DEMONS 4 DEFEATED BANDITS 3 

The Demons juggernaut rolled out under the watchful eye of super coach Kezia Feast in cherry ripe conditions for the glory of a Mount Gambier Softball League grand final. 

The red and blue took the field against the Millicent Bandits, who had a convincing victory last week to earn another crack at the Port Mac crew. 

Feast continued her clever use of her team’s versatility starting Em Hart in the circle. 

Despite two nifty hits via MGSL Team of the Year catcher Mackenzie Millard and Di Horbury in the first dig, Bandits remained scoreless as Hart combined with gun shortstop Cody Manning to take the lead out. 

MGSL Team of the Year first base Bella Morale got under an infield fly and Kez was all over Kelly Millard’s shot to her at third. 

Bandits then repaid the favour, holding Demons to nil with Horbury solid as a rock at third throwing over to K Millard at first. 

K Millard was quickly again in the action with a stretching catch off Demons’ own “Angel” Simone Little’s bat before Manning doubled to Chantel Macdonald at left and Meg Merrett was thrown out by Horbury, continuing her cool as a cucumber fielding status. 

The second dig added more donuts to the scoreboard with Bandits’ Montana Millard hitting a blinder out to Little at left who activated her go-go-gadget arm, securing a fabulous catch. 

MGSL Team of the Year third base “Debra” Deb Hicks patiently walked but was the first part of a clinical double play by Manning, playing second herself then throwing over to Morale to have Mel McCracken out. 

Demons were working the count smarter, generally going deeper in their at bats and backing their ability to put the ball in play. 

Kez faced six pitches as the lead off before being put out by K Millard, Morale pressured Kylie Cook at shortstop but the veteran came up with the goods for the out at first, then was put under even more pressure by MGSL Team of the Year second base player Katelyn Laube – whose speed is deceptive. 

Laube was unable to be advanced as the Millard sisters combined to have Chelsea Feast out to put their side back on offence. 

In the third, Hart had Bandits four up three down via a sizzling single by MGSL Team of the Year right fielder Emilie Mitchell then a key catch off Mackenzie’s bat to Laube. 

Manning was happy to let her middle infield partner come across and safely hold a very high flyball. 

Chrystal Lock was out on a ground ball to Manning and Horbury was struck out. 

Bandits pitcher Montana faced the same amount of hitters as she settled into a great battle 

with Krissie Smith, winning it with a KC after nine pitches. 

Hart singled and was moved around by Little’s ground ball to Cook at short. 

Cook then had the big hitter Manning out as well, throwing over to an outstretched K Millard at first – and there was still no score going into the fourth. 

This time Hart had three up three down in an eight pitch inning as Bandits eagerly got after anything close to the strike zone. 

Laube and Manning were smooth in the field, making the plays over to Morale as well as a line drive catch off Montana’s bat. 

Demons started to stir as a few more base runners kept base umpire Jarvo Queale on her toes. 

Merrett singled to Lock at centre, Montana gunned her out as the lead runner on a fielder’s choice, Morale forced an error and Laube was out on a great running back catch by Hicks playing second. 

Horbury expertly shut the innings down, playing her base off a Chelsea Feast piece down the line. 

Kez pulled the trigger in the top of the fifth and made the changes, swinging MGSL co-MVP Manning into pitch, Hayley Burner out to centre, Hart to catch, Merrett to third and herself to her favourite position at short. 

Manning wasted no time in throwing strikes to the Bandits hitters with Hicks grounding out to Laube, repeated by McCracken and then Mitchell’s eyes lit up as she swung and missed a high pitch for her last strike. 

It was the bottom of the dig where the crowd howled with excitement as the first run of the game was scored. 

Burner drilled one to Horbury, who remained composed and made the play for the first out. 

Macdonald then caught Hart out and Little put one to left just out of Macdonald’s reach with two out, with the Bandits facing the most dangerous Manning bat. She did not disappoint and, consistent with her mammoth MGSL RBI award tally, she celebrated a RBI double to go ahead before Merrett grounded out to Hicks. 

Bandits responded quickly with an excellent run of their own. 

