There's been yet another change at the top of the ladder as Werribee and Williamstown keep trading places in VSBL Division 2. Werribee was victorious in the firsts over the weekend as Williamstown suffered a loss, with more changes to the top four possible as the last regular season series continue. Moorabbin pulled further in front in the reserves after Williamstown went down in a nail-biting loss, while Malvern leads the thirds and Williamstown has the best record in the fourths.
Division 2 Firsts - Round 25
St Kilda Saints 3 v Doncaster Dragons 6
Doncaster enjoyed a well-constructed win against St Kilda to kick off the last series.
Unfortunately for both of these teams, they won't be progressing to finals as Doncaster sits eighth at 9-15, one spot ahead of the 5-20 St Kilda but each side will be eager to end the final two games off positively.
The Saints tallied 10 hits on the day as Rob Mescher chimed in an RBI as he went 3-for-4. Tom Snowden and Paul Paskar had two hits apiece, the latter scoring once with an RBI also. Eduardo hit a solo home run to be one of the Saints three runs, Daniel Hogg also coming home from one hit.
Franco Caramia was on the mound through seven innings for the Saints, taking the loss. He gave up five hits for six runs with eight walks as the Dragons were watching carefully at the plate.
Simon Fitzmuaurice got the win for the Dragons, going 8.2 innings for 10 hits, three runs and four strikeouts before Marcel D'Avoine picked up the save, facing one batter for the final out of the ballgame.
Doncaster picked up six runs on six hits as Brendan McDonald lea the way with a double as he scored two runs for the game after drawing a walk also. Luke Utting, Dakota Gibson and Ben Palensky each had one hit for one run with Callum Lethborg and D'Avoine credited with two RBIs each.
Doncaster hosts the midweek before St Kilda has the home game to finish off the season.
Mulgrave Rebels 6 v Port Melbourne Mariners 8
This game went into extra innings as the scores were tied at six-all after nine, the Mariners needing one final dig to record their 14th win of the season and keep them one win away from the top four.
Mulgrave started off well in the first, bringing in three runs. The Rebels were up 4-1 after two innings were completed.
Still ahead by three after their fourth dig, the Rebels let the lead slip as the Mariners piled on four runs to secure their first advantage of the day.
The Rebels quickly rectified that but only scored one to bring to scores even and by the time the sixth inning was done, Port Melbourne was ahead once again, scoring one run.
As they had done beforehand, the Rebels tied the game up yet again in the ninth and shut Port Melbourne out at the bottom, forcing the game to go to extras. That's when the Mariners didn't give up and contributed two runs to win the game.
Jayson Arthur pitched 5.2 innings for the Rebels, giving up 11 hits, four walks and six runs with six strikeouts along the way. Liam Richardson chipped in too with 3.2 innings of work, giving up two hits, two runs and two strikeouts in that time.
Richardson lead the Rebels in hits with three singles, one of those for an RBI, while Caleb Poole and Riley O'Shea had two hits each, the former coming home on both occasions with an RBI thrown in the mix. Nick Thompson had three RBIs, courtesy of a home run, one of two runs he scored for the game.
William Parsons was on the mound for Port Melbourne, throwing eight innings for 10 hits and five earned runs with six strikeouts. Sam Morris picked up the win in two innings as he faced eight batters for one hit, zero runs and a strikeout.
Chris Doyle and Darryl George were both clutch in hitting home runs, as they had three and two RBIs respectively with the former coming home to score again in the game. Aaron Petri, Matt Morris and Parsons had two-hit games as well, with Petri and Morris scoring runs and Parsons recording a RBI. Jock Allen had two RBIs from one hit, and he scored one of Port Melbourne's eight runs too.
The 14-10 Mariners are within a chance of cracking the top four and a win in the midweek matchup with Mulgrave will go a long way to getting them there but the Rebels will want to spoil their chances and pick up another win themselves this season as they sit seventh at 9-14.
Werribee Giants 5 v Bonbeach Bluejays 3
The sixth inning was a decisive one in this clash as Werribee's two runs made all the difference.
