Gozo Tornadoes

Gzira Mustangs

(Official GT Report - 29/03/04 - 23:05 GMT +01:00)

It was a busy afternoon for the Gozo Tornadoes, as they took full advantage of Gzira's pitcher Andrew Bajo, to earn their third victory of the season.  The highlight of the game was Shaun Chircop's three shutout innings in the 4th, 5th and 6th. Gzira failed to drive in their runners during Chircop's stint, as they left 8 runners on base in those three innings.  Chircop also struck out six batters.

Despite hitting only 7 hits, Gozo still managed to score 21 runs in six innings.  Gzira allowed 16 walks in the game, which shows why Gozo took advantage on them.  Jeff Tabone hit 2 for 4 driving in 3 runs while Charles Attard drove in another 3, going 2 for 5.  Steven Galea drove in a run with a long double to left field, and later drove in 2 more runs due to walks.  

Charles Attard started his second straight start, pitching 3 innings and striking out 8.  He also won his 7th straight win in the regular season, and third of the season.  Attard is now one win shy from his team mate's record, Jeff Tabone's, which stands at 8th consecutive regular season win.  

Gozo will now face league leaders, the Mellieha Northenders next Sunday at the Marsa Baseball Field.  Game starts at two in the afternoon.

(Official GT Report - 29/03/04 -23:01 GMT +01:00)

Gozo also took the Rookie of the Year category, as Shaun Chircop was voted as the 2003 Rookie of the Year.  Chircop was signed through mid-season in 2003, and helped Gozo win their third consecutive championship.  The 23-year old catcher batted .444 last season, with two doubles and five runs batted in.  He also stole 5 bases during last season.  Chircop also made the Malta National Team last season, being the back-up catcher for Steve Ellis during the Belgian Open.  

The other awards were as follows:

Best Pitcher - Keith Bartolo (Mellieha)

Best Defensive Player - Nicky Bartolo (Mellieha)

Best Hitter - Pat Pace (Gzira)

Most Valuable Player - Keith Bartolo (Mellieha)

(Official GT Report - 20/03/04 -17:33 GMT +01:00)

SPORTS FINAL – NATIONAL LEAGUE BASEBALL – 13 & 14/03

                        R            H            E

MELLIEHA       25            16            12

SWIEQI           14            10            21

Marlon Borg notched his first win of the season for the Northenders whose offense exploded for 25 runs on 16 hits.  Not all of those runs can be attributed to sheer batting strength however as Swieqi’s defense committed 21 errors allowing a generous 17 of those runs unearned.  Keith Bartolo feasted on Swieqi’s pitching hitting for the cycle in a  5 for 6 performance and 2 homeruns.  Marlon Borg added to his win with an impressive 4 for 6 and 5 runs scored.  In a losing effort the Sharks Engy Attard hit a double, triple with 3 runs batted in.

                        R            H            E         

GZIRA               6           10            5

GOZO             11            11            4

Having scored just one run in their last 9 innings on their home field, a virtual hitters paradise, Gozo appeared be wondering whether their bats were lacking something when they were seen taking extra batting practice before the game against Gzira.  Despite that extra practice their bats remained cold until the 5^th inning when they finally put a run on the scoreboard trailing 3 to 1 with just one hit.  Mustang pitcher Patrick Pace was cruising with an effective mix of pitches and a sound defense until the 7^th  and 8^th innings when Gzira’s infield decided it was time for a weekend holiday  in Gozo and allowed 6 unearned runs.  Tornado batters Jeff Tabone (3 for 5) and Mark Buttigieg (2 for 4), provided the big hits on the day both hitting key doubles to secure pitcher Charles Attard’s second win of the season.

(Official MABS Report - 20/03/04 - 17:23 GMT +01:00)

Gzira Mustangs

Gozo Tornadoes

(Official GT Report - 20/03/04 - 17:21 GMT +01:00)

Gozo couldn't figure out the mystery of Pat Pace's pitching, as they went down one by one throughout the first half of the game.  The Tornadoes started to show a sign of comeback in the 5th, reducing the margin by 2 runs in Gzira's favour.  The Gozo Tornadoes then took the lead in the bottom of the 7th, but Gzira tied the game 4-4 in the 8th.  It was in the bottom of the 8th were Gozo exploded to a 7-run lead, thanks to some solid hits to the outfield.  

Mark Buttigieg (I) was seeing the ball well last Sunday, as he easily hit two doubles to deep left field, while Jeff Tabone went 3 for 5 and drove in 3 runs.  Third baseman Darren Fava also drove in 3 runs in the 8th.  Charles Attard pitched a complete game, earning his second victory of the season, his sixth straight in the regular seasons of 2003 and 2004.  Attard also struck out 12 batters, the first time ever since 2002.

