Recap
Vying for the championship, the Mellieha Northenders set their sights on the trophy on Saturday, one win away from winning it all. The Mustangs, winners of the last game, looked to win their second game in a row and force a Game 6. Mellieha handed the ball to veteran pitcher Keith Bartolo while the Mustangs countered with pitcher Daniele Palumbo.
The Northenders started putting pressure immediately as outfielder Cesar Rodriguez connected on a 2-run home run for the early 2-0 lead. Mellieha extended their lead in the top of the 3rd inning with another home run, this time from shortstop Michael Bartolo. Keith Bartolo’s pitching arsenal kept the Mustangs’ offense off balance, allowing only 1 run in the first 5 innings.
The Mustangs broke through in the 6th inning. With a couple of men in scoring position, outfielder Jorge Acosta singled and tallied 2 RBIs to bring the Mustangs within 3 runs. As the game entered the final inning, Mellieha entrusted Keith Bartolo to close out the game which he started. After recording the first 2 outs, Bartolo induced a pop up to the 1st basemen for the 3rd out, closing out his complete game and winning the National Baseball League for Mellieha.