Pakenham Pumas had five teams; A1, B2, C2, U15 and U13 play their first week of finals on the weekend while the two women’s sides played their last round before finals begin. Here’s how an exciting weekend of baseball played out.
A1
PUMAS LOSE TO MORNINGTON 14-4 AFTER LEADING BY FOUR RUNS.
Pakenham got on the board early in the first inning after Kyler Rinehart singled, to score one run. They extended the lead in the second with a double by Hiroke Goke, and a single by Taiga Saito. But Mornington weren’t ready to lie down and took the lead in the bottom of the fifth scoring eight runs. At the bottom of the eighth Mornington scored six runs on four hits to make things even harder for the Pumas. Unfortunately, Pakenham was unable to score again, the season ending in a 14-4 loss. Luke Anson was the starting pitcher and went seven innings, giving up eight runs (only three earned) on 12 hits, striking out four and walking three. The Pumas accumulated nine hits in the game. Goke went 1-for-5 at the plate and led the team with two runs batted in. Saito led Pakenham with two hits in four at bats. Yo Takehara stole two bases. Overall Pakenham ran wild on the base paths, tallying five stolen bases for the game.
B2
PUMAS GO DOWN FIGHTING BUT GRAND FINAL STILL ON THE CARDS
Pakenham Pumas B2 gave it their all on Saturday but couldn’t quite get past a strong Chelsea side, going down 13–0. While the scoreboard didn’t fall their way this time, there was still plenty to smile about as the team collected five solid hits and showed their resilience all game long. One of the bright sparks was young gun Brock “Back-to-Back”, who had a day to remember. After helping the Under 15 side secure a fantastic win to book their spot in the grand final earlier in the day, Brock backed it up with two hits from two at bats in the B2 clash; proving he’s one to watch across all levels. On the mound, Justin Mazurek worked hard for the Pumas, striking out three across four innings of pitching. The team’s defence also dug in against Chelsea’s consistent hitting, showing grit right to the final out. While the result didn’t go Pakenham’s way, the season is far from over. The Pumas have earned themselves a second chance and will be back in action this week with a grand final spot on the line. With their fighting spirit, talented youngsters, and a determination that never wavers, you can bet the Pumas will be ready to pounce.
C2
SEASON ENDS AFTER TIGHT DEFENSIVE SHOWDOWN
The Pumas C2 season came to an end in a tightly fought game against a young Frankston team that proved to be too good on the day. In a real pitcher’s battle, hits were hard to come by for both teams and the defensive pressure was evident from both sides. Frankston picked up the first run early in the game off a walk, but from there things really tightened up. Starting pitcher James Kinsella was fantastic on the mound for the Pumas across four innings. He picked up six strike outs, had two put outs, gave up five hits and only three runs from the quick young Tomatoes. He was replaced by Anthony Clissold in the last, who also did a great job, striking out one himself, gave up a single hit and one run. The were no errors in the field which was really impressive and a credit to all the hard work and training throughout the season. Unfortunately, what cost us this time was our batting. The Pumas top order struggled to fire and put real pressure on the home team. We just couldn’t get on top of Frankston’s starter who kept us scoreless for all four of his innings and only allowed four hits in total. While we did load the bases a couple of times, we couldn’t convert those into runs, picking up our first and only in the sixth, thanks to a timely double to Brad Bugeja, followed by a rare hit for team manager Gregg Clutterbuck. Congratulations to Frankston and good luck for the rest of the final series, winning 4-1. All in all, it has been a really good season for our team, finishing with an 8-8 record and making finals with a team evenly mixed with experience and some new to the game. Well done and thanks to all of our players for giving their all every week for the team and our Club.
WOMEN’S WHITE
PUMAS SHOW FIGHT IN HIGH-SCORING CLASH WITH DINGLEY…EYES NOW ON SEMIS
Pakenham Pumas Women’s White side went down 12-8 to Dingley in a lively contest on Sunday, but the scoreline hardly told the full story of the game. The Pumas showed plenty of fight, out-hitting their opponents nine to eight, and demonstrated once again why they deserve their place in this week’s semi-final. Katherine Walton led the way at the plate with three hits, while Emily Devine and Karlee Brady both chipped in with multiple RBIs. Felicity Clissold provided one of the highlights of the game, driving in three runs with a clutch single in the fourth inning that sparked a five-run rally for the Pumas. The Pakenham side also showed their trademark hustle, stealing an incredible 15 bases on the day, with Brady, Devine, Walton, and Johanna Blackler all swiping multiple bags. Importantly, the Pumas were flawless in the field, finishing the game without a single error, a testament to their sharp defensive work. On the mound, Emily Williams battled hard against a disciplined Dingley lineup, striking out four across her three innings of work. Despite Dingley’s bursts of scoring in the third and fourth innings, the Pumas never gave in and kept pressing until the final out. While the result didn’t fall their way, the Pumas’ spirit, speed, and hitting power were clear for all to see. With their spot in the finals already secured, the team can now look forward with confidence to another showdown with Dingley this week in the semi-final; and the chance to turn the tables when it matters most.
