Each game in VSBL Division 1 is as fierce as the other. In the firsts, Sunshine was outdone by Blackburn, closing the gap on the rest of the top four who all sit at 7-5. Upwey FTG remains on top in the Reserves as winning percentage plays a part in standing, multiple teams within reach. Blackburn and Geelong are the top two teams in the Thirds while Melbourne is 10-0 in the fourths, sitting two games clear on top after Essendon's shock loss to Berwick.
Division 1 Firsts - Round 11
Sandringham Royals 7 v Waverley Wildcats 8
A stunning walk-off win for Waverley was just what the Wildcats needed after a close midweek loss.
Waverley achieved the three runs they needed to reverse the result of last week's walk-off loss to the Royals after being behind for most of the afternoon.
A strong four-run account in the third saw the Royals take the lead from Waverley who had led 1-0 after the first.
Each team kept pushing the other and generating runs in different digs, until Sandringham held a 7-5 lead after seven, which didn't change throughout the Royals next two innings either.
Harrison Wills had four hits on the day for one run and one RBI while Will Tucker had two hits, one run and one RBI.
Cody Anderson was on the mound for the Royals for a total of 8.2 innings, giving up 15 hits and eight runs but his nine strikeouts were a positive.
For the Wildcats, Jacob Sheldon-Collins and Reece Longstaff had three hits each, the former grabbing three runs from his hits that included a double. Jordan Ley had two hits for two runs and an RBI with Andrew Russell and Ben Anslett also collecting two hits, the latter bringing in three runs courtesy of his double.
Russell was in the middle for six innings, giving up 10 hits and four earned runs while striking out four. Darcy Longstaff pitched the remaining three innings for two hits and two earned runs as he got the win.
Essendon Bombers 5 v Berwick City Cougars 1
The Bombers enhanced their position within the top four with a win over Berwick on Saturday.
The Bombers' Peter Stokes stole the show with three hits as he crossed home once but also gave opportunities for two teammates to score. Jared Cruz, Michael Formisano and Scott McIntyre each had hits, McIntyre heading to second on his.
Cruz rounded the bases on two occasions with Ross Bament, Darby Sexton and Stokes each coming home for runs.
Gareth Formisano pitched six innings for the Bombers and gave up zero earned runs from three hits. He struck out five throughout his time in the middle. Luke Abels pitched two innings, making light work of Berwick as he faced eight batters, giving up zero hits, striking out one.
Berwick hasn't seen victory since Round 6 while Essendon is looking to make the most of a midweek game v Newport. The Cougars will be hoping to get something brewing ahead of the midweek matchup at Waverley.
Sunshine Eagles 3 v Blackburn Orioles 15
Up 5-3 at bottom six, Blackburn put on the burners to finish the game with a 12-run win on the back of some long balls that cleared the fence and eight runs in the seventh alone.
The Orioles scored 10 runs on home runs as Ben Leslie, Liam Hopkins and Jacob Evans went deep, Evans with two over the fence. Those three combined brought in 11 runs. Evans and Charlie Collins had three hits each as Ryan Berg scored three runs on two hits.
Blake Hodgson, Sam Bucello and Rohan Johnstone shared duties on the mound to restrict Sunshine to six hits and two earned runs while Hodgson struck out four.
Bryce Aldridge had two hits and two RBIs for Sunshine in the team's second loss of the season. Sunshine is now 9-2 while Blackburn evens out with a 6-6 record after a few tough losses last month.
Melbourne Demons 0 v Geelong Baycats 2
Defence made a big difference in this matchup with just two runners crossing the plate in nine innings. All of those runs were added to the home team's score; one in the first and the other in the sixth.
Geelong had 12 hits for this game, led by Ryan Darcy who collected five which included a double. He was rewarded for his efforts as he came home but also paved the way for Tyler Luther-Wilson to score as he singled for an RBI. Luther-Wilson and Jordan Baumann tallied two hits each.
Cameron Forbes pitched for the first time this season, giving up one hit in two innings, striking out one but Sam Gibbons was on the mound for six innings where he allowed two hits and recorded his highest strikeout count of the summer with eight.
Melbourne had just three hits on the day while both teams made two errors in the field. Liam Davine covered 4.2 innings for Melbourne, throwing 15 first-pitch strikes with two strikeouts.
Geelong improves to 7-5 and Melbourne drops to 4-7.
Tyler Luther-Wilson, Geelong Baycats. Photo: Baseball Victoria.
Newport Rams 7 v Cheltenham Rustlers 4
The Rams recorded their third win of the season against Cheltenham as they look to move upwards from the ladder position they've held for the past six weeks - 12th.
Newport led 7-2 after the seventh and Cheltenham managed to score two more but it wasn't enough to close the gap.
