Wednesday 9th July
Tangier Field
After our first league defeat of the season last week away at Wide Lane, going down 21-11 to the Hurricanes we were back at home to take on the Raiders.
A few singles to open the game got one run home for the visitors but the bases were left loaded after what was to be the start of a great pitching outing from Scott Summers. A walk and some aggressive running put runners on second and third with no outs in response for the Vikings. Sian Madigan pushing over the first run of the game as she was thrown out at first allowing Gabriela Dascalescu to get home. Another walk was followed by a two-run single by Belinda Tapp, marking her return after injury in the first game of the season back in May.
The Raiders bats kicked in at the top of the 2nd inning, as some poor glove-work cost the Vikings 5 runs and the lead. However, the response was immediate as a two-run double from Scott, an RBI single from Gabriela and a two-run double from Jaimie Moutrey restored the two run lead.
Then the middle innings happened. Quickly. Playing as though everybody wanted to go home early, neither team could muster a run for five half-innings and we entered the bottom of the 5th with no further additions to the scoreline. Thankfully this was broken with a one-run double from Doug Sutherland to add an insurance run.
The Raiders fought back and put the pressure back onto the Vikings massively in the 6th, plating 5 runs to take the lead 11-9 heading into final outs. A solitary one-run homer from Stefan "Marmalade" Rudeforth brought the score back to 11-10 as the game headed into the final inning.
The game seemed to be swinging in the direction of the visitors, as runners got on base early. But some good catches in the outfield and pitching stranded bases loaded with no runs scored.
With the heart of the order coming up, Sian could not manage to beat out the throw from third baseman Katie Redknap as the Vikings quickly went one-down. A pair of singles from Jaimie and pinch hitter Sarah Rigg got the tying and winning run on base with two outs spare. Doug Sutherland's single allowed Jaimie to get home to tie the score at 11. Then up stepped current Division Two SBH MVP Kathryn Hewson, who had earlier been put out twice hitting a foul third-strike. Not this time though as her deep hit evaded the outfield glove to score a 3-run walk-off home run to win the game 14-11.
With this win, the Vikings move back to the top of Division Two if only momentarily. The Hurricanes still are in the driving seat holding the tie breaker over the Vikings. This season is already the most successful in team history, with a first +.500 record guaranteed.
