The 2019/20 VSBL Women's Division 1, 2 and 3 seasons are heading toward finals, with every team giving it their all week in and week out. In Women's Division 1 Springvale leads the way, while Doncaster is at the top of Women's Division 2. Melbourne has a handle on Women's Division 3 East, Bonbeach Blue and Cheltenham are very close in Women's Division 3 South and Sunshine is nearly unstoppable in Women's Division 3 West.
Women's Division 1 - Round 18 (Midweek Games - Wednesday, 12 February)
Essendon Bombers 1 v Springvale Lions 4
Springvale won a tight contest against Essendon to stay on top of the ladder in front of Doncaster. Essendon had five hits for the game compared to Springvale's seven but the Bombers struggled a bit on the mound, giving the Lions the chance to advance.
Springvale capitalised on a series of wild pitches and passed balls from Essendon's pitcher Emma French, with the Lions players on third running hard to get home for a series of runs in the four-run second inning.
Essendon jumped on the board in the fourth inning when Georgia Page got on top of a pitch and hit it out to left field for her second base hit of the night as Abbey Kelly's bases loaded walk brought the run in.
Emily Devine had three hits from three at bats for Springvale, each of her connections heading to left field, the first hit being a double but she unfortunately couldn't find a way home on either occassion.
Maddy Patrick started on the mound for the Lions and through five innings, she had five hits, one run and four strikeouts. Gabby Bevan came in as relief for the final two innings.
French started on the mound for the Bombers, giving up five hits, zero earned runs with two base on balls before Abbey Kelly came on to pitch giving up two hits, zero runs with two strikeouts.
Footscray Bulldogs FORFEIT v Doncaster Dragons
With this forfeit from Footscray, Doncaster improves to 11-3-3 and stays firmly in the top two.
Women's Division 1 - Round 19 (Saturday, 15 February)
Essendon Bombers 4 v Doncaster Dragons 15
The Dragons did what they needed to do to keep pace with the top-placed team, currently sitting second and one win away from overtaking Springvale on the ladder. Both of these sides had wins over the weekend as the regular season gets down to the last round this upcoming Saturday. It will be an exciting one as Springvale and Doncaster face off against each other in round 20.
For the Dragons the round 19 matchup with Essendon was about more than just celebrating a win, as it was a special occasion marking Amy McCann's 300th game in the yellow and green.
As head coach of the Doncaster Women's Division 1 team, this was an exciting moment for McCann and her teammates.
"Considering we didn't think we would get a game in with all the rain, it was great to get out there and get the win," McCann said. "Not for me but for the team and the players, it was good to get such great intent from all players in what were pretty tough conditions."
This day also marked the 20th anniversary of Doncaster's women's program, which has seen a lot of success over the years. "It was so great to see so many of our former players and friends come back to the club to watch the game and reminisce," McCann added.
McCann highlighted some crucial players that all played a part in defense and offence. Jess Johnson was solid on the mound while Ursula Howard and Jamie Bastian were great with the bats, displaying the Dragons' hitting depth in the middle of the order with superb situational hitting. On a day when the team collected eight hits total, Howard had three and Bastian had two. Bronwyn Gell also had two doubles and Erin Collins got on base with a hit too.
"We saw a strong performance from Jess Johnson on the hill who had a nice mix of her best, and when Essendon challenged her, Jess showed great grit in a couple of tricky situations," McCann said. "It was a good test ahead of finals."
Doncaster will look to overpower Springvale in the last regular season round, which promises a matchup where both sides will be fighting hard. McCann knows that the Dragons consistency across the season should hold them in good stead going forward, and they need to trust in their processes, decisions and teammates. "We have one game of the regular season left and fittingly it is Doncaster versus Springvale," McCann said. "We are two wins, two losses and two draws against each other so this will be an interesting game, a real teaser ahead of our first final just one week later."
Springvale Lions 12 v Footscray Bulldogs 1
The Lions improved their excellent season with a win over Footscray on the weekend.