(Official GT Report - 20/03/04 - 17:18 GMT +01:00)

SPORTS FINAL – NATIONAL LEAGUE BASEBALL - 28 &29/02

GAME 1

                        R        H         E

GOZO              26       13        1

SWIEQI           11        9        10

The Gozo Tornadoes victimised the new kids on the block with a bashing of Swieqi 26 – 11.  The Sharks made a big impression early on building a 10 – 6 lead after 4 innings but faltered in the 6^th when Sharks pitcher John Maris wore down as a result of arm fatigue.  The  Tornadoes scored 9 times in the inning and easily finished the game with the help of superb performances from winning pitcher Charles Attard who gave up just 2 earned runs on 3 hits in a 5 inning relief appearance  and Silvio Sultana who hit 4 for 6 including a double, triple and 5 runs. 

GAME 2

                        R            H            E

MELLIEHA       12            8            2

GZIRA               2            3            6

SPORTS FINAL – NATIONAL LEAGUE BASEBALL - 6 & 7/03

GAME 3

GZIRA              13       

SWIEQI            10       

Gzira second baseman Matthew Degiorgio capped a 7 run 8^th inning with a thrilling bases loaded triple to put the Gzira Mustangs on top of Swieqi  13 – 10.  For the second game in a row, the Sharks of Swieqi took a big bite out of their opponents  early in the game but their pitching failed to avoid the hook in the late innings.  For Gzira the game demonstrated that their young bats and gloves are maturing as they improve with each performance. 

GAME 4

MELLIEHA   2         

GOZO 1        

The fans at Gozo’s home facility in Kercem were treated to a classic pitchers duel when Mellieha’s Keith Bartolo and Gozo’s Jeff Tabone went head to head for the first time since last years closing championship game.  Both went the distance in this 9 inning game compiling 34 strikeouts along the way. Bartolo struck out a league record 19 batters while giving up just 1 run and Tabone struck out 15 while allowing 2 runs.  The Northenders scored first with 2 outs in the 7^th inning when first year second baseman Mike Bartolo, fresh out of the youth league, smacked a dramatic 2 run single through the infield for the lead.  Then as if that wasn’t enough excitement for the rookie in one game, Mike stunned the tense crowd with a catch of batter Jeff Tabone’s line drive with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the bottom of the 9^th inning to end the game in heroic style.

(Official MABS Report - 14/03/04 - 23:07 GMT +01:00)

Gozo Tornadoes

(Official GT Report - 13/03/04 - 18:30 GMT +01:00)

Jeff Tabone and Keith Bartolo pitch 16 shutout innings and strike out 34

Last Sunday, the Tornadoes and Northenders met each other for the first time since that incredible game 3 of the 2003 National League Championship Series, this time in Gozo.  This was the first time that a league game was played in Gozo since Game 2 of the 2002 NLCS, played at the Gozo Stadium.  

The game was scoreless throughout the first six innings, with both pitchers (Jeff Tabone and Keith Bartolo) pitching outstandingly, and also assisted by their defense.  Game hero Mike Bartolo drove in the winning runs in the seventh, and also caught the last out of the game, leaving the Gozo with the bases loaded in the ninth.

Tabone struck out 15 batters and walked 2, in order to pitch his first nine inning game in the Maltese National League.  Keith Bartolo responded back with 19 strikeouts and 4 walks.  Only 12 hits were made during the game, with six for each team.  Steve Ellis, Keith Bartolo and Mike Bartolo were the only players to hit two hits in the game.  

Silvio Sultana played very well in the outfield, making some unbelievable catches and also nailed Anton Briffa at third in the second inning.  The Tornadoes will now face the Mustangs tomorrow at Kercem.  Game starts at 1pm

(Official GT Report - 13/03/04 - 17:42 GMT +01:00)

Gozo Tornadoes

Swieqi Sharks

(Official GT Report - 13/03/04 - 16:42 GMT +01:00)

26 to 11 was the score of the first game of the season, where the Gozo Tornadoes totally ripped the Sharks apart in a nine inning game.  Both teams battled out in the first three innings, but the Sharks lost track from the bottom of the 4th onwards, due to a fine pitching performance by Charles Attard.  

Silvio Sultana tore the base paths with two triples and went 4 for 6.  The new leadoff hitter for the Tornadoes hit a line-drive triple to right to open up the 2004 season.  This was his first game since 2002.  Shawn Chircop also made his pitching debut, starting on the mound and pitching 3 innings.  Attard then pitched the next six innings, where he also made some good defensive plays.  Darren Fava made his comeback in the National League, playing his first game since 1998.  

