With just four games left in the regular season, Sunshine is holding on to top spot but Geelong is quickly catching up in VSBL Division 1. Blackburn and Cheltenham had strong wins that keep them at the top of the reserves, while the Orioles are two games ahead of second place in the thirds as the rest of the top four are within six percent of each other. Melbourne sits four games ahead of second place in the fourths but Blackburn and Essendon are battling hard which may change top four positions.
Division 1 Firsts - Round 23
Sunshine Eagles 4 v Berwick City Cougars 5
Sunshine had a 1-1 draw against Essendon in the midweeks, and on the weekend the Eagles have dropped a big game as their grip on top spot seems under threat, now holding on by one game with Geelong in one pursuit. Meanwhile, the Cougars have won five in a row as they aim to make a late break into the top four.
Jeremy Young took just his second loss this season. The Sunshine pitcher went through five innings, giving up four hits, five runs and three base on balls. Scott Barr was in for three innings, giving up just two hits but zero runs.
On the bats for the Eagles, Jordan Young went 3-for-4 as Allister Lovelock's game was impressive too with three hits that included a double and a run. Jason Tutt had three singles, while teammates Russell Letts and Joshua Byrne were the other players to cross the plate.
Offensively for Berwick, John King scored twice from one hit as well getting an RBI. Aiden Willis and Mark Surtees each had one hit for one run while Aaron Ouwehand had one hit which brought in two runs. His two-run double with two outs boosted Berwick significantly.
Berwick coach Shaun Surtees says the Cougars performed well in an extremely competitive game against the top-of-the-ladder team. "We were coming off a crucial series win over Melbourne and running hot so we knew we were going to compete," Surtees said. "To score early was huge and then our pitching staff held their nerve, behind our ace Craig Barnett to get the save."
Offensively for Berwick, John King scored twice from one hit as well getting an RBI. Aiden Willis and Mark Surtees each had one hit for one run while Aaron Ouwehand had one hit which brought in two runs. His two-run double with two outs boosted Berwick significantly.
Berwick coach Shaun Surtees says the Cougars performed well in an extremely competitive game against the top-of-the-ladder team. "We were coming off a crucial series win over Melbourne and running hot so we knew we were going to compete," Surtees said. "To score early was huge and then our pitching staff held their nerve, behind our ace Craig Barnett to get the save."
Jordan Bradley got the win for Berwick, lasting two innings for four hits and two runs. Matthew West was on the mound for four innings for the home side, giving up one run on six hits. Craig Barnett got the save for the Cougars, pitching three innings for four hits with zero earned runs and three strikeouts.
With four games to go, Berwick is ready for the challenges ahead. "We’re going to compete as hard as we can as we push towards playing finals baseball," Surtees added. "Our rotation is healthy and we're excited for the return of our own Melbourne Aces champion, Cameron Gibbens, back into the squad. One game at a time and we'll remain focused on being competitive every inning we play for the remainder of the season."
With four games to go, Berwick is ready for the challenges ahead. "We’re going to compete as hard as we can as we push towards playing finals baseball," Surtees added. "Our rotation is healthy and we're excited for the return of our own Melbourne Aces champion, Cameron Gibbens, back into the squad. One game at a time and we'll remain focused on being competitive every inning we play for the remainder of the season."
The two teams will now travel to Sunshine as the series continues with the Cougars sensing their momentum can take them further, whereas Sunshine won't want to let another game slip. The Eagles are 16-5-1 and the Cougars are still in with a chance thanks to a 11-10-1 record.
Newport Rams 1 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 8
The Tigers have kept in touch with their other mid-table opponents with a win over Newport on the weekend.
The Tigers got themselves out to a 5-0 lead after three innings and kept the Rams scoreless until the seventh inning when the away side got one on the board.
The Tigers, wanting to put this game to bed for good, came back in the bottom and scored three more runs as each team ended well defensively.
