There were plenty of shocks over the weekend as round 19 got underway in the 2019/20 VSBL Division 2 season. Despite a big upset by Bonbeach as the Bluejays claimed their first win of the season, Williamstown still holds a slight edge in the firsts. Williamstown and Moorabbin are tied for first with 12-3 records in the reserves as third-place Malvern fell to eighth-placed Mulgrave. Unbeaten Malvern lost to Mulgrave in the thirds competition that also saw the Giants beat the Panthers. Geelong beat St Kilda in the Fourths, but that competition is still being dominated by Williamstown and Malvern.
Division 2 Firsts - Round 19
Port Melbourne Mariners 6 v St Kilda Saints 2
The Mariners prevailed to record their 10th win of the season against St Kilda and snap a two-game skid.
The Mariners were helped by some great pitching outings by Aaron Petri and Tyson Cox-Davis, something coach Ben Burke was pleased with. "It was really important for us to return with a win this week after a loss either side of the Christmas break," Burke said. "We were able to gain Aaron Petri back on the mound who worked well through 6 innings for us, after a lay off in the first half of the season."
Petri got the win as he pitched six innings, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts. Cox-Davis pitched the remaining three innings, allowing five hits and one run.
It was a 14-hit day including multiple home runs for the Mariners with Chris Doyle, Sam Morris and Zane Chavez all going deep in the five-run second inning. Doyle went three from five which included a double and two RBIs while Morris' hit brought in two runs also. Chavez had three hits on the day which also included a double and two RBIs. William Parsons went two from five which included a double as he came home on both occassions.
Daiksuke Hebara was credited with the loss, pitching five innings and giving up nine hits and six runs in the process.
On the offensive end for the Saints, Roland Curiel scored from one of his two hits that included a double while Paul Paskar was the other runscorer for St Kilda. Eduardo Escalona had two hits, one of which was a double, bringing in a run. Daniel Hogg got on base with a double that brought a run home also.
St Kilda will again host a game against Port Melbourne this coming weekend as the Mariners host Pink Sports Day in support of Breast Cancer Network Australia. The Mariners are looking forward to supporting a good cause and working hard on the field. "We still have a fair bit of work to go for the remainder of the season," Burke said. "We just want to concentrate on doing the basics of the game really well, and we feel the results will take care of themselves.
Malvern Braves 0 v Mulgrave Rebels 4
The Rebels were able to shut out the Braves in this contest but Malvern kept their opponents on their toes too, not allowing them too get out to too big of a lead.
The Rebels kicked off the scoring with one in the first before adding another two in the third. The final run for the home team came in the eighth inning as Malvern couldn't find a run at all.
It was a surprise result as the third-placed Braves are still in that position but now with an 11-6 record. The Rebels have moved up a spot to seventh on the back of this win as the attention turns again to Mulgrave when these teams do battle once more.
Jayson Athur got the win for Mulgrave after pitching 8.1 innings, just allowing seven hits and zero runs with five strikeouts. Liam Richardson picked up the save.
Caleb Poole continued his great year with two hits, including a double, for two runs while Nick Coy also had a double and a single, adding one run and two RBIs. To round out the offensive side for the Rebels, Nick Thompson had three hits and one run.
Sean Cruz was credited with the loss for Malvern, going five innings with eight hits and three runs, although he did have four strikeouts.
The Braves only had seven hits on the day with Henry Hayman leading the way with two which included a double as MItchell Kennedy also picked up an extra-base hit. Gavin Woolger, Jack Hanger, Lachlan Fuda and Geoff Holland each had singles.
Doncaster Dragons 0 v Preston Pirates 5
Doncaster has picked up the pace in recent rounds, but Preston squashed the Dragons' hopes of three in a row. The Pirates formed a vital win to boost their campaign as they stay in touch with some of the top teams in the division, resting in fifth place on 11 wins for the season in which two other teams sit on the same amount.
The shutout win for the Pirates is their fourth win in a row and it was Ben Donnell who led the way from the mound, picking up the win as he pitched a complete game giving up five hits and zero runs while striking out six batters.
