Canadian Jaret Chatwood underlined the value of overseas imports in a stellar performance for Sunshine Eagles in their 14-0 mercy rule win over Springvale Lions in Baseball Victoria’s summer league division 2 at KH Wearne Reserve on Sunday.
In a game that Eagles coach Earl Byrne described as “a lot closer” than the lopsided scoreboard reflected, Chatwood was the game-breaker with four timely hits, including two triples and two doubles.
“He was quite handy for us today, that’s for sure,” Byrne told Star Weekly. “He was the standout; the rest just did their jobs.”
Chatwood’s output didn’t start and end in the batters’ box. The work horse also threw seven shut-out innings as the starting pitcher.
“He threw 100 pitches in seven innings,” Byrne said. “That was what our plan was, to take him to the 100.
“That’s pretty economical.”
Byrne praised the Eagles for a “team effort” against a strong opponent.
Everyone chipped in to play their part as the Eagles improved their win-loss record to 16-1 on the season.
The discipline of the Eagles batters was the feature of the win, though the Lions relief pitchers helped them out as they struggled to find the strike zone late in the game.
A once manageable three-run deficit after six innings blew out to 14 by the end of the eighth, and the mercy rule had to be called on.
“There was about three relievers who came in for them and they probably threw about nine walks in that eighth inning,” Byrne said.
“That’s where we sort of put the screws down. We got a couple of timely hits, but they walked runs over the plate, so it was kind of more them than us the reason why we scored so many runs.”
The Eagles have been in white-hot form in the new year with back to back victories achieved with a flawless for and against of 26-0 across the two games.
With the Lions being a finals-contending side and on a tough away trip, Byrne rated this Eagles victory higher than most.
“It’s a win against a good opposition and it keeps us rolling,” he said. “Like I said to the boys, we’ve just got to keep grinding and that’s what the boys did.”
The Eagles are three games clear on top of the ladder with nine rounds left in the season.
They will face Springvale again tonight at 8.50 at the Melbourne Ball Park before hosting Berwick City at Barclay Reserve on Saturday at 3.30.
