Photo: Alex McCulloch
Williamstown won two close games over Moorabbin while Malvern came back from a game one loss to book a spot in the Grand Final.
The Wolves and the Braves will go head-to-head at Melbourne Ballpark starting Thursday, 10 March with the VSBL Division 2 Firsts Premiership on the line.
Game 1: Moorabbin Panthers 1 v Williamstown Wolves 3
With both sides eager to win in the first game of the series, this was a pitcher's duel through and through, with Williamstown coming out on top.
The Panthers pounced first, scoring one in the opening frame before Williamstown settled down and got things moving in the right direction. Moorabbin held off the Wolves' hungry bats through the first two innings, but the bottom of the third saw Williamstown bring three runners home in a flurry.
The rest of the game went by quickly with no scoring on either side as Williamstown kept Moorabbin off the base paths for a crucial win. Kevin Desmedt continued his fine pitching form with just four hits and two walks allowed in seven innings, with seven strikeouts along the way. He also had two hits, with Aaron Green, Robbie Higginson, Jayde Thorne and Daniel Chircop also having hits on the day.
Zack Kamerman pitched six innings for Moorabbin, giving up six hits and two walks with four strikeouts and two earned runs allowed. Mitch Barr and Nick Veal had big hits for Moorabbin to keep them in the game.
Game 2: Moorabbin Panthers 3 v Williamstown Wolves 4
In a must-win game for Moorabbin, the Panthers fell just short as the Wolves walked it off in the ninth with a huge home run from Jayde Thorne.
The game was scoreless through the first four innings before Moorabbin got three on in the fifth and Williamstown scored one. The Wolves broke through in the eighth to tie it up before winning the game in the ninth inning.
Kevin Desmedt also homered while Thorne made a terrific slide at home plate. Aaron Green laid down a beautiful bunt to bring Hiroshi Narasaki home as well, all in support of a strong start by pitcher Dennis Neal.
Moorabbin's strong season campaign ended with a 17-10 total record, while Williamstown secured the first of two Grand Final spots as the Wolves will chase their first premiership since back-to-back flags in 2013 and 2014.
Having finished the regular season in second place with a 20-7 record, the Wolves will be eager to get the job done in the grand final.
Game 1: Werribee Giants 3 v Malvern Braves 2
After a wash out at Melbourne Ballpark on Thursday, the first game of the semi-final series was played on Saturday, with Werribee gaining the upper hand with a crucial win.
The Giants started strong with a two-run effort at the top of the first. Justin Gil, the second batter of the game, hit a shot deep over the right field fence scoring two runs as Ryan Balzer was on base via an error to lead off the game.
Malvern was able to cut the margin in half in the bottom of the fifth when, with two outs, Gavin Woolger scored on a wild pitch with Justin Burke at the plate, Burke eventually lining out for the final out of the inning.
At the top of the seventh, the Giants got that run back as Andrew Christou scored on an error from the catcher after he drew a walk and advanced on a single from Trent Pantalleresco and a fielder’s choice to end up at third.
A couple of pitches after that Christou run, Sean Cruz struck out Jon Lowe looking for the final out, the Braves needing to pick up a few consecutive hits in the coming innings.
While Malvern got runners on base in the seventh, neither came home, the same result in the eighth after a positive defensive showing saw them remain in-touch with the Giants.
The Giants couldn’t extend their lead anymore in the ninth, leaving the equation quite clear for Malvern. Two singles to Jack Hanger and Geoff Holland to start things off in their ninth dig was a good result as the Braves brought in a pinch hitter, H Hayman, who flew out to centre field, however Hanger was left at third.
A fielder’s choice saw Hanger scoring as Ryan Othen was the second out on his attempt to get to second before Ryan Dale popped it up to shortstop who caught it and started celebrating as Werribee took a 1-0 series lead on their quest to the grand final.
Holland led the way for hits on the day with four for the Braves as Woolger and Kennedy picked up two each. Malvern had 11 hits for the game, compared to three for the Giants. But it was the Giants who were more clinical in getting their runners home when on base.
