The final regular season series featured plenty of impressive performances as Geelong and Blackburn switched places in the top three and Cheltenham hung on for a shot at Grand Final Glory. Now, the top four VSBL Division 1 Firsts teams are preparing for semi-finals, starting at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, 3 March.
Division 1 Firsts - Round 26 (Midweeks)
Berwick City Cougars 0 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2
The Rustlers scored their runs at the bottom of the first as that was the only score for the game, with defence playing an big part for the rest of the night.
Lars Liguori was pitched the full seven innings and earned the win for Cheltenham, giving up five hits with four strikeouts in his sixth scoreless appearance of the year.
Mac Turley had a single which he later scored on while Sam Michael scored Cheltenham’s second run, getting on base via a walk. Andrew Gribben had an RBI single.
Cheltenham reached 15 wins on the back of this result.
Geelong Baycats 2 v Essendon Bombers 9
Under the lights at Melbourne Ballpark, Geelong began the game with a run in the opening frame but it was Essendon's night offensively, swinging the bats more fiercely to score four in the bottom.
The Baycats scored once more in the third to cut the margin, although not for long as the Bombers again accrued a few more runs and were leading 7-2 after three.
Essendon added two more in the fifth, with Geelong left behind and unable to make up the deficit.
Lachlan Hockey took the loss, giving up six earned runs on nine hits and two walks over the course of 3.2 innings.
Tyler Luther-Wilson got two hits for the day, Lewis Weldon scored an RBI single while it was Ryan Darcy and Jordan Baumann who came around to score for Geelong.
Gareth Formisano got the win for the Bombers, pitching five innings, giving up four hits and zero runs with five strikeouts.
Cody Rodwell was a shining light for the Bombers, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a run while Jared Cruz hit a double in one of his two hits as he made his way home three times. Darby Sexton had an RBI single which he scored on whereas Ross Bament had three hits for two runs with two RBIs. Peter Stokes was another to have three hits, he also scored once with two RBIs.
This result was win number 16 for Geelong this season and Essendon's 14th loss.
Fitzroy Lions 0 v Sunshine Eagles 3
It was a quick and quiet game through the sixth when Sunshine finally broke through and got on the board with three runs, the only scores in the game.
Brock Pawley was on the mound for Fitzroy, pitching six innings to give up eight hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts.
There were hits to Danny King, Tom Wilson, Tom Dicker, Ethan Epifanio, Ben Wilson and Ryan Mitchell for the Lions, however the lineup struggled to capitalise on scoring chances.
For Sunshine, Adam Irons was credited with the win, going the whole seven innings and giving up six hits with 11 strikeouts.
One the bats for the Eagles, Nikau Pouaka-Grego made it a double on one of his two hits, coming home once while Allan de san Miguel and Bryce Aldridge each had one run from one hit, Aldridge adding an RBI.
After this game Sunshine had 18 wins while Fitzroy had nine.
Sandringham Royals 4 v Newport Rams 3
A pretty even contest, the Royals able to get over the line, just as they were able to shut the Rams out in the closing inning.
This was due in large part to Genevieve Beacom's VSBL Division 1 Firsts debut, as she took the mound and made history, striking out the final Rams batter with runners in scoring position to end the game on a high note.
A scoreless first inning gave way to the second, when Sandringham gained a lead of three before Newport came away with a couple in the bottom.
A one-run lead to the Royals going into the next inning stayed that way at the conclusion of the third, although each team added a run to their tally before a nil-all fourth inning ended the game and gave the win to Sandringham.
Declan Ferguson knocked in half of Sandringham's runs while Tim Lane also helped out with a RBI single. Harrison Wills took two walks on his way to three quality at-bats as the Royals only had three hits on the night, while Newport had five.
Kynan Wilcox also pitched for Sandringham while Jared Berman and Mason Condie handled pitching duties for Newport. This marked Sandringham's 12th win of the season and Newport's 19th loss.
Waverley Wildcats 5 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 4
Waverley led 4-0 in the middle of the fifth after scoring three to compliment one in the first but Upwey Ferntree Gully was quick to reply at the bottom of the fifth, scoring four to tie things up.
A quiet sixth kept the teams on edge and the Wildcats broke through at the top of the seventh to lead by one, an advantage they kept at the end of the inning as the shut down the Tigers bats.