The two sides traded runs for the remainder of the game. It was a relatively quiet one to start, with the scores level at one-all after the second. Fast forward to the eighth, when both Werribee and Bonbeach scored two, but Werribee hung on for a crucial two-run victory to catapult the Giants back into first place.
Joshua Lee got the win from the game as he pitched well for his Giants, covering 7.1 innings for four hits and one run with nine strikeouts. Wesley de Jong got the save from 1.2 innings pitched, giving up one hit and zero runs, although it was pretty nervewracking with two strikeouts and three walks from facing nine batters.
Four batters combined for Werribees's 10 hits, three each to Jonathon Lowe and Evan McPherson and two to Ryan Balzer and Justin Gil. Lowe was the only one to go beyond first base as he hit a double. Gil scored twice with single runs to Andrew Christou, Balzer and McPherson, the latter having three RBIs also.
Mitchell Sheldon-Collins took the loss for the Bluejays, pitching 7.1 innings for seven hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts.
There were five hits in total for the Bluejays, Jim Crowe with a single and a double as well as singles to Matthew Bucci, Dylan Brown and Gordy Minty. Bucci secured two runs while Crowe was the final runscorer for the home team, who also had an RBI.
The win puts the Giants at a 18-6 record as they've again swapped with Williamstown to go to the top of the ladder while Bonbeach is 2-22. Although the Bluejays will finish the year in 10th place, they will look to challenge Werribee in the final two games.
Josh Lee got the win for Werribee on the weekend. Photo: Baseball Victoria
Preston Pirates 3 v Moorabbin Panthers 2
It was a nil-all scoreline through the first five innings but things shifted in the sixth and seventh innings, with both sides staying in the contest.
The score was tied 2-2 going into the eighth, but the Pirates did what they'd done the previous two innings and scored what would be the deciding run. Moorabbin wasn't able to bite back as the ninth was scoreless for both sides.
Preston had Ben Donnell on the mound for eight innings as he picked up the win while giving up nine hits and two runs with nine strikeouts. Mitchell Heyward ended the game with one inning of work, giving up a hit but striking out one in his scoreless appearance.
With the bats, the Pirates recorded five hits; two each to Mitchell Legge and Luke Williams who both scored a run. Taisuke Sakaguchi was the other runscorer, from reaching on a walk with Oscar Hargreaves and Legge each earning RBIs.
Moorabbin's Zach Kamerman was on the mound for eight innings in his team's defeat. He gave up five hits and two earned runs with eight strikeouts but he was credited the loss.
The Panthers racked up 10 hits over nine innings, with Mich Barr and Neil Johnston recording two apiece while Stewart Mathieson added a run with his two hits. Nick Veale was the other runscorer, coming home on his one hit of the game while Adam Harris and Barr were responsible for bringing in the runners. Nine of Moorabbin's hits were singles while Barr had the only double of the game for hiss ide.
Preston's win means the Pirates move within one game of fourth place Moorabbin, setting up an exciting final two games in the series which continues on Thursday night. Preston currently has a 14-10 record while Moorabbin is 15-8.
Malvern Braves 9 v Williamstown Wolves 3
Williamstown has given up first place to Werribee once more after this loss to Malvern on the weekend.
The Braves' fourth inning made all the difference as they scored six runs. By the time the bottom of the seventh came around, Malvern was up 7-0, having started the game with two runs in the first dig. Malvern just kept building from there, and it wasn't until the seventh inning that the Wolves were able to shut the Braves down and claim some runs themselves. Williamstown started with one in the seventh before ending up with two in the ninth, unable to go further.
Jon Kennedy pitched four innings for one hit, zero runs and eight strikeouts across 13 batters. Sean Cruz picked up the win for Malvern in his outing on the mound, as through five innings he gave up six hits and three runs - two of them earned - while striking out four.
Of the offensive end for the Braves, Chris Burke had three hits - a single, double and a triple - for one RBI. Henry Hayman had two hits including a double, recording two RBIs in the process but he also scored a third of Malvern's total runs. Jarryd Dale also recorded two RBIs from one hit and a sacrifice fly.
