VSBL Division One teams are sprinting to the finish line, giving it their all as they aim for finals that will start in just a few short weeks. The 10 teams played their second-last midweek game of the season on Tuesday evening, with some surprising results as there's just four games left in the regular season. Check out our results and recaps below, and good luck to all Division One competitors as the season wraps up!
Round 23 (February 5th 2019)
VSBL Division One teams are sprinting to the finish line, giving it their all as they aim for finals that will start in just a few short weeks. The 10 teams played their second-last midweek game of the season on Tuesday evening, with some surprising results as there's just four games left in the regular season. Check out our results and recaps below, and good luck to all Division One competitors as the season wraps up!
Round 23 (February 5th 2019)
Berwick City Cougars vs. Waverley Wildcats
5 3
What was a tight 3-3 tie went in Berwick's favour as they were able to pull ahead of their conference rivals in the end. This hard-fought victory was great for the Cougars to snap their three-game losing streak, and it was made possible by a quality start from Blake Cunningham, who threw five innings, allowing just three hits and one walk for three runs - two of them unearned - along with five strikeouts. Cameron Gibbens followed up with two innings of work, giving up three hits and no runs with five strikeouts.
Other key players for the Cougars' committed lineup included Craig Barnett, who had a single, and Sam Gillenwater, who smashed a double. Aaron Ouwehand hit a double and a single to increase his RBI total for the season to 9, while Lucas Taylor batted in a run of his own. Aiden Willis also had a good day against Waverley's pitching staff, securing 2 RBI's on a single and a double.
As Berwick improved to 9-14, Waverley fell to 7-13. Despite their loss, they did have some bright spots as they battled hard, with Chris Burke knocking in his 13th RBI of the season and Reece Longstaff collecting two singles to bring his season totals to 18 hits. Jacob Sheldon-Collins had a pair of singles, while Jamie Papanicoloau had a base hit of his own.
Standout junior Blake Townsend pitched three innings, allowing one hit, two walks and one earned run, while Luke Papanicolaou covered 2.1 innings, allowing three hits, two walks and three runs - two of them unearned - while striking out four. Andrew Russell came in clutch with an RBI single, and he also filled in to pitch in one inning, giving up one hit and one unearned run while striking out a batter.
Although both these teams are hanging out in the bottom half of the ladder, they'll still have some opportunities to win a few more games this season and finish on a high note. Berwick will host Waverley once more for round 24, before the round 25 midweek at Waverley.
Essendon Bombers vs. Fitzroy Lions
5 4
This game saw both teams try their best to hang on for the win, but ultimately the Bombers prevailed as they secured a much-needed win to keep them off the bottom of the ladder. Now sitting at 7-14, Essendon will be looking to put some more space between them and the bottom two teams as they face Fitzroy twice more.
In Tuesday night's midweek game, Kyle Bedford impressed on the mound for Essendon, handling 3.1 innings with relative ease, allowing just two hits and three walks along with four strikeouts. Luke Abels contributed a single, while Sam Moon smashed a double to keep his hitting streak going strong. Dean McIntyre joined him with a double of his own, while William Kline-Marantelli singed and Jack Giles knocked in a much-needed RBI.
Michael Formisano singled to bring his hit total to 28 on the season with a .350 batting average, and he also covered 2.2 innings. He allowed six hits, two walks and four runs - three of them earned.
The Lions did make the most of several scoring opportunities, with Tom Dicker sending his 11th homer of the season over the fence as he increased his RBI total to 37. Jordan Walker singled twice while Danny King and Damien Preston also had base hits. Ben Wilson and Tom Wilson both did a good job of getting on base with hits and walks
Fitzroy's starter Alex Merithew threw 4.2 innings, allowing six hits, one walk and five runs - four of them earned - while getting six strikeouts along the way. The Lions are still in the race, but they will need to make the most of these last few games to push themselves into playoff position as they're currently sitting sixth.
