A weekend full of exciting semi-finals saw teams lay it all on the line, with some thrilling one-run finishes to confirm who goes through to the VSBL Division 1 Grand Finals on Sunday, 8 March. There was plenty of impressive baseball action across the Division 1 Reserves, Thirds and Fourth, with more in store for the upcoming weekend.
Division 1 Reserves
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 12 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2
Upwey Ferntree Gully won this semi-final over Cheltenham by a double-digit margin, made possible by a five-run effort in the second inning to get things moving.
The Tigers scored a further six runs from the third to fifth innings before the Rustlers brought in their two runs at the bottom of the fifth.
The Tigers made sure of the result in the seventh inning when they added one more and shut down the home side at the bottom.
The win to the Tigers means they’ve earned a spot in the grand final next weekend and it’ll be against Waverley. Upwey Ferntree Gully finished the regular season with a 13-3-1 record ahead of 11-5-2 Waverley, and the Tigers beat Waverley in round 19 with a score of 11-3. The Tigers will have to beat Waverley once more, although the Wildcats will be feeling confident after denying the table-toppers Blackburn the chance to secure a second straight premiership.
Waverley Wildcats 8 v Blackburn Orioles 7
A very close semi-final game between Waverley and Blackburn saw the Wildcats coming back from four runs down after four innings to steal the victory and force the top-seeded Blackburn out.
The Orioles got the jump early as they took a 2-0 lead after the first inning, with no further scoring until Waverley’s three at the top of the fourth, taking the lead for the first time for the day.
Blackburn, not wanting the Wildcats to get too comfortable, created plenty of chances at the bottom, and it transcended into five runs crossing home.
Waverley had consecutive one-run digs after that but still found themselves behind, but not allowing Blackburn to further their lead either, shutting them down on offense.
The ninth inning rolled around and it was do-or-die for the Wildcats, who steadied to take three runs and the lead, forcing the Orioles to once again pick up the bats. A solid defensive display under pressure finished the job for Waverley and saw them progress to next week.
Both sides collected 11 hits on the day, with Mitch Whiting leading the way with four for Blackburn along with two RBIs. Tim Holland knocked in a team-high three runs while teammates Luke Cartwright had four quality at-bats and Brendan Kane had three.
Waverley's Ben Jackson had three hits and Anthony Reinke had two, with Adam Blackley securing three quality at-bats and Lachlan O'Connor knocking in two runs.
Pat White pitched 8.1 innings for the Orioles, striking out four with 21 first-pitch strikes. Cody Caulfield handled 3.1 innings for Waverley and Finn Weichard threw three, while Adam Bright struck out six in his time on the mound for Waverley.
Waverley plays Upwey Ferntree Gully in Sunday's grand final.
Division 1 Thirds
Waverley Wildcats 6 v Blackburn Orioles 5
Waverley hung on for a big win over a very competitive side in Blackburn.
Despite Blackburn leading 2-1 after the first and growing the lead by one in the second, Waverley squared things up at the top of the third, scoring two.
That result was short-lived though as the Orioles got the lead once more, scoring one at the bottom. The Wildcats again weren’t going down without a fight, evening up the score once again in the fifth before taking a much-needed lead in the sixth, two runners coming home.
Blackburn only managed one in the bottom and the Orioles still behind as the game entered the seventh and final inning, to which the home side couldn’t find another run.
Defense wasn't a strong point on either side with both teams making five errors. Waverley had 10 hits to Blackburn's seven, with Ned Hargreaves and Josh Puyk recording two hits each for the Wildcats. Justin Woolard had two hits for Blackburn as teammate Ben Hayes had three quality at-bats.
Waverley's Tom Rynberk walked twice and Manning Davison had a walk, two RBIs and two quality at-bats. Daniel Page also had an RBI for Waverley.
Blackburn's Gerard Kingston pitched seven innings with 28 first-pitch strikes, seven strikeouts and a 1.86 WHIP. Davison covered 6.2 innings for Waverley, throwing 19 first-pitch strikes with three strikes and a 1.06 WHIP.
Waverley makes it through to the Grand Final at Geelong while it’s season over for Blackburn. The Wildcats finished the regular season in fourth place at 9-4-5 behind second place Geelong at 11-3-3, but the Wildcats will be feeling good after denying table toppers Blackburn a shot at grand final glory.
These two sides have seen one another recently, as it was a 7-7 draw between Geelong and Waverley in round 17 but the Baycats won 11-1 in the next round.
Essendon Bombers 6 v Geelong Baycats 7
Down in Geelong, the Baycats prevailed in a decisive sixth inning.
The home team got the first couple of runs in the first inning and backed that up with another two in the second to take a four-run lead through a scoreless third inning.
Essendon came back hard at the Baycats in the fourth, scoring four runs which tied the game up before in the sixth, they went ahead for the first time on the day, adding two more runs.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Baycats were up to bat to save their season and had the scores tied before finding a third run and taking a lead, a lead they hung onto throughout the final inning.