Williamstown used three pitchers over the nine innings. Dennis Neal took the loss, having pitched five innings, allowing eight hits and five walks for six earned runs with five strikeouts.
Jason McDonald and Kevin Desmedt each had two hits for the Wolves, McDonald getting back to home twice after bagging a double for one of his hits. Robert Higginson also came around to score as Scott Meager and Desmedt collected RBIs.
The Braves have proven they belong in the top four, currently sitting third with a 16-7 record with another two games to go in the series against Williamstown. Williamstown is 18-7 in second place now, and if things continue to go the way of the Braves, they could be going ahead of the Wolves come the end of the season.
Division 2 Reserves - Round 19
St Kilda Saints 3 v Doncaster Dragons 10
The Dragons finished off the regular season in dominant fashion, confirming their spot in the finals and finishing fourth while St Kilda's place in the postseason was already ensured, finishing third.
Doncaster is 11-7-1 record and will take on the might of Moorabbin in a semi-final while for the Saints, their 12-7 season means they travel to Williamstown this weekend for a huge game.
Preston Pirates 2 v Moorabbin Panthers 13
It seemed that whatever Preston gave to Moorabbin, the top placed team in the competition had more and more answers.
It started with the Pirates scoring the first run of the game at the top of the third, to which the Panthers responded with five.
Preston again started off the next inning with a run and while the Pirates were able to shut down the home team a little more than before, Moorabbin still scored two at the bottom.
Looking for a strong finish, Moorabbin scored six at the bottom of the fifth as the game lasted six innings. Moorabbin's win gives them a first place 14-4-1 record as the Panthers will now see them host Doncaster in a semi-final.
Preston ends the season in eighth spot with a 6-12-1 record.
Werribee Giants 20 v Bonbeach Bluejays 3
The Giants gradually increased their lead over the first four innings of this game against Bonbeach, scoring five in the opening three frames and four in the fourth but the sixth inning is where the Giants did the most damage.
Already ahead by nine runs, Werribee had 11 runners cross the plate in the sixth as the score stood at 20-0 after five and a half innings.
The Bluejays were shut out of the contest throughout their first five offensive chances but stood tall at the bottom of the sixth to come away with a semblance of a score to end their season on a positive note.
Bonbeach finished the season in 10th place with a 1-18 record, that one win coming in round two against Port Melbourne despite showing teamwork, determination and potential throughout the season.
The Giants were competitive for much of the year, however fthey've fallen just short of the top four, finishing fifth with a 10-7-2 record. Werribee is unlucky to miss out on finals, having won six of the last seven, but a stretch of four consecutive losses and a winless first four rounds ultimately hurt them in the long run.
The Giants gradually increased their lead over the first four innings of this game against Bonbeach, scoring five in the opening three frames and four in the fourth but the sixth inning is where the Giants did the most damage.
Already ahead by nine runs, Werribee had 11 runners cross the plate in the sixth as the score stood at 20-0 after five and a half innings.
The Bluejays were shut out of the contest throughout their first five offensive chances but stood tall at the bottom of the sixth to come away with a semblance of a score to end their season on a positive note.
Bonbeach finished the season in 10th place with a 1-18 record, that one win coming in round two against Port Melbourne despite showing teamwork, determination and potential throughout the season.
The Giants were competitive for much of the year, however fthey've fallen just short of the top four, finishing fifth with a 10-7-2 record. Werribee is unlucky to miss out on finals, having won six of the last seven, but a stretch of four consecutive losses and a winless first four rounds ultimately hurt them in the long run.
Mulgrave Rebels 11 v Port Melbourne Mariners 9
Port Melbourne was facing a 10-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth, and although the Mariners came close, they fell short by a few runs.
The Mariners hadn't strung together many runs in the game, with lone runners scoring in the third and fourth frames. Heading into the final inning Port Melbourne was behind 11-2, as Mulgrave had done well to gain enough of a lead to hold on, starting with three in the first and another three in the third before one and four in the fifth and sixth, respectively.
