Won by Queensland - 2 runs to 1

Playing designated hitter
Batting #3

------------------------------Replaced by a pinch runner after a single during the top of the sixth innings
------------------------------(due to ankle injury)

------------------------------Phone call from Brett after the game
------------------------------He is fine
------------------------------The plan was that if he got on during the late innings in a close game, they would put in a pinch runner
------------------------------And it all worked!!
------------------------------He said he definately couldn't run properly in that sort of situation
------------------------------He was very happy they won!!

Queensland - top first innings
Linger grounded out to 2b (1-1)
Dutton flied out to 1b (0-0)
Roneberg grounded out to ss (3-2)
0 runs - 0 hits - 0 errors - 0 LOB

Queensland - top fourth innings
Roneberg grounded out to 1b unassisted (0-1)
Utting grounded out to 3b (1-0)
Sutherland lined out to 1b (2-1)
0 runs - 0 hits - 0 errors - 0 LOB

Queensland - top sixth innings
Dutton singled to center field (2-1)
Roneberg singled to center field (1-2)..........
----------Dutton advanced to second
----------Lamb-Hunt pinch ran
Utting grounded out to 2b (0-2)
----------Lamb-Hunt advanced to second
----------Dutton advanced to third
Sutherland singled to center field, RBI, advanced to second on the throw (1-0)
----------Lamb-Hunt advanced to third
----------Dutton scored
Studeman flied out to cf, SF, RBI (0-0)
----------Lamb-Hunt scored
Naughton grounded out to ss (1-1)
2 runs - 3 hits - 0 errors - 1 LOB

Plate appearances - 3
At bats - 3
Hits - 1
----------single
Infield ground outs - 2
Batting Average - 0.333
Slugging Percentage - 0.333
On Base Percentage - 0.333

Plate appearances - 32
At bats - 26
Hits - 11
----------5 x singles
----------4 x doubles
----------2 x home runs
Runs batted in - 8
Runs scored - 6
Walks - 6
Strike outs - 3
Stolen base - 1
Infield ground outs - 5
Infield fly outs - 2
Outfield fly outs - 5
Runners left in scoring position - 6
Batting Average - 0.423
Slugging Percentage - 0.808
On Base Percentage - 0.531

If you love baseball, like we do, then you've got to love this game!
How could you ask for anything more from the opening game of a series that would decide the Eastern Division Champions?
A series contested between two quality teams who will never give an inch to their traditional rivals

Patriots' ace starter Matt Bennett went out-for-out with Rams' star Chris Mowday through five scoreless innings of superb big game pitching, even though Queensland threatened more than their hosts with two leadoff doubles left stranded and another runner in scoring position in the fifth

Meanwhile, a caught stealing and a pickoff helped Chris Mowday to make sure that no New South Wales batter reached second base - it was another sterling effort by the former minor league journeyman

The decisive moment in the game arrived in the top of the sixth inning when consistent Queensland stars Brad Dutton and Brett Roneberg strung together leadoff hits, enabling Dave Sutherland to break the scoring ice with a RBI single and Matt Studeman to follow-up with a most valuable sacrifice fly RBI

Bennett finished the inning, but when he started the seventh with a walk, it was time for him to hand over to Brad Tippett for an auspicious AMLB debut
Keen Australian baseball followers would already know what an outstanding young pitching prospect that Brad Tippett is as an emerging professional with the Minnesota Twins and he was a joint winner of 'Flintoff & Dunn's Rookie League Player of the Year' for the 2007 season
Left with a base runner to contend with in the seventh, Tippett was greeted by a sac bunt and he also walked Brad Dutton in the same inning
But, this brilliant youngster responded by striking out five and inducing three ground outs to keep Queensland's scoreboard stagnant after that
I think we've just seen another rising star!!

While Tippett kept his team very much in the game, the much more seasoned John Veitch and P.J Bevis did a similar job for the maroon team by making sure that Chris Mowday's excellent start wasn't wasted
Only a Pat Maat leadoff double and a later fielder's choice scored a run for the "Cockroaches" in the eighth inning to spoil a faultless day for John Veitch, while former Championship MVP and 'AAA' pro P.J Bevis sealed Queensland's win with three ground outs in the ninth

To emphasise the magnificence of the pitching by both teams in this game, not one batter managed more than one safe hit in this game, while only those all too familiar names of Brad Dutton and Jay Nilsson found themselves on base more than once when they each mixed a hit with a walk

For New South Wales, former Provincial Shannon Pender was probably their main man on offence with his single plus a run batted in via a fielder's choice

Two runs versus one ... five hits versus six ... one walk versus three ... one error each
I tell you what folks, baseball games don't get much tighter than this and it was a really great opener to a series that means one hell of a lot to both mighty teams

Once again, the pitching of both teams lived up to the lofty billing of this series right from the start
Mowday was probably MVP, with Bennett not too far behind
The experienced Veitch and Bevis lived up to their reputations - but boy, we have been waiting for a while for Brad Tippett show us what he has got in AMLB and nobody was to be disappointed!

Queensland now needs just one win from their two remaining games but, as the Victorian Aces found in Perth last weekend, that one most vital win can be hard to come by on foreign soil

We'll be just dying to find out how it all unfolds