Springvale brought in 10 runs brought in across the second, third and fourth innings, with solo scores in the first and fifth. The Bulldogs scored their one and only run in the fourth.
Morgan Doty took the loss for the Bulldogs as she went through two innings, giving up five hits and two walks for three earned runs. She was supported by Brittney Cedelland and Abbey McLellan.
Cedelland was the pick of the offence for the Bulldogs too, collecting two doubles as she made her way to home for her side's only run of the game, thanks to a Doty RBI single.
Springvale collected 14 hits on the day, with Hanami Campitelli leading the way with a double and two singles. Emily Devine had two doubles while Sinead Flanigan had one and so did Shae Lillywhite. Kellie Manzie, Siobhan Stephenson, Lili Cavanagh and Ayumi Ikeyama also got hits on the day.
Gabby Bevan threw five innings for Springvale, giving up three hits and one unearned run with four strikeouts.
Next up for these teams, 13-3-2 Springvale takes on 12-3-3 Doncaster in a top-two battle while the Bulldogs hope to win for the first time this season in their game against Essendon.
Women's Division 2 - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Essendon Bombers 2 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 8
Wheelers Hill that took full advantage of scoring opportunities in this game, tacking three on in the bottom of the first after the Bombers brought one home in the opening frame.
The second inning started the same way with Essendon claiming a run to bring the margin back to one but the Warriors stayed strong and bettered their score by five as the game was called.
The 8-6 Warriors will finish in third place but still have a game against Springvale to look forward to this weekend while for the Bombers, their 2-13 season could be better with a win against Footscray.
Doncaster Dragons 26 v Footscray Bulldogs 0
Doncaster completely dominated this game, not giving Footscray much of a chance to make a break for it and get on the board.
With this result, the Dragons pulled further ahead from lower placed teams, now with a 13-1 record. Doncaster is two games ahead of second place Springvale.
This game exemplified how the Dragons won't be slowing down as finals approaches, so Fitzroy will have to watch out this weekend. For the 5-8-1 Bulldogs, their regular season will end at Essendon on Saturday.
Springvale Lions v Fitzroy Lions - WASHOUT
Springvale is 11-2, just shy of Doncaster in first place.
There's still one more round to go and the Lions will host Wheelers Hill while Fitzroy hosts Doncaster.
Women's Division 3 East - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Springvale Lions 2 v Melbourne Demons 14
The Demons were building towards a fitting finale in this game, first collecting four runs in the first inning and three in the second before finishing with a flurry of seven runs in the third and final inning.
Jade Devlin, Tori Elliot and Melanie Keks were big parts of Melbourne's winning performance.
Springvale managed one run in each of the second and third digs but dropped loss number eight of the season and the third in a row.
Springvale has a 4-8 record right now and will end the regular season at home v Mulgrave while first place Melbourne has a bye, ending the regular season with a strong 10-2 record ahead of 9-3 Moorabbin.
Moorabbin Panthers 13 v Mulgrave Rebels 0
The Panthers handed Mulgrave a big shutout loss, winning their ninth game of the season and fifth in a row.
Moorabbin's 9-3 record sees them sit second ahead of a clash with Doncaster in the final round while for Mulgrave will hope for a win against Springvale this weekend.
Doncaster Dragons v BYE
The Dragons are fresh off a bye as they look to play Moorabbin at home this weekend, keen to improve upon their 7-5 record, although their third place position won't change with one game left.
Women's Division 3 South - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Sandringham Royals 7 v Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 10
The Royals came back really well in this contest as they were down by eight runs as the fourth inning rolled around, largely due to the Bluejays' seven runs they scored in their first dig with an extra run coming from the second inning.
The comeback was good but it just wasn't enough for the Royals as Bonbeach added two more at the bottom of the fourth as the game came to an end.
The Bluejays kept up their good season, stretching their record to 11-1 as they're in first place ahead of a meeting with 11-2 Cheltenham this weekend. For the third place Royals, they have an 8-5 record with the bye in the final round.
