Blu-Js showed they are a premiership contender with a 16-4 flogging of new team, Saints, in the feature match of the Wagga Softball competition on Saturday.
After a promising start to the season, the Saints, who were undefeated prior to this match, were virtually beaten in the first innings of the game, when the Blues, after shutting out Saints in their opening dig, batted right through their lineup, and more, before the first out.
At that stage the Blues led 9-0, and were looking to finishing the match early, courtesy of the run-ahead rule. Indeed they finished their first innings with the score at 11-0.
Safe hits to Jasmine Williams, Julie-Ann Hallam (2), Kira Hallam, Libby Schofield (2), Jayla Nix, Stacey Morgan and Carmel Hutchinson, aided by some untidy Saints fielding laid the foundation for an impressive win.
Not even a frequent inter-change of pitchers, Tessa McGlynn and Sarah Wardley, managed to contain the attacking Blu-Js batters.
Saints managed to score three runs in their second offensive innings, with consecutive safe hits to Jess Cole, Morgan Pearce, Alison Burgess and Gemma McGlynn, enabling Cole, Pearce and Burgess to all cross the plate.
However Blu-Js responded in like fashion, adding three more to their total with hits to Hutchinson, Williams and Mohr sending them all home.
A single to the Saints in their third turn at bat was answered by two Blu-Js runs in their third dig, and when the Saints were shut out in their fourth, the game was called with the application of the mercy rule.
The game was a perfect warm-up for the Blues in readiness for their clash with Turvey Park next Saturday, while the Saints will hope to recover to tackle the Warriors with confidence in their next match.
Meantime, in the other fixture on Saturday, it was yet another mercy rule finish for Lake Albert when beaten 11-1 by South Wagga Warriors.
A regulation three outs were made by the Warriors to shut out Lake Albert in their opening innings, to which the Warriors responded with four runs, courtesy of safe hits to Tamika Raufers, Nicole Marlow, Montana Kearnes and Louise Matheson.
The Lake was again shut out in their second dig, despite Sarah Rose and Jess Grant making base, and when the Warriors’ took the score to 8-0 following some wayward pitching and hits to Gilmour, Sam Vidler and Matheson, another mercy rule finish looked on the cards.
Indeed, such was the case, despite the Lake doing as well as the Warriors in the third innings in which both teams were shut out.
The Lake scored their one and only run in the top of the fourth when Sophie Hawkins crossed the plate.
However the Warriors put a finish to the game after just four innings when they added three more to their tally, with a left field hit to newcomer, Brooke McHugh bringing in the eleventh run.
The wins by Blu-Js and the Warriors put them equal with Turvey Park on points, with the three of them in that order, on percentage at the top of the points table.
