There's been plenty of movement and upsets in VSBL Division One action as the Eagles end the Firsts on top of the ladder while in the Thirds, the top four teams are tied with the same record. In the Seconds, Newport found their first win of the season as they, and many other teams will take plenty of momentum into the well-earned break.
Division 1 Firsts
Sunshine Eagles 2 v Waverley Wildcats 0
Defence was the name of the game here as each team went six innings without a run being scored.
Sunshine finally got a runner across the plate in the seventh and again in the eighth, while continuing to shut out the Wildcats batters although Waverley did hold the edge over the Eagles in hits, leading nine to four but couldn't round the bases.
Sunshine's pitchers were on fire, with Scott Barr earning the win and Jeremy Young credited with the save as they gave up nine hits and seven strikeouts between them as they were lethal from the mound.
Nikau Pouaka-Greco got a run in off his hit while Allister Lovelock was the other Eagle to score from a hit. Russell Letts and Rory Meddick were the other Eagles to record a hit, Meddick also with an RBI.
Jamie Papanicoloau got the loss for the Wildcats as he went three innings, letting up three hits and one earned run. Andrew Russell pitched five innings giving up one hit and three base on balls but had four strikeouts.
Mohi Kahui, Ben Anslett and Reece Longstaff got two hits on the day while Mitchell Homfray made it to second on his one hit.
The win improves the Eagles record to 12-4 as they end the year on top of the division while Waverley are still in the mix, sitting third with an 11-6 record.
When these teams return after the break, Waverley travels to Essendon and Sunshine host Melbourne.
Sandringham Royals 1 v Upwey FTG Tigers 3
In a tight game all the way to the end, Upwey FTG claimed their seventh win of the year and has seen them enter the top four as the break begins.
Jarrod Turner was again leading from the front for the Tigers as he pitched nine complete innings with just one unearned run against him.
Nick Rice had two hits and scored every one of the Tigers runs . Harvey Chinn also came up big with an RBI single and a sacrifice bunt.
Cody Anderson earned the loss for the Royals as he went eight innings, giving up six hits and one earned run with four base on balls. But as we've seen from Anderson all season, his ability to strike batters out is immense; he had 10 on the day.
With the bats, Jack Wills was Sandringham's lone runscorer as he tallied three hits for the day including a double. Declan Ferguson managed two hits, as did Harrison Wills.
Upwey FTG are 7-6-1 to end the year and will play Geelong next round while Sandringham are 8-9 as they'll come back from the break to play Cheltenham.
Geelong Baycats 1 v Cheltenham Rustlers 6
A strong few innings from the Rustlers saw them upset the Baycats and take this game against Geelong.
Two-run digs in the third, fourth and sixth were enough to overpower the Baycats who scored their only run of the ballgame in the sixth.
Lars Liqouri got the win for Cheltenham as he lasted nine innings, giving up four hits and one run along with seven strikeouts.
On the offensive end, Liquori also contributed with the bat, recording three hits with two doubles, collecting a run of his own and an RBI while Mac Turley got three hits, one run and an RBI too. Conor Myles continued a strong year with two hits and two runs. Dante Caruso tallied two hits while Andrew Gribben and Ben Fierenzi were the other runscorers for the Rustlers.
Geelong, despite the loss, still sit second with an 11-6 record as they face Upwey FTG first up next month whereas Cheltenham will play Sandringham.
Essendon Bombers 9 v Melbourne Demons 10
Melbourne just pipped Essendon in this close matchup which sees the Demons close out the year with a 7-9 record while the Bombers sit sixth with a 9-8 record as the away side slumped to a third straight loss.
When the competition resumes next month, Melbourne will be travelling to Sunshine while Essendon hosts Waverley.
Newport Rams 2 v Berwick City Cougars 10
Newport got the first run of the game in the very first dig until Berwick tied things up in their second inning. It was largely Berwick from there as they added two in the third and another one in each of the fifth and sixth innings before the Rams scored their second in the seventh.
The Cougars knuckled down and extended their lead by four at the bottom, adding another in the eighth while keeping the Newport batters in the box, and in the dugout.
John King got the win for the Cougars as he pitched 1.1 innings, facing four batters and earning two strikeouts as a third of his pitches were strikes.