Donavon Hendricks threw seven innings for the Tigers, giving up five earned runs on nine hits against a Waverley side that was determined to stay in the race for finals.
Riley Light hit his seventh home run of the season, while Wade McConnon and Pete Schroders singled and Staci Rogers had two base hits.
Waverley's Adam Bright got the win on the mound, throwing three scoreless innings with two hits and a walk allowed. Jamie Papanicolaou gave up four earned runs in four innings with three hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
Billy Findlay, Damon Hill and Mitch Homfray all singled while Mohi Kahui doubled. Jordan Ley had a single and a double for two RBIs while Reece Longstaff had an RBI single and Jacob Sheldon-Collins singled. Mitchell Wilhite had a triple and two RBIs in a big performance, marking Waverley's 14th win and Upwey Ferntree Gully's 10th loss.
Blackburn Orioles 0 v Melbourne Demons 0
A scoreless result through four innings is a testament to the defensive pressure placed by Blackburn and Melbourne to come away with a draw.
This game was a pitcher's duel with Andrew Jones leading the way for Blackburn. He gave up just three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in four innings. Liam Davine covered two innings for Melbourne, giving up two hits and a walk while striking out two. Melbourne also had Adam Pahos and Mitch Ellis on the mound with the latter giving up two more hits to Blackburn.
Thomas Kerr-Chapman, Liam Hopkins and Nick Rossell all had hits for Blackburn while Jarryd Rogers and Matthew Blackmore had hits for Melbourne in this draw.
Division 1 Firsts - Round 27 (Saturday Games)
Cheltenham Rustlers 8 v Berwick City Cougars 7
Playing at Mulgrave under new lights, this was a high-energy matchup with Cheltenham needing the win to secure a finals berth.
It was an especially nervous time for both sides during the last two innings, the one-run margin was there from the end of the sixth.
The game ended on a double play from Cheltenham and saw them rewarded with a win, holding up against the constant Cougars pressure.
The Rustlers got out to a three-run lead after three innings before a barrage of runs from Berwick saw them overtake their opponents with five runs at the bottom of the fifth. The next dig, Cheltenham picked this back up with three runs and by the time the seventh dig was over, the Rustlers were up by three runs The Cougars were always there though, scoring two also in their seventh inning.
The win sees Cheltenham stay in the top four. Now the Rustlers will come up against Blackburn in a best-of-three semi-final series starting at Mulgrave on Tuesday night, with first pitch slated for 7pm.
Cheltenham Club Coach Bryan Kloppe is proud of his team's efforts, especially their performance on Saturday night. "With a shot the finals coming down to the last game of the season it was imperative to get a win. The guys battled their way through the game, using all of the physical and mental skills that they have put together during the season to take down a very tough Berwick side," Kloppe said. "Jack Enciondo and Lars Liguori were key for us on the mound but the true success of the team is that we had 24 guys in uniform on the field and on the bench and everybody was committed to doing their part to make the club better."
After winning the season series against Blackburn, the Rustlers know they have what it takes to win against the reigning premiers again. "We know that the key is to stop their high powered offense. Pitching and defense will be key to success in this series with both clubs at full strength," Kloppe added.
Essendon Bombers 6 v Geelong Baycats 1
Essendon had a good away win to end the season, beating top-four contenders Geelong by five runs.
The Bombers got out to a 4-0 lead after two-run second and fourth digs before the Baycats scored their one run for the game at the bottom of the fourth.
Essendon locked the score up at the top of the ninth by scoring another two after four consecutive innings that yielded zero score, and the Bombers were able to put the Baycats away in the final outing of the game to take the win.
Cody Rodwell had three hits and two RBIs while Darby Sexton and Jared Cruz both had two hits for Essendon, with Sexton knocking in two runs. Scott McIntyre had an RBI too. Essendon's Ross Bament and Geelong's Lewis Weldon both took three walks in the game.
Luke Abels threw 15 first-pitch strikes in 4.2 innings of work for Essendon, while Michael Formisano also pitched and struck out six. Emerson Rickard handled four innings for the Baycats.
After dropping two of the three games series to Essendon, Geelong slipped from second to third place. The Baycats had been in second place since round 18 and ended the regular season with a 16-10 record. The Baycats will play Sunshine in a best-of-three semi-finals series, starting on Tuesday night at Melbourne Ballpark.
Essendon did well to beat the Baycats, the win putting them at 12-14-1 to end the season.
