The Mellieha Northenders had to make a statement after Sunday’s earlier loss. The Northenders jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, courtesy of RBIs from Steven Grima, Masashi Suzuki, and Klemen Skrabec. The Brewers quickly answered back in the bottom half, scoring five runs to take a 5-4 lead with strong at-bats and heads-up baserunning.
In the second inning, Mellieha’s offense roared back to life, scoring three runs with key hits from Vincenzo Mazzamuto, Steven Grima, and Masashi Suzuki. Their outfield defense also shone, holding the Brewers scoreless and maintaining their 7-5 lead.
The Brewers chipped away in the third and fourth innings, adding two runs in both innings, while Mellieha added three runs in the fourth inning to extend their lead to 10-8. Defensive highlights included the Brewers turning an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play in the fifth to hold a scoring threat from Mellieha.
The decisive moment came in the sixth inning when Steven Grima scored Vincenzo Mazzamuto with an RBI triple. As Masashi Suzuki proceeded to hit another triple, Mattheus Konno drove him in with a single to make it 12-8.
The Brewers fought hard in the final innings but were unable to close the gap, thanks in part to pitcher Klemen Skrabec who struck out the final batter of the game in the seventh inning, sealing the victory.
Masashi Suzuki was the player of the game with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate and spectacular outfield catches. With this win, the Mellieha Northenders tie the Brewers’ win total of 7 and sit atop the league’s standings based on head-to-head record.