakenham. Lachlan Collier, Corrigan, and Mayberry each stole multiple bases for Pakenham. The boys ran wild on the base paths, accumulating eight stolen bases for the game. Pakenham was sure-handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error. Farrow had the most chances in the field with 14. Next up for Pakenham Pumas SL90 is a game at Sandringham.
The Little League minor kids had fun running the bases and having a crack in the batter’s box. There were some outstanding pitching performances by our team but overall, everyone got to know the true basics of the game. Under 14s had a washout.
SENIORS
FIRSTS
Pakenham Pumas Premier 2 were triumphant over Saints 5-2 on Thursday, our first midweek game for the season. Pumas were the first to get on the board in the first when Hiroke Goke singled, scoring one run. Pakenham then committed an error, which helped the Saints tie the game at one-all in the bottom of the first. Pakenham jumped back into the lead in the top of the third inning after Saints committed an error. Max Hunter singled to right field, and Darren Reeves hit a sacrifice fly, each scoring one run. Hunter earned the win for Pakenham Pumas. The hurler gave up four hits and two runs (one earned) over five innings, striking out seven and walking three. Goke led Pakenham with two hits in two at bats. Pakenham ran wild on the base paths, accumulating four stolen bases for the game.
Max Vetter’s big day propelled Pakenham past Preston 14-12 on Saturday. Max drove in four runs on five hits when he doubled in the sixth scoring two, singled in the first scoring one, and singled in the third scoring one. Pakenham opened the scoring in the top of the first thanks to three singles. Pakenham got on the board when Max Hunter singled, scoring one. Pakenham made the score 8-5 in the top of the third after Vetter singled, scoring one, Dan Taylor singled, scoring one, and Hiroke doubled, scoring two. Preston tied the game in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a walk and a single. Pakenham made the score 11-10 in the top of the sixth after Vetter doubled, scoring two, and Taylor grounded out, scoring one. Pakenham jumped further into the lead in the top of the seventh inning after Goke tripled to right, Hunter grounded out, and Shaun Fahy singled to left, each scoring one run. Rohan Hector led things off on the mound for Pakenham. The starting pitcher gave up seven hits and eight runs over three innings. Hiroke pitched one inning of zero-run ball for Pakenham in relief. The hurler allowed one hit. Pakenham amassed 18 hits in the game. Jesse Hunter, Hiroke Goke, Danny Cannizaro, and Fahy each collected multiple hits for Pakenham. The Pumas had a strong eye at the plate, amassing six walks for the game. Hunter and Kyler Rinehart led the team with two free passes each. Rinehart stole two bases.
RESERVES
Pakenham Premier Reserves sailed past the Preston Pirates in a comfortable 8-4 win on Saturday afternoon in the sweltering heat. Rhys McKenzie started on the mound for the Pumas and pitched well in the 30-degree heat. James McFadden came on to close out the game. As the dugout had the only shade on the diamond, the Pumas were quick to get the outs needed so they could then collect some of their own hits. James McFadden, Rhys Mckenzie, and Dillon Collier each scored multiple RBIS for the team. Pumas ran rampant on the bases and easily accounted for the Preston Pirates winning the game.
STATE 3
Pakenham State League 3’s played Ormond away this weekend. Having posted their first win of the season last weekend, the Puma’s batters came to the top of the first inning at full speed. A combination of good discipline, good running and a few good hits saw Pakenham go right through the batting order and put up the maximum seven runs to take an early lead. The Puma’s added to this in the top of the second, scoring two more runs, before putting the game out of reach in the third where they added four. With the bat every player contributed, but some highlights included an in the park home run by Mathew Howden, multiple hard hits from Conner Mills Emmerson and Brock Edwards (including a double) and Coadhey Rebecchi. In the field, Ormond put pressure on the Puma’s a couple of times, loading the bases, but these were mostly shut down by a couple of nice plays especially two in a row by James D’arcy. On the mound, veteran/old timer Scott Dale and youngster Lachlan Collier shared the game. After being put under a lot of pressure early, young Lachlan came back strong and finished out the game well. In what was a great team effort, this very young team show a lot of heart and fight to win the game 14-5.