Sunshine Eagles 5 v Fitzroy Lions 8
A good showing in the first few innings set the Lions set them up for their 10th win of the season against the ladder leaders in Sunshine.
This was a good way for the Lions to send off their season, gaining an early lead after the first inning, scoring three to the Eagles one. Fitzroy kept on growing the margin, scoring one in the second and keeping pace offensively.
The third inning saw each side bring two runs home. Then both sides traded runs from the fifth to the seventh, two single-run digs each in that time as the game whittled away into the closing ninth inning.
Despite the loss, Sunshine remained on top of the ladder, ending the season with a 18-7-1 record. The Eagles will take on Geelong in a midweek semi-final, while Fitzroy ends the season with a 10-16 record thanks to some solid form to wrap up the season.
Sandringham Royals 10 v Newport Rams 3
The Royals scored three times in the first four innings, all single-run tallies before Newport added a run at the bottom of the fourth.
The next seven runs went to Sandringham as the Royals had two in the fifth, three in the seventh and two in the ninth, leaving Newport with a big deficit.
As a credit to the Rams, they came back with two at the bottom of the ninth but it wasn’t close enough as they dropped the game.
Sandringham had 11 hits compared to eight for Newport, and errors played a big part in this game as the Royals made four and Newport made seven.
Declan Croker had three hits while Cody Anderson and Harrison Wills had two apiece. Croker had two RBIs along with Declan Ferguson, while Will Tucker also batted in a run. Jack Wills took two walks with three quality at-bats on the day and Brandon Stenhouse did the same.
Newport's Keenan Spence had three quality at-bats against Anderson, Sandringham's starter who pitched the entire game in impressive fashion. Anderson threw 25 first-pitch strikes with eight strikeouts and 1.11 WHIP. David Asp hurled 20 first-pitch strikes in his seven innings of work for Newport as Tyler Comben also put in some pitching work for Newport.
Newport finished the year with a loss to take them to 4-20-1 for the season, while Sandringham ended the year with a 13-14 record in seventh place.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Waverley Wildcats 7
Upwey Ferntree Gully’s two runs came in the fourth inning as the Tigers took the lead at that stage, but it didn't last.
Waverley had scored just one run in the second but the Wildcats offense came to life late to secure their third win in four games.
The Wildcats evened the score at the bottom of the fourth, adding their next run to lead in the seventh thanks to a single from Ben Aslett on a 1-1 count. Waverley managed a five-run lead with four runners coming in during the eighth, with a single by Mitchell Wilhite and a double from Andrew Russell.
Russell was the winning pitcher, throwing a complete game with two runs, six hits and six strikeouts. Upwey Ferntree Gully's Jarrod Turner was on the mound for seven innings, giving up 12 hits and three runs with six strikeouts.
Russell, Mohi Kahui, Reece Longstaff, Jacob Sheldon-Colliins and Jordan Ley all had multiple hits as Waverley collected 16 total. Kahui led the way going 4-for-5.
The Tigers had six hits in the game as Wade McConnon went 3-for-4 and Riley Light had two hits.
These two sides still had a lot to play for in the series however Waverley and Upwey Ferntree Gully take out the fifth and sixth spots on the ladder, respectively.
The 15-11 Wildcats and 11-11-2 Tigers will set their sights on returning to top four contention next year, just missing out on finals for the 2019/20 VSBL season.
Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8
The Demons struck first on the very first chance they had before Blackburn steadied to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.
While the Demons kept pace in the third by cutting the margin in half, another all-round performance from the Orioles in the fourth saw them gain a greater margin of six. Blackburn carried this lead to the end of the game as five full scoreless innings followed.
Blackburn had 10 hits compared to Melbourne's five, while the Orioles made three errors and the Demons made one.
Cooper Goodman, Liam Hopkins and Nick Rossell all had two hits while Ryan Berg took three walks and Mitchell Whiting had two. Rossell knocked in four runs and Luke Hughes had three. Ryan Booth had a RBI for Melbourne and Jarryd Rogers took two walks for three quality at-bats.
Jacob Evans pitched four innings for Blackburn with 11 first-pitch strikes while Mitch Ellis and Kurtis Smith threw for Melbourne.
Blackburn finished in second place with a 16-8-2 record, setting up a semi-finals clash with Cheltenham. Melbourne finished at 8-17-1 on the season.
