The Div

							           The 2000 Div.1 Finals … A Personal View
                                            by David Gooley



For those supporters who were not able to attend the two finals weekends, and for those who wish to recall
the happy events, here is a description of the four games.




                                              Semi-final series

                                           Game 1 … Sat March 18


                                          Goodwood 10 d. Sturt 3


                               Hits : Galpin 3, Wigmore 3, Braddock 2, Pratt 1,
                                      Bushell 1, Morrow 1 (HR), Felis 1.

                               Pitching : Fidge … 9 inns, 6 hits, 8 K2, 1 BB, 1 ER.



As the “away” team, we batted first. Simon Galpin got aboard courtesy of an error by the Sturt shortstop …
his first of 7 for the 2 games !! Ben Wigmore followed with a walk and was replaced at first by designated
runner Luke Luey. Both runners then stole during Scott Pratt’s at-bat. Jamie Bushell then doubled over the
head of centre field to bring both runners home. Sturt got a run back in their first inning, courtesy of a
Darren White home run … his first of 3 for the weekend.


We replied in our second with a hit form Ben Wigmore, sandwiched in between walks to Simon Galpin, Scott
Pratt, and Jamie Bushell. Jamie’s walk giving him his 3rd RBI. Darren Fidge struck out two in Sturt’s 2nd to
preserve our 3-1 lead. Then Mike Morrow led off the 3rd with an effortless home run over left field to stretch
our lead to 4-1. However, Sturt came back in their half of the inning to score a run, courtesy of an error and
a couple of productive infield outs.


We didn’t add to our score in our 4th and 5th, and when Sturt scored again in their 5th, the game was
delicately poised at 4-3.




                                                                                             continued on p.2
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Adrian Braddock led off the 6th with an audacious bunt single. He was sacrificed to second by Matt Fielder
(the coach was playing for one run in a tight game). Dean Felis then singled to bat in Adrian. Simon Galpin
follwed with a hard single to right field, and Ben Wigmore moved them both up with an infield out. With 2
out, the Sturt pitcher tried to pick off the trailing runner at second base, but the signs apparently got crossed
up and no-one covered the base. The throw wafted into centre field, allowing Dean to score the second run
of the inning. The score was now a comfortable, but not uncatchable, 6-3.


We did more damage in the 8th. A lead-off walk to Dean Felis was followed by Ben Wigmore’s one-out
single. Luke Luey took over as Ben’s runner and was part of our second double-steal for the day, to put
both runners in scoring position for Scott Pratt. Scott came through with a ground-ball double down the left
field line to extend our lead to 8-2.


In our 9th, facing Sturt’s third pitcher, Simon Galpin’s third hit for the game batted in safe-hitter Adrian
Braddock and Craig Chandler. Our lead had blown out to an unassailable 10-2.


While all of this was happening, Darren Fidge allowed only 2 hits, while striking out four. Scott Pratt helped
out with a horizontal diving catch at shortstop to take the sting out of the opposition in the 8th.


This was a dominating performance by our team. We outhit them 12-6, stole 7 bases to their none, and
scored in 6 of the nine innings. However, we all realised that it was only one win, and it had to be followed
up at home the next day.




                                                                                                 continued on p.3
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                                          Game 2 … Sun March 19

                                           Goodwood 9 d. Sturt 8

                              Hits : Galpin 3 (HR), Pratt 2, Braddock 2, Fielder 2, Felis 1,
                                    Morrow 1, Wigmore 1 (HR), Fidge 1 (HR).


                              Pitching : Challinor … 9 inns, 7 hits, 5 K2, 5 BB, 5 ER.




Simon Galpin set the trend for the day by homering off the third pitch thrown by Sturt’s starter … ex-Giant
Troy Scoble. The boys were seeing Scoble’s pitches like basketballs and, of the first 12 batters that we sent
to plate, there were 7 hits. These included home runs to Ben Wigmore and Darren Fidge.


