ABL: Lutz 7 – Van Mil 4

Even though Loek van Mil did not play, the head of this blog post says it all.
The Brisbane Bandits won game one of the ABL championship series by beating the Adelaide Bite 7-4.

Brisbane’s Donald Lutz performed well, going 2 for 4 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored. The hero of the Bite during the semi-final vs Canberra, Travis Demeritte, didn’t come through today as he went 1 for 5 with a double and three strikeouts.

Brisbane took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and Adelaide tied the game in the top of the third. But in the bottom of that very same inning, the Bandits stepped on it and scored four runs. Donald Lutz drove in the opening run on a line drive triple to right field, followed by a double hit by Mitch Nilsson that drove in Lutz for the second run of the frame. Logan Wade’s single and David Sutherland’s walk loaded the bases with one out. T.J. Bennett’s single to center field drove in Nilsson and Wade for the third and fourth runs of the third inning and an overall 5-1 lead.

But in the top of the fifth inning, Brisbane’s starter Jason Jarvis recorded two quick outs but then could not get out of the inning. Singles by Stefan Welch and Tom Brice followed by a homerun hit by Angus Roeger, brought the Bite within a run from the Bandits.

The Bandits scored two insurance runs in the sixth and the eighth for the 7-5 win. 

Jason Jarvis earned the win. In five innings he gave up four runs on nine hits, walked one and fanned seven. Ryan Searle earned the save as he pitched a perfect ninth in which he struck out all three batters that he faced.

Tomorrow’s game will be a must win situation for the Bite. If they manage to tie the series at one, the circus will move to Adelaide for the rubber game on Sunday.