Perth's Josh McGee in action against the Melbourne Aces. Picture: Marie Nirme Source: PerthNow
THE Perth Heat is desperate to find something to celebrate going in to tonight’s New Year’s Eve clash with the Canberra Cavalry at Barbagallo Ballpark.
The reigning Australian Baseball League champions have lost eight of their past 12 games, including the last four.
The Cavalry won their third consecutive game over the Heat in Perth last night, 10-7 to take their winning streak to six games an open up a three-game lead at the top of the ABL ladder.
The Sydney Blue Sox have won three in a row to move in to second spot and relegate Perth to third.
Only once this season has the Heat won having given up 10 or more hits and that count has been in double figures in each of the past four games.
Last night, it was in-form Perth pitcher Daniel Schmidt’s turn to face the powerful Canberra line-up. Chasing his sixth win for the season, Schmidt gave up nine runs (four earned runs) from 10 hits in a little over four innings on the mound.
The Cavalry were on the charge from the first inning, with Jeremy Barnes batting in another teammate, Ryan Stovall.
Canberra led Perth 7-1 midway through the third inning.
Stovall was one of three Canberra batters to produce three hits for the night. Antonio Callaway and Marcus Knecht did too, with the latter belting a home run to left field in the third dig with Jack Murphy on base too.
Inspired by the big hit, Murphy smashed a homer of his own at the top of the fourth inning to take Canberra’s score to eight.
Perth played catch-up all night and with some success, adding three runs in each of the third and sixth innings. Michael Ohlman hit home runs in each of those innings to finish the night with outstanding statistics of four hits from five at-bats and four runs-batted in.
Lead-off Corey Adamson also managed three hits for the night, but the Heat will require more consistent support if they are to push back to the top of the table.
That challenge was made harder last week when Matt Kennelly was shut down by his Major League club, Detroit, for the rest of the season.
His brother Tim Kennelly and Luke Hughes are also missing from the Perth batting line-up.
Tonight, last year’s ABL Pitcher of the Year Warwick Saupold makes his return to the starter’s role for Perth in an attempt to stop the rot.
The crucial clash starts at 7.20pm AWST, with a New Year’s party scheduled after the final pitch.
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