The 2019/20 VSBL Division 3 season is more than halfway done, and Springvale continues to dominate with strong campaigns coming from Pakenham and Chelsea in the firsts and Ormond Glenhuntly Blue and Gold in the Reserves. There's three rounds to go before the break and teams will be looking to finish the year on a high note.
Division 3 Firsts
Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 0 v Springvale Lions 5
The rain stayed away just long enough for Springvale to secure the victory and a stellar 10-0 record, thanks to a mid-game burst of offense.
The game was scoreless through three before the Lions got one home in the bottom of the fourth. Springvale scored twice in both the fifth and the sixth to add to the run total.
Matt Cameron batted in two of Springvale's five runs, while Lucas Anderson had two base hits and Adam Thatcher singled for two RBIs. Rydge Hogan had a double and a walk to bring a run home, while Neal Cavanagh, Myles Barnden, Scott Baillie, Brandon Mize and Mark Richards all singled.
Myles Barnden got the win on the mound, throwing seven strong innings with just four hits and three walks given up, along with seven strikeouts. Matt Cameron threw one quiet inning with just four batters faced.
Springvale continues to lead the competition while Ormond Glenhuntly Blue remain in fourth place with a 3-6-1 record. In round 11 the Lions play North Western, a team they beat 15-1 in round six, while Ormond Glenhuntly Blue hosts the reigning premiers of Pakenham.
North Western Titans 1 v Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 20
The Titans enjoyed an exciting 10-7 win over Ormond Glenhuntly Blue the week before, but they couldn't replicate the same success against the Gold side.
The Hunters were relentless in this matchup, scoring in every inning to put the game firmly out of reach. This included three runs in the first, five in the second and two in the third. The fourth inning was quiet in comparison with just one run coming around to score.
The Lions biggest inning was the fifth with seven runs as well as two in the sixth. North Western's only run came around in the sixth.
The Hunters improve to 3-7 and the Titans slip to 2-8 ahead of round 11 games against Chelsea and Springvale respectively.
Pakenham Pumas 6 v Chelsea Dolphins 7
The Dolphins squeaked past for a hard-fought win over the 2018/19 premiers. Chelsea scored one in the opening inning, holding on to that lead for a bit before Pakenham tied it up in the third.
The Pumas scored two runs in both the fourth and the fifth to take a four-run lead, and one more run followed in the eighth. Chelsea scored in the eighth as well before putting up five runs in the ninth for a thrilling comeback victory. The Dolphins are now 5-5 and the Pumas are 6-3-1 to make up the top three along with Springvale.
Chelsea hosts Ormond Glenhuntly Gold on Sunday and Pakenham heads to Ormond Glenhuntly Blue.
Division 3 Reserves
Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 8 v Springvale Lions 1
The Hunters kept the Lions quiet in a contrast to the round five meeting between these two teams, when Springvale won 9-4.
This time around, Ormond Glenhuntly Blue's offense was on the ball from the get-go, holding a 2-1 lead after the first before tacking on two runs in the second and four in the third.
Benjamin Bull, Connor de Fina, Jason Maxwell and the rest of the Ormond Glenhuntly Blue team are excited to continue climbing the ladder as they sit second with a 7-2-1 record. Springvale falls to third with a 7-3 record ahead of Sunday's clash with North Western.
North Western Titans 2 v Ormond GH Gold 25
The Titans didn't have much control in this game as the Hunters ran wild, racking up 25 runs for the second time this season.
North Western enjoyed a 2-0 lead after the top of the first, but it didn't last long as Ormond Glenhuntly Gold piled on 14 runs in the first and 11 in the second.
This monstrous result allowed Ormond Glenhuntly Gold to assume first place with an 8-2 record, while North Western remains winless. The Titans have another chance as they host the Lions this weekend, while the Hunters look to go three in a row over Chelsea.
Pakenham Pumas 6 v Chelsea Dolphins 7
In the same scoreline as the firsts, Chelsea prevailed with a late final push after letting Pakenham back in the game.
Chelsea scored one early and kept Pakenham off the scoreboard through two. The Pumas tied things up at one in the top of the third, but Chelsea quickly responded with four runs to retake the lead.
A quiet fourth inning gave way to a boisterous fifth frame when Pakenham piled on five runs to get in winning position. Unfortunately for the Pumas, they couldn't quite hang on, giving up two runs to the Dolphins as the home team won the game.
Pakenham is 1-7-2 and Chelsea is 5-5 ahead of games with Ormond Glenhuntly Blue and Ormond Glenhuntly Gold, respectively.
Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 8 v Springvale Lions 1
The Hunters kept the Lions quiet in a contrast to the round five meeting between these two teams, when Springvale won 9-4.
This time around, Ormond Glenhuntly Blue's offense was on the ball from the get-go, holding a 2-1 lead after the first before tacking on two runs in the second and four in the third.
Benjamin Bull, Connor de Fina, Jason Maxwell and the rest of the Ormond Glenhuntly Blue team are excited to continue climbing the ladder as they sit second with a 7-2-1 record. Springvale falls to third with a 7-3 record ahead of Sunday's clash with North Western.
North Western Titans 2 v Ormond GH Gold 25
The Titans didn't have much control in this game as the Hunters ran wild, racking up 25 runs for the second time this season.
North Western enjoyed a 2-0 lead after the top of the first, but it didn't last long as Ormond Glenhuntly Gold piled on 14 runs in the first and 11 in the second.
This monstrous result allowed Ormond Glenhuntly Gold to assume first place with an 8-2 record, while North Western remains winless. The Titans have another chance as they host the Lions this weekend, while the Hunters look to go three in a row over Chelsea.
Pakenham Pumas 6 v Chelsea Dolphins 7
In the same scoreline as the firsts, Chelsea prevailed with a late final push after letting Pakenham back in the game.
Chelsea scored one early and kept Pakenham off the scoreboard through two. The Pumas tied things up at one in the top of the third, but Chelsea quickly responded with four runs to retake the lead.
A quiet fourth inning gave way to a boisterous fifth frame when Pakenham piled on five runs to get in winning position. Unfortunately for the Pumas, they couldn't quite hang on, giving up two runs to the Dolphins as the home team won the game.
Pakenham is 1-7-2 and Chelsea is 5-5 ahead of games with Ormond Glenhuntly Blue and Ormond Glenhuntly Gold, respectively.