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| Grand Final 2002-2003 |
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| A coach's view of Grand Final Day Before the game: On a day that dawned under overcast skies I arrived at the fields with a positive frame of mind that if we did the simple things right we were an excellent chance of taking out the grand final. With everyone safely at the fields on time a brisk warm up followed by a team pep talk (there were nearly tears) had us ready to go. Definitely some nerves in the ranks, I've already snapped at the team scorer for offering advice; a man with grand final winning experience under his belt. Don't worry Stuart, we'll have a beer later. The toss: We lost, but then who cares, we've batted first all season so why change things now? Open up a lead and our defence will see us through... The start: Hmmm. The top of the order, needing to fire, draw blanks. Then, the Hawks top order launch into a couple of lusty blows to start the game, a home run included, and all of a sudden we're down 0-3 after the first innings. This will be a test of the character of the team. We have to respond, but without panicking. "There is plenty of time" I tell them, "but we must get on the board in this innings." 2nd Innings come back: Just when things looked bleak, we've changed the tone of the game and its now a contest. Vanessa draws a walk after four fouls on a full count. When Lexie and Diana join her on the bases Nicki provides our first hit of the day to bring Vanessa home. When Kylie comes up to bat Lexie and Nicki are on the bags. Apparently if you yell "Don't you dare let a strike go past" to your batters when they have 2 on them already they will respond by smashing the ball into the outfield. Kylie does exactly that and home comes Lex and Nicki. Great hit from Kylie that one, and with the bottom of the order performing so well the innings is only ended when Flora absolutely smashes one towards third base, who takes what is the best reflex catch of the season. That ball was heading for home run territory for sure. With one run scored by Hawks they maintain the lead, but now the score is 3-4. Game on. Steady as she goes: "Show me some coaching brilliance!" comes the call from the Breakers' girls. "It's low scoring isn't it?" comes my reply, "that's all I've got! If I could bat for them I would!" Whilst Jenny L spanks a good one out to centre field and sneaks her way to 3rd with one out, we are unable to take advantage and bring her home. Hawks are near the top of the order. Their home run hitter from the first dig grounds out to Diana at 2nd, and while they manage to get a couple of runners on, Jayne cleans up their next two batters, including a hard hit line drive to Lexie at short stop to end the inning. The score remains 3-4. The tide turns: "We're fielding well now" I think to myself. "If only we could get ourselves a lead in this inning..." Starting from the middle of the order, but after the 2nd innings heroics, why should I be concerned? Jenny T takes a couple of strikes but then hammers one up the middle for a lead off single. Lex pops up to short stop, but in the process Jenny has made it to 3rd. OK Diana, I need you to bring her home... Diana cracks one out to left field to where many a day that would have gone for extra bases, but a good catch is taken by the fielder. No dramas, JT tags up and we have a tied ball game again. Then, Nicki, the luckiest player in the game pops one up but the short stop muffs it and we have another runner on. A sneak or two later and she's in scoring position, where Kylie comes through with the goods again with an RBI single up the middle. With Kylie caught sneaking we take a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the innings. I wonder how Hawks will respond. They're towards the bottom of the innings so we might be able to keep that lead. And keep it we do. Jayne's pitching is on song, forcing two infield ground outs (including one where she throws to 1st from the seat of her pants) and a fly to right field, where Flora has just been moved to. She takes the catch and we now have the lead for the first time. 5-4 to the Freestylers. Consolidation or false hope?: Starting off the next dig is Jayne, who's been doing her stuff with the ball, and now she's doing it with the bat. A great hit out to centre field gets us underway. Flora then strikes out swinging, but the catcher drops ball and we now have two on the bases. When Meredith brings Jayne home we have extended our lead and still there are none out. Then, with one out and runners at 2nd and 3rd, Leesa gets one over short stop and into left field, bringing Flora home. The uncertainty of where the ball would land sees Meredith out in a tight decision at 3rd base, and when the 3rd out comes I can't help but think we should have gotten a bit more out of that dig, but will it cost us? Any disappointment is quickly erased when the next three Hawks batters are retired in order. Two of these were towering outfield bombs, one of which gets Flora�s patented �I got it� treatment that has everyone getting out of the way, and the spectators laughing. So we now take a 7-4 lead after 5 innings. Stuart wants to know how long to go, but I�m not telling anyone in case the players get as excited as I am on the inside. THERE ARE ONLY TEN MINUTES TO GO. A winning score, or is there time for another twist? Time for a twist: How�s this for a twist? A decent, or at least time consuming batting effort would have ended the game, but 1,2,3, off we went in quick time and what do you know, the Hawks have a chance to win it again. Come on girls, out we go. With a 7-4 lead to defend one last time, can we do it? There are some nervous looks amongst the crowd, and things get a little more tense when the first Hawks batter hits one into left field and is safely on. The plan for the next better has been set all day and she finally hits it where we want, but�the call at first base is safe and the runner has beaten Lexie�s throw from deep at short stop and they now have two on and none out. The tying run is at the plate. The next batter has my heart rate up when she hits a bomb into center field, but true to form Jenny has no problem with it and there�s one safely away, but still those runners to worry about and the runners have tagged up, advancing on the throw and one run scores. It�s now 7-5. And a runner on base. The next batter cracks one that has Kylie fending the ball away from her face and stopping it going into the outfield. No out, but an important stop that ensures the runner doesn�t score. Still, things are getting a little tight. There is still only one out, and now there are two runners and the winning run is at the plate. This is why coaches go grey or lose their hair. And I don�t have a lot to lose. Things are getting very tight. So tight in fact that now Jayne has momentarily lost the strike zone and the next girl gets a walk to load the bases in the most important innings of the season. Next batter up. Called strike. Ball. Foul. Called strike. What the hell? You�re out! Who says Jayne has lost the strike zone? Not me. How big was that? Two down, and looking at my watch there is no time left. Well, maybe 10 seconds. The plate umpire looks at the 3rd base umpire who looks at his watch and shrugs. �Call time ump� I say between gritted teeth. Stuart wants a fielding change or something but at this stage I�ve no idea what he�s talking about. I just know that as the umpire calls batter up there is just one more play to make, one way or another. In what seems to be slow motion the batter hits one up the middle and it is intercepted by Diana at second base. It�s got to be over. And it is. Diana jumps onto the base and we have won. Time and game. Cue mayhem. We did it! Congratulations to a great team on a great team effort. Final score 7-5. Stand out Grand Final MVP was Kylie. See you all next year. Rob |
| Freestylers Grand Final 2002/2003 vs Hawks |