Geelong's starter Duane Davenport threw 3.2 innings with two strikeouts and 46 strikes out of 90 pitches, relying on catcher Brody Stokoe to keep things smooth behind the dish. Lachlan Stott followed in relief to get the Baycats out of a tough inning before turning things over to closer Dan Anson. Three innings with three strikeouts and 27 strikes out of 43 pitches highlighted Anson's performance.
Geelong's exciting finish was highlighted by a two-out rally in the sixth, started by William Fitzgerald who beat an infield hit to score a runner. Anson singled to left and Stott singled to right to bring another runner home, making it a one-run ball game. Matthew Sage was up next, swinging at a curveball and laying down a beautiful bunt. A wild throw at first sent the ball sailing down the right field line as Anson and Stott came running home, with Geelong cheering for a one-run lead.
L. Stott had two RBIs on two singles while Will Fitzgerald and Anson had two hits apiece. Daniel Stott had an RBI single and Jake Warren and Alex Hockey joined in the fun with big base hits.
Geelong will play the grand final at home ground on Sunday against Waverley as the Baycats go for their fourth flag in a row.
Division 1 Fourths
Blackburn Orioles 8 v Essendon Bombers 9
While back-to-back three-run innings for Blackburn kick-started the game, the Orioles fell away towards the end against a strong Essendon side.
Up 7-0 after the fourth dig, Blackburn finally allowed the Bombers on the board with three runs in the bottom.
Blackburn added one more to the score in the sixth but again, the Bombers didn’t back down, scoring five runs to tie the game at eight-all after six innings.
The final inning saw Blackburn not scoring, leaving it up to the Bombers as they found a run to take the win.
The Bombers will be up against Melbourne in the decider this weekend. Essendon finished the season 14-5 in second place behind 17-1-1 Melbourne and the Demons won 9-2 in their first meeting back in round 11, but the Bombers had the upper hand the next week with a 8-5 victory.
Waverley Wildcats 2 v Melbourne Demons 12
Waverley struck first during the second inning in this encounter with Melbourne but that was all the Wildcats wrote as the Demons took over after.
Two consecutive five-run digs in the second and third set up a big lead which they added to in the fourth to take it to double-digits before a scoreless fifth inning ended the game.
The Demons will take that confidence into a grand final against Essendon, with Melbourne hoping to deny the Bombers a second straight premiership.
A weekend full of exciting semi-finals saw teams lay it all on the line, with some thrilling one-run finishes to confirm who goes through to the VSBL Division 1 Grand Finals on Sunday, 8 March. There was plenty of impressive baseball action across the Division 1 Reserves, Thirds and Fourth, with more in store for the upcoming weekend.
Division 1 Reserves
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 12 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2
Upwey Ferntree Gully won this semi-final over Cheltenham by a double-digit margin, made possible by a five-run effort in the second inning to get things moving.
The Tigers scored a further six runs from the third to fifth innings before the Rustlers brought in their two runs at the bottom of the fifth.
The Tigers made sure of the result in the seventh inning when they added one more and shut down the home side at the bottom.
The win to the Tigers means they’ve earned a spot in the grand final next weekend and it’ll be against Waverley. Upwey Ferntree Gully finished the regular season with a 13-3-1 record ahead of 11-5-2 Waverley, and the Tigers beat Waverley in round 19 with a score of 11-3. The Tigers will have to beat Waverley once more, although the Wildcats will be feeling confident after denying the table-toppers Blackburn the chance to secure a second straight premiership.
Waverley Wildcats 8 v Blackburn Orioles 7
A very close semi-final game between Waverley and Blackburn saw the Wildcats coming back from four runs down after four innings to steal the victory and force the top-seeded Blackburn out.
The Orioles got the jump early as they took a 2-0 lead after the first inning, with no further scoring until Waverley’s three at the top of the fourth, taking the lead for the first time for the day.
Blackburn, not wanting the Wildcats to get too comfortable, created plenty of chances at the bottom, and it transcended into five runs crossing home.
Waverley had consecutive one-run digs after that but still found themselves behind, but not allowing Blackburn to further their lead either, shutting them down on offense.
The ninth inning rolled around and it was do-or-die for the Wildcats, who steadied to take three runs and the lead, forcing the Orioles to once again pick up the bats. A solid defensive display under pressure finished the job for Waverley and saw them progress to next week.
Both sides collected 11 hits on the day, with Mitch Whiting leading the way with four for Blackburn along with two RBIs. Tim Holland knocked in a team-high three runs while teammates Luke Cartwright had four quality at-bats and Brendan Kane had three.
Waverley's Ben Jackson had three hits and Anthony Reinke had two, with Adam Blackley securing three quality at-bats and Lachlan O'Connor knocking in two runs.