Jason Jarvis pitched 6.1 innings for the Rams, taking the loss for the 10 hits and five earned runs he let up, although he did impress with eight strikeouts.
Newport had six hits for the game with David Land and Keenan Spence collecting two each. Spence was the sole run scorer for the Rams too, capitalising on his double as Nathan Smith got the RBI.
Jarrod Turner pitched a complete game, giving up six hits and one run in one of his best performances of the season, his ERA currently sitting at 1.76.
Harvey Chinn had a single and two walks with an RBI, while Jordan Elliot had an RBI base hit. Riley Light also had a good day at the plate, hitting a triple and a single and knocking in two runs in the process. Wade McConnon and Travis Murphy both singled, while Nicholas Rice doubled and singled for three RBIs. Peter Schroeders got on base twice with singles as Justin Swanton knocked in a run for the Tigers.
The series continues at Newport as the 9-9-2 Tigers look to keep up with their winning ways while for the Rams, they'll want to impress in front of home support in search of win number five.
Essendon Bombers 2 v Blackburn Orioles 9
Essendon led 2-0 after four innings however Blackburn provided some great defensive work for the remainder of the game to keep the Bombers from scoring any more.
In that time too, the Orioles collected nine runs, assisted greatly by six runners coming home in the fifth.
Michael Formisano took the loss for the Bombers, going 4.1 innings and giving up eight hits, five earned runs and four strikeouts. Luke Abels pitched two innings with five hits and three runs allowed.
On the bats for the Bombers, McLeod Sell hit two from three with a double and an RBI while Peter Stokes and Formisano were the two to score.
Blake Hodgson got the win on the mound for the Orioles. He went 5.1 innings for just one hit and zero runs while striking out six Newport batters.
Every player on the Blackburn lineup got a hit and all but one scored a run with Liam Hopkins and Nick Rossell each tallying three hits while Ryan Berg, David Dicker and Ben Leslie all had two. Dicker and Leslie hit doubles, Dicker credited with three RBIs while Berg had two RBIs. Thomas Kerr-Chapman hit a double as part of his two hits as he scored twice.
The loss is a bitter blow to the 10-12-1 Bombers who have slipped in recent weeks and are now behind a couple of other teams in the middle of the table, whereas Blackburn sits third with a 13-8-1 record. Next time around, Essendon will host Blackburn.
Fitzroy Lions 0 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2
The Rustlers scored first in their first dig and then not again until the sixth as the rest of the game was a defensive display from both sides.
Jack Enciondo pitched a complete game, giving up just six hits in the shutout. He struck out 10 to bring his total to 63 on the season. Offensively for Cheltenham, Jack Daniels singled while Ben Fierenzi knocked in one of the two runs. Andrew Gribbin brought in the other run for Cheltenham as Michael Leslie doubled and Sam Michael singled. Conor Myles had a pair of base hits, with Dylan Trevorah recording a single too.
Ethan Epifanio and Riley Hill singled as Fitzroy's starting pitcher Brock Pawley smashed a double. Pawley gave up seven hits and struck out four in his eight innings of work on the mound, allowing just those two runs that ended up deciding the game.
The win sees the Rustlers continue their good form in their first season back up in Division 1, scooting into fourth place after the Waverley loss with a 13-9-1 record.
For the Lions, their 8-14 season has seen some good results as of late, however as the series moves to the Lions home ground this weekend, both sides will want to seek a win.
Sandringham Royals 6 v Melbourne Demons 7
With five tough losses to start 2020, Melbourne finally got a win on the board, improving to a 8-14 record on the back of this victory over a Sandringham side that's now 9-14.
Cody Anderson pitched eight innings, taking the loss as he gave up nine hits and seven runs. He did however continue his excellent form with strikeouts, tallying 12, his sixtth 10+ tally within the past seven weeks. 27 of his first pitches were strikes too.
There were 12 hits across the board for the Royals with Declan Croker leading the way with four but while he wasn't able to score himself, he did drive in two runners. Branden Stenhouse had three hits from four at bats and he was able to convert each of those hits into runs. Paul Rutgers had two hits for one run and two RBIs.
