2019 State League: Week 1 Wrap

Rockingham Rams picked up wins in both State League 1 & 2 over the weekend. Credit: Rockingham Rams Baseball Club

At long last, we can finally say baseball is back as teams from all around WA got their respective 2019/20 seasons underway last weekend.
 
Let’s take a deeper look into how State League 1 & 2 teams fared.

STATE LEAGUE 1: *note the statistics for SL1 games will be published soon.
 
Braves 10-6 Morley Eagles
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and that’s exactly what the Braves had in mind when they travelled to Morley to take on the Eagles in a rematch of last year’s decider.
 
That mindset paid off, as Braves recorded a strong 10-6 win to ensure the Eagles’ title defence got off to the worst possible start.
 
Carine Cats 8-0 Swan Districts
On paper, this game should have been a tight one. Last year’s eighth seed (Carine) taking on last year’s ninth seed (Swans) in a contest between two sides desperate to climb up the ladder in 2019.
 
The result was quite the opposite, however, as the Cats recorded a convincing 8-0 victory.
 
Perth 2-3 Wanneroo Giants
The Wanneroo Giants wiped out any memories of last year’s Elimination Final exit at the hands of the Gosnells Hawks as they opened their 2019 account with a narrow 3-2 win over Perth.
 
Perth have now lost five straight games going back to last season but will be a force to be reckoned with this campaign.
 
Rockingham Rams 12-1 Wembley Magpies
The Rockingham Rams got their 2019 season off to the ideal start as they produced a strong team performance on both sides of the ball to down the Wembley Magpies 12-1.
 
After collecting seven wins last season, many are tipping the Rams to build on that number this year.
 
Victoria Park/Belmont Reds 6-8 South Perth Cubs
After finishing third last year, the South Perth Cubs opened their 2019 season with a solid 8-6 win at home to Victoria Park/Belmont Reds on Sunday.  The Cubbies will be after another strong campaign this time around and will look to go one step further.

STATE LEAGUE 2:
With no official State League 1 statistics to share, let’s delve into the world of State League 2 for our Week 1 recap.
 
Braves 8-0 Morley Eagles
W: Todd Hatcher (1-0), L: Riley Franklin (0-1)
Cody Parkinson and Steven McLaughlin each drove in three runs as Braves opened their 2019 season with a commanding 8-0 win over last year’s table toppers, the Morley Eagles.
 
Parkinson and McLaughlin both recorded a pair of hits on the afternoon, while pitchers Ryan Nuttal, Todd Hatcher and Broadee Binder combined for the shutout.
 
South Perth Cubs 5-3 Victoria Park/Belmont Reds
W: Zachary Holland (1-0), L: Michael Ryan (0-1)
South Perth first baseman Adam Gendall picked up two RBIs on a pair of base hits as the Cubs downed Victoria Park/Belmont Reds 5-3 in their 2019 opener.
 
Caleb Goodwin and Ben Stanbury also had multi-hit games for South Perth, while starting pitcher Zachary Holland claimed the win after tossing five strong innings.
 
Rockingham Rams 13-5 Wembley Magpies
W: Mitchell Nicoletto (1-0), L: Brett Wishart (0-1)
The Rockingham Rams offence exploded for four first-inning runs as they defeated the Wembley Magpies 13-5 to register their first win of the season.
 
The Rams came out with a bang – taking an 8-1 lead after five innings before tagging on five more late runs in the win.
 
Mitchell Nicoletto collected the win on the mound after striking out ten Wembley batters, while Todd Corbin drove in a team-high four runs on four hits.
 
Wanneroo Giants 3-0 Perth
W: Jay Bullingham (1-0), L: Ben Randall (0-1), S: Callaum Schipp (1)
Jay Bullingham tossed five scoreless frames before handing over to Callum Schipp who struck out six over four innings as the Wanneroo Giants shutout Perth 3-0.
 
The Wanneroo pitching pair were on song as they allowed just eight base runners all afternoon.
 
In the batter’s box, Calvin Eissens and Ben Fletcher had multi-hit games, with Fletcher and Jared Hutchins driving in the runs.
 
Carine Cats 7-4 Swan Districts
W: Jacob Stanton (1-0), L: Adam Ciallella (0-1)
Jeff Chander drove in three runs and struck out six batters as the Carine Cats kick started their 2019 season with a 7-4 win over Swan Districts.
 
Chandler pitched 4.2 innings for the Cats before handing over to reliever Jacob Stanton who picked up the win with 1.1 scoreless frames.