Jordan Bradley went three from four at the plate, including a double as he helped a run get in while running home twice himself. Aiden Willis had three runs from his three at bats, his one hit allowing him to make it to third. Cain Bumpstead collected one hit for the game, a double as he scored himself too and was responsible for three RBIs. Craig Barnett had two hits, Mark Surtees managed two hits and one run and Nick O'Shea came home twice also.
Aaron Ouwehand had one hit for the game but that hit was a solo home run, his second home run in four games!
Berwick have won their sixth game of the year and hold a 6-9-1 record ahead of a matchup with Fitzroy next year and the Rams are 4-12 as they look to continue their campaign against Blackburn.
Fitzroy Lions 6 v Blackburn Orioles 7
The teams couldn't be separated as the first inning drew to a close, the score tied at one-all.
Fitzroy added three in the third to Blackburn's one however the Orioles kept prodding along to eventually take the lead after the sixth when they scored two after a run in each of the innings prior.
In the eighth, Fitzroy brought home their fifth run of the game while at the bottom, Blackburn penciled in their seventh, the job set out for the Lions heading into the ninth.
Unfortunately for the Lions, they could only muster one run as the Orioles took the victory, their ninth of the season as the Lions came close to winning their sixth of the year.
Brock Pawley picked up the loss for the Lions as he went eight innings for 14 hits and seven runs with three base on balls and four strikeouts.
On the batting side of things for Fitzroy, Tom Dicker had a double which turned into a run, with an RBI. Gavin Juchnevicius got two hits with an RBI while Tom Wilson also collected two hits and a run, the same for Damien Preston. Daniel Huryn, Danny King and Jordan Walker turned their hits into a run, King and Walker also gathering an RBI.
For Blackburn, Harrison Smith started on the mound for 2.1 innings, recording four strikeouts amongst six hits and three earned runs. Blake Hodgson kept the Orioles in the game across his 4.2 innings out of the bullpen to earn the win, allowing just three hits coupled with five strikeouts. Sam Bucello and Jacob Evans managed to close out the final two innings, Evans earning the save.
Evans and Ben Leslie contributed six of Blackburn's 14 hits on the day (three each) as well as five RBIs between them - Leslie's three hits were all doubles.Charlie Collins (one triple) Mitch Whiting and Ryan Berg got two hits each, Berg hitting the fence twice as the power was on show, finding himself with two runs for the afternoon as did Whiting.
Fitzroy are 11th on the ladder with a 5-11 record ahead of the break but will come back to play Berwick whereas Blackburn are just outside the top four in fifth place with a 9-8 record and look to travel to Newport when games resume.
Division 1 Reserves
Sunshine Eagles 1 v Waverley Wildcats 9
Sunshine tied things up in their second dig as Waverley got the first run of the game in their first offensive inning but from the second onwards, it was all Waverley.
The grunt of the runs for the Wildcats came in the fourth and seventh with three runs apiece.
Sunshine have lost seven on the trot while Waverley haven't lost in that time either. The Eagles finish the year in 11th with a 2-10 record while the Wildcats are sitting well in third with a 10-2-1 record. Next round, Waverley travel to Essendon while Sunshine host Melbourne.
Sandringham Royals 2 v Upwey FTG Tigers 3
Sean Meldrum was outstanding on the mound for the Tigers over 6.2 innings getting the win from his start with Richard Kiel coming in for relief and closing the game out.
Important bunts by Mark Jones and Riley Light were crucial in advancing runners in a tight game as Mitch John hit a sacrifice fly, coupled with a few important hits by various players on the lineup helping Upwey FTG claim the victory.
The Tigers finish the year in second place with a 9-2 record while Sandringham are ninth at 3-8-1. Upwey FTG host Geelong first up next year while the Royals host Cheltenham.
Geelong Baycats 0 v Cheltenham Rustlers 8
Cheltenham claimed the shutout win over Geelong thanks to a Rhys Fairweather pitching masterclass.
Fairweather went for 5.2 innings, allowing zero runs and was one out away from pitching the whole game, while on the offensive side, the Rustlers were steady in getting runs in, highlighted by three in the third.
Cooper Rickard started for Geelong and threw three innings and allowing three hits. Lachlan Hockey relieved by also throwing three innings, allowing four hits.
