There's just one round left of VSBL Division 2 before the break, and Williamstown has powered past Moorabbin in the standings. Teams are looking to finish off the year on a strong note heading into 2020, and this upcoming weekend will showcase that with some big matchups.
Division 2 Firsts - Round 15
Preston Pirates 9 v Malvern Braves 10
Preston had the chance for the sweep but in the final moments the Pirates dropped what would have been their fifth straight win. The Braves were up by two runs as the first inning came to a close but they needed a walkoff to get the win they wanted.
Preston went ahead by one run after scoring three in the third as Malvern tied the scores in the fifth, and then were ahead once again as the Braves scored two to the Pirates' one in the sixth inning. The seventh inning produced a run each for both sides.
In the eighth, the Pirates were happy to end their dig with a three-run lead and shut out Malvern in the bottom of the eighth with no more runs coming for them at the top of the ninth.
The Braves had the equation in front of them and they succeeded in getting the win with crucial at-bats.
Geoff Holland led the way on the mound picking up the win but the Malvern defence was started by Tyler Dale who pitched four innings with five hits and two earned runs and Mitchell Kennedy with four hits and one earned run.
Kennedy picked up three hits with two RBIs while Tyler Dale picked up two runs from two hits. Gavin Woolger recorded one hit to second and three RBIs as Justin Burke had one hit but two runs overall with Henry Hayman coming home twice too.
7-7 Preston will face Bonbeach this upcoming weekend whereas 10-5 Malvern will look to finish the year in the top four after the Braves face second-placed Moorabbin.
Moorabbin Panthers 4 v Port Melbourne Mariners 5
Moorabbin got the first run of the game in the first but were on the backfoot after the third came to a close when Port Melbourne scored two and took the lead, adding another two in the fourth also.
The fifth produced one run apiece until Moorabbin edged closer and closer to beating the Panthers late in the game. The Panthers managed to restrict the Mariners to no more runs for the game while getting one run in the eighth, but fell short in the ninth where they scored one more.
Chris Neilson picked up the loss for the Panthers as he gave up 10 hits and four earned runs within 4.2 innings.
Moorabbin's Mitch Barr and Neil Johnston had two hits, while Travis Finney had one hit but produced two runs for the afternoon after watching the ball closely to record three walks.
Moorabbin is now second with an 11-4 record while Port Melbourne is fifth at 9-6 and face Malvern and Doncaster respectively next round.
Doncaster Dragons 3 v Werribee Giants 14
The Giants beat the Dragons comfortably as they move to an 11-4 record for the season.
John Curnow picked up the win for the Giants. Through two innings he only let one batter on base but it was Joshua Lee who got things started in the middle. Lee went for six innings with six hits and three runs with seven strikeouts.
Offensively for Werribee, Justin Gil racked up two runs from two hits, including a home run and two RBIs. Andrew Christou snatched a hit and a run with two RBIs. Another home run recipient was Curnow who hit a three-run home run, one of two of his runs for the game. Lee was good at the plate too with three hits and two runs, Wade Balzer had two runs from two hits, as did Simon Riches and Oliver Box got two runs for the game too including an RBI.
Ben Palensky picked up the loss for the Dragons as he went six innings for seven hits and three earned runs with six strikeouts.
Nic Unland continued his good run of form for Doncaster, picking up a run in 10 of his last 12 games - this time it was a home run! But the home runs didn't stop there as Marcel D'Avoine also hit a solo home run. Brian Chen picked up two hits.
For the next round, 4-11 Doncaster takes on Port Melbourne while Werribee hosts Mulgrave.
Mulgrave Rebels 4 v Williamstown Wolves 5
The Wolves continue to put in hard work, climbing up the ladder and enjoying the feeling of first place now that they're 12-3 ahead of 11-4 Moorabbin.
The game was tied 1-1 after the first, which led into a quiet second inning before Mulgrave put up one in the third and another two in the fourth. Williamstown responded later with one in the sixth and two in the seventh to tie the game, making it 4-4. The Wolves eventually prevailed in extra innings for a fantastic win, their fourth in a row.
Jayde Thorne earned the win on the mound in seven scoreless innings of work, giving up just three hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Dennis Neal started for Williamstown, giving up four runs - two of them earned - across four innings with two hits, four walks and four strikeouts.
Williamstown's Aaron Green had a pair of singles while Robert Higginson singled and doubled. Jason McDonald had three base hits and an RBI. Hiroshi Narasaki doubled and Kevin Desmedt singled. Thorne also picked up two hits and two RBIs.
Mulgrave split up pitching duties between Jayson Arthur, who gave up two earned runs and two unearned runs in 6.2 innings with eight hits, three walks and five strikeouts, as well as Liam Richardson and Zeke Howie. Richardson gave up two hits and four walks across three frames but he kept Williamstown from scoring, while Howie gave up just that one key hit in the extra innings to seal Mulgrave's fate.