Nathan Aaron collected three hits for Melbourne while Aaron joined Oliver McMahon and Tim Sullivan with big RBI hits on the day.
Sandringham's Jack Wills took three walks while Melbourne's Jarryd Rogers took two and had four quality at-bats.
Liam Davine and Adam Pahos pitched for Melbourne, keeping the Demons in the game as they ultimately got the win.
The Demons will now travel to Sandringham this weekend as the series continues.
Geelong Baycats 9 v Waverley Wildcats 4
Waverley was behind 5-0 after Geelong finished the fifth dig but the Wildcats brought themselves back into the game with a four-run fifth inning.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, that was the only inning in which they managed to score some runs as the Baycats came back with three in their sixth inning, adding one more in the eighth.
Sam Gibbons got the win for the Baycats through 4.1 innings, giving up zero hits or runs while striking out seven batters. Rudy Jaramillo was in the middle for three innings and gave up one hit for zero runs with four strikeouts.
Geelong had eight hits on the day and it was James Wood who lead with three hits along with two runs and an RBI. Tyler Luther-Wilson had two hits including a three-run home run to give the Baycats a big boost. Kelli Zablan also impressed with one hit, two runs and two RBIs.
Tyler Luther-Wilson hit his first home run of the year for Geelong. Photo: Baseball Victoria
Jamie Papanicoloau took the loss for the Wildcats as he went five innings for six hits, four earned runs and three strikeouts.
With five hits for the game, Reece Longstaff led the Wildcats in that category with two as he also collected one run and an RBI. Jacob Sheldon-Collins, Jordan Ley and Mitchell Homfray were the other runscorers.
The Baycats improved their record to 15-7 after the round while sitting second behind Sunshine. Waverley has just slipped out of the top four with a 12-10 record as the action will continue at Geelong this weekend.
Division 1 Reserves - Round 17
Newport Rams 6 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 12
Two big innings from Upwey Ferntree Gully including seven to finish the game took them a long way in this contest against Newport.
The Rams looked set in the first inning as they scored four runs until the Tigers gained the lead after three innings when they had seven runners come home.
Newport evened the score in the fourth and then took the lead once again in the fifth with one-run digs however the might of Upwey Ferntree Gully proved too strong for the last-placed Rams.
The Tigers sit third with an 11-3-1 record ahead of a return fixture at Newport this weekend.
Sunshine Eagles 10 v Berwick City Cougars 4
The Eagles scored four runs in the second inning to extend their lead to 5-0 after that point as the Cougars tried to fight back, however not as quickly or forcefully as they would've liked.
The Cougars got their first run on the board in the third before the Eagles again came out strong with another two at the top of the fourth to Berwick's one at the bottom.
The sixth inning produced more runs for both teams with Sunshine scoring three at the top, Berwick needing eight to win. The home side managed two as they fell below a 50 percent winning percentage with a 7-8-1 record.
For Sunshine, it's win number five of the season and the third victory within the last month as the Eagles look to continue their good run of form at home to the Cougars this weekend.
Essendon Bombers 5 v Blackburn Orioles 9
Essendon scored early on in this contest when two runs crossed the plate in the first but the Orioles were quick to reply, evening the score in the second and going ahead by one run in the third.
The fourth inning for Blackburn was where things really picked up when six runs were added to their score.
In the following two innings, the Bombers tried to get ahead once more but fell short after scoring two and one in the fifth and sixth respectively.
Charlie Collins made his first start on the mound for Blackburn and he completed three solid innings, getting into his groove nicely.
Offensively, the Orioles came back from the slow start with some great team hitting, ultilising the bunt to perfection at crucial moments - Julian Vance and Jorey Hubble highlighting this. Riley Hodgson had two hits with Mitch Whiting, Owen de Vries, Pat White and Hubble all having singles on the day.
