SOUTH WAGGA Warriors will take on Turvey Park in the top of the table feature match of the Wagga softball competition on Saturday at French Fields.
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Last season’s grand finalists have met twice already this season and the Warriors have been convincing winners both times.
In round three, the Warriors won 9-4, and then, after Turvey made a good start, the Warriors finished strongly to record a 13-6 win in round eight.
Since that match neither team has lowered their colours and with the minor premiership more than likely the prize for the winner, rest assured both sides will give their all.
The match could be described as the best offensive team tackling the best defensive team.
Turvey Park has scored more runs than any other team this season, but the Warriors have conceded the least number of runs against them on the back of fine pitching from mother and daughter team, Jane and Montana Kearnes.
Helping Turvey to be leading scorer have been the performances of Jane Wadley, Jamila Piercy, Kate Looney and Amanda Gooden, all four of whom are in the top ten batters in the competition, based on batting averages.
Of course that statistic means nothing if they can’t continue with their good form in Saturday’s test against the Warriors.
When first they met this season, Looney was a late starter in the game, but Piercy, Wadley and Gooden did bat well, but when they met the Warriors for a second time, Gooden, Wadley and Looney were all missing.
With Sarah Stewart to return to the list, Turvey will have their strongest line-up available and will have no excuses if they go down.
The Warriors missed the consistent batting of Nicole Marlow last week and her fellow ‘top ten’ batter, Sam Gilmour, had a quiet one. If they bat to their potential and the Kearnes girls, Tamika Raufers and Louise Matheson continue to hit the ball well, Turvey will have to be well equipped in the field.
In the other match on Saturday, Lake Albert will look to their game against Saints as their last realistic chance of scoring a win this season.
Lake Albert showed, in one innings against Turvey Park, last match, just what they are capable of with the bat.
Alicia McLean, Kelly Eves, Georgia Noack and Amy Cottee had fine offensive games and if Lake’s regular good bats, Jess Swaysland and Jess Grant can produce their usual in the batting department, the Saints could be chasing leather.
On the other hand, the Saints realise that if they are to be a worthy finals contestant, they will have to keep playing at their best, otherwise finals’ experience will be short and sweet.
