Cameron Majewski slides in safe with a big run for the Dodgers, as teammate Caleb LeCouteur and the Kensington catcher Liam Harris look on.
Photo - Tanya LeCouteur
DODGERS CHIP AWAY TO SNATCH WIN FROM CARDINALS
Surrey Downs S.A. ~ 27 October 2024
The Golden Grove-Central Districts Dodgers pulled off an impressive 6-5 come from behind win on Sunday (27 October) against the visiting Kensington Cardinals in Baseball South Australia Little League action at Illyarrie Reserve, Surrey Downs.
The Kensington pitchers dominated for the best part of the game striking out a combined 16 batters, but a determined Dodgers lineup capitalised on opportunities, chipping away at their opponents lead, to earn the win and remain undefeated after three rounds of the 2024-25 season.
“It was a great win Sunday against a team I expect to be a finals contender” said Dodgers coach Davey Roach. “Our hitters did a great job batting confidently against some of the best pitchers in the league. I now know what we need to do to improve our hitting against top pitching and become a run scoring machine. We had parts of our game exposed against Kensington, but there’s plenty of time to work on these areas and keep that winning feeling,” noted the Dodgers coach.
With the score deadlocked at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth, outfielder Caleb LeCouteur slammed a double down the right field line, and when the next batter Noah Sutherland forced a passed ball, LeCouteur moved over to third. The Cardinals pitcher then threw wildly on the third hitter Noah Soar, allowing LeCouteur to sprint home and win the game.
“Caleb’s double was confidence boosting, and the immaculate battle by Noah (Sutherland) who fouled off enough pitches to keep his at bat alive long enough to force a passed ball and allowed Caleb to advance to third. Without Noah’s solid at bat we would have needed more work to get the runner home.” added Roach.
Chase Mazurek, Jack Adams, and Noah Soar also contributed singles to account for the rest of the Golden Grove hitting.
Both sides scored in the opening inning, but then Golden Grove took a 3-1 lead when they added two runs in the bottom of the second.
Kensington then erupted for four runs in the top of the third inning to jump in front 5-3, but from that point on the Dodgers were resilient, scoring single runs in the fourth and fifth to tie the game, and setting the stage for Caleb’s game ending dash home in the final dig.
Ashton Mogg, Soar, and Chevy Roach all pitched steady outings on the Dodgers mound, combining for six strikeouts, scattering seven hits, and allowing only two walks.
“Our pitchers were awesome with Ashton (Mogg) starting and admirably holding Kensington to just 3 runs in 2⅓ innings. Both Noah (Soar) - 2 runs in 1⅔ innings, and Chevy (Roach) - 2 shutout innings, pitched for the first time this season” said the Dodgers coach.
Kensington pitchers Archer Spratt, and Liam Harrison overwhelmed the Dodgers batters, striking out 16, although two of those K’s resulted in passed balls that got by the catcher, and the Dodgers were able to reach base.
The third Cardinal hurler Jimmy Newbold pitched to three batters in the sixth. Kensington pitching gave up five walks.
Pratt was also the top Kensington batter, belting a first inning double to drive in the opening run, and then added two singles. Jimmy Newbold, Alex Camerlingo, and Jack Robertson, all hit doubles, and Lachlan Goodwin added a single to round out the Kensington offence.
“Kensington have a superstar in Archer Spratt” praised Roach. “He made things extremely difficult for our hitters, but our batters did a great job against arguably the best pitcher in the league.”
The Dodgers also drew applause for some great defensive fielding which fluffed a couple of Cardinal rally threats.
“Our defence also came to the party confidently fielding several solid ground balls and fly balls to the outfield. I was impressed with our communication, particularly on a spectacular catch by Chevy on an infield play that sent him reeling backwards.”
“Noah Sutherland also made a big impact in right field, pulling off two extraordinary 9 to 3 plays, and then a rare 9 to 6 play for big outs. Talk about putting your stamp on the game Noah” said Roach.
Caleb LeCouteur slammed a double down the right field line in the bottom of the sixth inning. On the next batter, a passed ball, and a wild pitch enabled him to move to third, and then sprint home with the winning run. Tanya LeCouteur Photo
Ashton Mogg was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers and did an admirable job holding a strong Kensington lineup to just three runs in 2⅓ innings. Tanya LeCouteur photo
Chevy Roach made his first pitching appearance of the season for GGCD and he combined with Mogg and Soar for the big win over the Cardinals.
Tanya LeCouteur photo
Noah Sutherland made a big impact in right field, pulling off two extraordinary 9 to 3 plays, and then a rare 9 to 6 play for big outs.
