Recap
The National Baseball League 2024 commenced last Saturday with a much anticipated first game between the Mustangs and Mellieha Northenders. The teams looked to open the best-of-7 series with an important win. The Mustangs selected Kevin Spiteri to be their opening day starting pitcher while the Northenders countered with Matheus Konno. Mellieha hit the ground running against Spiteri as they scored 3 runs in the 1st inning. Konno held on to the lead for Mellieha, surrendering a lone run during the first 2 innings.
Mellieha padded their lead significantly with a solid 6-run 3rd inning. Infielder Steven Grima and outfielders Michael Bartolo and Masashi Suzuki led the charge for Mellieha with an extra base hit each. The Mustangs responded with a 3-run inning highlighted by a 2-run home run by slugger Kevin Spiteri who eventually tallied 3 RBIs for his team. Team mate Mark Buttigieg helped to continue cutting into the early deficit with a solid 3 for 3 performance at the plate. Sensing pressure, Mellieha turned to relievers Vincenzo Mazzamuto and Clint Grima. The Mustangs continued applying pressure though, with hits from Chris Munz, Alessio Ripanti and newcomers Ryan Gafa and Alfred Chen.
Down to their last 3 outs in the bottom of the 7th inning, the Northenders turned to closer Steven Grima to seal the 25-12 win. Grima’s offensive, defensive and pitching performances earned him the well-deserved MVP honours for this game. The Mellieha Northenders now lead 1-0 in this series and look to build on their success in the next game scheduled for Sunday 5th May.