Australian Baseball League

BRISBANE, 19 January - The Alcohol. Think Again Perth Heat fell back to a tie for third place as the Brisbane Bandits took both games of Saturday's doubleheader. With both teams holding a 21-20 record, the vital final game of the series will decide which team will go into the final round with a crucial one game advantage.

Despite sending Warwick Saupold (0-1, 2.08) and Daniel Schmidt (6-3, 3.77) to the mound as starters, the Heat were outclassed by the Bandits over both games, whose tight defence and clutch hitting committed the Heat to back to back losses.

The Heat's offence struggled throughout, managing only six hits and scoring one run during the day's first fifteen innings. A Ryan Khoury solo shot salvaged some face for the Heat, who put up a four run rally in the ninth of the second game, falling three runs short of an unlikely comeback. The Bandits made the most of their opportunities and home runs to David Sutherland and C. J. Beatty helped the Bandits to their 2-0 and 8-5 victories.

Wins to James Schult (3-2, 2.95) and Ryan Searle (3-1, 2.43) highlighted a night of dominant Bandits pitching, bouncing back well from the loss of ace pitcher Chris Smith to the Yankees in the midst of a crucial playoff race.

The Heat will turn to former Chicago White Sox pitcher Sean Tracey in Sunday's day game as they attempt to split the series and avoid falling to fourth position and out of the top three playoff positions.