Daniel Newman, who played international baseball with Italy during the 1999 European Championship, where he was named tournament MVP, as well as in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, then followed with a ball smashed well above the right field fencing to give Mellieha a 13-11 lead.
Mellieha Softball swept the doubleheader against the Redcoats in the National Softball League played this Sunday at the Sannat Ground.
Despite having back in the starting line-up Shaun Chircop at short stop, Steve Ellis at 1st base, and Jonathan Grech who is still recovering from a broken leg, as catcher, the Redcoats could not prevent Mellieha from securing two fine victories that place them in a great position to claim this year’s National Softball Championship.
In the first game Mellieha jumped in front 4-2 by the end of the 2nd inning and kept padding their lead scoring in every inning. Keith Bartolo hit three home runs, one of which cleared the fence at the Sannat Ground, while Clint Grima hit another. The Redcoats were frustrated one inning after the other with great defensive plays especially by the Mellieha outfielders. The final score was 13-5.
The Redcoats regrouped and started the second game very well blanking Mellieha for the first 2 innings. Then after allowing three runs in the top of the third came back strong with 5 runs of their own in the bottom of the 3rd to take a 3-5 lead. Mellieha Softball immediately managed to tie the game at 5-5.
The back breaker for the Redcoats came in an unfortunate play in the top of the 5th inning. With a runner on third base and with two outs, the Mellieha batter tipped foul a ball that could have been caught for a second strike. He then hit a ball in fair territory just in front of home plate that was spinning sharply foul for the 3rd strike that would have ended the inning. Lady luck had other ideas as the ball accidentally hit the Redcoats’ catcher in the shoulder who slipped as he was trying to make the play. The batter was declared safe and a run scored. Another run scored in that inning as Mellieha took an 8-5 lead.
The Redcoats still managed to react and put a rally together. Shaun Chircop started the inning with a base hit. Steven Galea walked. Then Charles Attard hit a triple to bring home both Chircop and Galea with nobody out. Up next was Steve Ellis who drove home Attard with a solid base hit. Josef Vella then hit a ball deep in right centre field that seemed to be dropping in the gap but the Mellieha outfielder managed to run the ball down to make the play and the first out of the inning. Jonathan Grech who had two base hits in the previous two at bats, also flied-out. With two outs, Joseph Scicluna had a base hit and Loreto Scicluna loaded the bases with a walk. With two outs and the bases loaded, Brent Vella who playing his first game ever popped-up to the short-stop to end the inning.
The 6th inning followed a similar pattern. Mellieha scored two runs and the Redcoats scored another two to tie it. Joseph Scicluna struck-out to end the inning leaving two runners stranded on 1st and 2nd. The inevitable happened in the 7th inning. Keith Bartolo hit a fly ball that carried beyond the Redcoats’ outfielder just beyond the home run boundary. Daniel Newman, who played international baseball with Italy during the 1999 European Championship, where he was named MVP, as well as in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, then followed with a ball smashed well above the right field fencing to give Mellieha a 13-11 lead.
The Redcoats went in order in the bottom of the 7th to end the game. Next up is a trip to Marsa in a fortnight for a doubleheader against the Mustangs.
