Defending ABL champions Canberra punched their ticket way into the Championship series with a comprehensive 9-1 thrashing of the Sydney Blue Sox on Sunday.
The Cavalry out-hit the Blue Sox 12-3 and came alive in the top of the sixth inning, scoring five runs by capitalising on a three-error inning by the Blue Sox, who failed to improve on their defensive showing from game two.
Sydney's only run came in response to the offensive downpour that started with a Ben Warner (3-for-5) single that slid past the infield to centre fielder Jacob May.
Casey Frawley reached on a fielding error by shortstop Zach Shepherd, advancing Warner to second with no outs.
Jeremy Barnes singled on a grounder to fielder Mitch Dening, scoring both Warner and Frawley.
Dening would eventually exit the game with a broken hand, bringing Michael Crouse to bat, but only after a Jack Murphy single that would bring Barnes home.
Nothing went Sydney's way, despite a solid performance from Wayne Lundgren who replaced starter Vaughan Harris, who surrendered five hits and four runs.
Lundgren struck out three and allowed only one run under bases loaded pressure.
After going through the Cavalry line up in the sixth, Luke Wilkins stepped in to start the seventh, surrendering a lead-off triple to Barnes, who would make it home on a Murphy sacrifice fly to make it 6-1.
Shortstop Casey Frawley would tack on another in the top of the eighth, reaching first on an error by third baseman Josh Dean to make it 7-1, before piling on two more runs to finish the innings and the rout.
Championship series action gets underway on February 7 at Barbagallo Ballpark.
