Recap
In the final game of the regular season, the Mellieha Northenders and Brewers gave us an offensive showdown to remember, scoring a combined 39 runs in 1 game. For the second game in a row, Mellieha started off strong. Vincenzo Mazzamuto and Kevin Gauci reached base in the 1st inning and Michael Bartolo drove them in with a 2-run double. Bartolo then scored on an RBI single by his teammate Masashi Suzuki. The Brewers matched Mellieha in the 1st inning with 3 runs of their own.
Michael Bartolo continued tallying RBIs in the 3rd inning as he hit a 3-run homerun to give Mellieha an 8-7 lead. Although the Brewers bounced back and made it a 1-run game again, Masashi Suzuki hit a 2-run homerun to extend Mellieha’s lead by 2 runs in the 4th inning. In another turn of events, the Brewers mounted an impressive comeback in the 5th inning and took back the lead.
Down by 1 run in the 7th inning, clutch singles by Steven Grima and Vincenzo Mazzamuto scored 3 runs for Mellieha to take a slim 1-run lead to the bottom of the 7th. The Brewers rose to the occasion and tied the game up, sending the game into extra innings.
In a decisive 8th inning, Mellieha scored 5 runs highlighted by a 3-run homerun from Michael Bartolo and a solo homerun by Masashi Suzuki. Air tight defense by Mellieha held the Brewers at bay, securing a thrilling 21-18 win. Michael Bartolo was unanimously voted the player of the game with his impressive offensive display at the plate.