The Rams were led on the afternoon by Trenell Hutchins who scored two runs, with David Land and Keenan Spence each getting one run off two hits. Mason Wray got a triple in his one hit of the game, the hit bringing around two runners who scored.
David Asp pitched three innings for the Rams giving up zero runs from three hits with Tyler Comben getting through four innings, giving up two runs from four hits.
Fitzroy Lions v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers - WASH OUT
This game between Fitzroy and Upwey Ferntree Gully was washed out.
Division 1 Reserves - Round 10
Sandringham Royals 3 v Waverley Wildcats 5
The first innings alone was almost the final margin as Waverley lead 5-2 at the end of the first.
In the corresponding five innings, neither team added to their scores however at the top of the seventh, the Royals were able to score one more.
Waverley has a 8-2 record after a four-game winning streak and face Berwick this weekend while Sandringham has lost the last four before hosting Sunshine.
Essendon Bombers 6 v Berwick City Cougars 7
A one-run margin went the way of Berwick as these two mid-table teams battled it out.
The two are tied on four wins now as Essendon faces Newport and Berwick faces Waverley.
Sunshine Eagles 4 v Blackburn Orioles 11
The early stages of this game was a definite pitchers duel, the turning point being Blackburn awaking with the bats, led by Jorey Hubble getting a few hits.
Sunshine tied the scores again in the third after seeing the Orioles pick up the first run in the first. From that point on, Blackburn were seeing the ball well and hitting often, securing 10 runs in the following three innings highlighted by two four-run efforts in the third and fifth.
The Eagles redeemed themselves in the sixth when they fought to come back, their three runs helping their score but still seeing them suffer their fourth defeat in a row. Blackburn on the other hand is enjoying a four-game winning streak and will take on Upwey FTG this weekend.
Melbourne Demons 11 v Geelong Baycats 7
A big eight-run inning from the Demons in the third looked enough at the time, Melbourne up 9-4 heading into the bottom, the margin stretching out to 11-4 as the top of four was completed.
The Baycats did a lot right at the bottom, scoring three runs which put them within a chance to produce more however the final inning of the game saw each team's defensive work on show.
Both teams had different recent records going into this game; Melbourne at 5-3 and Geelong at 4-3-1. Melbourne has improved that by one and is now slightly behind the top four as the upcoming matchup with Cheltenham will be good to watch and for the Baycats, they'll want to win over Fitzroy next week.
Newport Rams 1 v Cheltenham Rustlers 7
The runs piled on late in this game that went four innings as scores were locked at nil-all going into the bottom of the third.
In the next dig though, the Rustlers produced three runs to take a good lead into the fourth, one that Newport could only score once in. Cheltenham would then score another four before the game was called.
Cheltenham is still nestled in the top four as the Rustlers come up against Melbourne this week whereas Newport remains on the hunt for win number one, hoping it comes against Essendon next round.
Fitzroy Lions 3 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 4
The game was scoreless through two when Fitzroy scored first in the third. The Tigers made it 3-1 by the end of the third. The Lions scored twice in the fifth but the Tigers got one more run to take the lead and keep it that way.
Upwey FTG has won three in a row now and it's enough to keep the Tigers in the top spot with a winning percentage slightly higher than Blackburn and Waverley.
Fitzroy meanwhile has lost the past two games as the Lions look forward to starting fresh in a game against Geelong next week whereas the Tigers are at Blackburn.
Division 1 Thirds - Round 10
Sandringham Royals 13 v Waverley Wildcats 7
The Wildcats got off to a flying start, batting in three runs in their first chance of the game but Sandringham doubled that effort the very next dig.
The Wildcats then added two runs in the third and fourth as the Royals added one in the fourth also as scores were tied heading into Sandringham's fifth inning.
Another six runs in that inning was more than enough to confirm the result went the way of the Sandringham as they sit with a 4-6 record ahead of a drive to Sunshine. The loss sent Waverley from equal-first to fourth in the matter of one game as the Wildcats have a 6-2-2 record ahead of a game against Berwick.
Melbourne Demons 2 v Geelong Baycats 13
The Demons scored their runs either side of the game, at the top of the first and the top of the fifth.
In between that, Geelong scored 13 runs after nine came through in the first two innings. Daniel Anson had a great start with 60 pitches thrown over four innings, 48 of them for strikes. He struck out seven while giving up only two hits.
Geelong was strong up-and-down the lineup with plenty of quality plate appearances. First baseman Jackson Viney impressed with three RBIs at crucial moments, while catcher Brody Stokoe had a double and a single. Anson had two singles along with Alex Hockey. Plus, Jake Warren, Cooper Rickard and Martin Bouma all singled, with Warren and Rickard recording two RBIS each.
