Sarah helps ignite sparx only briefly | Fraser Coast Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Fraser Coast

Sparx softball coach Geoff Edards hopes Sarah Steley doesn't play well in the Maryborough District Softball A-grade women's grand final this week.

Well, not as well as she played for him in the preliminary final triumph against Incas Mercury on Saturday.

Steley, a pick-up player, smashed a home run and gloved three catches to help Sparx overpower Incas Mercury 10-5.

Sparx batted first in the game and led from start to finish.

They led 10-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth and final innings before Incas Mercury got five batters home to finally get on the scoreboard.

The win secured Sparx, the defending premiers, a grand final showdown against Steley's regular team, the minor premiers, Aztec Apaches.

That means she'll be giving her best shot against Edards and his line-up rather than for it.

The 60-year-old Edards, who is hoping to guide Sparx to winning its third consecutive premiership this season, said he had already had a quiet word with Steley about the grand final.

“I told her not to go thinking about hitting any home runs or taking any catches,” he joked.

“But seriously, Sarah did play well for us and we'll have to play well to keep her in check next week.”

As for the game itself, Steley wasn't the only batter to hit a home-run for Sparx.

Catcher Nathan Caulley, one of two grandchildren Edards had in action (pitcher Hayley Hinchliff was the other), hit a big one.

Caulley, a Wide Bay junior softball representative also took a catch as did Hinchliff.

Alana Aspinall also grabbed one.

Lora Hanson, Sarah James, Susan Barron and Carly Armstrong took catches for Incas.