Pakenham Pumas Black 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 20
The Pumas got the jump early as they scored the first two runs of the game in the very first dig but from there, it was all Cheltenham.
The Rustlers had back-to-back innings of seven runs and then came close to claiming another seven in the third but came up short by one as they didn't allow the Pumas another sniff.
Cheltenham sits second at 11-2 with a round to go v Bonbeach Blue, while Pakenham Black will try to break onto the win board against Berwick on the road this weekend.
Berwick City Cougars v Bonbeach Bluejays White - FORFEIT
The Cougars will end the year with a home game against Pakenham Black, a game they'll need to win to keep fourth place as they're one of two teams with a 5-6 record.
The Bluejays are 2-9 for the season, having won one game in their past seven, but it still shouldn't stop them from playing their hearts out against Pakenham White this weekend.
Pakenham Pumas White v BYE
The Pumas had the week off and it makes things harder for them now as they're one of two teams on a 5-6 record, but they are just shy of the top four meaning a win this weekend against Bonbeach White is crucial.
Women's Division 3 West - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Sunshine Eagles 18 v North Western Titans 4
The Eagles started strong and finished stronger as they scored seven runs from the outset in the first inning, followed up by five and six in the second and third respectively.
Sunshine looked good defensively as well, getting a key double play as the Eagles kept the Titans at bay. North Western did score two runs in each inning either side of the game, but it wasn't enough as the team fell to a 5-6-1 record for the season.
North Western plays Geelong White this weekend, while top-spot Sunshine has a bye and will finish the regular season with a 12-1 record, that lone loss coming way back in round four.
Geelong Baycats Blue 19 v Geelong Baycats White 7
In a battle against the Geelong sides, Baycats Blue prevailed over Baycats White.
The game started pretty evenly for both teams, a 2-2 result after the first inning but the next 10 runs went the way of Blue, including six in the second.
Baycats White scored three at the bottom of the third but once again, a strong offensive showing from Baycats Blue to pencil in seven runs in the fourth was too much. The White team managed an extra two at the bottom but that was it.
Baycats White are sitting at 0-12-1 and looking for a win against North Western Titans this weekend, while Baycats Blue sit second with a 7-5 record and will play Fitzroy in an exciting matchup.
Fitzroy Lions v BYE
The Lions go into round 17 with a 5-5-1 record in third place. Their next game is at home v Geelong Baycats Blue, a team that's 7-5-1. These two sides had a 12-12 draw last time they met, with Geelong winning 18-10 all the way back in round two.
Women's Division 1 - Round 19 (Saturday, 15 February)
Essendon Bombers 4 v Doncaster Dragons 15
The Dragons did what they needed to do to keep pace with the top-placed team, currently sitting second and one win away from overtaking Springvale on the ladder. Both of these sides had wins over the weekend as the regular season gets down to the last round this upcoming Saturday. It will be an exciting one as Springvale and Doncaster face off against each other in round 20.
For the Dragons the round 19 matchup with Essendon was about more than just celebrating a win, as it was a special occasion marking Amy McCann's 300th game in the yellow and green.
As head coach of the Doncaster Women's Division 1 team, this was an exciting moment for McCann and her teammates.
"Considering we didn't think we would get a game in with all the rain, it was great to get out there and get the win," McCann said. "Not for me but for the team and the players, it was good to get such great intent from all players in what were pretty tough conditions."
This day also marked the 20th anniversary of Doncaster's women's program, which has seen a lot of success over the years. "It was so great to see so many of our former players and friends come back to the club to watch the game and reminisce," McCann added.
McCann highlighted some crucial players that all played a part in defense and offence. Jess Johnson was solid on the mound while Ursula Howard and Jamie Bastian were great with the bats, displaying the Dragons' hitting depth in the middle of the order with superb situational hitting. On a day when the team collected eight hits total, Howard had three and Bastian had two. Bronwyn Gell also had two doubles and Erin Collins got on base with a hit too.
"We saw a strong performance from Jess Johnson on the hill who had a nice mix of her best, and when Essendon challenged her, Jess showed great grit in a couple of tricky situations," McCann said. "It was a good test ahead of finals."
