The 2019/20 VSBL Division 2 season featured fantastic team performances in round seven as Moorabbin continued to dominate. Midweek games start this Thursday as the competition heats up.
Division 2 Firsts
Bonbeach Bluejays 6 v Moorabbin Panthers 9
The undefeated Panthers proved too touch for the Bluejays, scoring late to put the game out of reach.
The game was scoreless through three before Bonbeach scored one in the fourth. Moorabbin tacked on four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. The score was 9-3 going into the final frame before the Bluejays added three runs, not quite enough to overcome the powerful Panthers.
Zach Kamerman was once again strong on the mound for Moorabbin, covering six innings with five hits allowed for two runs -one unearned - and nine strikeouts to improve his ERA to 1.95 on the season.
Adam Shoppe was solid for Bonbeach too, despite giving up a four-spot to a hard-hitting Moorabbin side. Adam Major covered two innings for Bonbeach, allowing four runs - two of them unearned - on three hits.
Out of Moorabbin's 12 hits on the day, Nick Veale led the way with three hits and two RBIs, followed by three RBIs to Adam Harris on a double and a single. Neil Johnston also contributed a pair of base hits, while Ben Laux had two hits of his own. Stewart Mathieson, Mitch Barr and Kamerman also had a hit in the game.
Although Bonbeach lost, the team put up a good fight with nine hits, including three hits apiece to Matthew Bucci and Tomomi Tokubo. Adam Major had a double and a single and Nathan Keilar had a base hit.
Now 7-0, Moorabbin continues to put more distance between first place and second place Malvern, while Bonbeach is looking for win number one heading into Thursday's midweek.
Photo: Bonbeach Bluejays - Facebook
Malvern Braves 7 v Doncaster Dragons 3
Doncaster just can't seem to catch a break, still winless after seven games. Meanwhile this result keeps Malvern tied for second place at 5-2 alongside Williamstown, Werribee and Port Melbourne.
After an 0-2 start, the Braves have won their last five games, thanks to some strong pitching and batting. Tyler Dale was the winning pitcher for Malvern, throwing 6.1 innings with 11 hits given up but only three earned runs allowed. Dale walked one and struck out four during his time on the mound.
Ryan Dale had three hits, while Mitchell Kennedy had two singles and Justin Burke had a huge double for three RBIs.
Malvern's offense continued as Gavin Woolger had two base hits and Jarryd Dale had three hits including a double for two RBIs. Geoff Holland, Lachlan Fuda and Henry Hayman had a hit each.
Doncaster's John Britton pitched four innings with seven hits, five walks, and three runs - only one earned - along with two strikeouts.
Although the Dragons couldn't quite get enough runners around to score, they did have 12 hits in the game with some big offensive action, while Malvern had 14 hits. Nic Unland had three hits for Doncaster, while Brendan McDonald had a double and two singles. Ben Palensky recorded a double and a single for the Dragons, with Marcel D'Avoine, Dakota Gibson, Callum Lethborg and Derek Medlin all having hits too.
Doncaster hosts Thursday's midweek game as Malvern looks to keep up the momentum.
Werribee Giants 6 v Port Melbourne Mariners 5
Werribee held on to a narrow victory as Port Melbourne nearly erased a five-run deficit late in the game.
Despite seeing their five-run lead whittled down by the end, the Giants still held off the Mariners for a one-run victory on Sunday. Port Melbourne put up four runs in the failed comeback with one in the seventh and threw in their last at-bats in the ninth. Jackson White and Samuel Morris picked up RBIs to lead the rally.
Port Melbourne actually opened up scoring in the first inning, when Zane Chaves singled on a 0-1 count, scoring one run. The score didn't change until the top of the fifth, when Werribee tacked on five runs. The Giants scored their sixth and final run in the seventh.
Josh Lee got the win for Werribee, lasting seven and a third innings, allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out four and walking one. Wesley DeJong threw one and two-thirds innings in relief out of the bullpen.
Billy Parsons took the loss for Port Melbourne. He surrendered three hits and five unearned runs over five innings, striking out ten.
Andrew Christou went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Werribee in hits as his teammates tore up the base paths, with Christou and Ryan Balzer stealing two each.
Port Melbourne had ten hits on the day with Chaves leading the charge going 3-for-5, followed by two hits from Daniel Imoto.
Both teams have 5-2 records going into the second game of the series.
Winning Werribee pitcher Josh Lee.
Williamstown Wolves 12 v Preston Pirates 0
The Wolves were wild at the plate, racking up 12 runs to cruise to an easy shutout victory against a quiet Preston side.
Dennis Neal didn't face many problems on the mound, giving up just two hits in five innings with four strikeouts. His ERA this season is an impressive 1.06.
Errors proved costly for Preston, as starter Ben Donnell gave up 11 hits and eight runs - only two of them earned - with 10 strikeouts in six innings.
In his 401st game for Williamstown, coach Aaron Green had two hits and four runs scored. Jayde Thorne had two doubles and three singles for a perfect day at the plate, while Kevin Desmedt hit a huge triple along with two singles. Williamstown went on to collect 14 hits on the day, with Justin Gourlay, Robert Higginson, Mitchell Collins and Hiroshi Narasaki also enjoying success in the batter's box.
Preston's two hits came from Cam Deeble and Jaycob Pascuzzi.
The Pirates are 3-4 and the Wolves are 5-2 before round eight.
Mulgrave Rebels 6 v St Kilda Saints 2
The Rebels have been on a roll in recent games, winning four straight to put themselves in third place with a 4-3 record. St Kilda drops to 1-6 after another dismal outing, with the team's only victory this season coming back in round two v Preston.
Zeke Howie was instrumental for Mulgrave, giving up seven hits and two earned runs in six innings on the mound. He also collected two singles and two RBIs. Riley O'Shea and Anthony White also had multiple hits for the Rebels as the team collected 12 hits in total.
St Kilda's Franco Caramia threw 7.1 innings, giving up nine hits and three earned runs with two walks and four strikeouts.
Tom Snowden and Antonio Torres both had a double and a single for St Kilda, with Eduardo Escalona, Daniel Hogg and Daisuke Hebara also getting hits.
St Kilda will look to bounce back in Thursday night's midweek.
Division 2 Reserves
Bonbeach Bluejays 0 v Moorabbin Panthers 9
The Bluejays have suffered back-to-back shutout losses after another tough outing at Moorabbin. The Panthers remain undefeated on the heels of another convincing win, setting them up for continued success this season. Moorabbin's been consistent scoringwise all season long, chipping away inning-by-inning. The Panthers scored two in the first, three in the second and four in the third on Sunday.
Moorabbin heads to Bonbeach on Sunday for a chance at 8-0.
Malvern Braves 6 v Doncaster Dragons 4
The Braves improved their record to six wins and one draw with a big outing at Doncaster. The Dragons drop to 2-5 ahead of this weekend's rematch, when Doncaster will look to climb up the ladder and shut down a tough Malvern side.
Werribee Giants 3 v Port Melbourne Mariners 2
This close game highlighted Werribee and Port Melbourne's pitching strength, although the Giants narrowly got the edge in the end.
Werribee took a 2-0 lead in the first inning before a considerable quiet stretch. The Giants added a run in the seventh while Port Melbourne came close in the eighth, putting up two runs but just falling short of taking the lead.
Werribee improves to 3-2-2 while Port Melbourne falls to 2-5.
Williamstown Wolves 7 v Preston Pirates 1
This game was quiet through two before Williamstown tacked two runs on the board in the third. By the middle of the fifth, the Wolves were enjoying a 7-0 lead, although Preston cut that by one in the final frame.
The Pirates sit at 1-5-1 with Williamstown farther ahead in third place at 6-1.
Mulgrave Rebels 2 v St Kilda Saints 1
A terrific day pitching for both sides made this a very close game. The Saints are 2-5 now while Mulgrave is one spot ahead with a 3-4 record.
Division 2 Thirds
Port Melbourne Mariners 6 v Werribee Giants 24
The Giants were a force to be reckoned with in the batter's box, constantly getting on base and bringing runners around to score.
Port Melbourne had a 3-0 lead after the top of the first, but Werribee answered with eight runs. The second inning was quiet in comparison, with the Giants scoring just one before an insane third inning with 15 runs scored.
Port Melbourne's pitching struggles proved to be too much, although the Mariners did get three back in the fourth. The Mariners are now 2-5 while Werribee is creeping up the ladder, now at 3-4.
Doncaster Dragons 1 v Malvern Braves 11
The Braves remain undefeated after another fantastic team performance. Malvern has scored 120 runs while only allowing 26 over the course of the first seven games.
Doncaster is now 3-3-1 after dropping back-to-back games ahead of round eight.
Preston Pirates 1 v Williamstown Wolves 5
The Wolves are doing their best to keep up with the tough competition in the thirds, improving to a 5-2 record with four straight wins.
Preston was pleased to carry a 1-0 lead through the top of the third, although Williamstown broke through in the bottom frame with three runs. The Wolves added two runs in the final two innings to secure the win and hand the Pirates their fourth loss of the season.
Moorabbin Panthers 14 v Bonbeach Bluejays 5
Moorabbin is in tip-top shape after another huge result against a struggling Bonbeach side that's won just once in seven games.
The Panthers opened the game with two runs, although Bonbeach got one back in the bottom of the inning. By the end of the fourth it was 6-3 in Moorabbin's favour. The Panthers packed on six runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to further exert their dominance. The Bluejays did their best to stay in the game with two runs in the final frame, but they were left searching for a win, something that's eluded them since round two against Port Melbourne.
St Kilda Saints 7 v Mulgrave Rebels 5
The Saints held on when it mattered to come away with a much-needed third victory. Mulgrave is now 1-5-1 before Sunday's second game at St Kilda.
Division 2 Fourths
Werribee Giants 12 v Geelong Baycats 10
In an unmistakably back and forth game, these two sides battled hard to turn the result in their favour. Werribee scored two runs in the first inning, leaving Geelong without a score in the first. The Baycats jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second with five runs, capped off by an inside-the-park-home-run by Nick Allen.
A quiet third gave way to a five-run fourth for Werribee as Geelong tried to answer, only getting one run in the fourth before a three-run fifth. The score was 9-7 Geelong's way before the sixth, when Werribee did the final damage with five more runs. Geelong got one more in the final frame but the lineup couldn't quite close the gap.
Daniel Dobbie pitched well for Geelong with six strikeouts while also smashing a triple in the first.
Geelong and Werribee are both 3-4 going into round eight.
In an unmistakably back and forth game, these two sides battled hard to turn the result in their favour. Werribee scored two runs in the first inning, leaving Geelong without a score in the first. The Baycats jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second with five runs, capped off by an inside-the-park-home-run by Nick Allen.
A quiet third gave way to a five-run fourth for Werribee as Geelong tried to answer, only getting one run in the fourth before a three-run fifth. The score was 9-7 Geelong's way before the sixth, when Werribee did the final damage with five more runs. Geelong got one more in the final frame but the lineup couldn't quite close the gap.
Daniel Dobbie pitched well for Geelong with six strikeouts while also smashing a triple in the first.
Geelong and Werribee are both 3-4 going into round eight.
Doncaster Dragons 7 v Malvern Braves 13
The Braves are hanging out in the top three, thanks in large part to their great runs for (72) to runs against (21) numbers. Doncaster fell to 2-5 after this game, a disappointing result after winning so confidently 14-4 the week before.
Doncaster hosts the round eight game on Sunday.
Preston Pirates 6 v Williamstown Wolves 8
The Wolves continue to impress in the fourths, although the Pirates presented quite the challenge in round seven. Preston had a 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the second before Williamstown scored two. Three unanswered runs in the third and fourth tied things up, with the deciding runs coming in the final innings.
Preston scored one in the top of the sixth while Williamstown scored three to protect an undefeated record. Preston is now 3-4.
St Kilda Saints 11 v Mulgrave Rebels 0
The Saints sailed to an easy shutout victory over a quiet Rebels side. St Kilda's pitching staff had a great performance, keeping the Rebels under control and allowing the Saints offense to do the work, racking up the runs.
St Kilda is now 4-3 after winning two of the last three, while Mulgrave is 1-6.
Moorabbin Panthers - BYE