Moorabbin Panthers vs. Blackburn Orioles
4 1
It wasn't a pretty one for fourth-place Blackburn as they dropped a disappointing game to the team currently sitting in last place. Their hitting and pitching just wasn't clicking on all cylinders as Moorabbin had the better game on the night. Rhys Bumpstead singled, as did Neil Johnston and Matt Hardie, who knocked in a run during a close game against a tough opponent.
The Panthers also relied on Kieran Lewis, who sent a hard-hit ball into the field for a double - his 25th hit of the season - while Ben Laux and Jay Willis had base hits. Rick Wheeler contributed a pair of singles, while Nick Veale enjoyed a fantastic night at the plate with a double, two singles and 2 RBI's against some of the division's strongest pitchers.
Moorabbin's magical win comes after back-to-back losses, and starter Jay Rivera certainly did his job over six innings, allowing just three hits and two walks for one unearned run while striking out nine. Blackburn's batters struggled against Rivera, although Jimmy Bent , Daniel Mack and Liam Hopkins managed to get on base while Jacob Evans singled their lone run home. Andrew Jones and Scot Mitchelson both threw for Blackburn as their record dropped to 13-7-2. If they can win their next few games, the Orioles will still definitely have a shot and hanging on to their playoff position and vying for their first Division 1 premiership in over a decade. Moorabbin is 4-17, and they'll be hoping to avoid relegation by winning their final few games.
Berwick City Cougars vs. Waverley Wildcats
5 3
What was a tight 3-3 tie went in Berwick's favour as they were able to pull ahead of their conference rivals in the end. This hard-fought victory was great for the Cougars to snap their three-game losing streak, and it was made possible by a quality start from Blake Cunningham, who threw five innings, allowing just three hits and one walk for three runs - two of them unearned - along with five strikeouts. Cameron Gibbens followed up with two innings of work, giving up three hits and no runs with five strikeouts.
Other key players for the Cougars' committed lineup included Craig Barnett, who had a single, and Sam Gillenwater, who smashed a double. Aaron Ouwehand hit a double and a single to increase his RBI total for the season to 9, while Lucas Taylor batted in a run of his own. Aiden Willis also had a good day against Waverley's pitching staff, securing 2 RBI's on a single and a double.
As Berwick improved to 9-14, Waverley fell to 7-13. Despite their loss, they did have some bright spots as they battled hard, with Chris Burke knocking in his 13th RBI of the season and Reece Longstaff collecting two singles to bring his season totals to 18 hits. Jacob Sheldon-Collins had a pair of singles, while Jamie Papanicoloau had a base hit of his own.
Standout junior Blake Townsend pitched three innings, allowing one hit, two walks and one earned run, while Luke Papanicolaou covered 2.1 innings, allowing three hits, two walks and three runs - two of them unearned - while striking out four. Andrew Russell came in clutch with an RBI single, and he also filled in to pitch in one inning, giving up one hit and one unearned run while striking out a batter.
Although both these teams are hanging out in the bottom half of the ladder, they'll still have some opportunities to win a few more games this season and finish on a high note. Berwick will host Waverley once more for round 24, before the round 25 midweek at Waverley.
Essendon Bombers vs. Fitzroy Lions
5 4
This game saw both teams try their best to hang on for the win, but ultimately the Bombers prevailed as they secured a much-needed win to keep them off the bottom of the ladder. Now sitting at 7-14, Essendon will be looking to put some more space between them and the bottom two teams as they face Fitzroy twice more.
In Tuesday night's midweek game, Kyle Bedford impressed on the mound for Essendon, handling 3.1 innings with relative ease, allowing just two hits and three walks along with four strikeouts. Luke Abels contributed a single, while Sam Moon smashed a double to keep his hitting streak going strong. Dean McIntyre joined him with a double of his own, while William Kline-Marantelli singed and Jack Giles knocked in a much-needed RBI.
Michael Formisano singled to bring his hit total to 28 on the season with a .350 batting average, and he also covered 2.2 innings. He allowed six hits, two walks and four runs - three of them earned.