Mackenzie flew out again to ball magnet Laube, Lock was hit by a wayward Manning pitch, Horbury took the walk on four straight pitches before Cook sent a crisp single out to rookie Tieran Vos at right. 

K Millard dug exceptionally deep in a great at bat, crisply singling out to Vos again so Lock could easily score, but there was an unfortunate base running error and Bandits went from one out with bases loaded to side away and only one run on the board. 

The game was on a knife point going into the bottom half of the sixth. 

Demons’ lead off Kez was aware of the plate umpire’s willingness to call her nemesis pitch on the outside edge, she went with it for a one-hand-one-bounce bare hand collect by Mitchell at right. 

Morale put a firm shot to Montana, who played the lead runner but the out was unable to be made, and that proved to be costly as the next two hitters were out. 

Laube smoked one to Montana who regrouped to make the play over to her mum at first, who then made the heads up play putting a strong tag on C Feast rather than turn her back on the lead runner in Kez at third. 

Burner strode to the plate with purpose, fulfilled by pre-game Drakes popcorn, doubling over Macdonald’s head scoring two runs. 

Demons piled on the pressure as Hicks kept Hart to an infield single then took an important catch to shut down the innings off Little’s bat. 

The seventh inning was rolled over on the umpire’s clickers and the anticipation of a tiebreaker grand final finish was rising. 

Bandits’ Nat Whitehead was cheering her little heart out and her side needed one to stay alive and the steel of all the players was on show. 

Montana wasted no time, singling the first pitch of the innings out to Burner at centre, Hicks followed suit – both sneaking around and breaking the infield fly situation on a wild pitch. 

Hart took a screamer foul fly off McCracken’s bat and Mitchell hit to the right side, scoring Montana when Laube made the play to first for the second out. 

It was little Macca’s time to shine, despite earlier mentioning she hated batting whilst in the batting box, and both catcher Merrett and the plate umpire reminded her she recently won the MGSL Batting Average award. 

She tripled to left, scoring Hicks and keeping her side in the game with the scores levelled. 

Lock flew out to the safe glove of Merrett at third and the scene was set for a fairy tale bottom of the seventh. 

Manning led off with a single to Macdonald, Merrett took the count to 2-2 before singling to Lock and, while the plate umpire quietly wondered why the bunt was not being put down considering the gravity of the situation with none out and runners on first and second, Kez knew exactly what she was doing as she also took a 2-2 count to land one in front of Macdonald and Manning safely home for the walk off win. 

Kez appeared so overcome with excitement that she did not seem to comprehend that she had in fact scored the grand final winning run. 

It was a fitting result and end for Kez, also the MGSL president, who has worked hard with her well gelled team this season, sitting on top of the ladder for the majority of the proceedings and evoking the mercy rule in the semi. 

Bandits were valiant to the end, spreading their hits and defensive efforts amongst their team with Horbury, Mackenzie, Montana and Mitchell getting mentions in the umpires’ player of the grand final discussions. 

Demons’ fave and enthusiastic softball convert Laube was outstanding in the field making six plays, as her side’s defence was flawless while reaching base and absolutely rocketing one back at Bandits’ pitcher Montana. 

Hart was also handy having pitched four solid innings before swapping into catch plus two safe hits, but it was Manning who got the BOG nod to go with her raft of MGSL awards and Team of the Year DP selection. 

The Demons star had three safe hits with two doubles and a single, an RBI and was the winning run, as well as having showed off her double pumping cannon arm at short with several plays before moving into pitch. 

A truly fabulous grand final played with great competitiveness and spirit; although there was only one winner, both teams can certainly hold their heads high with their collective performances as the two standout teams for the season. 

Special congratulations to Bandits’ Montana Millard for winning the Hood Family U25 Rising Star and Mackenzie Millard’s outstanding performance in the Country Championships taking home the Kath Sims trophy for a second time as well as co-runner up MGSL MVP. 

Bandits’ Kylie and Bruce Cook’s efforts were recognised with the Liz Robertson Volunteer Award as well as Kylie’s individual performance in Berri for the Div 2 team and Chrystal Lock winning the Pam Wesolowski best player for the Div 2 Country Championships.

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