The Canberra Cavalry shortstop had been on the right end of a gang tackle. He'd produced one of the sweetest walks of his career. A walk off. Literally.

With bases loaded in the bottom of the 10^th, Melean held his nerve. Held his bat. Took the pitch. And it walked in the winning run.

The Cavalry take game one of the ABL semi-final with a 7-6 victory over the Adelaide Giants at Narrabundah Ballpark on Friday.

Now they're just one win away from making the championship series as they head to Adelaide for Saturday's game two.

But back to Melean. He returned for his second Canberra stint part-way through the season. And found himself with his most important at-bat of his Cavalry career.

He got himself to a full count and waited for the pay-off pitch. But Giants reliever Ryan Chaffee's pitch was low and inside.

Melean's bat was unmoving. And then the walk began.

"It was a good at-bat. A good pitch. Close. I wait. My mentality is I'm trying for my pitch," the Venezuelan said.

"I'm ready for my pitch. He no throws my pitch and I no swing."

Nice. Cavalry manager Keith Ward heralded it as a "professional at-bat". The kind that gets the job done.

The Cavalry had looked like they were going to get home in nine innings, having produced a stunning six-run sixth.

It turned the game on its head. And turned a five-run deficit into a one-run lead.

But the Giants managed to scrape a run in the top of the ninth to send it into extra innings.

Canberra closer Steve Kent kept the Adelaide bats quiet, allowing Melean to go to work. After David Kandilas, Chuckie Robinson and Kyle Perkins had all got on deck.

"He's just finding his way quietly and doing all the right things for us," Ward said.

"That was a huge at-bat right there. To take borderline pitches, get ahead in the count and then to hold his nerve [at] 3-2 - a lot of other guys in this league would've been swinging 3-2 regardless of where it was just trying to hope to get it into play.

"That was a professional at-bat."

The Giants jumped out to a five-run lead after five innings and looked in control, but when Adelaide starter Gunnar Kines came out of the game the Cavalry pounced.

Both Perkins brothers drove in runs, Melean drove in a couple more and then an Adelaide right-fielder Ben Aklinski howler allowed Robbie Podorsky to drive in the two go-ahead runs and show his blistering pace.

Podorsky's line drive rolled straight through Aklinski's legs and out to the right-field fence. Whoops.

The Cavalry will look to wrap it up in game two with Frank Gailey starting on the pitching mound. After that, who starts game three if required? Maybe Steven Chambers. But maybe he won't be needed.

AT A GLANCE

GIANTS 000 230 001 0 6R 12H 2E

CAVALRY 000 006 000 1 7R 11H 1E

ABL SEMI-FINALS

Saturday: Canberra Cavalry v Adelaide Giants at Adelaide, 7.30pm. Game three (if required) at Adelaide, Sunday 4.30pm.