Derby Day Delivers Thrills And Talent Showcase

Derby day was a resounding success, with the team traveling from Rockhampton to Mackay for two intense games filled with skill and great sportsmanship. Both sides displayed class on the field, making for an exciting day of softball action.

Rockhampton secured a 5-2 victory over the Angels, powered by fantastic pitching from 14-year-old Nate Benson. Nate, alongside Rory Spencer, contributed crucial runs for Rockhampton. Meanwhile, Angels’ pitcher Jaxon Maluga struck out five batters, with Heinrich Ackerman smashing a memorable home run.

The Dragons also enjoyed a narrow 4-2 win, providing valuable practice for key players Beau Nash, Andrew Baxter, and John Nash as they prepare for the Over-35 National Championship in Sydney, commencing 7th July. The Dragons look forward to returning the visit to Rockhampton for another round of competition soon.

Mackay Development Coach and Queensland Over-35 Men’s Head Coach, Murray Rivers, expressed gratitude for the new equipment provided through the Active Kids program grant.

Training resumes in early June, with fine-tuning underway for Beau Nash in the Over-35s, and state and national championship hopefuls Jaxon Maluga and Evie Grace. Murray is also excited by emerging junior talent—Boyd Baxter, Eli Neilson, Connor Doolan, and Levi Counsell—who have all been selected for the Queensland U14 squad. He praised Mackay’s first male Australian U18 pitcher, Jaxon Maluga, and U16 female Evie Grace, highlighting a growing development squad of 18 promising players.

In other action, the Dragons Slayers edged out the North Jacklin Pink Hawks 9-7 in a thrilling B-grade match. Tyler Noe smashed two home runs, supported by Latoya Latimer and Audra Pollard, each crossing home twice. Pitcher Maxine Baxter limited the Hawks to just three runs with eight assisted outs, aided by Stacey Swanton. Pink Hawks’ Katrina Whittaker made two catches and scored twice, while Angela Baker and Maddison Twyford delivered strong fielding performances, including a crucial double play.

The PM Deisel Hawks and BCN Dragons battled to a 1-1 draw after six innings. Tiffany Martin scored first for the Hawks in the fifth inning, with young Evie Grace responding in the sixth for the Dragons. Evie also excelled on the mound, recording seven strikeouts. Amy Goodwin, Alison Bekker, and Karli Davis made key catches for the Dragons, while Charlotte Whittaker, Jess Martin, and Miley Barrow contributed defensively for the Hawks. Erin Rutherford also impressed with her pitching for the Hawks.

Results:

Get the Power 10 def. Tyre Power 6
North Jacklin Chaos 13 def. Dunbar Angels 4
Slayers 9 def. North Jacklin Pink 7
Dragons Flies 17 def. Fireballs 5
Storm 14 def. Golden Oldies Angels 7
Heavy Iron Hawks 12 def. Devils 2
Custom Angels 10 def. Ausgroup 6
PM Deisel Hawks 1 drew with BCN Dragons 1

Contributed by Cheryl Martin

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Derby Day delivered exciting softball action and showcased Mackay’s rising talent ahead of upcoming championships. Photos supplied

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