Port Melbourne's seven runs to finish the game just weren't enough, although it was an exciting comeback for the Mariners nonetheless.
Both of these sides have missed out on progressing further this season, the Rebels finishing seventh with a 9-10 record, ending the season well with a five-game win streak. Port Melbourne finished ninth with a 6-13 record, as the Mariners had a good middle part of the season, winning three games between rounds nine and 12 after being on a five-game losing streak.
Port Melbourne was facing a 10-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth, and although the Mariners came close, they fell short by a few runs.
The Mariners hadn't strung together many runs in the game, with lone runners scoring in the third and fourth frames. Heading into the final inning Port Melbourne was behind 11-2, as Mulgrave had done well to gain enough of a lead to hold on, starting with three in the first and another three in the third before one and four in the fifth and sixth, respectively.
Port Melbourne's seven runs to finish the game just weren't enough, although it was an exciting comeback for the Mariners nonetheless.
Both of these sides have missed out on progressing further this season, the Rebels finishing seventh with a 9-10 record, ending the season well with a five-game win streak. Port Melbourne finished ninth with a 6-13 record, as the Mariners had a good middle part of the season, winning three games between rounds nine and 12 after being on a five-game losing streak.
Malvern Braves 7 v Williamstown Wolves 6
It was a great effort by Malvern to shut the Wolves down at the bottom of the seventh, the Braves needing to come back themselves from a deficit after the first inning.
While Malvern got the first run of the game in the opening dig, Williamstown brought in four runs at the bottom to take the lead after the inning.
Malvern was up for the fight, driving in five runs in the next dig and another one in the fourth to hold a 7-4 lead. It was then a good display of defense from both sides, until the Braves let up two runs at the bottom of the sixth which would've had the Wolves hungry to taste victory in the final game of the season.
As the Braves hung on for the win, the Wolves turn their attention to finals after finishing the season second with a 13-6 record. Williamstown will host a semi-final against St Kilda.
For Malvern, a 10-8-1 record keeps them in sixth place, although this result allowed the Braves to end their season on a high, snapping a six-game losing streak in the process. This losing pattern saw Malvern drop down dramatically from a second place position after round 12, due in large part to a fiery start to the season with just one loss through the first 10 games.
Division 2 Thirds - Round 19
Williamstown Wolves 1 v Malvern Braves 12
The score was tied at one-all going into the bottom of the third, but that's when Malvern started piling on the runs, scoring three in the third and fifth with a five-run effort in the middle of those.
Malvern was safe at the top of the ladder regardless of the result, however this win will see the 14-3-1 Braves take a great deal of confidence into a home semi-final matchup with Moorabbin.
For Williamstown, a win would've been handy but the Wolves had already confirmed a spot in the finals with a 13-6 season record for a third place finish. Williamstown will be away to St Kilda this weekend.
Port Melbourne Mariners 2 v Mulgrave Rebels 6
The Rebels ended their season on a positive note but haven't qualified for finals, finishing sixth with a 9-8-2 record while Port Melbourne is 3-16 for the year.
From round 12 onwards, Mulgrave rode an eight-game win streak and shot up from ninth to sixth as one win out of the first 11 games hurt finals chances.
The Mariners started their season off with a 2-1 record but one win in the next 16 games and an 11-game losing streak to end the season wasn't ideal as their finals hopes were dashed. Even so, both teams can be proud of the efforts they put in this season and will be looking ahead to supporting their teammates in the coming weeks.
Moorabbin Panthers 9 v Preston Pirates 11
The third inning proved decisive for the two sides as every other inning for Moorabbin and Preston produced just one run if any.
It was a 2-1 lead to the Pirates after the second inning before the Panthers shot out of the dugout and got the bats swinging to record seven runs in their top half. Preston wasn't done though, and theam went on to outshine Moorabbin, recording nine in their respective half of the inning.
From there, the Panthers just scored the one run in the fourth as great defensive displays were on show for the remainder of the game.
The Panthers would've been nervous regarding other results and watching closely, but they will play finals after a 12-6 season, finishing fourth, 0.88% ahead of fifth-placed Doncaster. The Panthers will travel to Malvern and take on the Braves in a semi-final this weekend.
