In a big upset in C-Grade last Saturday, Westgarth beat Footscray 5-4 in a tight contest.
The Bulldogs were leading 4-2 before a spirited Westgarth performance saw them regain the lead with a clutch batting performance in the final inning.
Winning coach Ross Pringle said the most pleasing part of Westgarth’s performance was their control at the plate.
“It was great to see us waiting for the pitch that needed to be hit and then running hard on the bases and backing each other up,” he said.
“We just kept the momentum going, and if you stick in the game, you can get a win.”
Pringle identified several plays he felt changed the game. He said a key moment was an
important fly-out in right field by Tate Volitakis.
“There was also a great play from our shortstop, Eddy Macciocca. He muffed the ground ball and could have thrown to second, but he just gunned the runner out at first base.”
Erica Kershaw was selected by Pringle as the player of the round for her clutch pitching in the final moments.
“She came in when we were 4-2 down and held them scoreless all the way to the end. That makes her the MVP for today without a doubt.”
Kershaw said the attitude of her teammates in the see-sawing game was great to see.
“It was a real up-and-down kind of battle. We fell behind early but managed to bat well in the middle,” she said.
“I’m proud of the fact that we had a few runners on base, never dropped our heads, and continued to stick with it. We got the rewards, which is really cool.”
Coach Pringle noted that both teams share a camaraderie and get along well with each other.
“Like us, Footscray has a kindred spirit,” he said.
“We love how you can play the game, enjoy it, and then go out and have a beer once you’re done.”
This Saturday, Westgarth has the chance to make it two wins in a row against Mitchell Majors, while Footscray will travel to face the South-East Warriors.
