First loss for Braves

Wanganui Braves pitcher Shane Foster delivers the perfect pitch for a strike against a Dodgers batter, but unfortunately lost 8-6 at the end of play on Saturday.

The Wanganui Braves senior men's team came tumbling down to earth after posting their first loss of the season on the Manawatu Se\nior Men's Reserve grade on Saturday.

Braves lost against a handy young Dodgers team 8-6, their team bolstered with young players from the Dodgers premier team.

The Dodgers pitcher was by far the quickest the team has faced this season and showed it will be the team to beat in the reserve grade this year.

Several fielding errors, including some dropped catches in the outfield, proved costly early on in the game with Dodgers scoring three in the first innings, followed by two more easy runs in the third to have the visitors on the back foot from the outset.

Braves' cause was not helped at their first turn at bat, when the first three batters, Paddy Steel, Jamie Hollis and Carl Priddle, all made base on safe hits to have loaded bases, and have the next three batters struck out.

Braves replied in the top of the third, when again Hollis got another safe hit following by a two base hit by Priddle. Both made home base when the Dodgers catcher attempted to pick off Hollis on third, but missed the third baseman allowing both to score. Priddle showed good speed to make it home from second base.

Braves other runs come from Liam Wilson, Shane Foster, Ash Blanche and another from Priddle.

"The result would have been a lot different if we'd been able to hold those outfield catches which were bread and butter stuff really, and they cost us in the end," Foster said.

This Saturday Braves play Linton Army at 12:30pm and with catcher Steele unavailable due to family commitments, and Foster working, Braves are going to have to possibly rely on veteran Duane Paranihi to front up on the mound unless another pitcher appears out of the woodwork.