There was plenty of baseball action over the weekend in VSBL Division 1 as teams are looking at making their offence count with many games producing a large number of runs. As we close in on the first half of the season, Sunshine has lost two of the past three games but still remain on top, with three teams one game away from overtaking first place. In the seconds, Blackburn is the team to beat as the Orioles took care of Upwey FTG. The thirds have the Orioles in first but the other three teams that round out the top four could pounce at any moment. Melbourne is atop the ladder for the fourths despite going down for the first time this season.
Division 1 Firsts - Round 14
Sunshine Eagles 2 v Sandringham Royals 3
The Royals made up for their 10-1 midweek loss to the Eagles with a win this time around, handing the Eagles their third defeat of the season and second in three games in the process.
Sunshine took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second before a few quiet innings. The Royals managed to tie things up in the bottom of the fifth, and eventually the go-ahead run came home in the sixth.
Sandringham managed to keep Sunshine from coming back and the Royals held on for a narrow one-run victory. NIkau Pouaka-Grego had three hits for Sunshine while Rory Meddick had two.
Harrison Wills had a pair of hits for Sandringham while Declan Ferguson and Paul Rutgers batted in the Royals' runs.
Cody Anderson threw the whole game for Sandringham, hurling 25 first-pitch strikes with six strikeouts on the day. Scott Riley Barr started for Sunshine and covered seven innings with three strikeouts before handing things over to Griffin Weir to close out the game.
Adam Irons made a fantastic catch in the outfield as a highlight for Sunshine as the Eagles collected nine hits in total on the day while allowing only five. The Royals made two errors and the Eagles had one.
Cody Anderson threw the whole game for Sandringham, hurling 25 first-pitch strikes with six strikeouts on the day. Scott Riley Barr started for Sunshine and covered seven innings with three strikeouts before handing things over to Griffin Weir to close out the game.
Adam Irons made a fantastic catch in the outfield as a highlight for Sunshine as the Eagles collected nine hits in total on the day while allowing only five. The Royals made two errors and the Eagles had one.
Sunshine still sits on top of the ladder although with three teams each one win behind, the Eagles will be looking to steady themselves heading into the midweek matchup against the 7-7 Royals at Melbourne Ballpark.
Photo: Lee Dare/Sunshine Eagles Baseball Club - Facebook
Geelong Baycats 4 v Fitzroy Lions 0
The Baycats have improved their record to 9-5 after a shutout win over Fitzroy.
Geelong scored once in the first and three times in the ninth in an otherwise quick and quiet game. The Baycats relied on two RBIs from Tyler Luther-Wilson and two hits each for Rudy Jaramillo, Kelli Zablan and Lewis Weldon.
Brock Pawley got the loss for the Lions as he pitched a full nine innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits with one strikeout.
Sam Gibbons was the winning pitcher, covering the entire game for Geelong with just two hits allowed in the shutout. He threw 23 first-pitch strikes with 11 strikeouts on the day.
Pawley and Jordan Walker were the only Lions players to collect hits in the game, one each.
Geelong has a chance to go top with a win in the midweek whereas Fitzroy hopes to find win number six on the season.
Newport Rams 2 v Essendon Bombers 12
A commanding 10-run win to the Bombers over the Rams sees them retain second place.
The Bombers collected 14 hits on the day as they cruised to their ninth win of the season.
Newport's dismal tenth loss in 13 games did have some bright spots, with Jarrod Berman and Connor Schibeci getting the runs for the Rams. Berman collected three hits for the day including two doubles as he also was credited with an RBI. Trenell Hutchins had one hit for one RBI.
David Asp started for Newport, pitching 3.1 innings and giving up six runs from eight hits but Tyler Comben took the loss from pitching 2.1 innings with four runs from four hits.
The Bombers go for the sweep and their fifth win in a row on Tuesday night at Newport.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 11 v Blackburn Orioles 3
Upwey Ferntree Gully claimed the series against Blackburn with a big win away from home. The Tigers held a steady two-run lead after two innings but they went on to score six in a dominant third dig as Blackburn collected five errors for the game.