On the offensive end for the Pirates, Oscar Hargreaves scored from his single, Mitch Legge had one run from two hits as did Donnell while Jean Alvarado picked up a run from two hits which included a double. Matt Fordham had two hits including a double that brought in two runs. Herbert Rodrigeuz was the other beneficiary of scoring for his team and drove in two runs on an extra-base hit.
John Britton took the loss for the Dragons, going six innings for 11 hits and five runs with three strikeouts. Luke Utting and Marcel D'Avoine combined for two innings with one hit between them.
Brian Chen was responsible for two of Doncaster's hits with Callum Lethborg and John Britton the others to record hits.
Doncaster and Preston will meet again in round 20 at Preston.
Werribee Giants 8 v Moorabbin Panthers 3
The Giants keep on fighting for top spot, a small percentage away from claiming it as their own and the win over Moorabbin inches them closer.
The two top-four sides battled it out as the score was tied at 3-3 after four as each team found single scores throughout the first half of the game.
Werribee broke away from the Panthers in the sixth with three runs and continued the run-scoring in the seventh and ninth with singles as the Giants recorded their 14th win of the season and fifth in a row.
Werribee was helped along by Joshua Lee on the mound who pitched seven innings for seven hits and three runs along with four strikeouts. Trent Pantalleresco and Wesley de Jong combined for two innings with two hits between them.
For the Giants, Justin Gil picked up three hits and two RBIs and Oliver Box hit a double that drove in two runs also. Evan McPherson scored twice from his two hits, the same for Lee who added an RBI to that too. de Jong too got the bat working with two hits, one run and an RBI.
Nick Bertucci got the loss for Moorabbin, pitching 0.1 innings and giving up two hits, three runs and four base on balls. Stewart Mathieson was on the mound for 3.2 innings and in the process gave up four hits and zero earned runs.
Mitch Barr picked up two hits for the Panthers while Bertucci did well with the bat, getting on base twice through hits, one of which was a triple where he drove in a run and later scored himself. Adam Harris, Zach Kamerman and Mathieson each had hits that lead to RBIs.
Werribee will be hoping to clinch top spot with another win over Moorabbin in round 20.
Evan McPherson of Werribee Giants Baseball Club. Photo: Baseball Victoria.
Bonbeach Bluejays 9 v Williamstown Wolves 6
This was an entertaining game that ended with the Bluejays collecting their first win of the season against the top-placed Williamstown.
The surprising result had definitely been building throughout the previous Bluejays matches but the loss for the Wolves was tough considering they were on a seven-game winning streak.
Adam Shoppe got the win for Bonbeach, going five innings with seven hits, three earned runs and four strikeouts. Tomomi Tokubo was good as back-up, going four innings for three hits and one earned run.
Tokubo was great in the box too, collecting two runs from one hit, a triple while Matthew Bucci starred with two runs from two hits and an RBI. Jim Crowe had two hits that included a double as he was responsible for driving in two of his team's runs as was Adam Major who picked up a run, a hit and two RBIs. Dylan Aldridge made it to second on his one hit for the game, scoring one in the process and later adding a run to his name, just his second for the season. Nathan Keilar had two hits for one run.
"The highlight of the game would have to be the performances by starting pitcher Adam Schoppe and closer Tokubo Tomomi," Bonbeach coach Robert Novotny said. "Jim Crowe our catcher is great with our pitchers, like an on-field coach. Also, our outfielders Matt Bucci and Mitch Sheldon-Collins made some outstanding catches in critical situations with the wind blowing out a gale."
This exciting matchup gave the Bluejays a chance to challenge themselves, and their hard work paid off. "We are in the middle of a process at Bonbeach, and our record shows it," Novotny said. "My hat is off to our remaining core players who are working hard to recreate our club for a new era. Playing against a high quality side like Williamstown was simply an opportunity to measure our progress within this process. At the end of the day, its one win and we're glad to have it...but Williamstown is on top for a reason."
"The highlight of the game would have to be the performances by starting pitcher Adam Schoppe and closer Tokubo Tomomi," Bonbeach coach Robert Novotny said. "Jim Crowe our catcher is great with our pitchers, like an on-field coach. Also, our outfielders Matt Bucci and Mitch Sheldon-Collins made some outstanding catches in critical situations with the wind blowing out a gale."