Cheltenham Rustlers 8 v Berwick City Cougars 7
Playing at Mulgrave under new lights, this was a high-energy matchup with Cheltenham needing the win to secure a finals berth.
It was an especially nervous time for both sides during the last two innings, the one-run margin was there from the end of the sixth.
The game ended on a double play from Cheltenham and saw them rewarded with a win, holding up against the constant Cougars pressure.
The Rustlers got out to a three-run lead after three innings before a barrage of runs from Berwick saw them overtake their opponents with five runs at the bottom of the fifth. The next dig, Cheltenham picked this back up with three runs and by the time the seventh dig was over, the Rustlers were up by three runs The Cougars were always there though, scoring two also in their seventh inning.
The win sees Cheltenham stay in the top four. Now the Rustlers will come up against Blackburn in a best-of-three semi-final series starting at Mulgrave on Tuesday night, with first pitch slated for 7pm.
Cheltenham Club Coach Bryan Kloppe is proud of his team's efforts, especially their performance on Saturday night. "With a shot the finals coming down to the last game of the season it was imperative to get a win. The guys battled their way through the game, using all of the physical and mental skills that they have put together during the season to take down a very tough Berwick side," Kloppe said. "Jack Enciondo and Lars Liguori were key for us on the mound but the true success of the team is that we had 24 guys in uniform on the field and on the bench and everybody was committed to doing their part to make the club better."
After winning the season series against Blackburn, the Rustlers know they have what it takes to win against the reigning premiers again. "We know that the key is to stop their high powered offense. Pitching and defense will be key to success in this series with both clubs at full strength," Kloppe added.
Essendon Bombers 6 v Geelong Baycats 1
Essendon had a good away win to end the season, beating top-four contenders Geelong by five runs.
The Bombers got out to a 4-0 lead after two-run second and fourth digs before the Baycats scored their one run for the game at the bottom of the fourth.
Essendon locked the score up at the top of the ninth by scoring another two after four consecutive innings that yielded zero score, and the Bombers were able to put the Baycats away in the final outing of the game to take the win.
Cody Rodwell had three hits and two RBIs while Darby Sexton and Jared Cruz both had two hits for Essendon, with Sexton knocking in two runs. Scott McIntyre had an RBI too. Essendon's Ross Bament and Geelong's Lewis Weldon both took three walks in the game.
Luke Abels threw 15 first-pitch strikes in 4.2 innings of work for Essendon, while Michael Formisano also pitched and struck out six. Emerson Rickard handled four innings for the Baycats.
After dropping two of the three games series to Essendon, Geelong slipped from second to third place. The Baycats had been in second place since round 18 and ended the regular season with a 16-10 record. The Baycats will play Sunshine in a best-of-three semi-finals series, starting on Tuesday night at Melbourne Ballpark.
Essendon did well to beat the Baycats, the win putting them at 12-14-1 to end the season.
Sunshine Eagles 5 v Fitzroy Lions 8
A good showing in the first few innings set the Lions set them up for their 10th win of the season against the ladder leaders in Sunshine.
This was a good way for the Lions to send off their season, gaining an early lead after the first inning, scoring three to the Eagles one. Fitzroy kept on growing the margin, scoring one in the second and keeping pace offensively.
The third inning saw each side bring two runs home. Then both sides traded runs from the fifth to the seventh, two single-run digs each in that time as the game whittled away into the closing ninth inning.
Despite the loss, Sunshine remained on top of the ladder, ending the season with a 18-7-1 record. The Eagles will take on Geelong in a midweek semi-final, while Fitzroy ends the season with a 10-16 record thanks to some solid form to wrap up the season.
Sandringham Royals 10 v Newport Rams 3
The Royals scored three times in the first four innings, all single-run tallies before Newport added a run at the bottom of the fourth.
The next seven runs went to Sandringham as the Royals had two in the fifth, three in the seventh and two in the ninth, leaving Newport with a big deficit.
As a credit to the Rams, they came back with two at the bottom of the ninth but it wasn’t close enough as they dropped the game.
Sandringham had 11 hits compared to eight for Newport, and errors played a big part in this game as the Royals made four and Newport made seven.
Declan Croker had three hits while Cody Anderson and Harrison Wills had two apiece. Croker had two RBIs along with Declan Ferguson, while Will Tucker also batted in a run. Jack Wills took two walks with three quality at-bats on the day and Brandon Stenhouse did the same.
