 Canberra starter Brian Grening worked 6 2/3 scoreless innings as the Cavs took game one of the best-of-three ABL Championship Series against Brisbane (C) SMP IMAGES/ABL MEDIA (SMPMAGES.COM)
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Canberra is one win away from claiming its second Claxton Shield after taking game one of the Australian Baseball League Championship Series on Friday night.
The Cavs downed Brisbane 5-1 on home runs by Robbie Perkins and David Kandilas along with a quality start from Brian Grening at The Fort at MIT Ballpark, Narrabundah.
Grening worked 6 2/3 innings, giving up five hits and striking out three without issuing a walk as he became the first player to win two ABLCS games.
The right-hander retired 14 straight between Adam Weisenburger's third inning single and Mitch Nilsson notching a base hit with two out in the seventh.
Grening gave up a single to Andrew Campbell and hit David Sutherland to load the bases.
Brian Grening's stunning start leads the @CanberraCavalry to a game one win! They're one win away from their first #ABLCS since 2013! pic.twitter.com/4jaLnHrxLT
- #ABLCS (@ABL) February 9, 2018
He was replaced by Tyler Herr, who struck out Weisenburger to end the top of the seventh and preserve Canberra's five-run buffer.
Perkins put the Cavs on top in the second, blasting a two-run homer to left-centre field after Jay Baum hit a lead-off single.
Baum added to Canberra's advantage with a two-out RBI-double in the third inning.
Casey McElroy and Kandilas got aboard with back-to-back singles after Travis Witherspoon grounded into a double play before Baum made it 3-0 against Brisbane starter Ryan Bollinger.
Left-hander Bollinger gave up another homer, a two-run shot to Kandilas in the fifth, before leaving the game in the bottom of the sixth.
He gave up five runs and 12 hits, striking out four in 5 1/3 innings.
Herr closed out the game for the Cavs, giving up a solo homer to T.J. Bennett in the top of the ninth to end the shutout.
Jay Baum went 3-for-4 for Canberra.
The Cavs finished with 13 hits to six.
Canberra now needs just one win in the final two games as the best-of-three series heads to Brisbane.
Game two is at Wild Moose Stadium, Brisbane, from 6pm local time tomorrow night.
Tickets are sold out but you can follow the action live on ABLtv.com powered by Bing Lee! #ABLCS #OurGame
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