Upwey FTG tallied 17 hits for the day, Staci Rogers leading the way with four. Harvey Chinn, Michael Oxworth, Wade McConnon and Justin Swanton were each credited with two hits. Travis Murphy collected three hits including a solo home run. Murphy and Oxworth each led the game in RBIs with three.
Donavan Hendricks pitched a full game for the Tigers as he had 25 first-pitch strikes and gave up just six hits.
Blake Hodgson was on the mound for the Orioles for two innings but made light work of the Tigers as he collected a game-high three strikeouts. Jacob Evans, Sam Bucello, Rohan Johnstone and Harrison Smith all pitched in as well.
Berwick City Cougars 4 v Waverley Wildcats 7
Another win for the Wildcats keeps them in the race of second place along with Essendon and Geelong as all three teams are 9-5 now, a few games clear of Upwey Ferntree Gully.
A quiet first inning led to the second when Waverley scored twice. Lone runs in the fourth and the fifth added to Waverley's lead before the Wildcats plated a pair in the sixth. Berwick scored two runs in both the seventh and eighth but couldn't come back to challenge the Wildcats fully.
Waverley's Reece Longstaff went 2-for-3 as he managed two runs as well as an RBI while Damon Hill had a hit to second on his way to collecting two runs and two RBIs.
Andrew Russell got the win on the mound as he led his Wildcats, only giving up two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. Adam Bright also gave up two runs on four hits as he relieved for the last two innings.
For Berwick John King hit a solo home run as one of three hits for him on the day as Aaron Ouwehand had two hits, one run and an RBI. King and Ouwehand hit back-to-back homers in a huge highlight for Berwick. Aiden Wills and Jordan Bradley each had one hit and one run.
Matthew West and Jordan Bradley were the pitchers for Berwick, Bradley allowing six runs from seven hits and four base on balls. West gave up one run in two innings of work.
Berwick could jump up two places with a win in the midweek game at home.
Melbourne Demons 0 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2
Cheltenham avoided a three-game losing streak with a strong performance on Sunday, outlasting the Demons in a pitchers duel.
Kurtis Smith threw six scoreless innings to for Melbourne, only conceding two hits while getting batters out in strikes on three occasions.
Liam Davine took the loss for the Demons; in one inning he gave up one run on one hit, facing only four batters. Adam Pahos gave up one run on one hit within seven batters.
Tim Sullivan singled and Jarryd Rogers had a double for Melbourne as otherwise the Rustlers kept things completely under control.
The Rustlers will be hoping to replicate their form from this game heading into the midweek and beyond as they are in touch of the top half of the ladder, while Melbourne needs a boost after winning just one of the last five.
Division 1 Reserves - Round 11
Sunshine Eagles 4 v Sandringham Royals 6
Each team had two wins heading into this game but it was the Royals who improved that record at the end of it.
Sunshine led 2-1 after the second but Sandringham battled back with four runs in the bottom of the third. The Eagles added two more runs across the fourth and the fifth while the Royals tacked one more on for the two-run victory.
Sandringham hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully on Saturday, whereas Sunshine hosts Waverley on Sunday as both sides look to climb the ladder.
Geelong Baycats 6 v Fitzroy Lions 7
After a one-run loss last weekend to Upwey Ferntree Gully, Fitzroy emerged victorious by one run over Geelong.
The win sees the Lions claim their third of the season before taking on Blackburn while the Baycats will look to get back in the winner's column when they meet Cheltenham.
Newport Rams 2 v Essendon Bombers 5
The Rams have had their loss streak extended to double digits as Essendon took care of proceedings.
The Bombers have improved their record to 5-5-1 heading into a clash with Melbourne next weekend. Newport faces Berwick for round 12.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8
The top-of-the-table clash between Upwey Ferntree Gully and Blackburn ended in a 8-2 win to the Orioles, in part to the home team's five-run second dig as the Tigers scored theirs late.
Gerard Kingston opened the scoring with a base hit and then he dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt a few innings later. Julian Vance executed a great hit and run for Blackburn, too.