Newport's Keenan Spence had three quality at-bats against Anderson, Sandringham's starter who pitched the entire game in impressive fashion. Anderson threw 25 first-pitch strikes with eight strikeouts and 1.11 WHIP. David Asp hurled 20 first-pitch strikes in his seven innings of work for Newport as Tyler Comben also put in some pitching work for Newport.
Newport finished the year with a loss to take them to 4-20-1 for the season, while Sandringham ended the year with a 13-14 record in seventh place.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Waverley Wildcats 7
Upwey Ferntree Gully’s two runs came in the fourth inning as the Tigers took the lead at that stage, but it didn't last.
Waverley had scored just one run in the second but the Wildcats offense came to life late to secure their third win in four games.
The Wildcats evened the score at the bottom of the fourth, adding their next run to lead in the seventh thanks to a single from Ben Aslett on a 1-1 count. Waverley managed a five-run lead with four runners coming in during the eighth, with a single by Mitchell Wilhite and a double from Andrew Russell.
Russell was the winning pitcher, throwing a complete game with two runs, six hits and six strikeouts. Upwey Ferntree Gully's Jarrod Turner was on the mound for seven innings, giving up 12 hits and three runs with six strikeouts.
Russell, Mohi Kahui, Reece Longstaff, Jacob Sheldon-Colliins and Jordan Ley all had multiple hits as Waverley collected 16 total. Kahui led the way going 4-for-5.
The Tigers had six hits in the game as Wade McConnon went 3-for-4 and Riley Light had two hits.
These two sides still had a lot to play for in the series however Waverley and Upwey Ferntree Gully take out the fifth and sixth spots on the ladder, respectively.
The 15-11 Wildcats and 11-11-2 Tigers will set their sights on returning to top four contention next year, just missing out on finals for the 2019/20 VSBL season.
Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8
The Demons struck first on the very first chance they had before Blackburn steadied to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.
While the Demons kept pace in the third by cutting the margin in half, another all-round performance from the Orioles in the fourth saw them gain a greater margin of six. Blackburn carried this lead to the end of the game as five full scoreless innings followed.
Blackburn had 10 hits compared to Melbourne's five, while the Orioles made three errors and the Demons made one.
Cooper Goodman, Liam Hopkins and Nick Rossell all had two hits while Ryan Berg took three walks and Mitchell Whiting had two. Rossell knocked in four runs and Luke Hughes had three. Ryan Booth had a RBI for Melbourne and Jarryd Rogers took two walks for three quality at-bats.
Jacob Evans pitched four innings for Blackburn with 11 first-pitch strikes while Mitch Ellis and Kurtis Smith threw for Melbourne.
Blackburn finished in second place with a 16-8-2 record, setting up a semi-finals clash with Cheltenham. Melbourne finished at 8-17-1 on the season.
Essendon Bombers 6 v Geelong Baycats 1
Essendon had a good away win to end the season, beating top-four contenders Geelong by five runs.
The Bombers got out to a 4-0 lead after two-run second and fourth digs before the Baycats scored their one run for the game at the bottom of the fourth.
Essendon locked the score up at the top of the ninth by scoring another two after four consecutive innings that yielded zero score, and the Bombers were able to put the Baycats away in the final outing of the game to take the win.
Cody Rodwell had three hits and two RBIs while Darby Sexton and Jared Cruz both had two hits for Essendon, with Sexton knocking in two runs. Scott McIntyre had an RBI too. Essendon's Ross Bament and Geelong's Lewis Weldon both took three walks in the game.
Luke Abels threw 15 first-pitch strikes in 4.2 innings of work for Essendon, while Michael Formisano also pitched and struck out six. Emerson Rickard handled four innings for the Baycats.
After dropping two of the three games series to Essendon, Geelong slipped from second to third place. The Baycats had been in second place since round 18 and ended the regular season with a 16-10 record. The Baycats will play Sunshine in a best-of-three semi-finals series, starting on Tuesday night at Melbourne Ballpark.
Essendon did well to beat the Baycats, the win putting them at 12-14-1 to end the season.
Sunshine Eagles 5 v Fitzroy Lions 8
A good showing in the first few innings set the Lions set them up for their 10th win of the season against the ladder leaders in Sunshine.