The Baycats sit second behind Blackburn with a 7-2-1 record as they're on a four-game winning streak while the Demons have three losses and a draw from their past month of games. Geelong plays Fitzroy next week, whereas Melbourne faces Cheltenham.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 4 v Fitzroy Lions 3
A defensive display for the first two innings from both Upwey FTG and Fitzroy culminated in an offensive approach from each team in the third, the Tigers holding the edge 3-2 at the end of the innings.
Each team added one each in the following two innings, but the game went in favour of Upwey Ferntree Gully. The Tigers sit third at 6-2-1, setting themselves up for a big matchup with Blackburn. The Lions take on Geelong and will be confident of their performance after coming close against the Tigers.
Blackburn Orioles 5 v Sunshine Eagles 4
Defence played a part in the first two innings of this game as Blackburn and Sunshine ended the second without any runs.
The Orioles got up early with two runs in the third before the Eagles doubled that effort in the fourth to take the lead.
An even fifth inning that produced no runs, the Orioles did what they know they can do and buckled down to control the game back into their favour with three runs, which Sunshine couldn't wrestle back due to the tight Blackburn defence at the end.
The fightback sees the Orioles retain top spot on the ladder as they travel to Upwey FTG while the Eagles are ruing their chance to expand on their one win of the season but will face Sandringham this week.
Essendon Bombers 9 v Berwick City Cougars 6
An even first two innings, each team scoring one in the first and then five each in the second, but unfortunately for the Cougars, the Bombers came out in the second half of the game as they scored three runs in the third and fourth.
Essendon has skipped into the top four on the back of this result as the Bombers prepare for Newport and the Cougars haven't added to their one win as they travel to Waverley this weekend.
Newport Rams 3 v Cheltenham Rustlers 10
Cheltenham took the series from Newport in two games that produced big wins in both meetings.
Cheltenham's two wins in a row sees them move up to seventh ahead of a clash with Melbourne and Newport take on Essendon.
Division 1 Fourths - Round 10
Sandringham Royals 5 v Waverley Wildcats 13
The Wildcats got into the swing of things quickly as they got four across the plate in the second, following seven in the third.
Sandringham's runs came throughout the third to fifth, as the Wildcats added two to their score in the fourth in another dominant display.
The Waverley win sees them sitting fourth with a 6-4 record before taking on Berwick, while the Royals face Sunshine as they look to improve on their 3-6 record.
Melbourne Demons 19 v Geelong Baycats 7
Starting big, the Demons got their first at bat going with eight runs before the Baycats managed the final out.
Geelong got one run through in the second but the Demons wanted to expand on their sizeable lead and did so by adding another seven runs in the third.
Geelong tried hard to come back and a four-run fourth inning was good for the Baycats, however the Demons were pressing also.
The Demons kept their season record going strong with 10-0 and take on Cheltenham this weekend. Geelong takes on Fitzroy as both teams look for their third win of the season.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 7 v Fitzroy Lions 7
For the most part it looked like the Tigers were in the box seat to take out the game, given they led 5-1 after two thanks to a three-run first inning.
The Lions though produced four runs of their own to tie the scores at the conclusion of the fourth innings.
The Tigers scored two in the fifth as they hoped that would be a steady enough lead and were nervous as Fitzroy added two in the bottom. The Tigers managed to get the final out before anymore damange was done, the game ending in a draw.
The Tigers are eighth with a 3-5-1 record as they prepare for Blackburn with the Lions 2-6-2 after this round with a game in Geelong on the agenda next week.
Blackburn Orioles 15 v Sunshine Eagles 3
A big win for Blackburn over Sunshine was their fifth in a row which sees the Orioles sitting third on the ladder ahead of a game against Upwey Ferntree Gully.
The Eagles will turn their attention to a game over Sandringham as they look to break a four-game drought.
Essendon Bombers 7 v Berwick City Cougars 11
The Cougars got things started in the first as they batted in four runs but it was wiped out later as Essendon secured five runs in the third.
More big innings followed, as in the fourth the Cougars ran in seven runs, the scoreboard showing an 11-5 Berwick lead.
Essendon added two more in the fifth with time winding down as Berwick got the final out to end the dig and celebrate their win.
The loss to the Bombers, their second of the season (the first in Round 5) was surprising although Berwick did lose by one run last week against the Bombers so the result was within reach for the Cougars.
Essendon have now set some futher distance from first place but will be seeking a better result when taking on Newport. The Cougars have gone up a place on the ladder as they look to claim another big victory in Waverley next week.
Newport Rams 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 8
Cheltenham produced two innings of handy scores, collecting three in their first inning and five in their third.
Newport scored one run in each of their first two innings before and only saw a one-run deficit heading into the third however the Rustlers defence was sharp to not allow the Rams to come too much closer to their lead.
Cheltenham's series sweep sees them end the round in fifth place ahead of a meeting with Melbourne. Newport will be looking to be competitive, still in search of that elusive first win when they face Essendon.