Blackburn's prowess continues on top of the ladder after this win with a 14-2 record whereas the Bombers sit sixth at 8-8-1 as the action moves to Essendon this weekend.
Fitzroy Lions 3 v Cheltenham Rustlers 11
The Rustlers got off to a great start in the first inning when six runs crossed the plate, their other runs coming through in the fourth and fifth with two and three, respectively.
The Rustlers were able to withhold the Fitzroy offense until the seventh inning where the Lions put three on the board.
Cheltenham is keeping up at the top, sitting second with a 14-3 record while for Fitzroy, there's another chance to improve on a 4-12-1 record this weekend at home against Cheltenham.
Sandringham Royals 4 v Melbourne Demons 4
This draw was the first of the year for Melbourne and the second one for Sandringham. The Demons are chasing a spot in the top four, sitting in fifth place at 9-6-1.
Sandringham is 3-11-2 and looking forward to a home game this weekend as both sides would like a win.
Geelong Baycats 3 v Waverley Wildcats 3
The Baycats were unlucky to have the final result finish in a draw after leading for much of the day.
Emerson Rickard was on the hill and did an impressive job throwing 6.1 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run as his strike percentage remained high.
The Baycats were helped on offence from Will Brennan who hit the ball hard all day as he tallied two hits, as well as Lachlan Hockey who smacked a long ball over the centrefield fence.
The teams will be hoping to get a better result when they face each other at Geelong next round.
Division 1 Thirds - Round 17
Newport Rams 5 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 7
Despite Newport scoring three runs at the top of the first, it was outdone by the four runs Upwey Ferntree Gully scored at the bottom, which the Tigers added to with three more in the third.
The Tigers didn't score any further after that while the Rams attempted a comeback with one run in each of the fifth and sixth innings.
The Tigers are still behind the top four after a breaking a three-game losing streak, now with a 8-6-1 record in fifth place, while Newport will want a win this weekend at home against the Tigers to get themselves off the bottom of the ladder.
Berwick City Cougars 8 v Sunshine Eagles 15
Surrendering the lead during the third inning, Sunshine piled on 10 runs in the fourth to rocket past Berwick.
Sunshine ended the first inning with a three-run lead but Berwick got even at the top of the second. The Eagles got their lead back at the bottom with two more to their score. The lead was again changed when the Cougars brought four home in the third.
The Eagles had been on the bottom of the ladder since round 12 however, this win has put them up a spot on the ladder ahead of Newport. The Eagles broke their 13-game winless streak as their last victory came in round three when they also scored 15 runs.
The series now heads to Berwick where both teams will want to win.
Essendon Bombers 4 v Blackburn Orioles 11
Essendon scored one at the top of the first but Blackburn quickly got on top of their opponent, starting with three runs at the bottom of the first and a further two across the following two innings.
It was a six-run Orioles effort in the fourth confirmed the result as the Bombers could manage just three more for the game.
The battle between the top-four teams has seen the 10-3-4 Bombers go down a place to fourth while 12-2-2 Blackburn stays in top spot as the series moves to Essendon.
Cheltenham Rustlers 10 v Fitzroy Lions 11
It was a walkoff win in the fifth for Fitzroy after both teams left it all out on the field in the latter stages of the game.
Fitzroy was up 3-1 after three innings as the lead changed every inning from then on.
Cheltenham scored five at the top of the fifth before the Lions hit back with four. The Rustlers took four more runs in the fifth to give themselves a chance until Fitzroy claimed the addition to their win column.
It was Fitzroy's fifth win of the season as the Lions put an end to a four-game losing streak, while Cheltenham narrowly missed out on the chance to go three games in a row. The Rustlers are at home this weekend against Fitzroy.
Melbourne Demons 8 v Sandringham Royals 1
The Royals' lead by a lone run from the first inning was short-lived as they failed to score for the rest of the game as Melbourne took control.
Starting off by scoring two in the second to capture the advantage, the Demons kept going with six more spread across the next three innings to close out the game.