STATE 4
Pakenham Puma’s played Ormon Glenhuntly away at E.E. Gunn Reserve. It was a strange day; the game started 15 minutes late because of rain and ended with players putting on sun screen. The Pumas were not at their best. Pakenham started well scoring two runs in the top of the first but a couple of hits from Ormond saw the lead reduced to one. Pakenham then added one run in the second on a Sac fly from Wayne Porter to extend the lead to 3-1. Pakenham added seven more runs in the third and four more over the fourth and fifth inning but some sloppy fielding by the Pumas allowed four unearned runs which was disappointing. The final score was 14-5 Pakenham’s way but the only shining lights in the game were some good disciplines at the plate – tallying 13 walks – and a two-for-two effort from Lachlan Collier as hits were scarce.
REGIONAL DERBY
In a historic Pakenham v Pakenham Derby, Pumas Black defeated Pumas White.
This summer’s Pakenham v Pakenham derby lived up to its hype on Sunday with Pakenham Pumas Black defeating Pumas White 6-1 in challenging conditions. This match also marked the first time six O’Halloran’s – Malachite, Noah, William, Archer, David, and Jude – played in the same game, showcasing a unique family legacy. Meanwhile, on the Regional Black side, Riley Duncan joined in this week to make it the first time that four of the Duncan family played in the one team; making it a truly unique family affair. Both teams battled wild weather to ensure the ground was ready for play, working together to overcome the elements in a show of community spirit. Pakenham Black took an early lead, scoring in the top of the first inning through a combination of smart base running and patient at-bats. Gregg Duncan and Tristan White earned walks, while Adam Duncan brought in a run with a fielder’s choice. Brad Jones delivered a standout performance for Black, pitching five innings with six strikeouts while allowing only three hits and one unearned run. Malachite O’Halloran started for Pakenham White, battling through challenging weather conditions but giving up four runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning. Lance Llandado was exceptional in relief only allowing a further two runs in 4.1 innings of relief. Greg McCormick was perfect at the plate for Black, going three-for-three, while Bryce Haley added two hits in two at-bats. Brad Jones contributed with two RBIs, and the teams displayed aggressive baserunning, swiping 13 bases collectively.
Masters had to forfeit.
WOMENS
Pakenham Pumas played Moorabbin on the weekend ready to challenge the second-place holders. The end score, 8-5 in Moorabbin’s favour, reflected the effort and challenge the Pumas put in against the top team. Pakenham put up a strong trio of pitchers consisting of Olivia Garcia, who struck out five batters and walked one, Carni Dowsett, who allowed four hits, and Katherine Walton, who finished off the game striking out one and allowing no hits. Casey Hynes and Katherine Walton both collected two hits each, while Olivia Garcia, Carni Dowsett, Jade Taylor, Kirby Cannizzaro and Holly Lunn each had one hit. The team collectively had five RBI’s and stole eight bases.
PUMAS WHITE
Pakenham Pumas Women’s White had trouble keeping up with St Kilda in a 22-7 loss on Saturday. The Saints were a force to be reckoned with on the field, getting those runs over home plate, hitting left, right and centre. Pitching for three innings, Jessica Moulding gave it her best shot, knowing that the Saints can watch one pitch and then send the next one right into Albert Park Lake. With only three types of pitches in her repertoire – ranging from loopy, a little less loopy, and then the hard to hit extreme loopy. Clearly the St Kilda Ladies love to just hit baseballs, because that’s exactly what they did! With a couple of errors and walks from the St Kilda pitcher, the Pumas managed to score two runs in the third inning and then some sneaky hitting got them five more runs in the fourth. While things were getting loopy in the Pumas dugout, Jess handed the game ball over to Newbies, Emma Barker and Sofia Fahy to have their time in the limelight up on the mound, both facing about five batters each. The two did an awesome job and are definitely ones to look out for in the future for the Pumas. Sarah Bailey, the number seven hitter for Pakenham, led the way with two runs batted in. Christine Sculley, Jessica Moulding, Mel Woodham and Colleen Graham each collected one hit for Pakenham. Sofia Fahy and Olivia Field led the team with two walks each.
-Jessica Moulding-
