The Dodgers' bats ran hot in a key double-header win against the Saints but Ellis Park held its cool as the final pre-Christmas round of Dunedin premier softball staged a thrilling finish on Saturday.
On the last competitive day of the year, three teams had a chance to win Otago Softball's first-round trophy.
The decision came to the final inning of the final game, with Ellis Park (9-3, 38 points) finishing just clear of the Dodgers (8-4, 37) and the Saints (7-5, 35).
Scott Cartwright led the powerful batting line-up as the Dodgers claimed 8-3 and 12-7 wins against the Saints.
A six-run Dodgers splurge in the bottom of the second inning that made the offensive difference in the early game.
Cartwright had whacked a homer in the first inning and Josh Thom and Aran Bailey added further dingers in the second, as the Dodgers built an unassailable lead.
The batters, of course, are only as good as their starting pitcher, and promising Dodgers hurler Ben Watts was in outstanding form on the mound.
Watts retired the first 10 batters he faced before walking Tim Howard, and he held the Saints to just two hits in six innings.
Cartwright was feeling it again in the late game, smiting a three-run homer in the first inning as the Dodgers racked up an early 8-0 lead.
Jamie Robinson also cleared the fence as the Dodgers again got hold of struggling Saints pitcher Mark Ahlfeld.
The Saints fired back with four runs at the bottom of the second, with a Michael Crowley double bringing home both Mitchell O'Neill and Michael Wilson, but the damage had been done.
The back-to-back wins were revenge for the Dodgers, which had twice been beaten (10-8 and 7-6) by the Saints in earlier rounds.
In between the top-of-the-table games, Ellis Park cruised to a 10-1 win against the winless Cardinals.
Ellis Park led just 1-0 after two innings but exploded for seven runs in the fourth, an inning during which the Cardinals committed five errors.
Adam Whelan led Ellis Park with four singles and three runs.
The Otago men's and women's teams will play at the Jefferies Cup tournament in Christchurch this weekend
