Good day for the Aussies
Australian under-19 fastball team beats local all-stars 7-5 in exhibition game

By DAN DAKIN
Sports – Tuesday, June 14, 2005 @ 02:00

NIAGARA FALLS – Call him the stroik-out king.

An all-star team of men’s fastball players from across the Golden Horseshoe took on the Australian under-19 national team Monday night at Ker Park. In the end, it was Aussie hurler Adam Folkard who did in the home team.

Folkard, considered one of the top prospects in Australia, pitched the final two innings and struck out six of the seven batters he faced as the visitors beat the Golden Horseshoe Fastball League All-stars 7-5 in front of a few hundred spectators at Ker Park.

The 18-year-old Folkard was hired to play for a highly ranked fastball team in the U.S. last year and he’ll do the same this summer. However, he said he’s not aiming to break into Major League Baseball soon.

“I want to win a gold medal with the Australian under-19 team (at the World Championships this month) and then I want to win a gold medal with the men’s team and, hopefully, beat the world champions New Zealand,” Folkard said.

Niagara Falls all-star Rob Greatrix, who normally suits up for the Niagara Falls Fury men’s fastball team, said he wasn’t surprised by how well the Aussie team played.

“For Australia, fastball is one of their big sports and even though they’re under-19, it would be like Canada sending its under-19 hockey team somewhere,” Greatrix said.

From the moment the Aussies pulled into Ker Park, it was clear this was not your run-of-the-mill beer-league team.

Though they arrived a few minutes late after playing tourists earlier in the day, the green and yellow-clad club went through a detailed warmup led by one of two full-time trainers who travel with them.

The team arrived in Canada Friday, playing seven games in a tournament, where they won the consolation title. The tourney kicked off a busy schedule of more than 20 games in 10 days.

They played two games Monday night against the Golden Horseshoe all-stars and they continue their tour today with another doubleheader in Milverton.

They’ll continue playing two games every night the rest of the week.

This tour is in preparation for the International Softball Federation Junior Men’s World Championships in Summerside, P.E.I., June 24 to July 3.

Australia is considered among the favorites, along with Japan and New Zealand.

For the most part, Australia’s offence was the result of infield bunts and short hits, which coach Lindsey Carroll said is a reflection of his country’s smaller diamonds.

“The outfields are a lot bigger here than we’re used to. So, it changes the nature of the game,” he said.

The younger players also used speed to their advantage, rolling up plenty of stolen bases and repeatedly outrunning throws to first base on bunts.

The Niagara team didn’t have as much speed, but they used the long-ball to fuel its offence. The all-star team’s effort was highlighted by a two-run homer in the first inning by Mike Bateman, of Niagara Falls.

Niagara led 4-1 after the first inning before Australia rallied with five runs in the second to take a 6-4 lead.

The home team closed the gap to 6-5 in the bottom of the fourth, but a home run by Australia’s Travis Southam made it 7-5 in the fifth.

“This team was probably the toughest team we’ve played so far on the tour,” said Folkard, who will play for the No. 6 world ranked team in Fargo, N.D., this summer.

“I played in the States last year and it was great. I learned a lot.”

The all-star team put up a good fight against the Aussies, but Greatrix said Monday’s game was also about having a good time.

“It’s a competitive league and we don’t play too many games for fun,” he said. “But it’s fun to play with guys you normally play against.”

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