LAKERS’ HITTERS MAKE A BIG SPLASH TO KEEP PLAYOFF RACE ALIVE

The Willow Lakers kept the race for the play offs well and truly alive by taming the in-form Towcester Tigers. The Lakers have been suffering an injury crisis so serious, that they may rename themselves Holby City Lakers. However, their walking wounded squad battled to a surprise win – captain Sam Gibson’s thumb the only addition to the injury list this week.

The Tigers started well with pitcher Laura Thompson (MVP) dispatching three Lakers hitters with some fine fielding off her own pitching – leading to the Tigers taking a 4-1 lead after two innings. However, the game turned on its head in the fourth with the Lakers notching 12 runs, and then a further eight in the fifth. MVPs Nikita Shkurko and Paul Severn were just two of the batters who regularly got on base in solid effort throughout the line-up.

The Tigers continued to scratch away at the lead – scoring in every inning – led by male MVP Martin Baxendell’s two home runs. However, Laker’s pitcher Trevor Morley closed out the game with some excellent pitching in swirling winds.

The Lakers win means that they are still in the play off race alongside the Homerun Hornets and the Tigers. It promises to be an exciting end to the season, with the league table so close that Stephen Hawking may be called in to decipher the final standings.