By Tara Murray
Sunshine Eagles suffered their first loss of the Baseball Victoria men’s division 1 season, losing a thriller to Geelong Baycats.
In tricky conditions with a gale blowing in Geelong, the match was decided in the eighth inning when the Baycats hit the winning run to win 6-5.
Eagles coach Stuart Clayton said it was a frustrating game. He said considering the weather, the Baycats had done a sensational job to get the ground ready to play on.
“We matched it with them in the batting, it came down to giving them a couple of untimely runs.
“It was one of those games where we were in front and then they were in front and then we were and then they were and then scores were level.
“They got a lucky hit to win the game.
They got a hit and we put in a couple of players to try and induce a double play and keep the game alive.
“[But] it was a walk off in the end. A tight loss.”
Riley Barr did a massive amount of work, pitching 95 pitches across eight innings.
Clayton said that Barr did a good job of keeping Geelong in check, especially with it blowing a gale.
PHOTO GALLERY: Sunshine Eagles vs Geelong Baycats
Of the batters, Jason Tutt and Jordan Young both had three hits each for the Eagles.
Despite dropping their first game of the season, Clayton said there wasn’t much to be concerned about.
Had a couple things gone their way, they could quite easily have won.
He said this was the start of a tough run of matches.
“The next four to five games will sort out where we are sitting,” he said.
“We play two quality sides.”
The Eagles have the chance for revenge against Geelong in game two and three of their three game series this week.
They play in Geelong again on Tuesday, before playing in Sunshine on Saturday. Saturday will be a big day for the club, as it hosts its past players day.
Clayton said it was a pretty special day for the club, which is 81 years old. He said hopefully they had a bit of luck with the weather, with some sunshine to get more people down.
“The past players come down and we put on some beers and they support the boys.
“The last couple of years, we’ve had 50 to 60 come down with their families and support the boys.
There’s been some good turnouts the last couple of years. “I’ve been here for 37 years, so it’s good to see some of the guys I played with.”
There will also be kids activities.
The past players day starts at 1pm, the same time as the seconds game starts.