For the Pirates, a 9-9-1 seventh placing is where their season ends but they've found varying runs of form throughout the year, starting the season with three wins from four games, while at the backend, finishing with four wins from the final six games.
Doncaster Dragons 0 v St Kilda Saints 14
Doncaster had a finals spot to play for as the race to fourth place was open, but the Dragons fell to a mighty Saints side who managed to shut them out of the game completely.
St Kilda finished the season in second place and will now host a semi-final against Williamstown while for the Dragons, ending with less than one percent behind the fourth place team will hurt, but they can still be proud of their hard work over the course of the year.
Doncaster still had an impressive 12-6-1 season, starting the year with a 3-1 record and going on a eight-game win streak from round nine onwards before losing two of the last three games for the season.
Bonbeach Bluejays 10 v Werribee Giants 20
Bonbeach matched it with the Giants in the second inning, each team scoring seven runs but the Giants had already scored seven in the first inning as well.
Werribee came close to another seven-run dig in the third but still managed six to see the score balloon out to 20-7.
The Bluejays weren't giving up without a fight, scoring three at the top of the fourth to mount a small comeback but they weren't able to gather up enough runs to move within a closer margin.
Werribee and Bonbeach won't be playing through the next few weeks as they finish eighth and 10th respectively.
Werribee had a 6-13 season while Bonbeach was 1-18 for the year. The Bluejays' only win of the year came in round two against Port Melbourne while the Giants had a good stretch of games from round five to nine, winning four straight.
Division 2 Fourths - Round 19
Williamstown Wolves 2 v Malvern Braves 5
Malvern took the lead after a two-run second dig as Williamstown scored one on either side in between, the scores tied at two-all until the Braves went ahead once more at the bottom of the fourth by one run.
Malvern ended the game in the sixth inning with a further two runs to be added to the score as the excitement grew for a second-placed Braves side to beat the top-placed Wolves.
While Malvern's win didn't do anything to the top two standings, both teams will host home semi-finals this weekend: Williamstown's 14-2-1 season sees them take on Geelong while the 15-3 Malvern will battle St Kilda.
Moorabbin Panthers 8 v Preston Pirates 10
Moorabbin led 5-2 after the first but the scores were reversed in the second as Preston drew even after scoring five themselves.
The next score was to the Pirates at the bottom of the fourth, scoring one but that was quickly cancelled out as the Panthers drew level again at the top of the fifth with Preston needing to do some work to claim a walkoff win.
The Pirates did so, scoring two at the bottom for their sixth win of the season, ending in seventh place with a 6-11 record.
Preston never truly got going this season but snapped a six-game losing streak with this win over the Panthers.
It was a bitter blow to Moorabbin, as a win would have given the Panthers a chance to sneak into the top four but are left to lament their chances. The Panthers had a good start to the season, winning their first five games but fell away towards the end of the season.
Doncaster Dragons 4 v St Kilda Saints 14
Doncaster was edged out of the top four, the Saints inflicting a double digit loss on their way to a third place finish.
St Kilda has a 11-5-1 record and will travel to Malvern in a semi-final clash.
For Doncaster, this season has been up-and-down as an 8-9 record shows but the Dragons did well to come back from a 0-4 start and ended the season with four wins from their last seven games.
Geelong Baycats 18 v Mulgrave Rebels 7
Geelong has snuck into the top four on the back of this win over Mulgrave. This victory sees Geelong switch places with Moorabbin.
Daniel Dobbie started on the mound for Geelong, and Mulgrave got five runs on the board after a few costly Baycats errors in the fields. It was in the third inning that the Baycats really got things moving, scoring three before a pitching change. By the time the frame was over, Geelong had scored 12 runs to go in front 13-5. Seven of those runs were scored as the result of a two-out rally.
Mulgrave got on base in the bottom of the third with a hit by pitch, but it was quickly followed by a double play. Two runs scored but that was it for the Rebels. Jordan Sinnamon, Jennifer Mason and Ethan Weakley supported Geelong in the last part of the game, giving the Baycats a big boost.