Mulgrave is now 5-9 going into round 16 at Werribee while Williamstown is confident ahead of a home game v St. Kilda.
St KIlda Saints 5 v Bonbeach St Chads 3
St Kilda has done well in this series with Bonbeach, staying competitive and getting a few much-needed wins on the board.
This is St Kilda's first series sweep of the season, and three wins in a row has given the Saints some confidence heading into the final round of the year.
Bonbeach started out strong, opening with two early runs but St Kilda responded with the same in the second. The tied ballgame continued through the top of the fourth before the bottom frame saw Bonbeach go up 3-2. Undeterred, St Kilda kept battling, finally breaking through with one run in the seventh and two in the eighth that made all the difference.
Disappointed by letting the lead slip late, Bonbeach will keep trying for that win all the Bluejays want so badly.
Now 5-10, St Kilda moves on to play Williamstown while Bonbeach hosts Preston.
Photo: Bonbeach Bluejays - Facebook
Division 2 Reserves - Round 12
Preston Pirates 2 v Malvern Braves 14
Malvern denied Preston a three-game winning streak with a huge performance on Sunday, a far cry from the 8-5 result to the Pirates from the week prior.
The first inning was quiet but the Braves got one runner home in the second and three in the third before a massive seven-spot in the fourth sealed their fate in a good way. Malvern managed three more in the fifth as Preston got two in the late stages and that was it.
Josh Brown, Lachlan Duckett and Jack Hanger helped Malvern's cause on the day as the team improved to 9-2-1 on the season, jumping to second place. Preston is 3-8-1 near the bottom before playing Bonbeach as Malvern moves on to play Moorabbin.
Moorabbin Panthers 3 v Port Melbourne Mariners 6
George Camov celebrated his 600-game milestone at Port Melbourne in style as the team won for the second week in a row over one of the top teams.
The Mariners scored all six runs in the first inning while Moorabbin scored early and struggled to make anything happen in the second half of the game. Moorabbin was 9-1 at round 10 but now the Panthers are 9-3, out of the top spot and in third place currently. Port Melbourne improves to 5-7 before playing Doncaster while Moorabbin plays Malvern next.
Mulgrave Rebels 2 v Williamstown Wolves 12
The Wolves had a huge game, giving themselves a big buffer after a close 8-7 call last week. Sean Best, Gerard Carter and Shane Dunn helped lead Williamstown to victory at the plate.
Mulgrave had a 2-0 lead after the second but it didn't last long as Williamstown had tied it up by the fourth before putting together a huge 10-run inning in the fifth to wrap up the game on a high note.
Williamstown is looking good at 10-2 atop the reserves ladder while Mulgrave has room to improve with a 4-8 record.
The Wolves play St Kilda next while Mulgrave has Werribee.
St Kilda Saints 8 v Bonbeach Bluejays 2
Although this was a quieter game offensively than St Kilda's 15-4 rout of Bonbeach in round 11, this was still a good game offensively for the Saints as they cruised to victory.
St Kilda was consistent in scoring, putting runs up in all but two of seven innings. Bonbeach scored once in the third and once in the sixth but it didn't make much of a difference as St Kilda had the win under control.
The Saints remain in fourth place, now at 7-5 before playing Williamstown, while the Bluejays fall to 1-12 with that lone win coming all the way back in round two. Bonbeach prepares to play Preston next.
Doncaster Dragons 6 v Werribee Giants 3
Doncaster has four wins in a row now after another strong performance at Werribee. After an up-and-down start the Dragons are improving, climbing the ladder now with a 6-6 record.
Werribee is 4-6-2 after four straight losses before playing Mulgrave while Doncaster plays Port Melbourne.
Division 2 Thirds - Round 12
Werribee Giants 11 v Doncaster Dragons 12
This was a fiery matchup with loads of offense but ultimately Wayne Allen, Peter Ervin and the rest of the Doncaster crew got the job done.
12 was Doncaster's lucky number in this series as the Dragons also reached that run total the week before when they held Werribee to just five runs.
Werribee has lost three straight games while Doncaster has four consecutive wins. Doncaster sits in fourth place at 7-4-1 while Werribee is in seventh at 4-8.
Round 13 has Doncaster playing Port Melbourne and Werribee playing Mulgrave.
Port Melbourne Mariners 1 v Moorabbin Panthers 11
The Panthers pounced on Port Melbourne's pitchers, taking advantage of scoring opportunities and getting the job done for the third straight week.
Moorabbin is 10-2 in second place behind undefeated Malvern, as Port Melbourne sits much lower on the ladder with a 3-9 record.
Port Melbourne plays Doncaster and Moorabbin plays Malvern next in what will be a huge matchup between the top teams.
