Springvale is dominating the 2019/20 VSBL Division 3 season in both the firsts and reserves, while Ormond Glenhuntly remains firmly in the competition. There's still 14 games left with plenty of awesome baseball action in store as the six Division 3 clubs chase championship glory at the end of the summer season.
Division 3 Firsts
Springvale Lions 14 v Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 0
Springvale enjoyed another big win, this time a shutout victory over Ormond Blue.
The first few innings were a much tighter affair before Springvale tacked on three in the third. Two more runs followed in the fourth, and a six-run sixth inning sealed the deal.
Rainy conditions couldn’t stop the Lions batters, as three additional runs in the final inning sweetened the deal. With this win, Springvale continue a stellar undefeated season with a 5-0 record.
Tim Hanson threw four innings, giving up just four hits, while Lucas Anderson pitched three innings without allowing a hit. Scott Baillie had his best game yet, going 5-for-5 with three doubles and 5 RBIs. Matt Cameron had an RBI single as well, while Neal Cavanagh, Rydge Hogan and Lucas Price all had base hits. Chris Davies recorded three hits - two of them doubles - for 3 RBIs, while Adam Thatcher proved difficult to retire with three singles.
The Hunters recorded their first loss this season for a 3-1-1 record, putting them tied with Pakenham for second place.
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 4 v North Western Titans 22
The Titans came into this matchup hungry for a win, and they worked hard as a team all day long to make it happen. By the end of the game, North Western was up by 18 runs, made possible by two huge seven-run innings.
Both teams scored one run to open the game, with the Hunters adding another three in the top of the second. From there Ormond Glenhuntly's offense dried up, while North Western's took off.
The Titans put five on the board in the second before scoring 16 unanswered runs in the middle innings to achieve a massive victory. Everyone in the lineup had at least one hit, with Peter Boyd leading the way with a 4-for-5 day with two singles and two doubles. He came around to score four times and collected 4 RBIs, proving to be reliable getting on base.
Stuart Tierney handled things on the mound, throwing seven innings with just four hits allowed and seven strikeouts. Despite giving up four runs - three earned- Tierney kept the Titans moving smoothly toward a swift victory. This marked his best performance thus far with a 3.86 ERA, something he will look to replicate in coming weeks as North Western aims to secure a winning streak. Tierney also had three hits, including two doubles, to contribute to North Western's 21 total hits. Dan Holmes was another key player with a single and two doubles.
Matthew Howe, Danny Haymes, Nathan Krig and Cameron Wilson all had two hits, while Michael Marrs, Scott Sell and Luke Humphreys got on base with singles.
Now with a taste of victory, North Western will face a tough task against Springvale this weekend while Ormond Glenhuntly Gold goes to Chelsea.
Chelsea Dolphins 5 v Pakenham Pumas 21
Pakenham enjoyed a big win against Chelsea, improving to a 3-1-1 record.
Chelsea struck first with a run in the opening inning, but Pakenham was quick to answer, taking a 2-1 lead. Three additional runs in the bottom of the second extended Pakenham's lead, but Chelsea tried to stay in it with another three runs.
The game remained close until the bottom of the fifth when Pakenham put together an impressive 10-run effort. This explosive offense was just what Pakenham needed, while the Puma's pitchers held Chelsea to just six hits on the day. Shane Jeffrey and Matt Vagg had two hits apiece in the loss.
Chelsea will be looking to avoid a three-game skid this weekend against Ormond Glenhuntly Gold, while Pakenham visits Ormond Glenhuntly Blue.
Division 3 Seconds
Springvale Lions 9 v Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 4
Springvale is now 5-0 after another solid outing on Sunday.
Early scoring was crucial for Springvale, taking a 4-0 lead through the third when the Hunters scored two runs. Springvale managed five more runs across the final three innings to keep the Hunters from staging a comeback. Now 3-2, the Hunters will be eager to secure a round six victory against Pakenham, while Springvale will aim to remain undefeated while hosting North Western.
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 26 vs North Western Titans 2
This was a dismal game for North Western as Ormond Glenhuntly ran away with the lead, improving to 4-1 on the season.
The Hunters scored eight runs in the first and 15 in the second to perfect their rout of the Titans. Three more runs added to the total while North Western managed just two runs.
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold has scored 61 runs thus far while allowing only 32, making the Hunters a major competitor moving forward. With four losses and a draw, the Titans will be ready for a win this weekend at Springvale.
Chelsea Dolphins 15 vs Pakenham Pumas 4
Chelsea cruised to victory with an 11-run difference.
The Dolphins scored two in the first while Pakenham cut the deficit in half. A quiet second inning led into the third, when Chelsea added six runs. Another four runs in the fourth and three in the fifth put the game out of reach for the Pumas. Pakenham did score three more runs but it wasn't enough to take over the formidable Chelsea offense.
The 2-3 Dolphins are prepared for Ormond Glenhuntly Gold this weekend, while the Pumas are searching for a win against Ormond Glenhuntly Blue.