Wesley de Jong and Cruz each pitched nine innings for Werribee and Malvern respectively and were very similar on the stat sheet, Cruz edging out his opponent with 25 to 24 first-pitch strikes and 12 to seven strikeouts.
Game 2: Malvern Braves 2 v Werribee Giants 0
Werribee saw an early deficit after Malvern picked up the first run of the game within the first inning, an RBI double from Mitch Kennedy paving the way for Ryan Dale to score after he singled in the at-bat prior.
The following seven innings were a great defensive showing from both teams that kept the contest close, each dig providing the three outs in five batters or less.
The Braves secured another run at the top of the ninth to give themselves a bit more of a buffer going into the final dig of the game. Justin Burke was the runscorer this time around as he lead off the dig with a single before gaining third due to a Dale double. The bases were loaded when Kennedy drew a walk and as Gavin Woolger grounded out, Burke crossed home.
Evan McPherson tried to lift the Giants to a chance when he singled with one out at the bottom of the ninth, advancing on a wild pitch but the ensuring next two batters after him were struck out swinging, seeing the game end with a two-run win to Malvern.
Jon Kennedy and Joshua Lee pitched nine innings for their respective teams as Kennedy threw 14 strikeouts to help his side to the win. Lee, still competitive, sat seven batters down via strikeout.
While the Giants had more hits than the Braves – seven to four - Dale had half of his team’s hits as he scored on one, while McPherson and Justin Gil each led the way for Werribee with two apiece.
Malvern’s win confirmed that this semi-final series would go to a third game on Sunday afternoon with the series split at 1-1 after a Werribee 3-2 win the day before.
Game 3: Malvern Braves 12 v Werribee Giants 10
A grand final berth was on the line as Malvern and Werribee faced off to see who would play Williamstown in the deciding series to start on Thursday night at Melbourne Ballpark.
The Giants were eager to make up for their loss the game before, and they came out swinging early on, catching the Braves off guard with six runs within the first two innings, while shutting their opponents out during that time.
The determination from the Giants looked promising from the outset as lead-off Ryan Balzer singled before Evan McPherson put down a sacrifice bunt, getting thrown out at first as Balzer took second. The next batter up was Justin Gil who singled, and the speedy running of Balzer saw the Giants take the first run of the game. Gil scored a couple of batters later as Andrew Christou singled on a fly ball to left field.
A three-up, three-down dig for Malvern started a massive second inning when the Braves gave up four runs to Werribee at the bottom. Reece Haywood singled and scored from a McPherson hit, where after that the Braves changed their pitcher, Stephen Hunter coming onto the mound to try and change things.
The move started well as Gil flew out to left field for the second out however a few unforced errors from the Braves, including a hit by pitch and walk, saw McPherson score. Josh Lee singled up the middle which brought Oliver Box and Balzer to score as the innings ended with a flyout.
Malvern brought in two runs at the top of the third, seeing the bases loaded after two walks and a single. Gavin Woolger singled up to centre field and scored Chris Godfrey and Justin Burke.
Werribee was on a mission to continue the run-scoring and put this game to bed with another two runs scoring in the third dig. Balzer again scored from a McPherson single and as McPherson had reached second on an error by the catcher, he scored on a Gil double.
The events that started the third dig for the Braves replicated themselves in the fourth, as two walks and a single loaded the bases and Malvern was finally able to get going after a Dale double scored three. Soon after, Dale came home himself thanks to a Mitch Kennedy single, and it was back to a two-run ballgame.
It wasn’t long before the Braves had the bases loaded again, to the loss of no more outs. A Werribee error allowed for Geoff Holland’s connection to score three more, the Braves taking the lead for the first time.
The margin stayed at 9-8 in Malvern’s favour until the visiting side added more to the total in the sixth, a sacrifice bunt from Woolger advancing Kennedy who’d singled earlier. A double from Jack Hanger scored Kennedy as Holland provided another RBI when he singled to let Hanger score.
