Heat Surge Late to top Bandits 18–3 in Series-Opening Rout

BRISBANE, Australia — Perth’s (4–6) bats stayed hot and an explosive 11-run ninth inning helped the Heat pull away from the Brisbane Bandits (5–6) for an 18–3 win on Sunday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at Viticon Stadium.

The Heat opened the scoring immediately when Alex Hall lifted a solo homer to center in the first inning, setting the tone for a Perth lineup that collected 19 hits and produced runs in six different frames. Hall finished 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs, reaching base five times and anchoring the top of the order.

Perth added to its lead in the fourth when Yirer Garcia’s RBI single drove in Cayden Nicoletto. An inning later, Owen Cobb extended the advantage with a two-run home run to left, scoring Leonardo Pineda to push the margin to 4–0. The Heat kept adding on in the sixth when Manuel Beltre sent a solo shot to left-center, Perth’s third homer of the afternoon.

While Perth padded its lead, Kamdyn Perry kept Brisbane within reach early, settling down after Hall’s opening-inning homer to work four innings with three strikeouts and one walk. But the Heat continued to capitalize on opportunities, finishing 9-for-18 with runners in scoring position and placing at least one baserunner in eight of nine innings.

The Bandits finally broke through in the sixth when Rixon Wingrove crushed a solo homer to right, cutting the deficit to 5–1. It was Wingrove’s second home run of the season and provided a spark for Brisbane’s dugout after five quiet innings against Perth starter Kieren Hall, who allowed just one hit over five scoreless frames with three walks.

Perth responded quickly, scoring two more runs in the seventh on a bloop RBI single from Nicandro Aybar that brought home Hall and Drake Logan. The Bandits countered in the bottom half with their best offensive inning of the day. After Sohoo Ham worked a walk and Noah Barber singled, Will Riley delivered a two-run single to right that scored both runners and pulled Brisbane within 7–3. Riley finished with two of the Bandits’ five hits, while Barber added an RBI double earlier in the inning.

Brisbane’s pitching staff fought uphill for most of the afternoon, struggling to contain a Perth lineup that rarely let up. Perry recovered after allowing a first-inning homer to Hall, but frequent traffic on the bases pushed his pitch count and limited him to four innings. The bullpen faced even heavier pressure, starting with Seung-Hyun Lee, who surrendered a two-run shot to Cobb in the fifth, followed by Brandon Herbold and Sam Holland, who combined to allow three runs across the next inning and a half. The biggest trouble came late, when the Heat tagged Tyler Jeans and Luke Krkovski for 11 runs in the ninth, capitalizing on five walks and a string of well-placed hits. By the end of the frame, Brisbane had used seven pitchers, with only Ryo Kohigashi and Dermot Fritsch managing scoreless outings as the Bandits searched for stability against Perth’s relentless offense.

The Heat’s late surge began with Beltre’s RBI double that scored Logan. Jake Bowey and Logan each forced in runs with bases-loaded walks, and Garcia added an RBI infield single. The biggest swing came from Aybar, who doubled home two more, capping a career day in which he drove in seven runs — including a three-run homer earlier in the inning. Perth totaled 11 runs on eight hits in the inning.

Despite the loss, Brisbane turned two double plays and received solid defensive play from George Callil and Max Durrington up the middle. But the Heat lineup proved too relentless, posting multi-run innings in the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth.

The Bandits will hit the road to take on the Adelaide Giants for the first time this season. Baseball fans can tune in to all the action on Baseball +. Fans in Japan and Taiwan can watch every pitch on DAZN.