By the end of the third, we led 7-1. The home runs had accounted for 4 of those runs, while Adrian
Braddock’s left field single batted in 2 … with the remaining run scoring on a wild pitch.


With Jon Challinor in charge on the mound, we looked unbeatable with a 6-run lead. That advantage was
preserved in the third by a quality play involving Scott Pratt and Ben Wigmore. A one-out grounder to Scott
at shortstop looked to be enough for a Sturt runner to score from third, but Scott got off a quick throw to the
plate. However, the throw landed short of its target, forcing Ben to pick it up on the half-volley before
making the tag.


Matt Fielder’s right field single which batted in Jamie Bushell in the 5th, gave us an 8-1 lead and further
cause for optimism. However, it then started to rain and it became increasingly difficult for Jon Challinor to
work on a greasy pitching mound. Two home runs to Sturt in their 6th cut our lead to 8-5.


We had a golden opportunity to restore our lead in our half of the 6th, but we couldn’t take advantage of a
one-out bases-loaded situation. Nevertheless, a 3-run advantage looked pretty safe going into the 7th (and
last) inning. Jon walked the first 2 Sturt batters, and following a rain delay, Darren White hit a 3-run home
run to tie up the game.




                                                                                               continued on p.4
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So, we needed to score in our 7th to prevent the game going to extra innings. With one out, Craig Chandler
got to first after the Sturt shortstop threw wildly. Then, Dean Felis got an extremely important single to right
field. It was one of those “off the handle” hits that always fall in between the frustrated fielders … just what
we needed !! Simon Galpin then came through with his third hit for the day, batting in Craig for the winning
run.


Thus we advanced to the grand final with a 2-0 series win.



             _________________________________________________________________


                                              Grand Final series


                                          Game 1 … Sat March 25


                                          Goodwood 12 d. H&G 4


                              Hits : Bushell 4, Wigmore 3, Challinor 3 (HR),
                                    Fielder 2, Pratt 1, Morrow 1, Braddock 1


                              Pitching : Fidge … 9 inns, 7 hits, 8 K2, 1 BB, 1 ER.




In our first inning, Jamie Bushell’s right field double batted in safe-hitter Ben Wigmore for a 1-0 lead. The
score stayed that way until we batted in the 4th.


In that inning, Jamie Bushell got aboard with a one-out single, and advanced to third on Jon Challinor’s right
field double. Mike Morrow came through with a clutch single to drive in both runners for a 3-0 lead.


In the next inning, our 5th, the dam well-and-truly broke. Matt Fielder led off with a double to left field … a
home run on a normal baseball field, but not on Henley’s “airport”. Simon Galpin followed with a one-out
walk, and they were both batted in by Ben Wigmore’s single. Scott Pratt was then hit by a pitch. Luke Luey
(running for Ben) stole third as part of a double steal with Scott. Jamie Bushell’s single batted in Luke and
sent Scott to third. The score was now 6-0.




                                                                                              continued on p.5
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Then Jon Challinor launched a monster home run that landed on the mound behind left field. The score had
now blown out to 9-0. But we weren’t finished. Successive doubles to Adrian Braddock and Matt Fielder
accounted for another run, and we finished a 7-run inning with a 10-0 lead.


Two more runs followed in our 6th. Safe-hitters Ben Wigmore and Scott Pratt were batted in by Jamie
Bushell and Jon Challinor. The lead was now up to 12-0.            Even that section of Henley’s crowd that
specialised in mindless foul-mouthed abuse, were humbled into silence.


While all this was going on, Darren Fidge was in dominating form, allowing only 2 baserunners in the first 6
innings.


However, Henley did get some respectability back in their 7th, scoring 4 runs on 4 hits. Darren rebounded
strongly from this and struck out four over the final two innings, while holding them scoreless.


Like the week before, we had triumphed in game one, but still had it all to do the next day.


             _________________________________________________________________



                                          Game 2 … Sun March 26


                                           Goodwood 3 d. H&G 2


                              Hits : Braddock 3, Wigmore 2, Galpin 2, Pratt 2, Dunn 1


                              Pitching : Clark … 9 inns, 5 hits, 6 K2, 5 BB, 2 ER.