The Orioles relied on Pat White who threw seven innings with the first six scoreless. Owen de Vries was a big contributor offensively while Nick Rossell had a pair of double to knock in runs.
The Tiger's offence was lead by Simon Ratcliffe who had three hits, while Nick Rice had two.
Jason Garland threw well in relief to ensure Blackburn didn't put anymore runs on the board, going through three scoreless innings.
Blackburn is now two games clear of Upwey Ferntree Gully as the team looks forward to taking on Fitzroy while the Tigers travel to Sandringham.
Berwick City Cougars 10 v Waverley Wildcats 10
The result couldn't be split between these two sides, Waverley now just half a percent behind second place.
The game was quiet through the second before both sides scored four times in the third. Berwick tacked on five runs in the fourth and one in the sixth while Waverley added two runs in each of the final three innings.
For the Cougars, they've now found themselves with a 4-5-1 record along with Geelong. Berwick will look to make it five wins after taking on Newport while the Wildcats travel to Sunshine.
Melbourne Demons 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 9
The battle for fourth ended with the Rustlers keeping their spot, moving to 8-3 for the season.
A six-run third inning was crucial for Cheltenham as the Rustlers stole the lead back from Melbourne and continued to pile on the runs.
The Rustlers are now on a three-game win streak and hope to keep that alive on Saturday at Geelong whereas the Demons travel to Essendon in the hopes of entering the top four once again.
Division 1 Thirds - Round 11
Sandringham Royals 9 v Sunshine Eagles 2
The Royals got their account underway in the first inning and by the middle of the sixth were leading 6-0.
Sunshine managed their two runs at the bottom of the sixth before the Royals again attacked, netting three in the seventh.
This win gives Sandringham three in the last four games as the Royals hold a 5-6 record before facing Upwey Ferntree Gully this upcoming weekend. Meanwhile the 1-8-1 Eagles prepare for a matchup at Waverley.
Essendon Bombers 7 v Newport Rams 0
The Bombers achieved their first shutout victory of the year as they secured a three-game winning streak as they're climbing up from the sixth place position they held a month ago.
Essendon scored two runs in the top of the third before following up with one in the fourth, two in the fifth and two in the seventh, all while keeping Newport quiet.
The 7-2-2 Bombers take on Melbourne next weekend while the Rams take a 2-8 record into a game at Berwick face in what should a be close encounter.
Waverley Wildcats 14 v Berwick City Cougars 1
Berwick has been left at the bottom of the ladder following the defeat to Waverley on the weekend.
The Wildcats are one of three teams tied with 7-2-2 records and they will hope to break that when they take on Sunshine. The Cougars meanwhile will face Newport.
Cheltenham Rustlers 7 v Melbourne Demons 4
Melbourne claimed the first runs of the day when they brought two in at the bottom of the first.
Cheltenham chimed back with four in the second and another three in the third as the Demons found their final two runs in the following three innings.
The Rustlers have leapfrogged the Demons into sixth place before playing Geelong. Melbourne on the other hand will take on Essendon at the Bombers home ground.
Fitzroy Lions 14 v Geelong Baycats 14
A high-scoring game between Fitzroy and Geelong has ended in a draw, the result meaning that the Baycats are trailing behind in second but only by a small percentage.
Travis Duxson threw the first two innings for Geelong as Fitzroy put up three in the opening frame and four in the second.
Matthew Sage took over on the hill in the third, settling in nicely with just two hits allowed over three innings, two of them scoreless. Geelong took this time to regroup and get the offense back up and running. The Baycats scored one in the second and three in the third.
The fourth inning was quiet while both sides scored a pair of runs in the fifth. Fitzroy scored five in the sixth to extend the lead, but Geelong wasn't going down without a fight. The Baycats put up nine runs in the sixth to tie the game and achieve the draw, a much better result than a defeat. That huge inning started with a lead-off homer from Sage over the left field fence. Lachlan Stott followed up with a homer himself as the Baycats started getting on base and scoring consistently.