Geelong never managed to get baserunners on when they had less than two outs however Dion Kirschner hit the ball hard all day, as did Connor Hughes who picked up double and a couple of walks.
On the other side of the break, Cheltenham, who have solidified themselves in the top four with a 10-3 record face Sandringham while the 4-7-1 Baycats make the long drive to Upwey FTG.
Essendon Bombers 3 v Melbourne Demons 4
Melbourne have beaten Essendon by the smallest of margins to close out the year after being on a two-game losing streak.
With both teams coming into this game with six wins, the Demons now improve their record to 7-5 and sit fifth while the Bombers aren't too far behind in sixth at 6-6-1. When Round 14 comes around, Essendon will host Waverley while Melbourne take on Sunshine.
Newport Rams 4 v Berwick City Cougars 1
Berwick got their run early on in the game and held the lead throughout the third inning but from the fourth onwards, Newport had the ascendency, beginning with two runs in the fourth.
The Rams added two more throughout the sixth and seventh to take the win, breaking the Cougars' three-game unbeaten run while snatching their own 11-game losing streak to end the year on a high.
Newport will be hoping to now take that momentum with them in the second half of the season and improve on their 1-11 record as they prepare for Blackburn while Berwick are 5-6-1 to end the year and will face Fitzroy in the first game back.
Fitzroy Lions 3 v Blackburn Orioles 10
Blackburn got the win over Fitzroy as they finish the year atop the division ladder.
Rowan Johnstone got the start for the Orioles and delivered four no-hit innings whilst working around a few walks and errors. Pat White was solid in relief but gave up the lone Fitzroy hit across two innngs.
Cal Vance was promoted into the three spot and rewarded his team with a few hits as did David Dicker in the leadoff spot, collecting three hits. Owen de Vries got a couple of hits in to finish off the year strongly.
Blackburn end the year with an 11-2 record ahead of a game against Newport when the competition resumes next month while Fitzroy who are 10th and 3-9-1 will take on Berwick.
Division 1 Thirds
Sandringham Royals 12 v Upwey FTG Tigers 0
Upwey FTG were handed a heavy defeat at the hands of Sandringham, as the Tigers couldn't silence the Royals bats, with theirs being too silent.
Will Richardson started well for the Tigers but the defence couldn't match up against tough opposition.
The Royals have jumped up from eighth to sixth with the win, their record showing 6-7 as they will face Cheltenham in the next fixture. The Tigers have reamined fifth with a 7-4 record before taking on Geelong next year.
Geelong Baycats 4 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2
Geelong managed to get a few runs in late in the game to take the win away from Cheltenham and head into the new year full of momentum.
Hayden Peoples made his return to the Baycats lineup after a number of weeks off and looked sloid from the start, the Rustlers bats just going for one run over the four innings he was in charge on the mound.
Martin Bouma came on in the fifth and closed the door on the Rustlers chances as the defence backed him up nicely.
Each of the Baycats players contributed with the bat, Bouma collecting a double with an RBI with singles to Adam Jirik, Chris Rickard, Jackson Viney and Brody Stokoe also.
Geelong end the year in first with a 9-2-2 record, ahead on runs for and will look to continue that next year against Upwey FTG. Chetlenham are 5-6-2 and take on Sandringham when the fixtures return next year.
Blackburn Orioles 2 v Fitzroy Lions 5
With it being a tight game defensively, no runs were scored as the fourth inning was completed.
Fitzroy gave up two runs to Blackburn in the fifth as Blackburn held the Lions to another scoreless inning at the bottom.
With the Lions needing three to win, they did just that when five runs crossed the plate as the Lions celebrated an end-of-year victory.
Fitzroy end the year with a 4-8-1 record, with Blackburn slumping to their second loss of the season to be 9-2-2 as they've given up top spot. Fitzroy will face Berwick in Round 14 while the Orioles take on Newport.
Waverley Wildcats 12 v Sunshine Eagles 2
Sunshine got the first two runs of the game but that's where it stopped for the Eagles as Waverley ran riot over the rest of the game, starting softly with one run in the second until back-to-back three-run digs over the third and fourth.
The Wildcats added another five for the remainder of the game to take the win and with it, end the year in third with a 9-2-2 record that's shared by each of the top four.
Waverley will look to get ahead when tasked with travelling to Essendon while Sunshine who are 1-10-1 travel to Melbourne.
