Round three of the 2019/20 VSBL Division 2 season featured some strong showings and surprise results as Williamstown, Moorabbin and Port Melbourne managed to secure 3-0 starts to the season. Moorabbin's four senior teams have yet to lose as the competition continues, with plenty of fantastic baseball action remaining over the course of the season.
Division 2 Firsts
3 5
Werribee lost the lead late in a 5-3 defeat to Malvern on Sunday, giving the Braves their first win of the season as they avoided the sweep.
Photo: Malvern Braves Baseball Club - Facebook
Malvern got things moving in the first inning when Ryan Dale tripled on a 1-2 count, followed up by a Mitch Kennedy double on a 3-2 count to score one run.
Werribee tied things up in the fourth inning when Justin Gil scored from third on a wild pitch. The Giants took the lead in the sixth inning after a bases loaded walk to Wade Balzer was followed up by a single from Trent Pantalleresco to left field scoring another run to make it 3-1.
Going into the eighth inning Werribee led 3-2. But after a Gavin Woolger sacrifice fly, a Lachlan Fuda single and a wild pitch Malvern had the lead of 5-3 - a deficit that Werribee couldn’t make up for as the game finished in the Braves' favour.
Kennedy was the winning pitcher for Malvern Braves. He allowed two hits and zero runs over three and two-thirds innings, striking out four and walking zero as he didn’t waste any time from facing 17 batters. Joshua Brown threw one-third of an inning in relief out of the bullpen.
Josh Lee took the loss for Werribee Giants. He lasted one inning, allowing three hits and three runs while striking out one.
Tyler Dale started the game for Malvern. He surrendered one run on one hit over five innings, striking out two and walking one. Wesley DeJong started the game for Werribee. He went seven innings, and facing 27 batters he allowed two runs on four hits, striking out four and walking one.
Trent Pantalleresco led Werribee with two hits in four at bats including an RBI. Justin Gil scored two runs and Wesley De Jong got one of the Giants' three.
Malvern’s Fuda and R. Dale all managed multiple hits for Malvern with the latter recording two runs. Chris Burke had two runs too while Woolger hit two sacrifice flys that each resulted in runs crossing the plate.
Werribee lost the lead late in a 5-3 defeat to Malvern on Sunday, giving the Braves their first win of the season as they avoided the sweep.
Photo: Malvern Braves Baseball Club - Facebook
Malvern got things moving in the first inning when Ryan Dale tripled on a 1-2 count, followed up by a Mitch Kennedy double on a 3-2 count to score one run.
Werribee tied things up in the fourth inning when Justin Gil scored from third on a wild pitch. The Giants took the lead in the sixth inning after a bases loaded walk to Wade Balzer was followed up by a single from Trent Pantalleresco to left field scoring another run to make it 3-1.
Going into the eighth inning Werribee led 3-2. But after a Gavin Woolger sacrifice fly, a Lachlan Fuda single and a wild pitch Malvern had the lead of 5-3 - a deficit that Werribee couldn’t make up for as the game finished in the Braves' favour.
Kennedy was the winning pitcher for Malvern Braves. He allowed two hits and zero runs over three and two-thirds innings, striking out four and walking zero as he didn’t waste any time from facing 17 batters. Joshua Brown threw one-third of an inning in relief out of the bullpen.
Josh Lee took the loss for Werribee Giants. He lasted one inning, allowing three hits and three runs while striking out one.
Tyler Dale started the game for Malvern. He surrendered one run on one hit over five innings, striking out two and walking one. Wesley DeJong started the game for Werribee. He went seven innings, and facing 27 batters he allowed two runs on four hits, striking out four and walking one.
Trent Pantalleresco led Werribee with two hits in four at bats including an RBI. Justin Gil scored two runs and Wesley De Jong got one of the Giants' three.
Malvern’s Fuda and R. Dale all managed multiple hits for Malvern with the latter recording two runs. Chris Burke had two runs too while Woolger hit two sacrifice flys that each resulted in runs crossing the plate.
5 6
The Panthers were briefly worried about giving up their undefeated run this season as the Rebels looked set to win their first game of the year, but Moorabbin held on for a victory and a 3-0 start.
Adam Harris was good for Moorabbin with three hits including a double, two RBI’s and a run. Zach Kamerman also brought in two runs from his one hit. Ben Laux was a multiple run scorer for the Panthers.
Kamerman pitched two innings for one hit and four strikeouts from facing seven batters, highlighting a tough defense.
Caleb Poole did his bit for the Rebels with three RBI’s from his three hits including a home run.
Liam Richardson was on the mound for 5.2 innings and recorded six strikeouts and one earned run.
5 6
The Panthers were briefly worried about giving up their undefeated run this season as the Rebels looked set to win their first game of the year, but Moorabbin held on for a victory and a 3-0 start.
Adam Harris was good for Moorabbin with three hits including a double, two RBI’s and a run. Zach Kamerman also brought in two runs from his one hit. Ben Laux was a multiple run scorer for the Panthers.
Kamerman pitched two innings for one hit and four strikeouts from facing seven batters, highlighting a tough defense.
Caleb Poole did his bit for the Rebels with three RBI’s from his three hits including a home run.
Liam Richardson was on the mound for 5.2 innings and recorded six strikeouts and one earned run.
2 12
Going into the second inning, the scores were tied one-apeice, but after that, Port Melbourne got the upper hand.
A four-run effort in the second as well as a five-run inning in the fifth allowed the Mariners to go up by nine runs.
Bonbeach cut the lead briefly in their seventh inning but it wasn’t enough as the Mariners kept charging with another two in the eighth.
Adam Shoppe scored for Bonbeach and Matthew Bucci hit beyond the fence for a home run. Aaron Petri, Chris Doyle and Ryan Lea were each scored two runs for Port Melbourne.
Sam Morris responded to the Bonbeach homer with one himself bringing in two runs. Jack White had three RBI’s. Petri also pitched six innings for three hits and one run but had five strikeouts.
9 16
A late nine-run rally in the seventh was what Preston needed to overpower St Kilda.
Before that, the Saints were up 8-7 and looked strong after a four-run fifth inning. Beyond the eighth St Kilda had work to do and in the end their lineup only cut the deficit by one.
Matt Fordham had three hits from three at bats including a two-base effort as well as seeing the ball well with three base on balls.
Fordham, Cameron Deeble and Glenn Farrell scored three runs each while Adrian Fittock brought in four runs with three at bats.
Nick Pascuzzi pitched four innings giving up three runs while Cameron Deeble finished with a 0.00 ERA from three hits.
10 0
Williamstown got off to a hot start in this game, bringing two runs in in their first dig, and their defense kept Doncaster to zero as they kept themselves in top spot on the Division Two ladder.
Williamstown confirmed the result would end up their way with an eight-run stretch in the fourth inning.
Only one player on the Wolves list couldn’t manage a score but Sean Best and Jason McDonald each ended the game with a batting percentage of 1.000.
McDonald had three RBI’s from his two at bats while Daniel Chircop had two RBI’s as a result of his double.
Dennis Neal kept up a perfect season thus far on the mound. In five innings he gave away three hits but kept the runners on base with no runs coming past. He took his strikeout count to 20 for the season with another five on Sunday.
Nic Unland made the most of his plate appearances with a two-base hit while Luke Utting was on the mound for two innings and gave up one hit for no runs with two strikeouts.
Division 2 Reserves
7 7
Werribee and Malvern drew after a close contest. Malvern opened up scoring in the second inning when Ryan Othen singled on a 2-2 count, scoring one run. Werribee answered and eventually took the lead, and it wasn't until the bottom of the sixth that Malvern evened things up at seven when Jack Hanger singled on a 1-0 count, scoring one run.
Malvern saw the ball well today, tallying 12 hits in the game. Othen, Tim Maginn, Chris Wall and Ashton Scott all managed two hits to lead Malvern. Harry Garrett was a standout for Werribee, with three quality hits including a blazing triple to the right field fence.
7 9
Moorabbin overcame a 7-3 deficit in the fourth inning to claim a two-run win over Mulgrave.
The Panthers got out to a lead first scoring one in the second but a collective seven runs in the third and fourth for the Rebels saw a strong lead.
Six runs from Moorabbin in the fourth inning was exactly what they needed to maintain an unbeaten streak this season while Mulgrave rue the missed opportunity to record their first win of the season, camped on the bottom of the ladder.
5 6
Each team were 1-1 heading into this matchup and at the end of the day, Port Melbourne won in a close one.
The Mariners left it late despite starting strongly with a 3-0 lead taken all the way until the fifth inning.
Bonbeach took the lead with four runs in the fifth and kept Port Melbourne to zero in their respective dig before scoring another to take their lead to two.
However, Bonbeach couldn’t shut out the game as Port Melbourne won with three runs in the sixth.
6 7
In this game which had the lead change multiple times, it was Preston who won it in the bottom of the sixth.
St Kilda drew first blood in the first until Preston scored two in their second inning.
Scores were tied heading into Preston’s fourth inning and that was where the Pirates scored four to take a nice lead which they held until the top of six where the Saints responded to tie the scores yet again.
In a tense bottom dig for Preston, they found a way to score a run and celebrated the win.
18 3
The Wolves were unstoppable on Sunday, putting together a terrific day of offense to pull away from the Dragons. Williamstown is 2-1 and Doncaster is 1-2 as these teams look ahead to their next series against Port Melbourne and Mulgrave, respectively.
Division 2 Thirds
1 6
St Kilda were steady in their approach to scoring in Round 3 where they scored one run in each of the first three innings before finding more coming across the plate in the fourth inning that saw them extend their lead to six.
Preston got on the board in the seventh but just scored one, handing St Kilda with their first win of the season and Preston’s first loss.
16 1
Port Melbourne wasted no time getting on the board, eager to overcome their 9-7 loss to Bonbeach the week before. The Bluejays didn't have much offensive production to offer on Sunday, something they will look to change as they visit Malvern in round four. Port Melbourne hosts Williamstown on Sunday.
26 2
A progressive effort from the whole team in Moorabbin went a long way to their commanding win over Bonbeach.
Never slowing down, the Panthers scored six runs in each of their first three innings as Bonbeach scored one in the each of the first and third.
Despite the 18-2 lead heading into the fourth, Moorabbin didn’t feel like stopping there, amassing another eight runs proving they’re tough to contain.
13 7
Malvern had to fight for their win over Werribee after falling behind 5-2 going into the third inning.
Five runs in the third and another six in the fourth was enough to power past the Giants who only managed another two in their fourth.
12 9
Doncaster had a massive victory on Sunday, overpowering Williamstown for their second win of the season. Doncaster won the first game by one run, while Williamstown won the second 16-3. It's been a great series between these two teams, showing that both have the potential to score a lot of runs and get the job done at the plate.
Division 2 Fourths
10 11
Scores were tied at nine-apeice at the end of the second, highlighting an enormous want from both teams to score early.
From there though, Preston couldn’t continue past its nine-run effort in the second with St Kilda gaining a two-run lead, and victory, from their next two batting efforts.
7 5
Geelong escaped round three with an undefeated record intact after getting the upper hand over Bonbeach. The Bluejays visit Malvern Braves on Sunday while Geelong and Williamstown go toe-to-toe in a big matchup on Saturday.
10 7
Moorabbin scored their runs consistently throughout the third to fifth inning period, getting all of their 10 runs in that time.
Mulgrave led the way with three runs in the first and responded to each of Moorabbin’s threats early, gaining the lead back in the third and tying in the fourth but unfortunately for the Panthers, not after the fifth.
19 1
A huge 11-run dig at the top of the first set up the Braves second win of the season, adding another four in the second before Werribee got their one and only at the bottom of two.
Malvern added on another four runs to their score throughout the next two innings to take the win.
5 12
Williamstown won the premiership last year, and their dominance thus far this season is a reminder of how powerful this team is. When this lineup gets on a roll, they are hard to stop and slow down. Williamstown is 3-0 along with Geelong and Moorabbin.
2 12
Going into the second inning, the scores were tied one-apeice, but after that, Port Melbourne got the upper hand.
A four-run effort in the second as well as a five-run inning in the fifth allowed the Mariners to go up by nine runs.
Bonbeach cut the lead briefly in their seventh inning but it wasn’t enough as the Mariners kept charging with another two in the eighth.
Adam Shoppe scored for Bonbeach and Matthew Bucci hit beyond the fence for a home run. Aaron Petri, Chris Doyle and Ryan Lea were each scored two runs for Port Melbourne.
Sam Morris responded to the Bonbeach homer with one himself bringing in two runs. Jack White had three RBI’s. Petri also pitched six innings for three hits and one run but had five strikeouts.
9 16
A late nine-run rally in the seventh was what Preston needed to overpower St Kilda.
Before that, the Saints were up 8-7 and looked strong after a four-run fifth inning. Beyond the eighth St Kilda had work to do and in the end their lineup only cut the deficit by one.
Matt Fordham had three hits from three at bats including a two-base effort as well as seeing the ball well with three base on balls.
Fordham, Cameron Deeble and Glenn Farrell scored three runs each while Adrian Fittock brought in four runs with three at bats.
Nick Pascuzzi pitched four innings giving up three runs while Cameron Deeble finished with a 0.00 ERA from three hits.
10 0
Williamstown got off to a hot start in this game, bringing two runs in in their first dig, and their defense kept Doncaster to zero as they kept themselves in top spot on the Division Two ladder.
Williamstown confirmed the result would end up their way with an eight-run stretch in the fourth inning.
Only one player on the Wolves list couldn’t manage a score but Sean Best and Jason McDonald each ended the game with a batting percentage of 1.000.
McDonald had three RBI’s from his two at bats while Daniel Chircop had two RBI’s as a result of his double.
Dennis Neal kept up a perfect season thus far on the mound. In five innings he gave away three hits but kept the runners on base with no runs coming past. He took his strikeout count to 20 for the season with another five on Sunday.
Nic Unland made the most of his plate appearances with a two-base hit while Luke Utting was on the mound for two innings and gave up one hit for no runs with two strikeouts.
