Saints book grand final berth, Turvey Park Blue keep season alive

It proved a day of upsets with the young Turvey Park Blue team beating the more fancied Turvey Park Red team in a nine-innings minor semi final thriller.

Having lost their last three matches, the Saints took the lead when fielding errors allowed Tessa McGlynn and Rochelle Harley on base, and they were both batted in by a Kadison Hofert left field hit.

In the third innings the Warriors drew level when Montana Kearnes' home run also scored Jayla Nix.

The Saints edged ahead again in the top of the fifth when Rochelle Harley crossed the plate before Jess Swaysland added a single to level the scores again for the Warriors.

The Saints were dismissed without score in the top of the sixth and were overhauled by the Warriors when Little hit a three base hit over centrefield and scored on a sacrifice fly from O'Neil.

In the seven hits to Tessa McGlynn, Harley and Hofert, combined with some Warriors' errors in the field, allowed the Saints to score four runs and take a three-run lead into the bottom of the seventh.

Swaysland hit to left field, stole to second and went home on another Montana Kearnes hit, but outfield catches and a timely strike out finished the game with Saints winning 7-5.

The minor semi-final between the Turvey Park Blue and Turvey Park Red was epic, with Blue producing a thrilling upset.

Hits to Amanda Lenon, Belinda Dennis and Kate Looney saw Lenon score in the first innings for the Reds. The inspirational Amanda Gooden started the Blues second innings with a safe left field hit, which was followed by hits to Sharon Hall, Phoebe Wadley and Sophie Gooden (home run) to give the Blues five second-innings runs.

In the third innings the Reds drew level when smart bunting, a Charli McNaughton hit and some careless fielding combined to give them five runs.

Sophie Gooden and Sharon Hall were batted in by Leila Wadley in the top of the Blues fourth innings, but the Reds went one-up when Sarah Carter, Dennis and Looney all crossed the plate.

Amanda Gooden and Sharon Hall both had hits again in the top of the fifth and the pair was batted in by a Phoebe Wadley home run.

Three runs were scored by the Reds in the bottom of the dig, taking the score to 11-10 entering the sixth, before Jess Wendt was batted in by Nerida Bates to level the score.

In the tie-breaker the Blues managed to score their runner, Kayla Horne on the back of a Sophie Gooden bunt and a Charli Hall safe hit.

The Reds' runner, Alex Maiden, also scored thanks to a McNaughton hit, thus forcing the game into nine innings.

Safe hits to Amanda Gooden, Bates, Paris Hall and Sharon Hall put the Blues three runs ahead. Hits to Dennis, Looney and Anneke Piercy (her fourth for the game) saw Carter and Dennis score but splendid fielding by Leila Wadley saw the end of the Reds innings, one short of the Blues total.

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