This was a good way for the Lions to send off their season, gaining an early lead after the first inning, scoring three to the Eagles one. Fitzroy kept on growing the margin, scoring one in the second and keeping pace offensively.
The third inning saw each side bring two runs home. Then both sides traded runs from the fifth to the seventh, two single-run digs each in that time as the game whittled away into the closing ninth inning.
Despite the loss, Sunshine remained on top of the ladder, ending the season with a 18-7-1 record. The Eagles will take on Geelong in a midweek semi-final, while Fitzroy ends the season with a 10-16 record thanks to some solid form to wrap up the season.
Sandringham Royals 10 v Newport Rams 3
The Royals scored three times in the first four innings, all single-run tallies before Newport added a run at the bottom of the fourth.
The next seven runs went to Sandringham as the Royals had two in the fifth, three in the seventh and two in the ninth, leaving Newport with a big deficit.
As a credit to the Rams, they came back with two at the bottom of the ninth but it wasn’t close enough as they dropped the game.
Sandringham had 11 hits compared to eight for Newport, and errors played a big part in this game as the Royals made four and Newport made seven.
Declan Croker had three hits while Cody Anderson and Harrison Wills had two apiece. Croker had two RBIs along with Declan Ferguson, while Will Tucker also batted in a run. Jack Wills took two walks with three quality at-bats on the day and Brandon Stenhouse did the same.
Newport's Keenan Spence had three quality at-bats against Anderson, Sandringham's starter who pitched the entire game in impressive fashion. Anderson threw 25 first-pitch strikes with eight strikeouts and 1.11 WHIP. David Asp hurled 20 first-pitch strikes in his seven innings of work for Newport as Tyler Comben also put in some pitching work for Newport.
Newport finished the year with a loss to take them to 4-20-1 for the season, while Sandringham ended the year with a 13-14 record in seventh place.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Waverley Wildcats 7
Upwey Ferntree Gully’s two runs came in the fourth inning as the Tigers took the lead at that stage, but it didn't last.
Waverley had scored just one run in the second but the Wildcats offense came to life late to secure their third win in four games.
The Wildcats evened the score at the bottom of the fourth, adding their next run to lead in the seventh thanks to a single from Ben Aslett on a 1-1 count. Waverley managed a five-run lead with four runners coming in during the eighth, with a single by Mitchell Wilhite and a double from Andrew Russell.
Russell was the winning pitcher, throwing a complete game with two runs, six hits and six strikeouts. Upwey Ferntree Gully's Jarrod Turner was on the mound for seven innings, giving up 12 hits and three runs with six strikeouts.
Russell, Mohi Kahui, Reece Longstaff, Jacob Sheldon-Colliins and Jordan Ley all had multiple hits as Waverley collected 16 total. Kahui led the way going 4-for-5.
The Tigers had six hits in the game as Wade McConnon went 3-for-4 and Riley Light had two hits.
These two sides still had a lot to play for in the series however Waverley and Upwey Ferntree Gully take out the fifth and sixth spots on the ladder, respectively.
The 15-11 Wildcats and 11-11-2 Tigers will set their sights on returning to top four contention next year, just missing out on finals for the 2019/20 VSBL season.
Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8
The Demons struck first on the very first chance they had before Blackburn steadied to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.
While the Demons kept pace in the third by cutting the margin in half, another all-round performance from the Orioles in the fourth saw them gain a greater margin of six. Blackburn carried this lead to the end of the game as five full scoreless innings followed.
Blackburn had 10 hits compared to Melbourne's five, while the Orioles made three errors and the Demons made one.
Cooper Goodman, Liam Hopkins and Nick Rossell all had two hits while Ryan Berg took three walks and Mitchell Whiting had two. Rossell knocked in four runs and Luke Hughes had three. Ryan Booth had a RBI for Melbourne and Jarryd Rogers took two walks for three quality at-bats.
Jacob Evans pitched four innings for Blackburn with 11 first-pitch strikes while Mitch Ellis and Kurtis Smith threw for Melbourne.
Blackburn finished in second place with a 16-8-2 record, setting up a semi-finals clash with Cheltenham. Melbourne finished at 8-17-1 on the season.
Sandringham Royals 10 v Newport Rams 3
The Royals scored three times in the first four innings, all single-run tallies before Newport added a run at the bottom of the fourth.
