Redlands Rays Baseball Club's women's team made club history on Saturday by taking out the pre- Christmas grand final against Ipswich Musketeers Red in only their second season in the game.
After not winning a single game last season, the Lady Rays played their way through their eight scheduled 2021 games winning five, drawing two and losing one.
Their six to one semi-final win over Southern Stars Teal gave them their historic place in the grand final at Ipswich.
The nail-biting game was drawn at the end of the fifth inning for a tie-breaker, with Rays getting two more runs in the sixth inning.
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Ipswich countered with one runner home but Emma Flatley ended their hopes by catching their second runner stealing home for the third out.
Starting pitchers from both teams struggled in the first inning.
Rays' Haley Collins worked hard and consistently all season but, unfortunately, had an off day on the mound.
Relief Pitcher Flatley then took over the game and effectively shut down the Musketeer's offense with nine strike-outs in five innings while allowing only two runs which earned her the MVP award for the Grand Final.
Catcher Casey Saade had another great game behind the plate despite feeling a little under the weather effectively backing her pitchers and limiting the number of balls getting to the back net and thereby reducing the number of free bases and runs.
While Rays hitting was a little off from the previous week, all the ladies maintained their composure and successfully dealt with the increasing pressure throughout the game, getting on-base any way they could, either through well-placed hits, walks, or hit by pitch.
The aggressive base running continually put pressure on the Musketeer's pitchers and fielders.
Coach Stephen Schneider said the Rays also produced a number of great plays in the field, which put an end to three of the Musketeer's innings without adding to the score.
"As a coach of these ladies, most of whom only began playing baseball 18 months ago, the amount of improvement in both skills and game knowledge has been astounding," he said.
"Going from a team that struggled each and every week in the first season to grand final winners this season shows their dedication to their team, club and to baseball in general.
"I'm looking forward to seeing their continued improvements in the future."
Assistant Coach, Greg Joce, has announced his retirement from his coaching position with the team after three seasons.