The Lions did make the most of several scoring opportunities, with Tom Dicker sending his 11th homer of the season over the fence as he increased his RBI total to 37. Jordan Walker singled twice while Danny King and Damien Preston also had base hits. Ben Wilson and Tom Wilson both did a good job of getting on base with hits and walks
Fitzroy's starter Alex Merithew threw 4.2 innings, allowing six hits, one walk and five runs - four of them earned - while getting six strikeouts along the way. The Lions are still in the race, but they will need to make the most of these last few games to push themselves into playoff position as they're currently sitting sixth.
Moorabbin Panthers vs. Blackburn Orioles
4 1
It wasn't a pretty one for fourth-place Blackburn as they dropped a disappointing game to the team currently sitting in last place. Their hitting and pitching just wasn't clicking on all cylinders as Moorabbin had the better game on the night. Rhys Bumpstead singled, as did Neil Johnston and Matt Hardie, who knocked in a run during a close game against a tough opponent.
The Panthers also relied on Kieran Lewis, who sent a hard-hit ball into the field for a double - his 25th hit of the season - while Ben Laux and Jay Willis had base hits. Rick Wheeler contributed a pair of singles, while Nick Veale enjoyed a fantastic night at the plate with a double, two singles and 2 RBI's against some of the division's strongest pitchers.
Moorabbin's magical win comes after back-to-back losses, and starter Jay Rivera certainly did his job over six innings, allowing just three hits and two walks for one unearned run while striking out nine. Blackburn's batters struggled against Rivera, although Jimmy Bent , Daniel Mack and Liam Hopkins managed to get on base while Jacob Evans singled their lone run home. Andrew Jones and Scot Mitchelson both threw for Blackburn as their record dropped to 13-7-2. If they can win their next few games, the Orioles will still definitely have a shot and hanging on to their playoff position and vying for their first Division 1 premiership in over a decade. Moorabbin is 4-17, and they'll be hoping to avoid relegation by winning their final few games.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers vs. Melbourne Demons
1 2
This was a highly competitive and close game between the second-place Tigers and the Demons who are trying their best to stay in the race. They got one step closer last night as they overpowered Upwey FTG by just a one-run difference.
Melbourne's advantage was made possible by singles from Ryan Booth, Alex Hondromatidis, Charlie Keyhoe, Harvey Mitchelhill and Tim Sullivan, while Jarryd Rogers and Andrew Tierney knocked in the two runs of the evening. Pitcher Ryan Simpler was hard to fault as he threw seven innings, giving up four hits, three walks and one earned run as he struck out an impressive 10 batters.
The Tigers were right in the race, with several batters having great showings including Donovan Hendricks with an RBI triple and Joshua Hendricks, Peter Schroders and Wade McConnon with singles. Starter Jarrod Turner was pretty good in his seven innings as well, allowing five hits, one walk and two earned runs along with eight strikeouts. At the end of the day, Melbourne had the edge, but the Tigers will be looking to turn the tables as round 24 rolls around and they host the Demons again.
Preston Pirates vs. Sandringham Royals
0 3
The Pirates struggled as the Royals showed off some of their best stuff. A few scattered hits weren't enough for the Pirates, as even a solid starting performance couldn't hold the Royals at bay. With this defeat, Preston drops to 5-18, while Sandringham improves to 13-9-1 to keep them in the potential playoff picture with four games to go.
Jayson Arthur, Declan Croker, Joshua Meyer, Zac Skinner and Branden Stenhouse all had singles, while Harrison Wills knocked in 2 RBI's on his double and Jack Wills brought home a run of his own with an RBI single. This offensive production was enough to support superb starter Peter Gehle as he hurled 8 innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 11 to support his 1.94 ERA over the season.
With Gehle in fine form and the rest of the lineup determined and driven, Sandringham could certainly make a final push in the last few weeks of the season. Preston is in danger of relegation and will need to piece together a few wins to stay in Division 1.
Geelong Baycats vs. Sunshine Eagles
2 2
A draw was better than a loss for both of these top teams as they push ahead toward finals. Geelong is now sitting at 16 wins, 6 losses and 1 draw, while Sunshine is close behind at 14 wins, 6 losses and 3 draws. It's quite possible these two could end up facing each other in finals as well, and the next two games will be huge for both sides.
