Rams catch Marlins out to book grand final spot as Martians secure double chance

Rams women have joined their men’s counterparts in the Geraldton Softball Association grand finals after an outstanding display against the Midwest Marlins.

Marlins had finished clear at the top of the ladder but Rams played their best game of the year to secure an 11-1 victory.

It was a tense start, with Marlins’ pitcher Taryn Purcell and Rams’ Stacey Dershow throwing heat with little on offer for the batters.

There were no runs to be scored in the first three innings as both defences were sharp in what looked like was going to be an arm wrestle.

With runners on second and third with two outs, Erin Dawson hit straight to third base which should have resulted in an easy out to end the top of the fourth.

Instead, the throw went over first base and Rams got two runs across the bag.

From there Rams got on a roll and Marlins had no answers as Rams continued to pile on the runs at will with errors mounting.

It was a fine performance and one that will be hard to beat should they replicate come the grand final, a sentiment shared by coach Dion Harrison.

“What a damn game, absolutely stoked and proud of this team, can’t say much more. One more game, let’s get this done,” he said.

Pi’s season came to an end 10-7 at the hands of the Martians in the elimination final in a scrappy encounter.

Martians came out firing with two runs early and then were gifted the next three through defensive errors from Pi’s.

However, they were let back in as Martians had their own poor dig in the field as Selina Kiddle’s double got them on the board.

The game went back and forth with neither team having a great night with four runs in the fifth innings Martians built a big enough gap to go through to the preliminary final.

In the final men’s division 1 game on Friday night, Martians secured second place with a 7-4 win over Suiside.

The game was much closer than the scoreline suggested, with both teams putting in a good effort.

The Martians got off to a good start, with seven safe hits throughout the game but Suiside responded with Cooper Jefferies hitting a home run, which unfortunately for Suiside was with no one on bases.

The game was hard-fought and intense, with no clear advantage for either team however the Martians were able to capitalise on their opportunities and secure the win and second place.

It means Suiside will have to win two games for a chance for a three-peat.

In the elimination final match of the div2 women’s league, Martians Black defeated Pi’s 23-9.

Martians showed their dominance with some excellent batting, scoring five runs in the first dig.

Their aggressive batting continued in the top of the fourth dig, where they added 14 more runs to their tally.

They advance to the semi-finals where they will face off against Suiside.

In the other women’s div2 match-up, Marlins won in convincing style over Suiside, Ava Gould running in seven runs over three good hits.

Marlins notched up 11 runs in the third inning, putting the game well out of reach for the shellshocked Suiside team.

In men’s div2 games, a thrilling match-up between Rams Blue and Suiside saw fans treated to an explosive offensive showcase.

The game started off with Suicide making a clear statement, scoring nine runs early on and eventually beating Rams Blue 9-2.

Kane Jefferies was the standout pitcher shutting down the Rams’ batters time and time again.

In the elimination final, a see-saw game between Rams White and Blaze, the fans were on the edge of their seats until the last pitch.

Blaze started off strong, taking an early 4-0 lead.

However, Ethan Gould crushed a massive home run that put Rams White ahead in what became a back and forth battle.

In the end, it was Rams White who emerged victorious, winning a nail-biting 7-6 contest.