The win to Melbourne sees them tied on games won with Sandringham, each now having eight for the season where this week both teams will look to add to that at Melbourne.
Geelong Baycats 7 v Waverley Wildcats 7
Waverely scored the first three runs of the game before reigning premiers Geelong scored seven at the top of the second for a comfortable lead.
However, the Wildcats were able to shut the Baycats down for the remainder of the game and come awfully close to claiming the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth as they'd scored three in the fourth beforehand.
Duane Davenport started for Geelong, finishing with 32 strikes out of his 54 pitches as he settled in to the zone. Cooper Rickard came in for relief and kept the Baycats in the game despite giving up three runs. Daniel Anson threw two innings too. Anson had a single and an RBI, while Matthew Sage had two base hits and knocked a run in. Jake Warren doubled for three RBIs and Brody Stokoe singled too.
Despite the draw, and helped along by Essendon's loss, Waverley moves into third place on the ladder with a 9-2-5 record while 10-2-3 Geelong is just one spot ahead in second as these teams look set to face off in another close encounter at Geelong this weekend.
Division 1 Fourths - Round 17
Newport Rams 3 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 6
Newport got ahead early, scoring two runs at the top of the second before Upwey Ferntree Gully scored the same number of runs at the bottom and from there, it was mostly going the way of the Tigers.
The Tigers scored four more runs over the third and fourth innings, with three runners coming home in the fourth as the Rams responded with one more to their tally in the fifth.
For the Tigers, it was just their fourth win of the season as Newport's winless streak continues at a 0-15-1 record. Newport hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully this weekend.
Geelong Baycats 9 v Waverley Wildcats 10
Geelong gave up a 9-0 lead as Waverley fought long and hard for a walkoff win in the sixth inning.
The Baycats got off to a great start when they scored six in the first and added another three in the third but that's where it stopped for the away side as the Wildcats then got on top by shutting the Baycats out and collecting runs themselves.
The Wildcats opened their run scoring with four at the bottom of the third, adding one more in the fourth, It was the same scores across the fifth and six as that one in the sixth was what they were so desperately chasing.
Waverley sits in fourth place at 11-5 while Geelong slips from fifth place to sixth at 8-7-1 ahead of this weekend's home game.
Essendon Bombers 3 v Blackburn Orioles 1
In this close game, Essendon had a 2-0 lead after three innings before Blackburn cut the margin in half as the fourth came to an end.
The Bombers got that run back in the fifth and that's where the score stayed as the rest of the game was taken over by defense.
The win for the Bombers puts them in third with a 12-5 record, edging closer to second place Blackburn who have a 12-4 record. The two teams will meet at Essendon this weekend where positions could swap after the round.
Cheltenham Rustlers 11 v Fitzroy Lions 5
Cheltenham found the lead early and never gave it up, even after a 4-3 first inning against Fitzroy.
The Rustlers got six runs in the third to see the margin become 11-3 while the Lions managed to find two more runs in their fifth, and final, dig of the game.
The Rustlers sit seventh with a 9-8 record while the Lions are 3-11-3, both teams still searching for wins to close out the season as the next round kicks off at Cheltenham.
Melbourne Demons 19 v Sandringham Royals 0
A complete shutout from the Demons has confirmed their dominance in the competition, improving their record to 16-1.
After scoring three in the first, the tallies kept growing as five came through in each of the second and third digs before ending with a bang, six runs in the fifth.
The Royals go into the next round with a 6-9-1 record but will still try their hardest to try and topple the ladderleaders in Melbourne.
Berwick City Cougars 8 v Sunshine Eagles 6
Berwick managed to overpower Sunshine for a big win that makes for a 8-6-2 record.
The Cougars will still hope to continue their good form from the season against Sunshine at home this weekend while the Eagles loss puts them at 4-11-1, ahead of Upwey Ferntree Gully n the ladder, but they'll be looking for more wins.