IMPORT Seth Haehl has pitched Ballarat City Brewers to a first-up victory in Victorian Summer Baseball League division two.
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The starter produced five scoreless innings in an impressive debut to set up a 6-3 win for the newly promoted Brewers over Port Melbourne at Prince of Wales Park on Sunday.
Port Melbourne could do little to counter the dominance of Haehl.
The Mariners did mount a late challenge against middle reliever Brent Jacobsson to get within striking distance, but Stewart Jeffery closed out the last two innings to provide Ballarat with an ideal start to the season.
With Haehl on top, Ballarat scored once in the first and second innings before springing to to life in the fourth by getting four runners home and opening up a six-run lead.
Despite losing a string of runners on base, Port Melbourne hit back with three runs in the seventh.
However, Jeffery was well up to the task in slamming the gate on the Mariners, which were out-slugged nine hits to 13 after the stunning Haehl start.
The Brew Crew collectively hit five triples for the day.
Jeffery received offensive support from other multiple hitters in Leigh Ashmore, Scott Kerr, Hamish Burrows and rightfielder Matt Jones.
Brewers was untroubled in the seconds, thumping Port Melbourne 22-1 win in a game dominated by the Ballarat pitching.
Their thirds made a scratchy start and lost to the Mariners 12-8– conceding six runs in the first innings before going run for run.
Brewers faces demoted Williamstown at the Wolves’ lair next Sunday.
ROUND 1 DETAILS
DIVISION 2
SENIORS
BALLARAT 6
PORT MELBOURNE 3
HITS - Ballarat: S. Jeffery 3, L.Ashmore 2, S.Kerr 2, H. Burrows 2, M.Jones 2, G.Psimaris, S. Jones
RBI – Ballarat: S. Kerr, H. Burrows, G. Psimaris, S. Jones
PITCHING – Ballarat: S. Haehl 5 innings, 4 hits, 10 strikes, 0 walks, 1 hit batter, 0 earned runs; B. Jacobsson 1.1 innings, 2 hits, 2 strikes, 3 walks, 3 earned runs; S. Jeffery 2.2 innings, 2 hits, 2 strikes, 1 hit batter, 0 earned runs
Ladder: Ballarat 2, Berwick City 3, Bonbeach 2, Fitzroy 2, Moorabbin 2, Port Melbourne 0, Upwey 0, Werribee 0, Williamstown 0, Malvern 0
RESERVES
Ballarat 22 d Port Melbourne 1
Ladder: Ballarat 2, Malvern 2, Moorabbin 2, Werribee 2, Williamstown 2, Port Melbourne 0, Upwey 0, Berwick City 0, Bonbeach 0, Fitzroy 0
THIRDS
Port Melbourne 12 d Ballarat 8
