B grade Porepunkah’s B grade side was at home on Sunday to the top of the ladder Wodonga White. Both sides were down a few players, but Porepunkah were without the Anders brothers, Dean and Heath, along with Mason Anders and Rian Banks, taking a lot of experience out of the line-up but giving others the opportunity to step up. Luca Barthelmes pitched three innings allowing seven runs and Jarrod Smith pitched one scoreless inning to complete the game. Wodonga jumped out, scoring two runs in their first inning but Porepunkah replied with three runs through hits to Damon Barker and Paul Meddings. Walks to Randy Skippen, Josh Harris and Jarrod Smith helped to apply pressure to the Wodonga fielders, but Wodonga then followed up with another four runs. Porepunkah got out of the inning through catches to Josh and Jarrod and an out at first base between catcher Damon and first baseman Randy. Porepunkah again replied with four runs through hits to Damon and Paul again, and another three walks helped the Panthers’ cause. Wodonga then scored one run in their next inning, but a solid outfield catch to Andrew Smith helping to limit the visitors’ scoring. The Panthers were then unable to capitalise on youngster Rory Clarke’s lead-off hit, being held scoreless and leaving the game tied at 7 each. Porepunkah were able to keep the Warriors scoreless in the top half of the fourth inning, leaving the Panthers only needing to score to win the game, and they did, finally winning a tight tussle 8-7. The win puts the Panthers in a tie for the top spot on the ladder with the club looking to improve further in the second half of the season in a run towards the finals. C grade The Panthers experienced the batting power of the visiting Wangaratta Orange team, and now know why they are the grade leaders. A total of 13 runs from 10 safe hits and 11 stolen bases in the first two innings put the pressure on the fielders to stem this onslaught. Second base player, Victoria Schmidt, threw out one batter, as did James Rogers from shortstop in the third innings. Third baseman Jimmy Hughes held a high fly ball, as did Wade Pronk in left field. Wade started on the mound, but wasn’t as sharp as his last outing, although he still picked up two strikeouts. Rory Clarke took over in the second innings and finished the game with a strikeout, giving up only one walk. The Panther batters were able to score in each of their innings, always a good sign. The evergreen Randy Skippen scored the first run after scorching a flat hit along the rightfield line for two bases, then a steal and a wild pitch saw him open the account. In the second, Wes Booth accepted the walk and scored on a sacrifice hit by Jimmy. Victoria was hit by a pitch to start the third, and when James was again walked, both took advantage of wild pitches to score. The final score was Wangaratta defeated Porepunkah 14-4. Next week, the Wangaratta Black team visit, and the Panthers will welcome back at least three of its regular players in a must-win match. Under 12 The junior Porepunkah Panthers were back on home soil this week, taking on Wangaratta Black in what proved to be a high energy game of baseball. The Panthers took the field first, and wasted no time getting into the action, with Billy Scorsis recording a sharp ground-ball out to open the game, and set the tone for the innings. The Wangaratta batters came ready to swing, consistently finding good contact and keeping the Panthers busy across the diamond. Despite the pressure, the Panthers never stopped competing - Archer Harris showed plenty of hustle in the field, Jimi Rocket Jagger was his usual energetic self around the ball and Nick Giuliano came up with several important plays to help keep the visitors honest throughout the day. With the bats in hand, Zoe Caswell led the way with a strong hitting performance, while Rylan McCormack, Casey Pronk and Austin Scorsis all found the sweet spot and drove the ball into play. Every at-bat was fiercely contested, with the Panthers making Wangaratta work hard for every out. While the final result may not have gone the Panthers’ way, there was plenty to like from the home side. Against a strong Wangaratta line-up, the game was packed with action, quality hitting and plenty of hustle around the diamond. The Panthers matched the intensity all day, bringing great energy both in the field and at the plate. With smiles on faces and dirty uniforms, the Panther cubs will be looking forward to getting back on the diamond next week for another Porepunkah home game.
