Baseball: Kyle Glogoski too hot for the Brisbane Bandits as Tuatara complete shutout win

Kyle Glogoski in action for against the Bandits.
Kyle Glogoski in action for against the Bandits. Photo credit: Photosport

The Auckland Tuatara's second win of the season was highlighted by a quality start from young Kiwi Kyle Glogoski.

The 4-0 victory over the three-time defending ABL Champion Brisbane Bandits backed up a historic moment for the club on Friday when they won for the first time in the league 5-4 against the same opposition.

Glogoski steamed his way through his first three innings of work, showing off his 90-92mph fastball alongside a very good selection of off-speed pitches that kept the Bandits hitters off balance.

The Philadelphia Phillies minor league pitching prospect was lights out for a second straight start after his five-inning no-hitter against the Perth Heat a week ago.

The East Auckland native finished with six strikeouts through five innings of work, with zero walks and no earned runs against.

Outstanding lead-off hitter Eric Jenkins scored a first-inning run for the second straight game after getting on base through a well-earned walk.

The Texas Rangers prospect stole third base before New Zealand international Max Brown brought him home with a well-placed ground ball.

The Tuatara added a second in the bottom of the third after catcher Kuo Chun-Wei's right field single brought home first baseman Guiyuan Xu.

Veteran Kiwi infielder Daniel Lamb-Hunt sent a one-out, 1-1 pitch out of the park at the bottom of the third for the first home ballpark home run in Tuatara history, to extend the lead to three runs.

Outfielder Zach Clark fired a ground ball into the outfield later in the inning for his 2nd RBI of the season with Brown the benefactor giving the Tuatara a 4-0 lead after three innings.

Bandits hitter David Sutherland almost got his side on the board in the top of the fourth, firing a gorgeous left field drive that had Max Brown on his heels. The ball fired off the back fence and Sutherland slid into second for the first hit off Glogoski this season.

The 19-year-old right arm starter got himself out of trouble though when he stuck out Hsu Chi-Hung looking to end the inning.

Reliever Ryota Okumoto retired all three batters he faced in a slick inning of work in the top of the sixth to maintain the four-run advantage for the home side.

The Tuatara couldn't add to their lead at the bottom of the penultimate inning leaving Okumoto the responsibility of securing a second straight win for the new franchise.

With a nasty selection of curveballs and change-ups, the North Shore local had the Bandits hitters in fits but an error from first baseman Xu allowed the Brisbane a baserunner with one out in the seventh.

The diminutive Japanese left-arm pitcher recorded a strikeout next up to leave the Bandits one out from a second loss of the weekend when Chi-Hung was sawn off looking at a breaking ball.

Okumoto struck out 2017/18 home run king Donald Lutz to complete a six-out hold and a second win on the bounce for the Auckland side.

The home side started the second game in a similar manner with Max Brown crushing a home run to left field to power the Tuatara to a 2-0 lead.

Chiba Lotte pitcher Atsuki Taneichi looked good in five innings of work while former major leaguer Josh Collmenter was strong in relief.

The Bandits rallied late to score a couple of runs and send the game to extra innings. They took advantage of starting the 10th with runners on 1st and 2nd – the international rules for extra innings – and scored two further runs.

The Tuatara couldn’t come up with the answer in the bottom of the 10th.

The Canberra Cavalry will make the trip across the Tasman and will face the Tuatara in a four-game series starting Friday.

Newshub.