WOMEN’S BLACK
PUMAS BLACK DO IT AGAIN!
If you like drama, chaos, and a bit of heartburn, then the Pakenham Pumas Women’s Black gave you everything on Sunday in their nail-biting 11–10 win over Berwick. It was a game where the bats were booming, the legs were flying, and the fans were left clutching their coffees like life rafts.
The “Speedy Senorita” Beatrice ‘Boom-Boom’ Carreras wasted no time, smacking a single in the first to get the Pumas rolling. But Berwick’s bats had other ideas, sneaking ahead early in the second inning. Then came the bottom of the second, aka; “Puma Party Time.” The Pumas batted around, piling on seven runs with just two hits. The biggest moment came courtesy of Katherine “Clutch Kat” Walton, whose ground-out somehow brought in two runs, proving that sometimes it’s not how hard you hit it…but where the chaos lands. By the third inning, the scoreboard looked like it had gone through the spin cycle: Pumas up 9–7. By the fourth, Berwick had flipped it again, 10–9. Cue the nerves. That’s when Elizabeth “Queen Liz” Talauega coolly tied it up with a fielder’s choice, setting the stage for the Pumas to sneak back in front. On the mound, Jessica “No Nonsense” Moulding started things off, before the bullpen tag-team of Olivia “The Hammer” Garcia and Elizabeth Talauega kept things steady enough for the bats (and legs) to do the talking. Speaking of legs; these Pumas ran like they were being chased by a pack of hungry dingoes. They swiped 12 bases, including multiple thefts by Elizabeth, Holly “Lightning” Lunn, and Sofia “Sneaky Feet”. “Boom-Boom” Carreras was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3, while Codie “Cool Hand” Sell and Holly worked their magic with a couple of walks each. To top it off, the Pumas pulled off a triple play; the kind of thing that makes coaches cry happy tears and scorekeepers double-check the book. Berwick actually out-hit the Pumas 13–6, but thanks to patience, speed, and just the right amount of chaos, the Pumas clawed out the 11–10 win. One thing’s for sure; whether it’s “Clutch Kat,” “Boom-Boom Beatrice,” or “Sneaky Feet” Sofia, the Pumas know how to put on a show!
UNDER 15
FIFTH-INNING SPURT LEADS PUMAS PAST FRANKSTON IN SEMI-FINAL
Pumas scored five runs in the fifth inning, which helped them defeat Frankston 7-1 on Saturday at Toomuc Recreation Reserve. Pumas opened the scoring in the first after a wild pitch scored one run. Frankston stole home to tie the game at one all in the bottom of the third. Pumas took the lead 2-1 in the top of the fourth after an error scored one run. The fifth innings spurt began when Brock was struck by a pitch, driving in a run and Angus doubled, scoring three runs. Frankston was unable to respond to this. Coadhey earned the win for the Pumas. The starting pitcher gave up zero hits and one run over four innings, striking out nine and walking none. Timmy pitched one inning of scoreless ball for Pumas in relief allowing zero hits. Angus and Coadhey each collected two hits for Pumas. Angus led the team with one run batted in and he went 2-for-3 on the day. Coadhey and Ian each stole multiple bases as the Pumas ran wild on the base paths, piling up 10 stolen bases for the game. Now it’s all eyes on the grand final against Cheltenham Blue. The stakes are high, but if the Pumas bring the same energy, speed, and teamwork, they have got every chance to lift that trophy!
UNDER 13
SLOW START COSTLY FOR BRAVE PAKENHAM PUMAS
Frankston got off to a hot start with their first four runners coming round to score but with the bases loaded Isaac held his nerve to record back-to-back strikeouts and prevent any further damage. After shutting down the Pumas Frankston applied the pressure again in the second inning to add another run to their lead. Again though, Isaac impressed on the mound striking out the side to keep the Pumas in the hunt. They were unable to score in the second and third inning but with Yuan coming on in relief Pakenham managed to shut down the Frankston side. In the fourth innings Pakenham loaded the bases with Noah hitting a lead-off triple to centrefield and back-to-back walks to Isaac and Morgan. With Connor up to bat and time running out the Pumas desperately needed runs. And they got them when Connor hit a double to centrefield clearing the bases and bringing Pakenham within two runs but unable to score again. The Pumas needed quick outs to get back to their batting and got the lead-off batter to ground out before the next Frankston batter hit a triple to put themselves 60ft away from scoring another run. Yuan came in clutch with consecutive strikeouts to give the Pakenham side one last chance. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be as they were unable to score with the final score 3-5. Despite the result it has been a fantastic year for our Under 13s who have grown over this season and showed incredible fight all game after going down by four runs to give themselves every opportunity to win.
-James Kinsella and Jessica Moulding-
