Perth Heat are staring down the heartbreaking prospect of a third successive Australian Baseball League Championship Series loss after falling 10-8 to Canberra Cavalry in game one at Empire Ballpark.
In a see-sawing game, the Heat led 2-0, fell behind 5-2, then tied the match up before Canberra sprinted out to a four-run lead at the bottom of the sixth.
Perth hit back with a run each in the final two innings, but were unable to haul in the Cavalry, as attention now turns to game two on Saturday night.
Failure to beat Canberra in the second match of the series, which is slated to start at 7pm, will mean Perth have lost their third grand final series in a row after heartbreaking game three defeats to Adelaide in the past two years.
Tim Kennelly got Perth off to the perfect start at the top of the second when he homered to drive in Ulrich Bojarski for a 2-0 lead.
But George Callil’s three-run homer at the bottom of the second provided Canberra with an instant response and an inning later, singles by Robbie Perkins and Miles Simington extended the lead to 5-2.
Carlos Colmenarez hit back for Perth with a single at the top of the fourth, and then Jess Williams drove in Colmenarez and Kennelly to tie the game at 5-5.
The two sides continued to trade runs as Ray Zuberer put Canberra back in front before John Diaz levelled the match again for Perth.
However, the fifth and sixth innings proved pivotal for the visitors as Cam Warner extended the lead to 8-6 with a line drive, before Cameron Tilly and Miles Simington made it a four-run game.
Kennelly kept his side in the match with a second home run in the eighth, and then Alex Hall drove in Johnny Ascanio to narrow the margin once more, but Canberra held on.
#Australian #Baseball #League #Perth #Heat #fall #Canberra #Cavalry #game #Championship #Series
