The Crosby Vikings put in a strong performance to defeat the Sefton Sharks 22-5, and further extend their perfect start to the 2018 Sefton Softball League season to four wins and no losses. That result makes it the best start to any Vikings season.
Seven runs from Crosby in the second inning without reply gave the current league champions enough of a cushioned lead to keep their opponents at bay. Also with four of their players collecting home-runs, the Vikings have showed no signs of letting up as they search for a perfect winning record.
Both teams were going into the contest undefeated, and the result would give us the first indicator on who would be taking charge in the early stages of the 2018 season.
The opening inning saw both sides show their intentions for the match. While the Vikings scored four runs, the Sharks answered back with three of their own. That included an impressive home-run by outfielder Paul Colton.
Inning number two is where Crosby took the game by the scruff of the neck. Seven runs including a fifth home-run of the season by third-baseman Chris Jones saw the Vikings surge into a 11-3 lead.
After that, the Sharks did whatever they could to find a hole in Crosby’s fielding. But sadly for them, there were few opportunities for them to close the gap.
As the game went on, the runs kept coming in for Crosby. Home-runs for outfielder Matty Green, short-stop Sean Miley as well as two for outfielder David Grice eventually saw the league leaders complete the match with a 17-run victory.
Elsewhere, the Southport Seagulls collected their first win of the season with a 23-12 win over the St. Helens Sabres. A second inning turnaround saw the Seagulls surge ahead to what was a memorable win for the 2014 league champions.
For what has been a frustrating 2018 for the Seagulls and Sabres, this match-up was crucial for both sides to kick-start their campaign. The opening exchanges saw the two teams come out swinging, as a combined nine runs were scored. Whilst Southport scored three, the Sabres replied with six of their own. That included a home-run by third-baseman Tony Malcolm.
The next two innings saw a combined sixteen runs scored by the Seagulls. Home-runs by outfielders Tanya Basu, Chris Chu and two by team captain Andy Lott were the highlights of an astonishing couple of innings. With the Sabres only replying with one run, that saw Southport move into a 19-7 lead.
With runs scored by the bottom of the Seagulls batting order for the remainder of the game, that was enough for the Seagulls to secured the eleven-run win.
Next week is all about the chasing pack and who will take control of challenging the league leaders. While the Vikings are taking a rest week, the Sharks take on the Seagulls, and the Sabres will be facing off against a Formby Fins side returning to action.
The Sefton Softball League is always happy to welcome new players. With the birth of a sixth team being the league’s next ambition, now is the time to be a part of this ever-growing league. Come down to our rookie sessions at PlayFootball on Drummond Road in Crosby on Monday evenings at 6pm to give it a go and then check out the matches from 7pm.
Also, don’t forget to check out the league website www.seftonsoftball.com, like the Facebook page by typing in Sefton Softball and follow them on Twitter @SeftonSoftball.