Adelaide Bite’s Max McNabb in action against Brisbane Bandits. Photo Sam Wundke
ADELAIDE Bite faces an uphill battle to stay alive in the race for the ABL crown after losing to Brisbane 3-1 in the opening game of the preliminary final series in West Beach on Friday night.
The Bite must now win Saturday’s game and the third on Sunday, both in Brisbane, if it is to earn a spot in the championship decider against Melbourne next weekend.
The Bandits rode to victory on the back of three runs in the eighth inning.
Superb pitching and defence were the main courses on the menu early with the Bite and Bandits struggling to create scoring opportunities.
Bite’s American starting pitcher Max MacNabb, committed to earning a spot with a Major League organisation, was on song for the home side, while Bandits’ Justin Erasmus held sway with a controlled performance.
Adelaide Bite’s Jordan McArdle gets to home base. Photo Sam WundkeSource:News Limited
No more evident of the terrific defensive work was Bite first baseman’s Jordan McArdle’s nonchalant catch to prevent a Trent Oeljen hit in the first inning. McArdle, 18, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks this week.
It was not until the top of the third inning that a batter finally found himself on first base, Bandit Wade Dutton singling on a ground ball.
David Rodriguez gave the visitors some hope of a run in the fourth when he doubled on a fly ball but again they were denied the chance to score courtesy of sensational defensive work by the Bite. Third baseman Stefan Welch brilliantly gathered the Logan Wade struck ball and fired to first baseman McArdle, who plucked the ball from the dirt to get the out.
Highly-talented Mitch Dening was the first Bite player to get to first base when he was walked in the bottom of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth inning, Bandits’ Thomas Malone singled on a ground ball before being caught attempting to steal second base. The Bite did not register its first hit until the sixth inning when McArdle singled on a fly ball.
The Bandits opted to replace Erasmus with Ryan Rowland-Smith and the Bite immediately struck when Jordan Cowan hit a triple, enabling McArdle to score.
Matthew Williams replaced MacNabb in the eighth and the Bandits pounced to create havoc with the bat and put the Bite under pressure to respond.
And the home side had a chance when A.C. Carter and LeDarious Clark had hits in the bottom of the eighth, only to be left stranded.