Doncaster will look to overpower Springvale in the last regular season round, which promises a matchup where both sides will be fighting hard. McCann knows that the Dragons consistency across the season should hold them in good stead going forward, and they need to trust in their processes, decisions and teammates. "We have one game of the regular season left and fittingly it is Doncaster versus Springvale," McCann said. "We are two wins, two losses and two draws against each other so this will be an interesting game, a real teaser ahead of our first final just one week later."
Springvale Lions 12 v Footscray Bulldogs 1
The Lions improved their excellent season with a win over Footscray on the weekend.
Springvale brought in 10 runs brought in across the second, third and fourth innings, with solo scores in the first and fifth. The Bulldogs scored their one and only run in the fourth.
Morgan Doty took the loss for the Bulldogs as she went through two innings, giving up five hits and two walks for three earned runs. She was supported by Brittney Cedelland and Abbey McLellan.
Cedelland was the pick of the offence for the Bulldogs too, collecting two doubles as she made her way to home for her side's only run of the game, thanks to a Doty RBI single.
Springvale collected 14 hits on the day, with Hanami Campitelli leading the way with a double and two singles. Emily Devine had two doubles while Sinead Flanigan had one and so did Shae Lillywhite. Kellie Manzie, Siobhan Stephenson, Lili Cavanagh and Ayumi Ikeyama also got hits on the day.
Gabby Bevan threw five innings for Springvale, giving up three hits and one unearned run with four strikeouts.
Next up for these teams, 13-3-2 Springvale takes on 12-3-3 Doncaster in a top-two battle while the Bulldogs hope to win for the first time this season in their game against Essendon.
Women's Division 2 - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Essendon Bombers 2 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 8
Wheelers Hill that took full advantage of scoring opportunities in this game, tacking three on in the bottom of the first after the Bombers brought one home in the opening frame.
The second inning started the same way with Essendon claiming a run to bring the margin back to one but the Warriors stayed strong and bettered their score by five as the game was called.
The 8-6 Warriors will finish in third place but still have a game against Springvale to look forward to this weekend while for the Bombers, their 2-13 season could be better with a win against Footscray.
Doncaster Dragons 26 v Footscray Bulldogs 0
Doncaster completely dominated this game, not giving Footscray much of a chance to make a break for it and get on the board.
With this result, the Dragons pulled further ahead from lower placed teams, now with a 13-1 record. Doncaster is two games ahead of second place Springvale.
This game exemplified how the Dragons won't be slowing down as finals approaches, so Fitzroy will have to watch out this weekend. For the 5-8-1 Bulldogs, their regular season will end at Essendon on Saturday.
Springvale Lions v Fitzroy Lions - WASHOUT
Springvale is 11-2, just shy of Doncaster in first place.
There's still one more round to go and the Lions will host Wheelers Hill while Fitzroy hosts Doncaster.
Women's Division 3 East - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Springvale Lions 2 v Melbourne Demons 14
The Demons were building towards a fitting finale in this game, first collecting four runs in the first inning and three in the second before finishing with a flurry of seven runs in the third and final inning.
Jade Devlin, Tori Elliot and Melanie Keks were big parts of Melbourne's winning performance.
Springvale managed one run in each of the second and third digs but dropped loss number eight of the season and the third in a row.
Springvale has a 4-8 record right now and will end the regular season at home v Mulgrave while first place Melbourne has a bye, ending the regular season with a strong 10-2 record ahead of 9-3 Moorabbin.
Moorabbin Panthers 13 v Mulgrave Rebels 0
The Panthers handed Mulgrave a big shutout loss, winning their ninth game of the season and fifth in a row.
Moorabbin's 9-3 record sees them sit second ahead of a clash with Doncaster in the final round while for Mulgrave will hope for a win against Springvale this weekend.
Doncaster Dragons v BYE
The Dragons are fresh off a bye as they look to play Moorabbin at home this weekend, keen to improve upon their 7-5 record, although their third place position won't change with one game left.