The bottom of the sixth saw Werribee try and take back the lead, but the Giants were still behind by one at the completion of the inning. Lee doubled to score Box while Christou scored before Simon Riches grounded out.
The seventh and eighth innings didn’t produce any further scores to either side until Malvern forced another run of a fielder’s choice that saw Henry Hayman scoring after he doubled at the start of the inning, Dale credited with the RBI.
While things looked good for the Giants at the bottom of the ninth when Harry Garrett singled and a sacrifice bunt was laid down to their advantage, two consecutive ground outs left Garrett on third and the Giants rueing a blown series lead all in the space of a few hours.
Kennedy had three hits for Malvern while Lee led the way with three hits for Werribee, Dale recording a game-high four RBIs for the Braves.
Kennedy was also good on the mound for the Braves, lasting 6.2 innings that had three strikeouts and 21 first-pitch strikes while on the other end, Werribee's Trent Pantalleresco and Lee combined in the middle for 7.2 innings, a total of seven strikeouts between them.
Malvern will now be heading to the grand final to face Williamstown in a best-of-three series, riding plenty of momentum from knocking off the ladder-leaders from this division.
After a wash out at Melbourne Ballpark on Thursday, the first game of the semi-final series was played on Saturday, with Werribee gaining the upper hand with a crucial win.
The Giants started strong with a two-run effort at the top of the first. Justin Gil, the second batter of the game, hit a shot deep over the right field fence scoring two runs as Ryan Balzer was on base via an error to lead off the game.
Malvern was able to cut the margin in half in the bottom of the fifth when, with two outs, Gavin Woolger scored on a wild pitch with Justin Burke at the plate, Burke eventually lining out for the final out of the inning.
At the top of the seventh, the Giants got that run back as Andrew Christou scored on an error from the catcher after he drew a walk and advanced on a single from Trent Pantalleresco and a fielder’s choice to end up at third.
A couple of pitches after that Christou run, Sean Cruz struck out Jon Lowe looking for the final out, the Braves needing to pick up a few consecutive hits in the coming innings.
While Malvern got runners on base in the seventh, neither came home, the same result in the eighth after a positive defensive showing saw them remain in-touch with the Giants.
The Giants couldn’t extend their lead anymore in the ninth, leaving the equation quite clear for Malvern. Two singles to Jack Hanger and Geoff Holland to start things off in their ninth dig was a good result as the Braves brought in a pinch hitter, H Hayman, who flew out to centre field, however Hanger was left at third.
A fielder’s choice saw Hanger scoring as Ryan Othen was the second out on his attempt to get to second before Ryan Dale popped it up to shortstop who caught it and started celebrating as Werribee took a 1-0 series lead on their quest to the grand final.
Holland led the way for hits on the day with four for the Braves as Woolger and Kennedy picked up two each. Malvern had 11 hits for the game, compared to three for the Giants. But it was the Giants who were more clinical in getting their runners home when on base.
Wesley de Jong and Cruz each pitched nine innings for Werribee and Malvern respectively and were very similar on the stat sheet, Cruz edging out his opponent with 25 to 24 first-pitch strikes and 12 to seven strikeouts.
Game 2: Malvern Braves 2 v Werribee Giants 0
Werribee saw an early deficit after Malvern picked up the first run of the game within the first inning, an RBI double from Mitch Kennedy paving the way for Ryan Dale to score after he singled in the at-bat prior.
The following seven innings were a great defensive showing from both teams that kept the contest close, each dig providing the three outs in five batters or less.
The Braves secured another run at the top of the ninth to give themselves a bit more of a buffer going into the final dig of the game. Justin Burke was the runscorer this time around as he lead off the dig with a single before gaining third due to a Dale double. The bases were loaded when Kennedy drew a walk and as Gavin Woolger grounded out, Burke crossed home.
Evan McPherson tried to lift the Giants to a chance when he singled with one out at the bottom of the ninth, advancing on a wild pitch but the ensuring next two batters after him were struck out swinging, seeing the game end with a two-run win to Malvern.