Williamstown Wolves 6 v Mulgrave Rebels 7
Williamstown won last week 18-3, but Mulgrave came back in much more competitive fashion this time around.
The Wolves have now dropped two of the last three as they sit in third with an 8-4 record, while Mulgrave improves to 2-8.
St Kilda is next for Williamstown as Mulgrave prepares to take on Werribee.
Bonbeach Bluejays 2 v St Kilda Saints 9
The Saints led 3-2 after the first but they quickly added to their advantage, tacking on another three in the second and one in the third.
St Kilda scored twice more in the fourth to reach the final scoreline. The Saints are just outside of the top four with a 7-5 record after three in a row, while Bonbeach is at 1-11.
St Kilda plays Williamstown and Bonbeach plays Preston in round 13.
Malvern Braves 19 v Preston Pirates 0
In a game the Pirates would rather forget, Malvern completely dominated on the mound and at the plate.
The Braves scored eight in the first and four in the second to effectively put the game out of reach, but they weren't finished offensively. Malvern continued to keep Preston quiet while scoring one in the third, two in the fourth and four in the fifth.
David Beaumont, Luke Bettles, Tom Copping and the rest of the Braves were thrilled to stay undefeated and keep up the momentum going into the next game at Moorabbin, while 4-7-1 Preston looks forward to playing Bonbeach.
Division 2 Fourths - Round 12
Werribee Giants 6 v Doncaster Dragons 16
The Dragons enjoyed a great outing, putting together one of their highest scorelines yet as they improved to a 4-6 record. Werribee is 3-9 and on the search for another win after dropping the last few.
Doncaster plays Geelong next and Werribee plays Mulgrave.
Williamstown Wolves 7 v Mulgrave Rebels 5
The back-to-back champs at Williamstown kept ahead of Mulgrave for an undefeated record, now sitting at 12-0. The Rebels are 1-11 but ready to get a win on the board in round 13 against Werribee, something Williamstown will also hope to achieve against St Kilda.
Geelong Baycats 9 v Moorabbin Panthers 9
Both sides battled hard but this game finished in a draw after Geelong came back to tie it up in the final frame. The Baycats had given up a five-run fifth to let Moorabbin right back into the game.
Scott Wise pitched well for Geelong and Marc Weakley handled third base nicely.
Geelong takes on Doncaster and Moorabbin plays Malvern for the final round of the year.
Malvern Braves 0 v Preston Pirates - FORFEIT
St Kilda Saints - BYE
St KIlda Saints 5 v Bonbeach St Chads 3
St Kilda has done well in this series with Bonbeach, staying competitive and getting a few much-needed wins on the board.
This is St Kilda's first series sweep of the season, and three wins in a row has given the Saints some confidence heading into the final round of the year.
Bonbeach started out strong, opening with two early runs but St Kilda responded with the same in the second. The tied ballgame continued through the top of the fourth before the bottom frame saw Bonbeach go up 3-2. Undeterred, St Kilda kept battling, finally breaking through with one run in the seventh and two in the eighth that made all the difference.
Disappointed by letting the lead slip late, Bonbeach will keep trying for that win all the Bluejays want so badly.
Now 5-10, St Kilda moves on to play Williamstown while Bonbeach hosts Preston.
Photo: Bonbeach Bluejays - Facebook
Division 2 Reserves - Round 12
Preston Pirates 2 v Malvern Braves 14
Malvern denied Preston a three-game winning streak with a huge performance on Sunday, a far cry from the 8-5 result to the Pirates from the week prior.
The first inning was quiet but the Braves got one runner home in the second and three in the third before a massive seven-spot in the fourth sealed their fate in a good way. Malvern managed three more in the fifth as Preston got two in the late stages and that was it.
Josh Brown, Lachlan Duckett and Jack Hanger helped Malvern's cause on the day as the team improved to 9-2-1 on the season, jumping to second place. Preston is 3-8-1 near the bottom before playing Bonbeach as Malvern moves on to play Moorabbin.
Moorabbin Panthers 3 v Port Melbourne Mariners 6
George Camov celebrated his 600-game milestone at Port Melbourne in style as the team won for the second week in a row over one of the top teams.
The Mariners scored all six runs in the first inning while Moorabbin scored early and struggled to make anything happen in the second half of the game. Moorabbin was 9-1 at round 10 but now the Panthers are 9-3, out of the top spot and in third place currently. Port Melbourne improves to 5-7 before playing Doncaster while Moorabbin plays Malvern next.
Mulgrave Rebels 2 v Williamstown Wolves 12
The Wolves had a huge game, giving themselves a big buffer after a close 8-7 call last week. Sean Best, Gerard Carter and Shane Dunn helped lead Williamstown to victory at the plate.