A few minutes ago, the game between the Mellieha Northenders and the Gzira Mustangs ended due to mercy rule.  The Northenders beat the Mustangs 12-2 in just 4 and a half innings

A full box score of this week's game will be posted on this website later on this week.

(Official GT Report - 29/02/04 - 14:35 GMT +01:00)

2003 was probably the toughest championship season ever for Gozo, and the question of whether Gozo will win number four is quite early to answer.  

As everybody has noticed, Mellieha have been working very hard in the last three years in order to take the title back to Mellieha.  National players Keith and Nicky Bartolo, David and Marlon Borg and Omar Galea are excellent hitters, while the signings of former National Team players Antoine and Mario Debono will definitely improve their offense.

New franchise Swieqi Sharks will be led by one of the best lefthanded batters in the league, former Gozo star Ryan Yada (picture - left).  Along with new signings Rob Holtet, Engy and Etienne Attard, it will be very interesting to see whether the Sharks will surprise the National League or not.

Gzira on the other hand should give out a decent run for the playoffs.  The Mustangs have a mix of veteran players (such as Pat Pace, Trevor Shaw, Vic Calleja) and young talents (such as Andrew Bajo and Matt De Giorgio).

Gozo have lost manager Dennis Roberts, Ryan Yada and Angelo Buttigieg, but have gained Silvio Sultana, Darren Fava and young Rodney Debono.  

Pitchers Jeff Tabone and Charles Attard should repeat the success they had in 2003.  No other team had a pair of starters with an ERA of less than 4.00 and no other team has used only two pitchers throughout the whole season.  Tabone and Attard have also pitched the most innings for the National Team in the Belgian Open.  Tabone started two games in the tournament while Attard started one game, had three relief appearances and also posted the best ERA for Malta.

Gozo's defense should remain strong throughout the season, although the loss of Yada gives a setback for the outfield.  With an infield featuring Attard, Chircop, Galea, Portelli, Tabone and Vella, Gozo should allow a minimume amount of earned runs.  Experienced outfielders such as Buttigieg, Gatt and Sultana are definitely the best trio in the league, although Mellieha nowadays are shaping up with a similar outfield.

As for offense, it will be a question whether Attard, Galea and Sultana will performe like previous years or not.  Attard batted .433 in 2002, but fell down to .296 in 2003.  Galea averaged .300 in previous seasons but last year slumped down to .136.  Sultana on the other hand is a .500 career hitter, but has not seen that many pitches in the last two seasons.

Gozo's mission to maintain the championship trophy starts tomorrow, at 1pm, against the Swieqi Sharks.

(Official GT Report - 27/02/04 - 16:10 GMT +01:00)

It's official, all National league games will be played in 9 innings.  That means that starting pitchers Jeff Tabone and Charles Attard will be needing relief pitchers to finish off games for them.  Four team members have been working out in order to close the 12 league games of 2004.

Mark Buttigieg has been pitching for two seasons now, and should be given a chance on the mound.  He has already pitched four innings this season, during an exhibition game against Mellieha.

Shaun Chircop should replace Tabone and Attard on a regular basis, as his pitching performance during the pre-season has been very promising.

Steven Galea is the most experienced pitcher of the 2004 bullpen, after pitching a whole season for the minor league team, the Astros.  Like Buttigieg, Galea has already pitched four innings this season.

The last member of the bullpen is Silvio Sultana, who has been working very hard with Attard and Buttigieg during the pre-season.  Sultana pitched only one inning in his career, in 2001.

Tabone, who had a rough start last season and lost the first two decisions, came back very strong, winning the next three decisions.  Tabone also won a pair of playoff games, which kept the championship trophy in Gozo for another year.  Tabone won 3 games, lost 2, struck out 61 batters and posted a 3.39 ERA.

Attard won all league games, going 4 for 0, but lost a playoff game to Mellieha.  During his best season of his five-year career, Attard posted a 3.82 ERA, struck out 28 and walked just 17.

(Official GT Report - 27/02/04 - 15:57 GMT +01:00)

The Gozo Tornadoes will be facing the Swieqi Sharks tomorrow, to kick off the 2004 National League.  The defending champions will test the new franchise in a 9-inning thriller.  The game will be held at the Marsa Baseball Field, starting at 1pm.

The Mellieha Northenders will then be facing old rivals the Gzira Mustangs on Sunday

(Official GT Report - 27/02/04 - 13:51 GMT +01:00)