The Bellingen Brewers B grade squad earned a hard-fought 13-9 victory against the Coffs Harbour Allstars on Saturday. The win raised Bellingen's record for the season to 4-2 and lifted them into a first place tie with the Woolgoolga Bluesox.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Brewers got off to another fast start, plating five runs in the top of the first inning. Luke Nelson and Cam Rutherford stroked clutch two-out run-scoring hits in the rally.
The teams traded single runs before the bats came alive on both sides in the third inning. Leading 6-2, Bellingen scored three times in the top of the inning to extend their lead, but the Allstars answered with six runs to narrow the gap to just one, 9-8.
Undaunted, the Brewers responded with a four-run rally. Charles Wolfson had the key hit, a bases-loaded single that scored two runs.
Scott Hansen came on to pitch in relief of Paul Holding and held the Allstars to just one run the rest of the way, with the Brewers running out 13-9 winners. Holding provided a big assist at first base, snaring a line drive and turning it into a game-ending double play.
As has been the story of Bellingen's A grade season, the team once again took the field with several members of the starting line-up and key reserves unavailable. In addition, the team's starting pitcher, Neil Davies, was suffering from a sore shoulder and unavailable to pitch.
Improvised line-up notwithstanding, the Brewers came out firing, scoring seven runs in the first inning. Mick Nelson and Cooper Bake-Smith had run-scoring hits in the inning for Bellingen.
Hansen, pressed into duty to pitch in A grade after closing out the B grade win, held the Allstars scoreless in the bottom of the first. The Brewers then tacked on another run in the top of the second inning to extend their lead to 8-0, as Callum Rayner singled in Nelson.
In the bottom of the second inning, the wheels fell off for Bellingen. With Hansen tiring, and the Allstars finding holes in the Brewers' patchwork defense, Coffs Harbour pushed five runs across the plate to narrow Bellingen's lead to 8-5.
After the Brewers failed to score in the top of the third inning, Rob Kozik came on to pitch for Bellingen, but was forced from the mound by a leg injury. The Allstars took full advantage, scoring six more runs to take an 11-8 lead.
In their final at bat, Bellingen could score just once more, as Nelson crossed the plate for the third time in the game. Coffs Harbour then batted out the remaining time to hold on for an 11-9 win.
The Brewers will meet the Bluesox on Saturday, looking to take sole possession of first place in B grade, and for their first win of the season in A grade.
