default-output-block.skip-main
Regional | Baseball

Baseball: Tuatara fall in final game of opening series

The Perth Heat have proven to be too hot for the Auckland Tuatara in Albany today, taking out the last game of their series 6-1.

Once again, the home side will be ruing the lack of offensive output, as they only managed to get the solitary run, despite having the bases loaded at one stage in the bottom of the sixth innings and no outs.

Max Brown was walked off four consecutive pitches, which brought home the only run scored. However, there was no cashing in on this golden opportunity for the Tuatara as the next two batters came and went.

In contrast, the Heat recorded 12 hits for their six runs, building solid momentum through the innings. They brought four men home in the third and fourth innings, with centre-fielder Kaleo Johnson blasting a two-run double.

Former Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves pitcher Josh Collmenter started on the mound for the Tuatara, however, he had a tough time putting away the Heat batters. Collmenter allowed Jordan Qsar to get a two-out walk to put two runners on base, which Johnson sent home on the next at bat.

Tuatara manager Steve Mintz was presented with a birthday cake midway through the game but he made it clear he would much rather have had a win on his 51st birthday.

“When you get behind and you’re playing catch up, a lot of times the hitters try and press and do too much… We continued to fight but it just makes it tougher when you’re trying to catch back up,” he said.

The Tuatara now head to Melbourne where they will play a four-game series against the Aces, then return home the following weekend to play the Canberra Cavalry.