Geelong kept the inning alive for a long time, long enough for Jake Warren to come up to bat and score the game-tying run with a hit to centre.
Other key players for Geelong included Chris Rickard with a double and a single for two RBIs, William Fitzgerald with a pair of singles and three RBIs, and two base hits for both Duane Davenport and Jake Elderfield.
Geelong hosts Cheltenham next weekend while Fitzroy is away to Blackburn.
Blackburn Orioles 12 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2
Coming up against the top team, the Tigers went down as the young pitching stocks couldn't get a tight grip on the Orioles batters.
It was a 3-2 ballgame Blackburn's way after the first inning, but from there the Orioles continued to score with a three-run second inning and a four-run fifth inning. Two more runs came around in the final inning while the Tigers couldn't make anything happen offensively.
Brendan Kane pitched well for Blackburn and Mitch Upton had a double as highlights for Blackburn.
The Orioles are on top with an 8-1-2 record as they prepare to host Fitzroy while Upwey Ferntree Gully will travel to Sandringham after they fell on the ladder due to the loss.
Division 1 Fourth - Round 11
Sandringham Royals 5 v Sunshine Eagles 5
The Eagles have jumped up a place and the Royals down a spot on the ladder despite a five-all finish.
Sandringham (3-6-1) takes on Upwey Ferntree Gully at home in round 12 while Sunshine (4-5-1) heads to Waverley.
Essendon Bombers 15 v Newport Rams 1
The game was tied at one-all as the first inning came to a close, but Essendon turned the tables with a strong finish.
The Bombers added two more in the next three innings as they managed to shut the Rams out in each of those innings also.
It was the sixth inning when the game became unstuck for the Bombers. They managed a collective 12 runs in the top dig, silencing Newport in the process for a dominant win.
The big win and margin sees Essendon in second spot with the divsion's least amount of runs given up in 36. The Bombers look to continue their strong season against Melbourne while the Rams hope for their first win when they take on Berwick.
Blackburn Orioles 5 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 8
The Tigers fought hard against one of the top teams and held the lead for most of the game but lost it in the dying stages as they went down by three runs.
The Orioles were able to press steadily and were up 5-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth when the Tigers snatched the lead again to lead by one.
The Tigers were able to shut Blackburn out in the top of the sixth before scoring another two as the game came to a close.
Hayden Roe homered for Blackburn in the game, a huge highlight despite the loss.
This was a much-needed win for the Tigers, their third of the season as they look to keep the momentum when facing Sandringham. Blackburn has let a game slip but remains in third as the Orioles prepare for Fitzroy.
Waverley Wildcats 18 v Berwick City Cougars 7
With the Wildcats leading by 11 runs heading into the bottom of the third, Berwick fought back.
A five-run dig kept the Cougars within it, but like the third for the Wildcats, Waverley scored another seven in the fourth.
The Cougars managed a further two to their score but the double-digit margin was still too much to overcome.
The Wildcats maintain their fourth place spot as they look to Sunshine while Berwick plays Newport and hopes to get back on the winner's list.
Cheltenham Rustlers 6 v Melbourne Demons 3
Melbourne was outdone for the first time this season, with this first loss of the year coming at the hands of Cheltenham.
This was a tight game right throughout as Melbourne drew first blood in the first, until Cheltenham scored two at the top of the next inning. Another one run to the Demons saw it a tied ballgame.
A strong defence from both sides over the next three innings left both sides unable to produce any runs however in the sixth, the Rustlers put everything into their at bats and came away with a four-run lead.
The Demons could only muster one run at the bottom as the Rustlers won their third in a row and will want it to continue at Geelong. Melbourne takes on Essendon with a 10-1 record. .
Fitzroy Lions 1 v Geelong Baycats 15
The Baycats third inning produced 11 runs as they took the game away from the Lions. The score was 2-1 to Geelong before that dig.
The Baycats scored another two in the final inning of the game to take the 14-run win and lift them from higher on the ladder. They play Cheltenham this weekend.
Fitzroy has moved down one spot, still with the two wins this season as the Lions hope all that changes with an upcoming trip to Blackburn.