Nelson Bay 'Strikers' Baseball Club's two teams reached the grand final last Sunday week.
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After not being able to form teams in 2018 for the first time in 24 years, the 2019 Nelson Bay Strikers - revitalised by the addition of eight new players - had their best season for many years.
The sixth grade Strikers took out the minor premiership before losing the grand final, while fifth grade also finished runners-up, losing the decider to a powerful Lakers team.
In a rare double, the Nelson Bay club had both teams contest the play-offs.
Unfortunately, they lost in both grades but managed to fight back to win the preliminary finals and gain places in the rain delayed grand final matches contested last Sunday week at Boomerang Field at Mayfield.
Strikers sixth grade led 7-4 in the top of the last innings after strong hits by Chris Fuller, Stephen Klum, Josh Dall and Peter Kelly, but were overtaken by a resurgent Woodberry side who went on to win 13-7.
Klum, Fuller and Robbie Pukallus all reached first base three times, Dall and Kelly both had two massive hits into the outfield and pitcher Chris Fuller kept Woodberry quiet until the third innings with tight pitching.
The fifth grade decider was of high quality with both Strikers and Lakers playing top baseball.
The Strikers started slowly due to a double play by Lakers in the first innings and two strikeouts in the second.
Strong hitting in the third innings by Dave Pollard and an out of the park home run by Hayden McGlinchy in the fourth innings meant that Nelson Bay led 5-4 going into the last innings.
Unfortunately, history was repeated and Lakers managed to add four runs and win the game 8-5.
Hayden McGlinchy, Dave Pollard and Clinton Walshe continued their great batting form this season with fine performances in the decider. McGlinchy reached first base twice and hit a huge 325 foot home run, Pollard batted in two runs while Walshe had three hits.
Pitcher Dave Connors was accurate with four strikeouts and held Lakers to only four runs after four innings.
Nelson Bay Baseball Club manager Bill Marshall said that the success of the 2019 season had provided the players, coaches and officials with the determination to return to the fold in 2020 with a renewed confidence and enthusiasm. He hoped the club could retain its players.
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