Recap
The best-of-7 National Baseball League series between the Mellieha Northenders and Mustangs continued with a matinee on Saturday. Aiming for their third win in a row, Mellieha selected Steven Grima as their starting pitcher. The Mustangs looked to get their first win of the season and went with their ace, Kevin Spiteri.
Both pitchers brought their A game early, shutting down the opposition in the 1st inning. The Mustangs scored first with a lone run in the 2nd inning after a solid double from Mark Buttigieg. The 3rd inning then saw Mellieha responding swiftly, getting runners on base and scoring 3 runs. With a 3-1 lead, Steven Grima pitched a scoreless 3rd inning to hold the lead for Mellieha.
Looking to give their pitcher some well-deserved run support, Mellieha’s offense erupted in the 4th inning. Hits by Spencer Caruana and Steven Grima set the table for brothers Keith Bartolo and Michael Bartolo who each connected for a homerun and highlighted a big 5-run inning.
The Mustangs started cutting the deficit in the bottom of the inning. With Jorge Acosta on base, Efrain Deyan connected on a 2-run homerun to left center field to make it a 4-run inning for the Mustangs. The 5th inning was the final inning for both starting pitchers who then made way for relief pitchers Clint Grima of Mellieha and Jorge Acosta of the Mustangs. Another home run from Keith Bartolo padded the lead for Mellieha but the game remained close till the final inning.
As the Mustangs threatened again in the bottom of the 7th inning, Mellieha turned to closer Michael Bartolo who shut the door on a thrilling 12-8 win for Mellieha, their 3rd win in a row.