Fresh off a stunning way to finish the ABL season at home on Sunday, Perth Heat hit the road for the last two series starting this week against the Canberra Cavalry with the aim of locking in a finals position.
The Heat split their final home series of the season last weekend with a remarkable offensive explosion at Empire Ballpark to beat the Melbourne Aces 14-1.
That saw the Heat square the series with the Aces with two wins apiece after they won at home on the Friday night and Sunday afternoon with Melbourne scoring the two wins in the double on Saturday.
That leaves the Heat sitting in fourth position with a 15-17 record to be just behind the third placed Cavalry and clinging to a one-game lead over the fifth placed Aces.
What that means that everything goes on the line for the Heat on the road for the last two series of the regular season beginning this weekend against the Cavalry in Canberra before then playing the league-leading Blue Sox in Sydney.
This weekend’s series is especially pivotal in Canberra with the Cavalry currently third at 16-16 and the Heat fourth at 15-17.
If one team is able to secure the series win then they will be guaranteed of a finals appearance while a series split and both teams will still be well placed heading into the last round.
However, a loss in the series for either team or they are in real jeopardy of losing their top four place at the expense of the Aces who are facing the Blue Sox this weekend.
While the Heat still feel like they haven’t found the best consistent baseball so far this season, they have still done enough to be in fourth position and to be in a good place to lock away a finals spot heading into the last two series on the road.
“We still kind of sit there and realise that we haven’t really got hot yet and we’ve been a bit streaky,” Saupold told 91.3 SportFM.
“We’ll play well in one game and then not show up as a collective in the next. We’re excited that we still haven’t hit our peak and are still in the mix, and to take a split away from a veteran ball club like Melbourne we’ll take that.
“Now we can reset and go to Canberra this week who are a game above and have the fate in our own hands. If we take care of business then it gives us a good shot of making a playoff push.”
With two rounds of the ABL season to go the Heat finish on the road to the Cavalry and Blue Sox with Saupold confident of what the Heat can do to reach another finals series starting with a strong showing in Canberra this week.
“It’s still in our destiny now to go to Canberra to take care of business and play good baseball, win a series and then reset again and take on Sydney in Sydney the following week,” Saupold said.
“We’ll be ready to go for that first game on Thursday night. Canberra has some good hitters and they have one of the hottest ones in the league, Robbie Perkins, who is doing what he does best and is really holding that three hole spot for them.
“He’s a real potent hitter and we have to be careful of that, and they have some guys around him who are doing their job of getting on base, and he’s driving them in.
“We’ll do our homework on what they’re capable of and come up with a plan to put in place and hopefully some success to win the series.”
ABL SEASON 2024/25 – ROUND 9 (January 9-11)
PERTH HEAT v CANBERRA CAVALRY – at EPC SOLAR BALLPARK
GAME 1 – Thursday 3.30pm WST
GAME 2 – Friday 3.30pm WST
GAME 3 – Saturday 3.00pm WST
GAME 4 – Sunday 10.00am WST