![]() Donald Lutz opened the scoring for Brisbane with a two-run homer in the first (C) SMP IMAGES/ABL MEDIA (SMPMAGES.COM)
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The 2018 Australian Baseball League Championship Series is headed to a third and final game after Brisbane blasted its way to a 12-2 victory over Canberra on Saturday night.
The Bandits roughed up Cavs' starter Lake Bachar, taking the right-hander deep five times as they squared the best-of-three series at Wild Moose Stadium in Brisbane.
Meanwhile, Brisbane starter Tim Atherton dominated the Cavs, striking out 11 in seven innings on the mound.
He worked with an early lead after Donald Lutz and Lin Chih-sheng homered back-to-back following Aaron Whitefield's lead-off single.
Andrew Campbell and David Sutherland then went deep back-to-back to start the second as the Bandits raced to a 5-0 lead.
Tim Atherton deals for the @BrisbaneBandits and the offence EXPLODES as they take game two!
- #ABLCS (@ABL) February 10, 2018
There's one more game left in the #ABL season, and it's for everything.
BUY GAME THREE #ABLCS TIX HERE: https://t.co/nyiOPC87Kt pic.twitter.com/3Il3Vh5Sp8
Campbell added a second - and fifth by a Bandit off Bachar - after Canberra pulled one back in the fourth.
As good as Brisbane's offence was, Atherton was equally as impressive.
The right-hander allowed just one run on three hits and two walks to record his first ABL playoff win.
Boss Moanaroa put the Cavs on the board in the fourth, snapping an 0-for-17 run against the Bandits this season, with a solo home run.
Campbell provided the response ahead of designated hitter Mitch Nilsson going deep off reliever Sean Guinard in the bottom of the fifth.
The Bandits added two more in the sixth and Lin homered for the second time in the contest in the seventh to make it 12-1.
Travis Witherspoon added a solo homer off reliever Justin Erasmus in the top of the eighth.
Bachar ended up allowing six runs on seven hits for the Cavs, striking out six as he lasted 3 2/3 innings.
Guinard gave up three earned runs on four hits and Tayler Saucedo gave up two runs.
Campbell finished 3-for-4 as Brisbane accumulated 12 hits to eight.
The hosts finished with seven home runs to two.
Game three is at Wild Moose Stadium, Brisbane, from 4pm local time tomorrow.
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