Now the Baycats season will continue as it looked like they were determined from the outset to get a favourable result. They'll face Williamstown away in this weekend's semi-final.
For the Rebels, their season ends ninth with a 2-15 record, those wins coming in round four against Doncaster and over Werribee in round 13.
Werribee Giants v BYE
Werribee's season was over at the end of last week as the Giants were able to start their break a week early due to this weekend's bye.
The 3-13-1 Giants finished in eighth spot of the competition, their three wins coming within the first seven weeks of the competition as they rode a 10-game winless run to round out the season.
It was a great effort by Malvern to shut the Wolves down at the bottom of the seventh, the Braves needing to come back themselves from a deficit after the first inning.
While Malvern got the first run of the game in the opening dig, Williamstown brought in four runs at the bottom to take the lead after the inning.
Malvern was up for the fight, driving in five runs in the next dig and another one in the fourth to hold a 7-4 lead. It was then a good display of defense from both sides, until the Braves let up two runs at the bottom of the sixth which would've had the Wolves hungry to taste victory in the final game of the season.
As the Braves hung on for the win, the Wolves turn their attention to finals after finishing the season second with a 13-6 record. Williamstown will host a semi-final against St Kilda.
For Malvern, a 10-8-1 record keeps them in sixth place, although this result allowed the Braves to end their season on a high, snapping a six-game losing streak in the process. This losing pattern saw Malvern drop down dramatically from a second place position after round 12, due in large part to a fiery start to the season with just one loss through the first 10 games.
Division 2 Thirds - Round 19
Williamstown Wolves 1 v Malvern Braves 12
The score was tied at one-all going into the bottom of the third, but that's when Malvern started piling on the runs, scoring three in the third and fifth with a five-run effort in the middle of those.
Malvern was safe at the top of the ladder regardless of the result, however this win will see the 14-3-1 Braves take a great deal of confidence into a home semi-final matchup with Moorabbin.
For Williamstown, a win would've been handy but the Wolves had already confirmed a spot in the finals with a 13-6 season record for a third place finish. Williamstown will be away to St Kilda this weekend.
Port Melbourne Mariners 2 v Mulgrave Rebels 6
The Rebels ended their season on a positive note but haven't qualified for finals, finishing sixth with a 9-8-2 record while Port Melbourne is 3-16 for the year.
From round 12 onwards, Mulgrave rode an eight-game win streak and shot up from ninth to sixth as one win out of the first 11 games hurt finals chances.
The Mariners started their season off with a 2-1 record but one win in the next 16 games and an 11-game losing streak to end the season wasn't ideal as their finals hopes were dashed. Even so, both teams can be proud of the efforts they put in this season and will be looking ahead to supporting their teammates in the coming weeks.
Moorabbin Panthers 9 v Preston Pirates 11
The third inning proved decisive for the two sides as every other inning for Moorabbin and Preston produced just one run if any.
It was a 2-1 lead to the Pirates after the second inning before the Panthers shot out of the dugout and got the bats swinging to record seven runs in their top half. Preston wasn't done though, and theam went on to outshine Moorabbin, recording nine in their respective half of the inning.
From there, the Panthers just scored the one run in the fourth as great defensive displays were on show for the remainder of the game.
The Panthers would've been nervous regarding other results and watching closely, but they will play finals after a 12-6 season, finishing fourth, 0.88% ahead of fifth-placed Doncaster. The Panthers will travel to Malvern and take on the Braves in a semi-final this weekend.
For the Pirates, a 9-9-1 seventh placing is where their season ends but they've found varying runs of form throughout the year, starting the season with three wins from four games, while at the backend, finishing with four wins from the final six games.
Doncaster Dragons 0 v St Kilda Saints 14
Doncaster had a finals spot to play for as the race to fourth place was open, but the Dragons fell to a mighty Saints side who managed to shut them out of the game completely.
St Kilda finished the season in second place and will now host a semi-final against Williamstown while for the Dragons, ending with less than one percent behind the fourth place team will hurt, but they can still be proud of their hard work over the course of the year.