This exciting matchup gave the Bluejays a chance to challenge themselves, and their hard work paid off. "We are in the middle of a process at Bonbeach, and our record shows it," Novotny said. "My hat is off to our remaining core players who are working hard to recreate our club for a new era. Playing against a high quality side like Williamstown was simply an opportunity to measure our progress within this process. At the end of the day, its one win and we're glad to have it...but Williamstown is on top for a reason."
For the Wolves camp, Daniel Chircop took the loss, going four innings and letting in three earned runs from four hits with five strikeouts.
Kevin Desmedt continued a fine start to 2020 as he had three hits that included a double and a home run! Desmedt brought in two runs in total. Bill Maher made it to second on his one hit of the game however recorded three runs in total for the game, a feat he also achieved in the final game of 2019. Justin Gourlay had one hit for the game that was a double, bringing in a run and scoring himself later on. Hiroshi Narasaki got on base with a double which he too later scored from.
The Bluejays will almost certainly have more confidence than ever now and it'll be interesting to see how Williamstown bounce back when the two teams meet again this week.
Division Two Reserves - Round 15
Port Melbourne Mariners 1 v St Kilda Saints 16
Two big offensive innings from St Kilda catapulted them to a huge win over Port Melbourne on Saturday.
Scoring four runs throughout the first two innings, the Saints then scored six in the third before finishing off the game with five in their final hitout in the sixth.
The Mariners found a run in the sixth themselves but weren't anywhere close to what the Saints were putting on display, with big contributions from Elijah Bate, Felix Brunner, Bryan Livett and more.
The Saints are now in double-digits for wins this season and seven of their past eight games have been victories, showing to the rest of the competition their capabilities going forward.
The next fixture between these two will see the game played at Port Melbourne as the Saints look to continue their streak.
Werribee Giants 0 v Moorabbin Panthers 5
Moorabbin got a shutout over the Giants but it was only a one-run game up until the sixth.
Moorabbin struck with the first run in the fourth, however the Panthers went the extra mile in the sixth when they scored four more.
The Panthers are locked at 12-3 for the season but are behind ladder leaders Williamstown with 99 runs scored compared to 127 for the Wolves.
The loss would hurt Werribee a little bit but the Giants will try not to repeat those efforts at home against Moorabbin this weekend.
Malvern Braves 5 v Mulgrave Rebels 7
Malvern had the upper hand as a high-scoring first innings came to a close, the Braves leading 4-3.
The Rebels would go on to score four runs of their own in the second, taking the lead and forcing Malvern to come back from the deficit.
The Braves brought the margin back by one but it wasn't enough as Mulgrave won against the third-placed team in five innings.
Mulgrave had a five game losing streak prior to this with a few one-run losses however the Rebels will look to improve a 5-10 record in the coming weeks, being especially confident when they face Malvern once again this weekend.
Bonbeach Bluejays 3 v Williamstown Wolves 16
A big win to Williamstown over Bonbeach in this matchup, but it wasn't until late in the game that the scoreline grew out.
The Wolves lead 2-1 before the bottom of the fourth, which was when Williamstown went crazy, batting in five in that dig and then nine in the preceding inning.
The Bluejays managed two runs in the fifth to improve their score however they still have the one win for the season, something they will hope to change in front of home fans this weekend against Williamstown.
Doncaster Dragons 6 v Preston Pirates 5
Doncaster prevailed in a close one against Preston, the Pirates unable to come back as the game wound down.
The Dragons are just on the outskirts of the top four right now which is why this win was crucial to their season and helping them with a 9-6 record currently.
For the Pirates, they'll hope to bounce back in a positive way next weekend but it'll have to be done away from home as they travel to Doncaster.
Division Two Thirds - Round 15
St Kilda Saints 15 v Port Melbourne Mariners 1
St Kilda scored in each frame of the four-inning game against Port Melbourne, starting with four in the first, three in each of the second and third and finishing with five in the fourth.
A lineup featuring the likes of Malcom Davis, Shaun O'Reilly and Mark Segal kept things rolling for the Saints.