Pat White pitched 8.1 innings for the Orioles, striking out four with 21 first-pitch strikes. Cody Caulfield handled 3.1 innings for Waverley and Finn Weichard threw three, while Adam Bright struck out six in his time on the mound for Waverley.
Waverley plays Upwey Ferntree Gully in Sunday's grand final.
Division 1 Thirds
Waverley Wildcats 6 v Blackburn Orioles 5
Waverley hung on for a big win over a very competitive side in Blackburn.
Despite Blackburn leading 2-1 after the first and growing the lead by one in the second, Waverley squared things up at the top of the third, scoring two.
That result was short-lived though as the Orioles got the lead once more, scoring one at the bottom. The Wildcats again weren’t going down without a fight, evening up the score once again in the fifth before taking a much-needed lead in the sixth, two runners coming home.
Blackburn only managed one in the bottom and the Orioles still behind as the game entered the seventh and final inning, to which the home side couldn’t find another run.
Defense wasn't a strong point on either side with both teams making five errors. Waverley had 10 hits to Blackburn's seven, with Ned Hargreaves and Josh Puyk recording two hits each for the Wildcats. Justin Woolard had two hits for Blackburn as teammate Ben Hayes had three quality at-bats.
Waverley's Tom Rynberk walked twice and Manning Davison had a walk, two RBIs and two quality at-bats. Daniel Page also had an RBI for Waverley.
Blackburn's Gerard Kingston pitched seven innings with 28 first-pitch strikes, seven strikeouts and a 1.86 WHIP. Davison covered 6.2 innings for Waverley, throwing 19 first-pitch strikes with three strikes and a 1.06 WHIP.
Waverley makes it through to the Grand Final at Geelong while it’s season over for Blackburn. The Wildcats finished the regular season in fourth place at 9-4-5 behind second place Geelong at 11-3-3, but the Wildcats will be feeling good after denying table toppers Blackburn a shot at grand final glory.
These two sides have seen one another recently, as it was a 7-7 draw between Geelong and Waverley in round 17 but the Baycats won 11-1 in the next round.
Essendon Bombers 6 v Geelong Baycats 7
Down in Geelong, the Baycats prevailed in a decisive sixth inning.
The home team got the first couple of runs in the first inning and backed that up with another two in the second to take a four-run lead through a scoreless third inning.
Essendon came back hard at the Baycats in the fourth, scoring four runs which tied the game up before in the sixth, they went ahead for the first time on the day, adding two more runs.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Baycats were up to bat to save their season and had the scores tied before finding a third run and taking a lead, a lead they hung onto throughout the final inning.
Geelong's starter Duane Davenport threw 3.2 innings with two strikeouts and 46 strikes out of 90 pitches, relying on catcher Brody Stokoe to keep things smooth behind the dish. Lachlan Stott followed in relief to get the Baycats out of a tough inning before turning things over to closer Dan Anson. Three innings with three strikeouts and 27 strikes out of 43 pitches highlighted Anson's performance.
Geelong's exciting finish was highlighted by a two-out rally in the sixth, started by William Fitzgerald who beat an infield hit to score a runner. Anson singled to left and Stott singled to right to bring another runner home, making it a one-run ball game. Matthew Sage was up next, swinging at a curveball and laying down a beautiful bunt. A wild throw at first sent the ball sailing down the right field line as Anson and Stott came running home, with Geelong cheering for a one-run lead.
L. Stott had two RBIs on two singles while Will Fitzgerald and Anson had two hits apiece. Daniel Stott had an RBI single and Jake Warren and Alex Hockey joined in the fun with big base hits.
Geelong will play the grand final at home ground on Sunday against Waverley as the Baycats go for their fourth flag in a row.
Division 1 Fourths
Blackburn Orioles 8 v Essendon Bombers 9
While back-to-back three-run innings for Blackburn kick-started the game, the Orioles fell away towards the end against a strong Essendon side.
Up 7-0 after the fourth dig, Blackburn finally allowed the Bombers on the board with three runs in the bottom.
Blackburn added one more to the score in the sixth but again, the Bombers didn’t back down, scoring five runs to tie the game at eight-all after six innings.
The final inning saw Blackburn not scoring, leaving it up to the Bombers as they found a run to take the win.
The Bombers will be up against Melbourne in the decider this weekend. Essendon finished the season 14-5 in second place behind 17-1-1 Melbourne and the Demons won 9-2 in their first meeting back in round 11, but the Bombers had the upper hand the next week with a 8-5 victory.
Waverley Wildcats 2 v Melbourne Demons 12
Waverley struck first during the second inning in this encounter with Melbourne but that was all the Wildcats wrote as the Demons took over after.
Two consecutive five-run digs in the second and third set up a big lead which they added to in the fourth to take it to double-digits before a scoreless fifth inning ended the game.
The Demons will take that confidence into a grand final against Essendon, with Melbourne hoping to deny the Bombers a second straight premiership.