Dodgers moved within one win of a drought-breaking Bendigo Baseball Association premiership when it won game one of the best of three grand final series on Sunday.
In one of the games of the season, Dodgers defeated Falcons 7-6 to grab the upper hand in the series.
In their first grand final appearance in 20 years, Dodgers rallied from an early three-run deficit to clinch victory.
Impressive hitting by Brad Muns and Bailey Waterman helped Falcons to a 5-2 lead at the bottom of the second inning.
In the top of the third, Dodgers bounced back strongly through a combination of an Anthony Amsing double and two fielding errors from Falcons to level the scores at 5-5.
Dodgers made a pitching change that turned out to be a game-defining move.
Steve Skipper was given the ball and, after conceding a run in the bottom of the third, didn't allow Falcons to score again.
Skipper needed help from his team's offence to reel in Falcons and it took until the top of the sixth inning for Dodgers to level the scores when Amsing's third hit of the day allowed Mark Eeles to score.
After Falcons failed to score in the bottom of the sixth time had run out and for the first time in league history a tie-breaker rule was implemented.
Both teams would start the next inning with a runner on second base.
Dodgers took the lead after a wild throw to first base from Falcons allowed Billy Parsons to score.
Falcons did well to keep the damage to one run and they entered the bottom of the seventh needing one run to tie and two runs to win.
Skipper struck Jonathon Vanderhagen out, Bailey Waterman ground out to second base and, when Mick Peters did the same to short stop, Dodgers celebrated a hard-fought victory.
Meanwhile, in game one of the B-grade grand final series, Bendigo East defeated Dodgers 11-7.
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