Mulgrave had a 2-0 lead after the second but it didn't last long as Williamstown had tied it up by the fourth before putting together a huge 10-run inning in the fifth to wrap up the game on a high note.
Williamstown is looking good at 10-2 atop the reserves ladder while Mulgrave has room to improve with a 4-8 record.
The Wolves play St Kilda next while Mulgrave has Werribee.
St Kilda Saints 8 v Bonbeach Bluejays 2
Although this was a quieter game offensively than St Kilda's 15-4 rout of Bonbeach in round 11, this was still a good game offensively for the Saints as they cruised to victory.
St Kilda was consistent in scoring, putting runs up in all but two of seven innings. Bonbeach scored once in the third and once in the sixth but it didn't make much of a difference as St Kilda had the win under control.
The Saints remain in fourth place, now at 7-5 before playing Williamstown, while the Bluejays fall to 1-12 with that lone win coming all the way back in round two. Bonbeach prepares to play Preston next.
Doncaster Dragons 6 v Werribee Giants 3
Doncaster has four wins in a row now after another strong performance at Werribee. After an up-and-down start the Dragons are improving, climbing the ladder now with a 6-6 record.
Werribee is 4-6-2 after four straight losses before playing Mulgrave while Doncaster plays Port Melbourne.
Division 2 Thirds - Round 12
Werribee Giants 11 v Doncaster Dragons 12
This was a fiery matchup with loads of offense but ultimately Wayne Allen, Peter Ervin and the rest of the Doncaster crew got the job done.
12 was Doncaster's lucky number in this series as the Dragons also reached that run total the week before when they held Werribee to just five runs.
Werribee has lost three straight games while Doncaster has four consecutive wins. Doncaster sits in fourth place at 7-4-1 while Werribee is in seventh at 4-8.
Round 13 has Doncaster playing Port Melbourne and Werribee playing Mulgrave.
Port Melbourne Mariners 1 v Moorabbin Panthers 11
The Panthers pounced on Port Melbourne's pitchers, taking advantage of scoring opportunities and getting the job done for the third straight week.
Moorabbin is 10-2 in second place behind undefeated Malvern, as Port Melbourne sits much lower on the ladder with a 3-9 record.
Port Melbourne plays Doncaster and Moorabbin plays Malvern next in what will be a huge matchup between the top teams.
Williamstown Wolves 6 v Mulgrave Rebels 7
Williamstown won last week 18-3, but Mulgrave came back in much more competitive fashion this time around.
The Wolves have now dropped two of the last three as they sit in third with an 8-4 record, while Mulgrave improves to 2-8.
St Kilda is next for Williamstown as Mulgrave prepares to take on Werribee.
Bonbeach Bluejays 2 v St Kilda Saints 9
The Saints led 3-2 after the first but they quickly added to their advantage, tacking on another three in the second and one in the third.
St Kilda scored twice more in the fourth to reach the final scoreline. The Saints are just outside of the top four with a 7-5 record after three in a row, while Bonbeach is at 1-11.
St Kilda plays Williamstown and Bonbeach plays Preston in round 13.
Malvern Braves 19 v Preston Pirates 0
In a game the Pirates would rather forget, Malvern completely dominated on the mound and at the plate.
The Braves scored eight in the first and four in the second to effectively put the game out of reach, but they weren't finished offensively. Malvern continued to keep Preston quiet while scoring one in the third, two in the fourth and four in the fifth.
David Beaumont, Luke Bettles, Tom Copping and the rest of the Braves were thrilled to stay undefeated and keep up the momentum going into the next game at Moorabbin, while 4-7-1 Preston looks forward to playing Bonbeach.
Division 2 Fourths - Round 12
Werribee Giants 6 v Doncaster Dragons 16
The Dragons enjoyed a great outing, putting together one of their highest scorelines yet as they improved to a 4-6 record. Werribee is 3-9 and on the search for another win after dropping the last few.
Doncaster plays Geelong next and Werribee plays Mulgrave.
Williamstown Wolves 7 v Mulgrave Rebels 5
The back-to-back champs at Williamstown kept ahead of Mulgrave for an undefeated record, now sitting at 12-0. The Rebels are 1-11 but ready to get a win on the board in round 13 against Werribee, something Williamstown will also hope to achieve against St Kilda.
Geelong Baycats 9 v Moorabbin Panthers 9
Both sides battled hard but this game finished in a draw after Geelong came back to tie it up in the final frame. The Baycats had given up a five-run fifth to let Moorabbin right back into the game.
Scott Wise pitched well for Geelong and Marc Weakley handled third base nicely.
Geelong takes on Doncaster and Moorabbin plays Malvern for the final round of the year.
Malvern Braves 0 v Preston Pirates - FORFEIT
St Kilda Saints - BYE