The Mariners single run came in the fourth when they had an almighty chase but it wasn't to be as the Port Melbourne dropped loss number 12 of the season.
The Saints meanwhile are 9-6 and will be playing away this weekend against Port Melbourne, looking to replicate this particular game.
Preston Pirates 6 v Doncaster Dragons 13
Doncaster has continued their excellent season with a fine win over Preston where many runs were scored. Wayne Allen, Shannon D'Avoine and Peter Ervin helped Doncaster's efforts on the day.
The Dragons sit third with a 10-4-1 record, just behind Moorabbin while the Pirates are sixth with a 6-8-1 record heading into round 16 where the two sides will meet at Preston.
Moorabbin Panthers 4 v Werribee Giants 5
Moorabbin had the chance to beat the Giants but couldn't gain enough runs at the top of the sixth.
Werribee had scored five runs by the time the second innings came to a close and the Panthers scored two at the top of the third to start their comeback.
Single runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings were the other times Moorabbin got on the scoreboard as eighth-place Werribee upset the second-place team.
The Panthers will be hoping this was just a small bump in the road when they host Werribee next round.
Williamstown Wolves 11 v Bonbeach Bluejays 0
A big seven-run first innings opened Williamstown's account and provided the framework for a shutout win over Bonbeach.
Adding one run in the second and three in the sixth, the lead grew to a point where the Bleujays couldn't contain it.
The Wolves remain in fourth place while Bonbeach remains stranded at the bottom but will want to produce some powerful offence when these teams meet again next weekend.
Mulgrave Rebels 6 v Malvern Braves 5
The first-placed Braves fell to the seventh-placed Rebels in this match, Malvern seeing a loss for the first time this season.
The Rebels got out to a 4-0 lead after four innings as they scored three in the third but the Braves always fought back, starting with three themselves in the bottom of the fifth.
In need of more runs, Mulgrave added two more to the tally in the sixth, which left Malvern needing four for victory.
Instead, the Braves, while fighting hard, only secured two more runs as the Rebels celebrated an unlikely victory.
The Rebels will be hoping that they can topple the ladder-leaders once again, this time at home, next week.
Division Two Fourths - Round 15
St Kilda Saints 18 v Geelong Baycats 3
St Kilda got into Geelong pretty early on with nine first-innings runs with the Baycats unable to string any hits together to get them back into the game.
From there, the Saints managed nine more runs, helped by another big innings in the third when they came up with six runs.
Geelong registeried three runs throughout the first three innings but that would be it for the day. Daniel Dobbie and Sean Hughes covered pitching duties for Geelong.
The Saints are 9-3-1 sitting third while the Baycats are fifth with a 7-8-1 record. St Kilda hosts the next game.
Preston Pirates 7 v Doncaster Dragons 20
Although these two teams were pretty evenly matched on the ladder, this game was lopsided in Doncaster's favour.
The Dragons extended their lead at every possibility, with solid performances up and down the lineup.
The Dragons have claimed their sixth win of the season while Preston sits 5-8 ahead of another meeting this weekend.
Mulgrave Rebels 1 v Malvern Braves 12
Malvern got the ball rolling in the first with four runs before the Rebels found their only score of the game in the second.
From that point, the Braves were economical collecting eight runs throughout the third to fifth innings including five in the fifth.
The Braves are secure in second spot with a 12-2 record while the Rebels are 2-13 before they face each other again in a few days time.
Moorabbin Panthers 10 v Werribee Giants 10
The Giants were tasked with just getting one run to win it at the bottom of the sixth after Moorabbin tied the score at the top when they got two runs in.
Werribee got things started in the first with three runs and another four in the second as the Panthers scored eight in reply across the second to fourth innings.
The Giants took the lead again in the fourth with two runs and gave themselves a two-run buffer after the fifth before Moorabbin came out in the sixth with enough runs to tie the game.
The draw sees Moorabbin sit fourth with a 6-5-2 record while Werribee is eighth with a 3-10-1 record ahead of another outing this weekend.
Williamstown Wolves v BYE
The Wolves are 12-1-1 in first place as they chase their third premiership in a row.