For a good part of the season, Saints downfall was their inability to have consistent, team batting. That part of their game took a positive turn in Saturday’s preliminary final as they had 17 hits between them.

Kadison Hofert, the McGlynn sisters, Tessa and Gemma and Desi Calder each had three, Sarah Rose and Morgan Pearce, two apiece and Paula Potts one.

Saints batted first and were on the scoreboard early when Calder and Hofert crossed the plate.

Turvey responded with the same score after Jane Wadley hit safely and was batted in by an Amanda Gooden home run.

Both teams were shut out in their second innings, and Turvey Park took the lead for the first time in the game after the third innings.

Saints added two runs with Tessa McGlynn and Hofert scoring, while Turvey scored three giving them the narrowest of leads.

Amanda Lenon, Wadley and Jade Olsen were the scorers.

Saints quickly changed that situation with a fourth innings that yielded three runs. Gemma McGlynn, Calder and Tessa McGlynn herself all scored on a home run by the latter.

Turvey’s fourth innings was a regulation: “three up-three down”

For only the second time in the game, Saints were shut out in their fifth innings and Turvey responded with a single, taking the score to 7-6 after the bottom of the fifth.

After the first two batters in Saints sixth innings were dismissed they had a ‘two down rally’, which saw Calder, Tessa McGlynn and Hofert all score.

Turvey was again shut out making their task of overhauling the Saints a daunting one.

This was made an even tougher assignment when the Saints produced their best effort yet with the bat, belting in six runs in the top of the seventh.

Turvey was shut out for a fourth time by an enthusiastic young Saints team which will enter their first grand final in next Saturday’s grand final against the Warriors.

A Grade: Saints 16 d Turvey Park 6

B Grade: Saints 11 d Turvey Park Red 5

C Grade: Lake Albert 11 d Saints Knights 4