After the break in action, the 2019/20 VSBL season picked up right where it left off for Division Three teams, as Springvale prevailed as the powerhouse in the firsts with a clear six games on top of the ladder. While the Lions are on top in the reserves too, they have competition from Ormond Gold and Blue.
Division 3 Firsts - Round 14
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 12 v Pakenham Pumas 8
Pakenham held a lead all the way until the fifth when Ormond Gold tied the game and eventually ran away with it.
The Pumas knocked in the first four runs of the game in their first inning, as Ormond Gold brought the margin to within one after their third inning was completed.
With the scores tied at 4-4 going to the bottom of the fifth, Pakenham scored another three runs, but it was again cancelled by Gold who scored three at the top of the sixth.
A tight contest kept on going as the Hunters took the lead for the first time that day when they scored one in the eighth before going rampant with four in the ninth, leaving Pakenham to battle hard.
Pakenham managed just one run in the final dig of the game as Ormond Gold now see themselves on the same number of wins as the Pumas.
Gold have had a dream past five games, winning all of them and six of the last seven to have catapulted into third place, from last where they were five rounds ago. Now 7-7, the Hunters will look continue this fine form when they play North Western Titans while second-placed Pakenham carry a 7-6-1 record into a matchup with Chelsea.
Chelsea Dolphins 2 v Springvale Lions 12
Chelsea came out hard in the first innings but unfortunately, that's where it stopped for the Dolphins who had scored two runs in that time.
In the second Springvale scored a run, as the Lions were still behind but that quickly turned into a lead as they brought in seven in the third.
Consecutive two-run innings in the sixth and seventh grew the lead further for the Lions who improved their season record to 13-1, now six games clear of second.
Lucas Anderson got the win, throwing a no-hitter across three innings with two walks the only blemish on his record. Scott Baillie gave up five hits and two runs - one unearned - in four innings.
The pitchers also did their jobs at the plate, as Anderson singled and knocked in a run while Baillie had a double and a single. Myles Barnden and Rydge Hogan had RBI base hits, while Matt Cameron and Neal Cavanagh got into the fun with hits of their own. Lucas Price led the team with three hits, two singles and a double, to bring his total to 21 on the season.
A pair of singles and an RBI for Adam Thatcher also made a difference to Springvale as the offence looks to maintain the momentum.
"The scoreline doesn't necessarily reflect how the games go. Our games our often tight through the sixth inning, and then we may capitalize on a pitching change to give us these big advantages," Springvale's Head Coach Tim Hanson said. "But it's the back half of the season now, and everyone's playing for a finals position. We're no different so we will be pushing ourselves to maintain our level of competitiveness."
Springvale is prepared for upcoming games to get tougher. "We fully expect for all the competitors to step up come finals and we're playing for that really," Hanson added. "We're always looking to improve. Early on in games we've been a little bit slow, so we're trying to get a strong start in each game. We've been finishing well and that's always important."
With this loss the Dolphins are 5-9 but they could enter the top four after this weekend's game against Pakenham. Springvale is away to Ormond Blue.
North Western Titans v Ormond Glenhuntly Blue - WASH OUT
Division 3 Reserves - Round 14
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 2 v Pakenham Pumas 19
Ormond Gold fell to the Pumas who picked up their fourth win of the season, although are still a couple of games away from fourth place.
Pakenham led 4-0 going into the third before putting on 10 runs to seal the deal. Five more runs followed across the fourth and fifth, with the Hunters scoring their lone runs in the second-to-last frame. Nicholas Barth, Jarrad Bell, Matthew Clements, Scott Dale and the rest of the Pumas lineup worked hard all day to score the most runs they have all season.
The Hunters are on a three-game losing streak right now and in the process, have given up their top spot but still sit second. Ormond Gold won't want this to become a habit with a game towards playing at North Western Titans next week. The Pumas will feel they can bring up another win when they take on Chelsea.
North Western Titans 2 v Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 11
The Hunters have shown they belong in the top section of the ladder with a big win over North Western Titans.
The Titans are still without a win in 14 games but hope something will change, starting this weekend against Ormond Gold. Now in third place at 9-4-1, Ormond Blue will be facing Springvale.
Chelsea Dolphins 4 v Springvale Lions 15
A bumper 10-run dig to get things moving from Springvale paved the way for the rest of the match.
The Lions were out to a 13-0 lead as the third inning was complete before two two-run innings from Chelsea got them on the board.
Springvale claimed another two runs at the bottom of the fifth, and after that, the Dolphins weren't able to come back into the game.
Top-ranked Springvale sits at 11-3 for the season and faces Ormond Blue this weekend in a top-three matchup. Chelsea, a team that has shown it can go well against any competitior, faces off against Pakenham in Round 15.