Newport Rams 9 v Berwick City Cougars 15
Newport got off to a good start and the scores were tied at six-all after the second inning but it was largely Berwick from then on, as they claimed another three runs in the third and four in the fourth before ending with two in the fifth.
The Rams could only manage another three runs in total, spread across the fourth and sixth innings.
Berwick have ended the season on a high as they're 3-9 and on a two-game winning streak before facing Fitzroy in the next round while Newport take on Blackburn in the first game of the new year as they're 2-10.
Essendon Bombers 5 v Melbourne Demons 4
Melbourne were steady in their approach to this game, collecting single runs throughout the first four innings but couldn't manage anymore in the final two.
Meanwhile, Essendon were helped along by a big four-run third inning that the Demons needed to catch up from.
The Bomber's win sees them in the top four with a 9-2-2 record along with three other teams ahead of a fixture against Waverely the first week back from the break. Melbourne host Sunshine as they look to get their 5-7-1 season back on track.
Division 1 Fourths
Sandringham Royals 8 v Upwey FTG Tigers 7
In Upwey FTG, the Royals proved victorious in a close game that the Tigers just fell short in coming back from.
The deficit was five to the Tigers but couldn't get over the line as Ewan John and James Wilkinson both pitched well.
Sandringham have finished the year in eighth place with a 5-6-1 record ahead of next year's first fixture against Cheltenham while Upwey FTG are 10th with a 3-8-1 record as they turn their sights to the break, and then Geelong.
Geelong Baycats 10 v Cheltenham Rustlers 9
A six-run second dig may have proved the difference in this one as Cheltenham were forced to recover, and almost did.
However, that dig and the following three-run third inning was where the Rustlers let go a little but almost managed to make it up in the fifth when they scored five after getting the first two runs of the game and getting a few in between.
Adam Jiriki started on the mound and did a great effort over six innings with Jackson Viney and Alex Hockey closing the game out.
Jake Elderfield and Martin Bouma got two hits with each batter recording a double. Alex Stokoe and Brody Stokoe also added to the hit total with everyone else contributing to the offense.
Geelong end the season with a three-game win streak and a 5-6-1 record in seventh while Cheltenham are on spot above with a 6-7 record. The Baycats play Upwey FTG next time around while the Rustlers play Sandringham.
Blackburn Orioles 12 v Fitzroy Lions 4
Two five-run digs from Blackburn in the first and fourth were enough to steer the result in their favour against Fitzroy, adding two more in the third.
The Lions were able to get on the board in the second and fourth where they scored two runs in each but have ended the season with a 2-9-2 record whereas the Orioles sit second with a 10-3 record.
Blackburn will continue their campaign next year against Newport while Fitzroy travel to take on Berwick.
Waverley Wildcats 7 v Sunshine Eagles 3
Waverley got out to a three-run lead early until Sunshine caught up at the end of the third.
Sensing a strong need for runs, the Wildcats managed to pull together three in the fourth and added to that in the fifth by one, which would be the final score.
Waverley end the year in the top three on a five-game win streak with a 9-4 record while Sunshine are 4-7-1 in ninth on a eight-game winless run. Waverley travels to Essendon in Round 14 while the Eagles travel to take on the Demons.
Newport Rams 1 v Berwick City Cougars 11
Berwick got things going at the bottom of the first scoring one but the Rams quickly responded with one of their own at the top of the second.
Unfortunately for the Rams, that was where their runs ceased as the Cougars had a hold of the game, especially after their third inning that produced nine runs.
Berwick have won three of the last four games to take a 6-5-1 record into the break while Newport are 0-11-1 ahead of a fixture against Blackburn next year, the Cougars will be facing Fitzroy.
Melbourne Demons 5 v Essendon Bombers 8
Melbourne had the lead briefly as the game moved into the bottom of the first, their two-run lead quickly going the other way as Essendon had three cross the plate, while another two came home in the second.
The Demons managed two in the fifth which cut the lead to just one but the Bombers saw this and had another three-run innings as Melbourne found it difficult to muster up more than one run in the final dig.
This was Melbourne's first loss of the season but they've remained first with a 12-1 record ahead of a series against Sunshine in the new year. Essendon are fourth with a 9-4 record ahead of playing host to Waverley.