Division 2 Reserves
7 7
Werribee and Malvern drew after a close contest. Malvern opened up scoring in the second inning when Ryan Othen singled on a 2-2 count, scoring one run. Werribee answered and eventually took the lead, and it wasn't until the bottom of the sixth that Malvern evened things up at seven when Jack Hanger singled on a 1-0 count, scoring one run.
Malvern saw the ball well today, tallying 12 hits in the game. Othen, Tim Maginn, Chris Wall and Ashton Scott all managed two hits to lead Malvern. Harry Garrett was a standout for Werribee, with three quality hits including a blazing triple to the right field fence.
7 9
Moorabbin overcame a 7-3 deficit in the fourth inning to claim a two-run win over Mulgrave.
The Panthers got out to a lead first scoring one in the second but a collective seven runs in the third and fourth for the Rebels saw a strong lead.
Six runs from Moorabbin in the fourth inning was exactly what they needed to maintain an unbeaten streak this season while Mulgrave rue the missed opportunity to record their first win of the season, camped on the bottom of the ladder.
5 6
Each team were 1-1 heading into this matchup and at the end of the day, Port Melbourne won in a close one.
The Mariners left it late despite starting strongly with a 3-0 lead taken all the way until the fifth inning.
Bonbeach took the lead with four runs in the fifth and kept Port Melbourne to zero in their respective dig before scoring another to take their lead to two.
However, Bonbeach couldn’t shut out the game as Port Melbourne won with three runs in the sixth.
6 7
In this game which had the lead change multiple times, it was Preston who won it in the bottom of the sixth.
St Kilda drew first blood in the first until Preston scored two in their second inning.
Scores were tied heading into Preston’s fourth inning and that was where the Pirates scored four to take a nice lead which they held until the top of six where the Saints responded to tie the scores yet again.
In a tense bottom dig for Preston, they found a way to score a run and celebrated the win.
18 3
The Wolves were unstoppable on Sunday, putting together a terrific day of offense to pull away from the Dragons. Williamstown is 2-1 and Doncaster is 1-2 as these teams look ahead to their next series against Port Melbourne and Mulgrave, respectively.
Division 2 Thirds
1 6
St Kilda were steady in their approach to scoring in Round 3 where they scored one run in each of the first three innings before finding more coming across the plate in the fourth inning that saw them extend their lead to six.
Preston got on the board in the seventh but just scored one, handing St Kilda with their first win of the season and Preston’s first loss.
16 1
Port Melbourne wasted no time getting on the board, eager to overcome their 9-7 loss to Bonbeach the week before. The Bluejays didn't have much offensive production to offer on Sunday, something they will look to change as they visit Malvern in round four. Port Melbourne hosts Williamstown on Sunday.
26 2
A progressive effort from the whole team in Moorabbin went a long way to their commanding win over Bonbeach.
Never slowing down, the Panthers scored six runs in each of their first three innings as Bonbeach scored one in the each of the first and third.
Despite the 18-2 lead heading into the fourth, Moorabbin didn’t feel like stopping there, amassing another eight runs proving they’re tough to contain.
13 7
Malvern had to fight for their win over Werribee after falling behind 5-2 going into the third inning.
Five runs in the third and another six in the fourth was enough to power past the Giants who only managed another two in their fourth.
12 9
Doncaster had a massive victory on Sunday, overpowering Williamstown for their second win of the season. Doncaster won the first game by one run, while Williamstown won the second 16-3. It's been a great series between these two teams, showing that both have the potential to score a lot of runs and get the job done at the plate.
Division 2 Fourths
10 11
Scores were tied at nine-apeice at the end of the second, highlighting an enormous want from both teams to score early.
From there though, Preston couldn’t continue past its nine-run effort in the second with St Kilda gaining a two-run lead, and victory, from their next two batting efforts.
7 5
Geelong escaped round three with an undefeated record intact after getting the upper hand over Bonbeach. The Bluejays visit Malvern Braves on Sunday while Geelong and Williamstown go toe-to-toe in a big matchup on Saturday.
10 7
Moorabbin scored their runs consistently throughout the third to fifth inning period, getting all of their 10 runs in that time.
Mulgrave led the way with three runs in the first and responded to each of Moorabbin’s threats early, gaining the lead back in the third and tying in the fourth but unfortunately for the Panthers, not after the fifth.
19 1
A huge 11-run dig at the top of the first set up the Braves second win of the season, adding another four in the second before Werribee got their one and only at the bottom of two.
Malvern added on another four runs to their score throughout the next two innings to take the win.
5 12
Williamstown won the premiership last year, and their dominance thus far this season is a reminder of how powerful this team is. When this lineup gets on a roll, they are hard to stop and slow down. Williamstown is 3-0 along with Geelong and Moorabbin.