The next seven runs went to Sandringham as the Royals had two in the fifth, three in the seventh and two in the ninth, leaving Newport with a big deficit.
As a credit to the Rams, they came back with two at the bottom of the ninth but it wasn’t close enough as they dropped the game.
Sandringham had 11 hits compared to eight for Newport, and errors played a big part in this game as the Royals made four and Newport made seven.
Declan Croker had three hits while Cody Anderson and Harrison Wills had two apiece. Croker had two RBIs along with Declan Ferguson, while Will Tucker also batted in a run. Jack Wills took two walks with three quality at-bats on the day and Brandon Stenhouse did the same.
Newport's Keenan Spence had three quality at-bats against Anderson, Sandringham's starter who pitched the entire game in impressive fashion. Anderson threw 25 first-pitch strikes with eight strikeouts and 1.11 WHIP. David Asp hurled 20 first-pitch strikes in his seven innings of work for Newport as Tyler Comben also put in some pitching work for Newport.
Newport finished the year with a loss to take them to 4-20-1 for the season, while Sandringham ended the year with a 13-14 record in seventh place.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Waverley Wildcats 7
Upwey Ferntree Gully’s two runs came in the fourth inning as the Tigers took the lead at that stage, but it didn't last.
Waverley had scored just one run in the second but the Wildcats offense came to life late to secure their third win in four games.
The Wildcats evened the score at the bottom of the fourth, adding their next run to lead in the seventh thanks to a single from Ben Aslett on a 1-1 count. Waverley managed a five-run lead with four runners coming in during the eighth, with a single by Mitchell Wilhite and a double from Andrew Russell.
Russell was the winning pitcher, throwing a complete game with two runs, six hits and six strikeouts. Upwey Ferntree Gully's Jarrod Turner was on the mound for seven innings, giving up 12 hits and three runs with six strikeouts.
Russell, Mohi Kahui, Reece Longstaff, Jacob Sheldon-Colliins and Jordan Ley all had multiple hits as Waverley collected 16 total. Kahui led the way going 4-for-5.
The Tigers had six hits in the game as Wade McConnon went 3-for-4 and Riley Light had two hits.
These two sides still had a lot to play for in the series however Waverley and Upwey Ferntree Gully take out the fifth and sixth spots on the ladder, respectively.
The 15-11 Wildcats and 11-11-2 Tigers will set their sights on returning to top four contention next year, just missing out on finals for the 2019/20 VSBL season.
Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8
The Demons struck first on the very first chance they had before Blackburn steadied to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.
While the Demons kept pace in the third by cutting the margin in half, another all-round performance from the Orioles in the fourth saw them gain a greater margin of six. Blackburn carried this lead to the end of the game as five full scoreless innings followed.
Blackburn had 10 hits compared to Melbourne's five, while the Orioles made three errors and the Demons made one.
Cooper Goodman, Liam Hopkins and Nick Rossell all had two hits while Ryan Berg took three walks and Mitchell Whiting had two. Rossell knocked in four runs and Luke Hughes had three. Ryan Booth had a RBI for Melbourne and Jarryd Rogers took two walks for three quality at-bats.
Jacob Evans pitched four innings for Blackburn with 11 first-pitch strikes while Mitch Ellis and Kurtis Smith threw for Melbourne.
Blackburn finished in second place with a 16-8-2 record, setting up a semi-finals clash with Cheltenham. Melbourne finished at 8-17-1 on the season.
Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8
The Demons struck first on the very first chance they had before Blackburn steadied to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.
While the Demons kept pace in the third by cutting the margin in half, another all-round performance from the Orioles in the fourth saw them gain a greater margin of six. Blackburn carried this lead to the end of the game as five full scoreless innings followed.
Blackburn had 10 hits compared to Melbourne's five, while the Orioles made three errors and the Demons made one.
Cooper Goodman, Liam Hopkins and Nick Rossell all had two hits while Ryan Berg took three walks and Mitchell Whiting had two. Rossell knocked in four runs and Luke Hughes had three. Ryan Booth had a RBI for Melbourne and Jarryd Rogers took two walks for three quality at-bats.
Jacob Evans pitched four innings for Blackburn with 11 first-pitch strikes while Mitch Ellis and Kurtis Smith threw for Melbourne.
Blackburn finished in second place with a 16-8-2 record, setting up a semi-finals clash with Cheltenham. Melbourne finished at 8-17-1 on the season.