By Sean Talbot
It was a case of déjà vu for the Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers on the night of Tuesday 23 January, as they again found themselves looking to scramble for the go-ahead run in the last inning of their midweek clash with perennial rival Essendon at Boeing Reserve.
Unlike previous games however, the Tigers were on the receiving end of a heartbreaking walk-off loss to the home squad as they saw an early 6-2 lead disappear in the 4th innings, see themselves back in front after rallying in the top of the 5th, only for it all to be snatched back away by a resilient Bombers line-up that certainly realise how big a comeback win against the reigning premiers truly is.
Sending left hander Wes de Jong to the mound for his second start of the year, the Tigers provided plenty of breathing room right from the first pitch as they jumped teenage starter Laclan Amon, with Peter Schroeders, Wade McConnon, Jordan Elliott and Josh Hendricks all recording safe hits to open the game before Staci Rogers and Jack Ratcliffe added two-out hits to plate four runs for the visitors in 10 minutes of play that left the home squad firmly on the back foot and with real work to do to stay in the game. To their credit, the Bombers ensured they did not have a zero in the run column next to their name for long, scoring a run after doubles to Jack Giles and Max Leuga opened the Bomber account in the bottom of the 1st.
The Tigers started the second inning the way they ended the first by taking the wood to Amon, as a leadoff walk to debutant Ash Geary-Smith and doubles to Schroeders and Elliott plated two and pushed the score to 6-1 in favor of the visitors. Not content with just the single run, Essendon countered in the bottom half of the inning, scoring a second time after a single to Lachlan Condie and Cody Rodwell put runners in scoring position before a Jarryd Rogers sacrifice flyball to Geary-Smith in rightfield.
Michael Formisano took over pitching duties for the Bombers in the top of the third, inducing two quick outs before Geary-Smith recorded his first career hit in the 1sts, a hard hit double down the line past a diving Rogers at first base in what was no doubt a career highlight for the teenage sparkplug, before striking out Ryder Wilson to end the inning. de Jong ensured Essendon stayed scoreless in the bottom half, as he worked around a one-out single to Rogers to induce a 4-3 double play to Ratcliffe to escape the jam.
The Tigers were again turned away in the top of the fourth, as only a two-out Jordan Elliott walk blemished Formisano’s inning, keeping the Tigers scoreless again and the score at 6-2. The home side broke the shackles in the bottom of the 4th as Cam Deeble walked, Tim Sullivan singled and Condie laid down a picture-perfect bunt to load the bases with none out. A sacrifice fly to Rodwell plated the third Essendon run for the night, before a Marc Sayers double scored Sullivan and put runners and 2nd and 3rd and ending de Jong’s night. Sean Meldrum was summoned from the bullpen in a high pressure situation and, playing the odds, the Tigers elected to walk leadoff hitter Jared Cruz to load the bases, hoping to induce a double play to escape the jam and avoid a potentially huge inning. It was not to be however, as Giles was hit by a pitch to bring home Condie, Rogers singled to score Sayers and Leuga drove in a run with a ground ball to put Essendon ahead 7-6. Coach Donavon Hendricks then took the ball from Meldrum, inducing a double play from Deeble to avoid any further damage and leave the score at 7-6 in favour of the hosts.
Realising they were running out of time, daylight and chances to take the win, the Tigers started strongly in the top of the 5th as D Hendricks one-hopped a ball over the rightfield wall for a leadoff double, Rogers singled which moved Hendricks to third, however he was thrown out attempting to score after Ratcliffe hit a high chopper to Condie at third. Andy Kane, pinch hitting for Geary-Smith, beat out an infield groundball with plenty of english on it to re-load the bases before Jarrod Turner pinch hit for Wilson, working the count full before hitting a single to right field to score one run and tie the game. Schroeders then lifted a sacrifice fly to put the Tigers back in front 8-7, however McConnon’s single to load the bases was not able to be further capitalized on, as Elliott grounded into a fielders choice that saw McConnon forced out at second base in an incredibly close play.
The Bombers knew they would have to be at their best to take the result from the Tigers, facing one of the leagues best pitchers and with one last roll of the dice to steal the win at the death. Tim Sullivan lead-off with a booming double that hit the base of the wall in left field before giving way to pinch runner Hugo Leropoulos. Condie hit a weak fly ball to J Hendricks at first base, before Rodwell ripped a double to left field to score Leropoulos to tie the game, then Sayers followed up with a double of his own to drive home Rodwell and send the Essendon team into hysterics as they celebrated stealing a win at the death.
The loss sees the Tigers drop just their second game in their last 11, as their 9-2 run has seen them sitting firmly in third place on the Premier League ladder and looking to climb. The Tigers will be back at Boeing Reserve on Sunday as they look to avenge their midweek loss in a game that promises to be an absolute showcase of the competition’s best pitchers and hitters.