In Tuesday night's midweek, Adam Irons kept it going strong on the mound, tossing 8 stellar innings with just four hits, three walks and two earned runs. He was supported by offensive production from Allan De San Miguel, Jeremy Young and Jordan Young, who all had singles.
The Baycats were also pleased with their starter's performance. Sam Gibbons threw seven strong innings, giving up just three hits, one walk and one HBP for a lone earned run along with five strikeouts. Kelli Zablan and Joshua Davies both smashed RBI doubles, while Rudy Jaramillo and Ryan Darcy singled. Zablan then filled in for an inning, allowing the Eagles to get one hit and two walks for one unearned run in addition to two strikeouts.
Geelong hosts once more on Sunday for round 24 before the round 25 midweek matchup heads to Sunshine as both teams keep their heads in the game with finals so close.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers vs. Melbourne Demons
1 2
This was a highly competitive and close game between the second-place Tigers and the Demons who are trying their best to stay in the race. They got one step closer last night as they overpowered Upwey FTG by just a one-run difference.
Melbourne's advantage was made possible by singles from Ryan Booth, Alex Hondromatidis, Charlie Keyhoe, Harvey Mitchelhill and Tim Sullivan, while Jarryd Rogers and Andrew Tierney knocked in the two runs of the evening. Pitcher Ryan Simpler was hard to fault as he threw seven innings, giving up four hits, three walks and one earned run as he struck out an impressive 10 batters.
The Tigers were right in the race, with several batters having great showings including Donovan Hendricks with an RBI triple and Joshua Hendricks, Peter Schroders and Wade McConnon with singles. Starter Jarrod Turner was pretty good in his seven innings as well, allowing five hits, one walk and two earned runs along with eight strikeouts. At the end of the day, Melbourne had the edge, but the Tigers will be looking to turn the tables as round 24 rolls around and they host the Demons again.
Preston Pirates vs. Sandringham Royals
0 3
The Pirates struggled as the Royals showed off some of their best stuff. A few scattered hits weren't enough for the Pirates, as even a solid starting performance couldn't hold the Royals at bay. With this defeat, Preston drops to 5-18, while Sandringham improves to 13-9-1 to keep them in the potential playoff picture with four games to go.
Jayson Arthur, Declan Croker, Joshua Meyer, Zac Skinner and Branden Stenhouse all had singles, while Harrison Wills knocked in 2 RBI's on his double and Jack Wills brought home a run of his own with an RBI single. This offensive production was enough to support superb starter Peter Gehle as he hurled 8 innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 11 to support his 1.94 ERA over the season.
With Gehle in fine form and the rest of the lineup determined and driven, Sandringham could certainly make a final push in the last few weeks of the season. Preston is in danger of relegation and will need to piece together a few wins to stay in Division 1.
Geelong Baycats vs. Sunshine Eagles
2 2
A draw was better than a loss for both of these top teams as they push ahead toward finals. Geelong is now sitting at 16 wins, 6 losses and 1 draw, while Sunshine is close behind at 14 wins, 6 losses and 3 draws. It's quite possible these two could end up facing each other in finals as well, and the next two games will be huge for both sides.
In Tuesday night's midweek, Adam Irons kept it going strong on the mound, tossing 8 stellar innings with just four hits, three walks and two earned runs. He was supported by offensive production from Allan De San Miguel, Jeremy Young and Jordan Young, who all had singles.
The Baycats were also pleased with their starter's performance. Sam Gibbons threw seven strong innings, giving up just three hits, one walk and one HBP for a lone earned run along with five strikeouts. Kelli Zablan and Joshua Davies both smashed RBI doubles, while Rudy Jaramillo and Ryan Darcy singled. Zablan then filled in for an inning, allowing the Eagles to get one hit and two walks for one unearned run in addition to two strikeouts.
Geelong hosts once more on Sunday for round 24 before the round 25 midweek matchup heads to Sunshine as both teams keep their heads in the game with finals so close.