Doncaster still had an impressive 12-6-1 season, starting the year with a 3-1 record and going on a eight-game win streak from round nine onwards before losing two of the last three games for the season.
Bonbeach Bluejays 10 v Werribee Giants 20
Bonbeach matched it with the Giants in the second inning, each team scoring seven runs but the Giants had already scored seven in the first inning as well.
Werribee came close to another seven-run dig in the third but still managed six to see the score balloon out to 20-7.
The Bluejays weren't giving up without a fight, scoring three at the top of the fourth to mount a small comeback but they weren't able to gather up enough runs to move within a closer margin.
Werribee and Bonbeach won't be playing through the next few weeks as they finish eighth and 10th respectively.
Werribee had a 6-13 season while Bonbeach was 1-18 for the year. The Bluejays' only win of the year came in round two against Port Melbourne while the Giants had a good stretch of games from round five to nine, winning four straight.
Division 2 Fourths - Round 19
Williamstown Wolves 2 v Malvern Braves 5
Malvern took the lead after a two-run second dig as Williamstown scored one on either side in between, the scores tied at two-all until the Braves went ahead once more at the bottom of the fourth by one run.
Malvern ended the game in the sixth inning with a further two runs to be added to the score as the excitement grew for a second-placed Braves side to beat the top-placed Wolves.
While Malvern's win didn't do anything to the top two standings, both teams will host home semi-finals this weekend: Williamstown's 14-2-1 season sees them take on Geelong while the 15-3 Malvern will battle St Kilda.
Moorabbin Panthers 8 v Preston Pirates 10
Moorabbin led 5-2 after the first but the scores were reversed in the second as Preston drew even after scoring five themselves.
The next score was to the Pirates at the bottom of the fourth, scoring one but that was quickly cancelled out as the Panthers drew level again at the top of the fifth with Preston needing to do some work to claim a walkoff win.
The Pirates did so, scoring two at the bottom for their sixth win of the season, ending in seventh place with a 6-11 record.
Preston never truly got going this season but snapped a six-game losing streak with this win over the Panthers.
It was a bitter blow to Moorabbin, as a win would have given the Panthers a chance to sneak into the top four but are left to lament their chances. The Panthers had a good start to the season, winning their first five games but fell away towards the end of the season.
Doncaster Dragons 4 v St Kilda Saints 14
Doncaster was edged out of the top four, the Saints inflicting a double digit loss on their way to a third place finish.
St Kilda has a 11-5-1 record and will travel to Malvern in a semi-final clash.
For Doncaster, this season has been up-and-down as an 8-9 record shows but the Dragons did well to come back from a 0-4 start and ended the season with four wins from their last seven games.
Geelong Baycats 18 v Mulgrave Rebels 7
Geelong has snuck into the top four on the back of this win over Mulgrave. This victory sees Geelong switch places with Moorabbin.
Daniel Dobbie started on the mound for Geelong, and Mulgrave got five runs on the board after a few costly Baycats errors in the fields. It was in the third inning that the Baycats really got things moving, scoring three before a pitching change. By the time the frame was over, Geelong had scored 12 runs to go in front 13-5. Seven of those runs were scored as the result of a two-out rally.
Mulgrave got on base in the bottom of the third with a hit by pitch, but it was quickly followed by a double play. Two runs scored but that was it for the Rebels. Jordan Sinnamon, Jennifer Mason and Ethan Weakley supported Geelong in the last part of the game, giving the Baycats a big boost.
Now the Baycats season will continue as it looked like they were determined from the outset to get a favourable result. They'll face Williamstown away in this weekend's semi-final.
For the Rebels, their season ends ninth with a 2-15 record, those wins coming in round four against Doncaster and over Werribee in round 13.
Werribee Giants v BYE
Werribee's season was over at the end of last week as the Giants were able to start their break a week early due to this weekend's bye.
The 3-13-1 Giants finished in eighth spot of the competition, their three wins coming within the first seven weeks of the competition as they rode a 10-game winless run to round out the season.