Women's Division 3 South - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Sandringham Royals 7 v Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 10
The Royals came back really well in this contest as they were down by eight runs as the fourth inning rolled around, largely due to the Bluejays' seven runs they scored in their first dig with an extra run coming from the second inning.
The comeback was good but it just wasn't enough for the Royals as Bonbeach added two more at the bottom of the fourth as the game came to an end.
The Bluejays kept up their good season, stretching their record to 11-1 as they're in first place ahead of a meeting with 11-2 Cheltenham this weekend. For the third place Royals, they have an 8-5 record with the bye in the final round.
Pakenham Pumas Black 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 20
The Pumas got the jump early as they scored the first two runs of the game in the very first dig but from there, it was all Cheltenham.
The Rustlers had back-to-back innings of seven runs and then came close to claiming another seven in the third but came up short by one as they didn't allow the Pumas another sniff.
Cheltenham sits second at 11-2 with a round to go v Bonbeach Blue, while Pakenham Black will try to break onto the win board against Berwick on the road this weekend.
Berwick City Cougars v Bonbeach Bluejays White - FORFEIT
The Cougars will end the year with a home game against Pakenham Black, a game they'll need to win to keep fourth place as they're one of two teams with a 5-6 record.
The Bluejays are 2-9 for the season, having won one game in their past seven, but it still shouldn't stop them from playing their hearts out against Pakenham White this weekend.
Pakenham Pumas White v BYE
The Pumas had the week off and it makes things harder for them now as they're one of two teams on a 5-6 record, but they are just shy of the top four meaning a win this weekend against Bonbeach White is crucial.
Women's Division 3 West - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Sunshine Eagles 18 v North Western Titans 4
The Eagles started strong and finished stronger as they scored seven runs from the outset in the first inning, followed up by five and six in the second and third respectively.
Sunshine looked good defensively as well, getting a key double play as the Eagles kept the Titans at bay. North Western did score two runs in each inning either side of the game, but it wasn't enough as the team fell to a 5-6-1 record for the season.
North Western plays Geelong White this weekend, while top-spot Sunshine has a bye and will finish the regular season with a 12-1 record, that lone loss coming way back in round four.
Geelong Baycats Blue 19 v Geelong Baycats White 7
In a battle against the Geelong sides, Baycats Blue prevailed over Baycats White.
The game started pretty evenly for both teams, a 2-2 result after the first inning but the next 10 runs went the way of Blue, including six in the second.
Baycats White scored three at the bottom of the third but once again, a strong offensive showing from Baycats Blue to pencil in seven runs in the fourth was too much. The White team managed an extra two at the bottom but that was it.
Baycats White are sitting at 0-12-1 and looking for a win against North Western Titans this weekend, while Baycats Blue sit second with a 7-5 record and will play Fitzroy in an exciting matchup.
Fitzroy Lions v BYE
The Lions go into round 17 with a 5-5-1 record in third place. Their next game is at home v Geelong Baycats Blue, a team that's 7-5-1. These two sides had a 12-12 draw last time they met, with Geelong winning 18-10 all the way back in round two.
Essendon Bombers 2 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 8
Wheelers Hill that took full advantage of scoring opportunities in this game, tacking three on in the bottom of the first after the Bombers brought one home in the opening frame.
The second inning started the same way with Essendon claiming a run to bring the margin back to one but the Warriors stayed strong and bettered their score by five as the game was called.
The 8-6 Warriors will finish in third place but still have a game against Springvale to look forward to this weekend while for the Bombers, their 2-13 season could be better with a win against Footscray.
Doncaster Dragons 26 v Footscray Bulldogs 0
Doncaster completely dominated this game, not giving Footscray much of a chance to make a break for it and get on the board.
With this result, the Dragons pulled further ahead from lower placed teams, now with a 13-1 record. Doncaster is two games ahead of second place Springvale.
This game exemplified how the Dragons won't be slowing down as finals approaches, so Fitzroy will have to watch out this weekend. For the 5-8-1 Bulldogs, their regular season will end at Essendon on Saturday.