Tanya LeCouteur photo
Dodgers' first baseman Chase Mazurek on the putout of the Southern Districts runner. Mazurek had a big day batting for the Dodgers, with a double and a single. Tanya LeCouteur photo
DODGERS IMPRESSIVE IN WIN OVER HAWKS
Surrey Downs S.A. ~ 20 October 2024
The Golden Grove-Central Districts Dodgers bashed out nine hits and their pitching stood firm in a convincing 7-1 victory over the Southern Districts Hawks in Baseball South Australia Little League action Sunday at Illyarrie Reserve, Surrey Downs.
Dodger pitchers Hunter Ung and Ashton Mogg limited Southern Districts batters to just two hits and five bases on balls to record the win and remain undefeated after the opening two rounds in the 2024-25 Ron MacBeth Little League Division.
Southern Districts had their hands full with a relentless Dodger offense who ran riot on the bases and went on to score four runs in the opening two innings, and then three more in the bottom of the fourth to secure the victory.
“It was a great win against Southern Districts, a team I predicted will be a finals contender”, said Dodgers Coach Davey Roach. “Solid batting and base running generated the runs but some outstanding fielding saved runs and proved to be the difference.”
Offensively Mogg also had a big day at the plate for Golden Grove, smashing a double and a single and driving in two runs, while Chase Mazurek doubled and singled, scored two runs, and batted in a run. Noah Soar chalked up two singles, an RBI, and crossed the plate twice, with Cameron Majewski, Noah Sutherland, and Hunter Ung all adding base hits to the scoresheet.
The Dodgers also made several outstanding fielding plays during the contest, starting with a nice grab on a pop fly by shortstop Chevy Roach for the first out of the game, and then a slick double play and a tag at the plate proving to be turning points in the match.
In the top of the third, pitcher Ashton Mogg stabbed a line drive right back to the box, and then doubled up the Southern Districts runner caught between second and third, with Mogg quickly throwing to 3rd baseman Cameron Majewski who nailed the runner with a quick throw to 2nd baseman Noah Soar, who made the tag.
Mogg again figured in on a big play when he converted a ground ball hit back to the mound in the fifth inning, responding with a quick toss home to catcher Jack Adams who tagged the sliding Hawk runner attempting to score from third.
“Every one of the fielding plays saved us runs” said Roach. “The bang-bang plays on the throws home, and also the double play all had a big impact on the scoreline. Cameron (Majewski) is staking an early claim for the 3rd base position with his heads up plays, and Chevy’s (Roach) fist pump early in the match were indications of the teams confident mindset, and all great signs this early in the season” proclaimed the Dodgers skipper.
Nik Dios-Brun doubled, and Duke Fredes singled to account for the Southern Districts offence, while Jack Scanlon scored the lone run for the 1-1 Hawks.
The game result was official following the 5th inning with the Dodgers up by six runs, however Southern Districts opted to bat through the top of the 6th inning, scoring four runs for a 7-5 scoreline deemed not applicable to the Baseball SA Little League Ladder, because of the six-run spread after regulation play in the 5th.
Noah Sutherland moved in from the outfield to take the mound for the Dodgers in the sixth, and despite surrendering four runs, he struck out two batters and made an assist on a putout at first after fielding a ground ball hit back to the mound.
Hunter Ung started the game on the mound for the Dodgers limiting Southern Districts to one hit. He also added a single at the plate.
Tanya LeCouteur photo.
Noah Soar had a productive day batting with two singles, an RBI, and crossed the plate twice. Tanya LeCouteur photo
Ashton Mogg combined with Hunter Ung to limit the Hawks to just two hits. He also had a big day batting with a double and a single and two rbi. Tanya LeCouteur photo
Opening Day Win For The Dodgers
DODGERS PITCHERS MAKE IT A PERFECT START TO THE SEASON
Surrey Downs S.A. ~ 13 October 2024
The Golden Grove-Central Districts Dodgers made a bold statement in their opening game of the 2024-25 Baseball South Australia Little League season, thumping the West Torrens Eagles 11-0, Sunday, at home at Illyarrie Reserve, Surrey Downs.
Dodgers’ pitchers Cameron Majewski and Hunter Ung were both stellar on the mound, striking out a combined 11 batters, and recording a milestone perfect game victory by not allowing any Eagles to reach base, in a game called by the mercy ruling after 4 innings played.
“It was a great hit out to get the season started” said a happy Dodgers Coach Davey Roach. “The kids were locked in and eager to get going, putting all their hard work at training into action.”
“Our batters showed good patience, burning up their pitching early, and ofcourse I was very pleased with the controlled and articulate way our two pitchers (Cam and Hunter) approached the game today. Many missed it until post-game when we realised they had thrown 4 innings of 3 up 3 down, effectively a perfect game, when the game was called” added Roach.
