• Dandenong Star

11th March 2010 11:00:09 AM

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THE Division One women’s grand final between Springvale and Berwick/Springvale at Kooyong Park has been postponed because of severe weather but – surprisingly – the men played out their dead rubber without a drop of rain.

The grand final derby match was scheduled for last Saturday afternoon but was called off after the venue became submerged in water and ice.

The match has now been re-scheduled for the same time next week.

The Springvale men, meanwhile, enjoyed comfortable conditions in their 6-2 loss to Preston at La Trobe University.

In a tight match that was only decided in the seventh innings when Preston hit four runs to break a 1-1 deadlock, Springvale pitcher Scott Bailie again showed why he is still the Lions’ best pitcher.

Bailie (6-5), who is only eight innings away from throwing 100 innings for the season, threw all nine on Sunday and gave up only three innings worth of runs in a game where his batters let him down.

“There were not really many hits,” said Springvale coach Glen Richards, “Matt Greene hit in a run and Neal Cavanagh did well but we didn’t get all that many”. We had a few chances to score and get ahead but we failed to capitalise on them,” Richards said.

Richards cited lack of focus and motivation as the reason behind the loss.“We did not come out to play. It is the end of the season and they just were not focussed,” Richards said of his team.

The Lions have only one more match remaining in the season and will hit it off against Port Melbourne.

“I’m going to make sure we’re ready to play.

“I will remind them they are here to play baseball … that finals is not everything and that they still need to be competitive,” Richards said.

A win this week could move the Lions into sixth position – two places short of a finals appearance but a placing they can be proud of.

The Lions are now looking to 2011 as the year of the Lion.

- Gavin Staindl

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