A late flurry of runs has helped the Auckland Tuatara register a 7-0 win over the Sydney Blue Sox in the first match of their Australian Baseball League (ABL) series on Thursday.
Little separated the two sides, with the Tuatara taking a slim one-run lead into the seventh inning.
But a four-run burst proved to be the knockout blow, as they went on to register their fifth straight win. Both Josh Morgan and Jared Walker drove in a pair of runners in the innings
After scoring the game's opening run, Won-Seok Kim then batted in a pair of runs at the top of the ninth to cap the win.
Last month, the Tuatara completed their first-ever ABL series sweep by beating the Blue Sox at North Harbour Stadium.
Victory lifts the Tuatara to a 17-12 record and sees them extend their lead atop the northeast division to four games over the Brisbane Bandits, with 11 games remaining before the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Tuatara manager Steve Mintz confirmed that former Chicago Cubs right-hand pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng would likely make his debut on Saturday or Sunday.
The Tuatara and Blue Sox meet in three more games over the weekend.
