---------
---------
------------------Playing designated hitter
... first base
Batting #5
First plate appearance
----------?? handed pitcher
----------Walk
Second plate appearance
----------?? handed pitcher
----------Strike out
Third plate appearance
----------?? handed pitcher
----------Strike out
Fourth plate appearance
----------?? handed pitcher
----------Strike out
|
Game #1 3 x plate appearances 2 x at-bats 0 x hits 1 x walk 1 x fly out 1 x ground out |
Game #2 4 x plate appearances 3 x at-bats 0 x hits 1 x walk 3 x strike outs |
|
|
........TOTALS xxxTwo Games x7 x plate appearances x5 x at-bats x0 x hits x2 x walks x3 x strike outs x1 x fly out --------1 to SS x1 x ground out --------1 to SS xBatting average = 0.000 xSlugging average = 0.000 xOn base percentage = 0.286 x |
25,000 screaming Japanese fans were treated
to a fantastic display of international baseball as Australia
faced off with Japan in the final game of their Friendship Series
in Fukuoka overnight
After the local superstars dominated proceedings in game one,
Australia wasted no time in re-establishing their credibility,
posting an early 1-0 lead against Nippon Professional Baseball’s
2007 Most Valuable Player, Yu Darvish
Darvish, a 21-year-old Japanese prodigy who boasts a 95mph fastball,
started on the mound for Japan but was rocked early when centerfielder
Trent Oeltjen and hard hitting Ben Risinger both slugged first
inning doubles off the right handed ace
Oeltjen, who has been the standout offensive star for the Australian
side on their four-week tour of Asia, finished the day with three
hits, complimenting his near record breaking run at the 2007 World
Cup in Taiwan
“I guess you could say it’s been a pretty good couple
of weeks” Oeltjen said when quizzed about his heroics at
the plate
“I think there has only been one game where I haven’t
got a hit, so I am pretty happy with the way things have gone
on tour”
As was the case in game one, Australia’s pitchers did a fantastic
job, limiting the Japanese early, before shutting the door on
their offence late in the game
Adam Blackley was awarded the starting duties for Australia, just
twenty-four hours after elder brother Travis filled the same role
in game one
While Blackley at times struggled with control of some of his
pitches, he maintained the Aussie lead through the first two frames
despite be threatened on numerous occasions
Then after giving up back-to-back hits to open the top of the
third inning, a walk and two more singles did the damage against
the young lefty, plating three runners and handing the Japanese
a 3-1 lead
An inning later Japan continued to roll, this time against 205cm
Aussie reliever Dushan Ruzic
With two-out, Ruzic allowed two more runs giving Japan a 5-1 advantage
and all but sealing the victory for the home side
But the Australian bullpen gave their sluggers every chance to
claw back into the game as Adrian Burnside, Tristan Crawford,
Adam Bright and Scott Mitchinson combined to allow no runs, and
just three hits the rest of the way
Adrian Burnside was particularly electric against the Japanese,
striking out five of the six hitters he faced in an awesome display
against some of the world best players
While addressing his troops after the game, Head Coach Jon Deeble
was far more complimentary in his appraisal of the Australian
performance than he had been a day earlier
“Tonight we showed the Japanese players and the Japanese
fans what we are all about” Deeble said
“Tonight we competed at every level and our pitchers did
a fantastic job, and in reality we were only one big hit away
from doing some real damage on offence”
“When you consider we left twelve runners on base, the game
could have easily gone our way with one big swing of the bat”
he said
The Australian team will now head home for a well earned rest
ahead of a hectic domestic summer schedule that includes the 2008
Claxton Shield, an Olympic training camp, and a summer road show
that will see the Aussie squad play a host of international exhibition
matches on home soil