Jon Kennedy and Joshua Lee pitched nine innings for their respective teams as Kennedy threw 14 strikeouts to help his side to the win. Lee, still competitive, sat seven batters down via strikeout.
While the Giants had more hits than the Braves – seven to four - Dale had half of his team’s hits as he scored on one, while McPherson and Justin Gil each led the way for Werribee with two apiece.
Malvern’s win confirmed that this semi-final series would go to a third game on Sunday afternoon with the series split at 1-1 after a Werribee 3-2 win the day before.
Game 3: Malvern Braves 12 v Werribee Giants 10
A grand final berth was on the line as Malvern and Werribee faced off to see who would play Williamstown in the deciding series to start on Thursday night at Melbourne Ballpark.
The Giants were eager to make up for their loss the game before, and they came out swinging early on, catching the Braves off guard with six runs within the first two innings, while shutting their opponents out during that time.
The determination from the Giants looked promising from the outset as lead-off Ryan Balzer singled before Evan McPherson put down a sacrifice bunt, getting thrown out at first as Balzer took second. The next batter up was Justin Gil who singled, and the speedy running of Balzer saw the Giants take the first run of the game. Gil scored a couple of batters later as Andrew Christou singled on a fly ball to left field.
A three-up, three-down dig for Malvern started a massive second inning when the Braves gave up four runs to Werribee at the bottom. Reece Haywood singled and scored from a McPherson hit, where after that the Braves changed their pitcher, Stephen Hunter coming onto the mound to try and change things.
The move started well as Gil flew out to left field for the second out however a few unforced errors from the Braves, including a hit by pitch and walk, saw McPherson score. Josh Lee singled up the middle which brought Oliver Box and Balzer to score as the innings ended with a flyout.
Malvern brought in two runs at the top of the third, seeing the bases loaded after two walks and a single. Gavin Woolger singled up to centre field and scored Chris Godfrey and Justin Burke.
Werribee was on a mission to continue the run-scoring and put this game to bed with another two runs scoring in the third dig. Balzer again scored from a McPherson single and as McPherson had reached second on an error by the catcher, he scored on a Gil double.
The events that started the third dig for the Braves replicated themselves in the fourth, as two walks and a single loaded the bases and Malvern was finally able to get going after a Dale double scored three. Soon after, Dale came home himself thanks to a Mitch Kennedy single, and it was back to a two-run ballgame.
It wasn’t long before the Braves had the bases loaded again, to the loss of no more outs. A Werribee error allowed for Geoff Holland’s connection to score three more, the Braves taking the lead for the first time.
The margin stayed at 9-8 in Malvern’s favour until the visiting side added more to the total in the sixth, a sacrifice bunt from Woolger advancing Kennedy who’d singled earlier. A double from Jack Hanger scored Kennedy as Holland provided another RBI when he singled to let Hanger score.
The bottom of the sixth saw Werribee try and take back the lead, but the Giants were still behind by one at the completion of the inning. Lee doubled to score Box while Christou scored before Simon Riches grounded out.
The seventh and eighth innings didn’t produce any further scores to either side until Malvern forced another run of a fielder’s choice that saw Henry Hayman scoring after he doubled at the start of the inning, Dale credited with the RBI.
While things looked good for the Giants at the bottom of the ninth when Harry Garrett singled and a sacrifice bunt was laid down to their advantage, two consecutive ground outs left Garrett on third and the Giants rueing a blown series lead all in the space of a few hours.
Kennedy had three hits for Malvern while Lee led the way with three hits for Werribee, Dale recording a game-high four RBIs for the Braves.
Kennedy was also good on the mound for the Braves, lasting 6.2 innings that had three strikeouts and 21 first-pitch strikes while on the other end, Werribee's Trent Pantalleresco and Lee combined in the middle for 7.2 innings, a total of seven strikeouts between them.
Malvern will now be heading to the grand final to face Williamstown in a best-of-three series, riding plenty of momentum from knocking off the ladder-leaders from this division.