Offensively Golden Grove took full advantage of their 10 walks, and four hits, running aggressively on the bases, jumping out to a six run lead after two digs, and from there they cruised to the 11 run mercy rule victory.
Chase Mazurek led the offense with a fourth inning triple, with Noah Sutherland, Noah Soar, and Ashton Moog all adding singles.
“Chase’s triple was a batting highlight, but I was especially pleased with Jack Adams who learned from his strikeout in his first at bat, to work the count in his second AB by fouling off three close pitches and eventually earning a walk. I hope to use his quick adjustment as an example on how to approach a two strike count in the box.” said the Golden Grove coach.
Photos by M Sutherland
Perfect Start - Dodger pitchers Cameron Majewski and Hunter Ung threw four innings of 3 up 3 down, effectively a perfect game in the 11-0 shutout win over West Torrens.
Great Start to the 2024-25 Season - From left, Cameron Majewski, Noah Sutherland, Noah Soar, Chase Mazurek, and Hunter Ung.
COACH DAVEY BRINGS WINNING CULTURE TO GGCD DODGERS
Surrey Downs S.A. ~ 1 October 2024
There’s a buzz of enthusiasm amongst the Golden Grove-Central Districts Dodgers Little League team this spring. The Dodgers kicked off their 2024-25 Baseball SA Pre-Season last Sunday with a trial session in Kensington against the Cardinals, and the early signs are promising.
The Dodgers will compete in the Ron MacBeth League this summer with first year Head Coach Davey Roach taking over the reins from outgoing Mathew Burns who led the U13 Div 1 lineup in recent seasons.
Roach brings an impressive baseball resume to this Dodgers side, including several junior age finals appearances, highlighted by last years' Baseball SA U11 Premiership. His son Chevy who also joins the team won the Ron Chandler Medal as the states’ Top U11 Player for 2023-24.
Assistant coaches Joel Mazurek, and Darryl Soar offer Roach a strong support staff, while Celeste Adams has been appointed as Team Manager.
“Joel, Darryl, and I, want to win games, not contracts” Roach said. “We will be spending time talking to the team about mental resilience and encouraging them that, as a team, we can do very well this season”
“I was pleased with what I saw against Kensington”, echoed Roach. “It was great to see the kids work together in a game situation and bonding as teammates. I was able to take note of some of what they already bring to the game and then to note other areas we can work on.
“The Cardinals hit the ball hard, but our guys did a decent job of keeping those balls in front. Our base running was very enthusiastic, something we’ll take advantage of this season.
We want to focus on an overall team effort, the importance of getting runners into scoring position and scoring runs, rather than having individuals stat building”, said the Dodgers coach from his Blasting and Painting Services business in Wingfield.
“As the season begins, we will work on solidifying positions based on their current strengths and try to hit the ground running when the season starts”
Roach’s background around the sport dates back to his youth playing for Northern Districts, progressing through the senior ranks to Division 1 as a pitcher and shortstop. In total he played 300 Games for North's, before making the tough decision to retire so he could focus more time on his family and business.
His time away from baseball didn’t last long however, and when his son Chevy showed an interest, he coached for two years of U9s at Kensington, before transferring to Golden Grove for logistical reasons. Now he is even back donning the "tools of ignorance" catching for the Division 4 Dodgers. It's a fair assumption to say that baseball is a genuine passion.
Davey led his U11 Dodgers to the Grand Final in 2022, and then a Premiership last year, a winning culture he hopes to pass on to this years older age group.
The Dodgers used a total of five pitchers in the trial match and Roach was satisfied with what he saw at this point in the season.
“Our pitchers did a respectable job for what was literally the first throw they’ve had this season. We have a few weeks before the season starts to get some bullpens in. We’ll work on their mechanics and conditioning between now and Christmas. After Christmas we’ll fine tune our rotation heading into the run into finals where anything can happen” he added.
Davey Roach brings an impressive resume to this Dodgers U13-1 side, including a recent Baseball SA U11 Premiership. His son Chevy won the Ron Chandler Medal as the states’ Top U11 Player for 2023-24.
Contributed Photo
Assistant coaches Joel Mazurek,left, and Darryl Soar, right, offer Roach a strong support staff. Tanya LeCouteur Photo.
Roach’s love of baseball dates back to his youth when he started playing for Northern Districts in the U16s, and U18s in the early 1990's before making the jump to their Division 1 team.
In total he played 300 Games for North's, before making the tough decision to retire so he could focus more time on his family and business.
His time away from baseball was short lived however, and when son Chevy showed an interest in playing he began coaching, but he continues to play competitivley. In recent summers he has joined fellow coach Joel Mazurek on the Division 4 GGCD Dodgers.
Baseball is indeed a passion..
Contributed Photo