The Canberra Cavalry won the 2013 Asia Series beating 14-4 the Uni President Lions in the championship game. The team from downunder played a sparkling offensive game in the final against the Uni President Lions. The Aussie combined for 20 hits against 6 Chinese pitchers, with Dening going 5 fo 5 and Murphy producing 7runs, including 4 on a grand slam in the eigth. The catcher earned MVP honors in the game and in the tournament.
Canberra was off a very good start, scoring 2 in the first off Uni Lions ace starter Pan Wei Lun on a base hit by Jack Murphy, that scored Berti and Dening. But after getting 3 hits in the first at bat the aussie gave up the lead between the second and the third inning. Canberra starter Cole was hurt by an error by second baseman Berti in the second and then gave up RBI hits to first baseman Teng and center fielder Tang. He then left the game in the third after giving up 2 more runs (one earned) on base hits by shortstop Chen and third baseman Kao. That was going to be all the run production of the night for the Uni Lions.
The defense helped Pan Wei Lun maintain the lead in the second. With 2 runners on and 2 outs, Tang went long distance and flied out Murphy sliding. Pan left after 5. He gave up the third run in the fourth when Crouse scored on a double play.
It looked like the Uni Lions could extend their lead in the sixth against reliever Massingham. With one out, Teng got on with a base hit and run all the way to third on adouble by catcher Kao. Ekstroncame out of the bullpen to strike out Tang and get pinch hitter Chang Tai Shan on a full count grounder to second.
Canberra took command in the seventh. Ortiz opened with a single and scored the tying run on an off the wall triple by Berti. Uni Lions manager L.H. Chien brought in Boof Bonser, his top reliever, but this didn’t stop the aussie. Dening and Frawley got back to back singles, Barnes walked, Murphy batted in the go ahead run on a sac fly to center and Wells sent in 2 more on a base hit to left field.
It was not enough for Canberra. In the eigth, reliever Chu Tzu Kai could not get an out: Ortiz reached on a shallow fly ball he could run into a double, Berti hit another 2 base hit to right and Deningfollowed with a single. Lin Yueh Ping took the mound but didn’t do any better, since Frawley got a base hit and Barnes walked.
The Uni Lions brought in Wang Ching Ming to face feared Jack Murphy and the catcher called it a game sending a 4 run blast into the right field bleechers.
“I do not hit that many homers” said Murphy in the post game press conference “But I hit them at the right time”.
For the records, Toler worked the ninth for Canberra, facing 4 batters and allowing a hit.
“We came here to win” said manager Collins “We knew we were going to face tough competition, but we knew we could do it”.
Jack Murphy added: “We are a tgroup that may not be made by the highest regarded players, but we do play as a team. Sometimes this means more than having the 9 best players”.
Riccardo Schiroli in Taichung
