Springvale shows no signs of slowing down in VSBL Division 3 this year, while North Western Titans is starting to turn things around. There's 10 rounds to go as the summer season heats up, with plenty of great VSBL Division 3 action left to look forward to.
Division 3 Firsts
Springvale Lions 9 v Chelsea Dolphins 2
The Lions are on a roll, showing no signs of dropping off anytime soon as they carry a 9-0 record into round 10. This most recent game saw Springvale jump out to an early 4-0 lead, carrying that through to the fifth when they added three runs.
Springvale's final two runs came in the top of the seventh, while Chelsea scored once in the sixth and once in the eighth.
Chelsea collected eight hits on the day, with Matthew Burton leading the way with a single and a triple. Rhys Tippet also had two hits - a pair of singles - while Adam Burton, Daniel Wong, Shane Jeffrey and Matt Hannan chimed in with base hits. However, 11 strikeouts on the day didn't help Chelsea's cause.
Springvale roughed up Trent Wilford over six innings as he gave up 14 hits and nine earned runs. Aden Rusden contributed three quiet innings on the mound for Chelsea, giving up just two hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Meanwhile the Lions relied on Lucas Anderson, who threw six strong innings, giving up six hits and a walk with three strikeouts and one earned run.
Rydge Hogan filled in for three innings in relief, giving up just two hits with eight strikeouts and one earned run.
Out of Springvale's 16 hits, three were base hits to Matt Cameron and two doubles and a single went to Anderson. Scott Baillie and Lili Cavanagh both had a pair of base hits, while Tim Hanson had a single and a double.
Myles Barnden, Adam Thatcher, Neal Cavanagh and Brandon Mize all had hits with Hogan being the only Lions player in the lineup without a hit on the day, although he did come around to score after being hit by a pitch.
9-0 Springvale plays Ormond Glenhuntly Blue this Sunday while 4-5 Chelsea hosts 6-2-1 Pakenham in a battle between the third and second place teams.
Photo: Springvale Lions Baseball Club - Facebook
Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 7 v North Western Titans 10
The Titans are starting to hit their stride after stronger offensive performances in recent weeks. This result allowed North Western to improve to 2-7 on the season, thanks to big contributions from Danny Haymes, Dan Holmes and Stuart Tierney.
Geoff MacDonald, Ashley Fisher and Lachlan Carracher all helped Ormond Glenhuntly Blue's cause, but it wasn't quite enough as the Hunters dropped their fifth straight game, a far cry from their undeniable dominance in the past few seasons.
The game was quiet through the first two innings before North Western put three up in both the third and the fourth. The Hunters came back to make it 6-4, but the Titans soon pulled away again. Three runs in the final inning gave Ormond Glenhuntly a boost despite the loss.
North Western was thrilled to get this win over a normally tough competitor, and the Titans will hope to carry that momentum through round 10 at Ormond Glenhuntly Gold. Ormond Glenhuntly Blue moves on to play Springvale, a team that beat them 14-0 back in round five.
Pakenham Pumas 10 v Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 8
Both teams fought hard, but ultimately this one went in favour of the Pumas who had a 4-1 lead after two. The Hunters stole the lead in the fifth but the Pumas were right there to match it in the next inning, adding four runs to their tally.
The seventh and eighth were quiet and Ormond Glenhuntly tried to piece together a rally, scoring three in the final frame but still falling short. Shaun Fahy, Trent Job and the rest of the Pumas celebrated their sixth win for a 6-2-1 record in second place, while Ormond Glenhuntly Gold sits at 2-7.
Pakenham heads to Chelsea and Ormond Glenhuntly Gold hosts North Western for round 10.
Division 3 Reserves
Springvale Lions 9 v Chelsea Dolphins 14
The Lions let go of an early lead late in the game as Chelsea came back to win it. A huge 10-run third inning from Chelsea made the victory possible, while three more runs in the final inning sealed the deal. Mark Baneth, Gavin Smith and Jarryd Tippett helped Chelsea's cause considerably.
The Lions have dropped two of their last three games but still remain atop the ladder with a 7-2 record, although they're now tied with Ormond Glenhuntly Gold. Chelsea is making a sure but steady climb up the ladder with a 4-5 record currently.
Springvale plays Ormond Glenhuntly Blue and Chelsea plays Pakenham this weekend.
Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 24 v North Western Titans 1
There weren't many strong points for North Western in this game as Ormond Glenhuntly Blue completely dominated, scoring 19 runs in the first inning before the Titans were finally able to record three outs.
North Western scored once in the bottom frame before Ormond Glenhuntly Blue tacked on another five. Lukas Bull, Geoffrey Miller, James Pask and Liam Robinson helped propel Ormond Glenhuntly Blue to victory.
Ormond Glenhuntly Blue is in third place with a 6-2-1 record ahead of Sunday's game at Springvale, while North Western is searching for a win with an 0-8-1 record as the Titans play Ormond Glenhuntly Gold this weekend.
Pakenham Pumas 2 v Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 6
The Hunters were leading 2-1 after two innings before scoring another three unanswered runs. Pakenham finally put another one on the board in the fifth but another run for the Hunters to end the game gave them the winning feeling they were after.
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold carries a 7-2 record into round 10 while Pakenham is second-last with a 1-6-2 record.