Destiny now reality for SA Starz

Robert Laidlaw
May 3, 2022
6 min read

DESTINY NOW REALITY FOR STARZ

By Robert Laidlaw

SO CLOSE BUT SO FAR over the past few seasons, South Australia Starz finally broke through for their second Open Women’s National Softball Championship, and first since 1956, with a 6-5 extra-inning victory over NSW at West Beach in the grand final.

And it was a complete team effort, with the South Australians full of ‘Starz’ of the diamond.

The way the Starz won was not in taking the easy road, but more about doing the hard yards, embracing each other with plenty of camaraderie, and staying true to their destiny – to break that long and painful drought.

Everyone involved with the Starz over the past four seasons can be proud of the part they played in the achievement of South Australia’s breakthrough title.

Just to make the grand final the Starz had to battle hard, losing the second semi to NSW Firestars in a heartbreaking 5-6 loss, before holding their nerve for an eventual 3-1 win over a gallant Victoria.

And in the championship decider it was a tense battle right to the end, with a 5-5 scoreline after four innings remaining the same through the regulation seven frames.

Then at the top of the eighth, with Chelsea Robinson placed at second base, Pippa Adkins bunted her to third, for Amber Hood to hit a long fly ball to centrefield. Robinson, with determination written all over her face, charged towards home and slide around the catcher to touch the plate and put the Starz ahead.

But still, the dangerous Firestars’ batters had their turn to equalise or win the game in the bottom of the eighth.

With Grace Wrixon placed on second base for NSW, Chantelle Ladner bunted her to third, which saw the tying run so close to home with just one out.

Then Montana Kearnes hit the ball to Robinson at shortstop, who kept Wrixon from dashing home, and threw to Adkins for the second out, at first base.

And finally, Jayde Jensen hit the ball straight back to Starz winning pitcher Millie Fidge, who calmly threw the ball to Adkins for the third out, and South Australia was now the title holder!

The emotional jubilation that exploded within the Starz camp was an inspirational demonstration, after the realisation of what they had achieved immediately hit everyone involved, with an appreciative audience also in raptures with the successful conclusion.

The grand final started well for South Australia, when at the top of the first dig, Hood singled, stole second base and scored on Johanna Grauer’s sacrifice fly to centrefield.

An amazing play then restricted a Firestars response in the bottom of the first, when, after Taylah Tsitsikronis hit a two-out triple, Stacey McMannus hit what looked like an extra bases hit down the leftfield line, which outfielder Sarah Tonkin not only managed to get close to the ball, she took a sensational back-handed running catch.

It is a tough ask to continually hold the powerful NSW line-up out for long though, and a single tally by the Firestars in the bottom of the second saw the game tied up at 1-1.

Grauer, who was having a sensational series from the circle and with the bat, belted a two-run double at the top of the third – a euphoric moment, as many believed the 3-1 lead was a solid foundation for a victory.

But NSW was not the four-time current champion for nothing, and demonstrated its power in the bottom of the third – Shannon Keevers singled, Tahki Moore doubled and Tsitsikronis smashed a three-run home run!

Shock waves were felt around the park, as the emotional rollercoaster of the day took a downward dip for the Starz, and they now trailed 3-4 – no time for the faint hearted!

This group of South Australians were resolute though, with a great mixture of youth and experience, which helped guide the Starz out of trouble. At the top of the fourth dig they again made a huge impact on the game with two runs, to regain the lead 5-4.

Gemma Letton singled, Adkins bunted, Sarah Tonkin hit a sharp ground-out that scored a run, then Bel White miss-hit a ball into the ground, which trickled along the first base line. NSW catcher Tsitsikronis failed to make a play on it, which allowed the second run to score.

And once again the Firestars had a response, with a single run, after a Charli Ladner double and a hard infield smash by Jayde Jensen, which got away from the fielder – 5-5 after four completed innings.

Emotions were high and wavered from confidence to doubts with many in attendance at what was turning into a classic confrontation.

A turning point came at the bottom of the fifth frame, when NSW looked like mounting a rally to take control of the game.

Tsitsikronis singled for her third hit of the game, but then McManus hit a ball that appeared headed for the outfield that Starz shortstop Robinson snaffled, touched second base for the first out, then, off balance, threw to first for the double play – wow!

It was a tremendous play, which was so important, as the next batter Wrixon doubled to centrefield – the game could have been finished here without that crucial double play, as no more runs were scored in the regulation seven innings.

If Tonkin’s first inning catch wasn’t enough ‘to take your breath away’, then her outstanding sliding effort of a foul ball in the bottom of the seventh would have been recognised as the most outstanding fielding highlight of, not only the game, but the whole championships.

After the third out at bottom of the seventh was made, the pressure was on for the Starz to stamp themselves in the history books, and they did not disappoint.

Grauer pitched 3.1 innings for seven hits and two strikeouts, but it seemed like the NSW batters had timed her fast pitch down to perfection, which set the stage for teenager Fidge to enter the fray.

In an outstanding effort, Fidge pitched the final 4.2 innings for two hits and two strikeouts, with her change of pace and ability to mix her pitches a recipe for success, and led to her winning the player of the finals award.

Earlier in the day, South Australia lost the second semi final 6-5 to NSW, which gave the Firestars the easy road into the grand final, and forced the Starz to earn its spot with a tough game against Victoria, which they triumphed 3-1 after a hard battle.

Against NSW in the semi, the Starz came back twice after falling behind but went down when the Firestars scored the winning run at the top of the seventh inning.

Then the surprise packet of the finals, Victoria Titans, fresh after beating Queensland 1-0 in the first semi.

It looked like South Australia was under extreme pressure, as the Titans scored a run in the second inning, which the Starz matched in the third, on a Bel White RBI triple – soon after taking a sensational foul ball catch on the fence at the top of the frame.

Jade Peterson was pitching well and was holding Victoria out, but the Starz could not break through for that crucial go-ahead run, as SA entered the bottom of the sixth with the scores still knotted at 1-1.

Then it happened, as part of the destiny journey was realised, when the Starz scored twice in the bottom of the sixth. White walked and stole second base. Maddie Cameron had a RBI hit to break the drought, and Grauer added insurance when she had a RBI single.

Peterson had done a great job, conceding six hits for nine strikeouts in six frames, with Grauer coming into the circle at the top of the seventh and striking out the side – to leave just one more step to annexing the long-sort after Gilley’s Shield.

GO STARZ! Congratulations to everyone involved and who helped with the journey to the top of the mountain.

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RESULTS:

Second semi:

NSW Firestars 0 0 1 1 3 0 1 – 6

South Australia 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 – 5

Hits: NSW – McMannus 2, Keevers, Moore, Ladner, Jensen; SA – Kaesler, Grauer, Tonkin, Letton. WP: C. Ladner; LP: J. Grauer.

First semi-final:

Victoria 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 – 1

Queensland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0

Hits: Victoria – Steemers, Laemmle, Schafer, Rigg, Smith; Queensland – Stone, Kurihara, Blackman. WP: N. Martin; LP: S. Holden.

Preliminary Final: