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American outfielder Ronnie Welty blasted two home runs in one extraordinary inning to help Perth to a 9-2 win over Adelaide and force a third and deciding game in the Australian Baseball League finals series at Barbagallo Ballpark.
Sparked by 23-year-old centrefield Welty, Perth on Saturday smashed eight runs in the fifth to level the series and force a decider on Sunday.
Perth, who lost the series opener 4-3 on Friday, trailed 1-0 after four innings in game two.
American pitcher Brandon Maurer had effectively shackled the Heat batters, conceding just one hit and notching six strikeouts.
Welty triggered his team’s onslaught by blasting the ball over rightfield after leading off in the fifth.
The Heat added three more runs before Welty dragged the game beyond their reach with a grand slam homer over rightfield.
“It was great to perform for my team, I kind of struggled yesterday and hopefully I’ll bring it tomorrow too,” Welty said in his post-game interview.
Californian pitcher Trevor Caughey was a steadying presence for Perth, giving up two runs and six hits in seven and two third innings.
“Yesterday was a tough loss for us, it was good to come out and score a lot of runs for our pitcher. Trevor pitched one heck of a game,” Welty said.
Adelaide, who were outhit 13-7 on the day, opened up a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third.
First baseman Ben Wigmore hit a line drive double to leftfield and was advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from second baseman Josh Cakebread.
Wigmore came home after short stop Jeremy Cresswell ground out, but Adelaide couldn’t muster any more scoring till the eighth inning.
After Welty’s first homer, Perth turned up the heat on the previously dominant Maurer.
He walked rightfielder Tim Kennelly and gave up hits to leftfielder Ryne (Ryne) Price and short stop Mitchell Graham.
Kennelly and Price scored on a fly ball to rightfield from centrefield Allan de San Miguel and a line drive to leftfield from second baseman Luke Hughes scored Graham to make it 4-1.
Maurer was replaced by Reed Brown, who watched Welty slam a pitch over rightfield to score de San Miguel, Hughes, third baseman Evan McArthur and himself.
Perth swelled their considerable advantage to 9-1 in the top of the eighth after Price hit a double to leftfield, advanced to third on a wild pitch from pitcher Nick Talbot and came home on a single to leftfield by Kennelly.
Adelaide pulled one run back in the bottom of the eighth when third baseman Stefan Price scored after he doubled to rightfield, and went to third on a wild pitch from Caughey and came home after centrefield James McOwen ground out.
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