Justin Clark, in his first start in the finals, had a rough first inning. After conceding a lead-off single, he
walked the second hitter and followed up by hitting the 3rd batter. So, no- one out and bases loaded was a
tight situation by any definition. Henley’s next batter hit a firm grounder to Scott Pratt at shortstop. Instead
of taking a 50-50 chance with the force out at home, Scott made the throw to second. Matt Dunn, starting
for the first time in a month after breaking his leg, then executed a perfect relay throw to first for the double
play. One run was allowed, but the double play took the sting out of the inning. The next batter flied out
and we had escaped any terminal damage.
                                                                                               continued on p.6
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Even so, that narrow 1-run lead stood up over the next four innings as we couldn’t get any sustained offence
against some effective Henley pitching.


During that time, Henley continued to press.    A lead-off hit in their 4th, resulted in an attempted steal by a
pinch runner. Ben Wigmore gunned him down with a centimetre-perfect throw that brought the crowd to
their feet. By the way, that was the only attempted steal against our battery in all four finals games. With a
result like that, it is no wonder that teams put their running games away when they play Goodwood.


At last, we got a break in the 5th. Adrian Braddock led off with a single off the pitcher’s glove. Matt Fielder
bunted him to second, and with 2 out, Simon Galpin came through to bat in the run with a double to centre
field.


When Henley batted in the next inning, a spectacular double play by our infield kept the score at 1-1. With
runners on 1st and 2nd and one out, the batter hit a sharp grounder between 3rd and shortstop that seemed
destined to end up at left field … scoring one run and setting up further trouble. Jon Challinor at third, dived
to his left and came up with the ball. From his knees, he made the perfect throw to Matt Dunn at second
who, in turn, made a lightning relay to Jamie Bushell at first to get a despairing runner by half a step. The
Goodwood crowd knew that they had witnessed a game-turning play.


We then took the lead in the next inning … our 6th. Ben Wigmore led off with a single, and was replaced by
pinch runner Luke Luey. Jamie Bushell bunted Luke to second, Jon Challinor and Mike Morrow were both
hit by pitches, before Adrian Braddock’s 2-out single scored the go-ahead run.


When we took the field in the top of the 7th (the last inning), we were only 3 outs away from the premiership.
However, Henley were not done. A one-out home run levelled the scores. Justin got the next two batters,
but the task was now before us.


Our 7th produced two 2-out hits but no runs. Their 8th was a three-up three-down affair. In our 8th, despite
a lead-off walk, the runner was left stranded. Their 9th was another three-up three-down inning … Justin
had retired the last 8 in a row.




                                                                                              continued on p.7
                                                                                                            p.7

To our 9th … Matt Dunn, having struck out in his two previous at-bats, led off with a double down the left field
line. He was replaced on base by Luke Luey. Simon Galpin followed with a perfect bunt, which he beat out
to first. One pitch later, he had stolen second.


So the stage was set for Scott Pratt … no outs, runners on second and third, score tied. Scott ripped a 2-
strike pitch into left field and the premiership was ours … for the first time since 1957.


The scene immediately afterward was one of the great moments in our Club’s proud history. Players
forming a human victory pile, the singing of the Club song with joyous emotion, tears of joy from supporters,
hugs and high fives everywhere. It was a moment never to be forgotten by those lucky enough to have
been there.


It was a fitting climax to a wonderful season. The team was superbly prepared by Mark Haylock. He has
the absolute respect of the players and had left no detail unaccounted for in his organisation. The team’s
performance in the four finals games was the ultimate vindication of our season-long professional approach
to the game.


In those four games, we outscored our opponents 34-17, outhit them 50-25, and stole 16 bases to none.
Our pitchers placed their hitters under constant pressure and our defence made crucial plays under
pressure.


In every respect, Goodwood was the premier Club this season.




David Gooley