Coming out on top in Game Three of a tense series against the Sydney Blue Sox, the Canberra Cavalry return to the ABL Finals in a rematch with their 2013 competition, the Perth Heat.

 

 

Breaking a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning, the Cavalry struck for five runs starting with a leadoff single by Ben Warner. Figuring in was Blue Jays minor league catcher Jack Murphy who drove home his first of three runs with an RBI single. Mike Crouse followed him with a single that moved Murphy to third.

 

 

In the seventh inning, Murphy struck again with a sacrifice fly to right fielder Keon Broxton to bring home Jeremy Barnes and he drove in another run in the eighth on a ground out.

 

Speedy leadoff man Jon Berti went one for five with a walk, an RBI and a run scored while Crouse, who was Berti’s teammate in Dunedin in 2013, hit three singles, scored a run and drove one in.

 

Pitching three perfect innings to end the game and earn the save was former Blue Jays minor league Clint Everts. Everts originally drafted by the Montreal Expos and was signed by the Blue Jays in 2012 and was released during the 2013 season. Everts struck out five of the nine batters he faced while Steven Chambers, an Australian who threw perhaps his best game of the year, going six innings and giving up just one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

 

It will be a close call for catcher Jack Murphy who will get on a plane at the end of the best-of-three final series to join the Toronto Blue Jays’ major league camp when pitchers and catchers report on February 16.

 

The Cavalry will play Perth to begin the ABL Championship series, starting on Friday, February 7 beginning at 7pm AWST.