MELBOURNE

Wednesday

MELBOURNE 19, CANBERRA 4 AT MELBOURNE

Canberra scored three in the top of the first, but Melbourne responded with four in the bottom of the first and led the rest of the way.  There were eleven home runs hit in the game, four of them in the first inning.  For Melbourne, Darryl George was 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three runs.  Gift Ngoepe was 2-for-3 with a home run, two walks, and two runs.  Damek Tomscha was 2-for-4 with two home runs, a walk, three runs, and three RBIs.  Colin Willis was 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, three runs, and three RBIs.  Ex-Twin Delmon Young was 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two runs, and three RBIs.  Jarryd Dale was 2-for-4 with a triple, a walk, and three runs.  Jake Romanski was 1-for-5 with a two-run homer.  Brian Flynn pitched six innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and a walk and striking out five.

Record:  This was a semi-final game.  They apparently changed the format, so that it is no longer double-elimination, but rather is single-elimination with a consolation game.  Melbourne will play Perth in the finals.

Thursday

MELBOURNE 9, PERTH 2 AT MELBOURNE

Melbourne scored seven in the sixth, taking the lead from 2-1 to 9-1 and putting the game out of reach.  Jarryd Dale was 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs, and two RBIs.  Colin Willis was 3-for-5 with a two-run homer.  Damek Tomscha was 2-for-4 with a double.  Jake Romanski was 2-for-4.  Ex-Twin Delmon Young was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.  Tyler Beardsley pitched six innings, giving up one run on six hits and two walks and striking out two.

Record:  Melbourne wins the Australian Baseball League Championship.  This brings our "Winter Wonderland" series to a close.