Springvale Lions v Fitzroy Lions - WASHOUT
Springvale is 11-2, just shy of Doncaster in first place.
There's still one more round to go and the Lions will host Wheelers Hill while Fitzroy hosts Doncaster.
Women's Division 3 East - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Springvale Lions 2 v Melbourne Demons 14
The Demons were building towards a fitting finale in this game, first collecting four runs in the first inning and three in the second before finishing with a flurry of seven runs in the third and final inning.
Jade Devlin, Tori Elliot and Melanie Keks were big parts of Melbourne's winning performance.
Springvale managed one run in each of the second and third digs but dropped loss number eight of the season and the third in a row.
Springvale has a 4-8 record right now and will end the regular season at home v Mulgrave while first place Melbourne has a bye, ending the regular season with a strong 10-2 record ahead of 9-3 Moorabbin.
Moorabbin Panthers 13 v Mulgrave Rebels 0
The Panthers handed Mulgrave a big shutout loss, winning their ninth game of the season and fifth in a row.
Moorabbin's 9-3 record sees them sit second ahead of a clash with Doncaster in the final round while for Mulgrave will hope for a win against Springvale this weekend.
Doncaster Dragons v BYE
The Dragons are fresh off a bye as they look to play Moorabbin at home this weekend, keen to improve upon their 7-5 record, although their third place position won't change with one game left.
Women's Division 3 South - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Sandringham Royals 7 v Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 10
The Royals came back really well in this contest as they were down by eight runs as the fourth inning rolled around, largely due to the Bluejays' seven runs they scored in their first dig with an extra run coming from the second inning.
The comeback was good but it just wasn't enough for the Royals as Bonbeach added two more at the bottom of the fourth as the game came to an end.
The Bluejays kept up their good season, stretching their record to 11-1 as they're in first place ahead of a meeting with 11-2 Cheltenham this weekend. For the third place Royals, they have an 8-5 record with the bye in the final round.
Pakenham Pumas Black 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 20
The Pumas got the jump early as they scored the first two runs of the game in the very first dig but from there, it was all Cheltenham.
The Rustlers had back-to-back innings of seven runs and then came close to claiming another seven in the third but came up short by one as they didn't allow the Pumas another sniff.
Cheltenham sits second at 11-2 with a round to go v Bonbeach Blue, while Pakenham Black will try to break onto the win board against Berwick on the road this weekend.
Berwick City Cougars v Bonbeach Bluejays White - FORFEIT
The Cougars will end the year with a home game against Pakenham Black, a game they'll need to win to keep fourth place as they're one of two teams with a 5-6 record.
The Bluejays are 2-9 for the season, having won one game in their past seven, but it still shouldn't stop them from playing their hearts out against Pakenham White this weekend.
Pakenham Pumas White v BYE
The Pumas had the week off and it makes things harder for them now as they're one of two teams on a 5-6 record, but they are just shy of the top four meaning a win this weekend against Bonbeach White is crucial.
Women's Division 3 West - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)
Sunshine Eagles 18 v North Western Titans 4
The Eagles started strong and finished stronger as they scored seven runs from the outset in the first inning, followed up by five and six in the second and third respectively.
Sunshine looked good defensively as well, getting a key double play as the Eagles kept the Titans at bay. North Western did score two runs in each inning either side of the game, but it wasn't enough as the team fell to a 5-6-1 record for the season.
North Western plays Geelong White this weekend, while top-spot Sunshine has a bye and will finish the regular season with a 12-1 record, that lone loss coming way back in round four.
Geelong Baycats Blue 19 v Geelong Baycats White 7
In a battle against the Geelong sides, Baycats Blue prevailed over Baycats White.
The game started pretty evenly for both teams, a 2-2 result after the first inning but the next 10 runs went the way of Blue, including six in the second.
Baycats White scored three at the bottom of the third but once again, a strong offensive showing from Baycats Blue to pencil in seven runs in the fourth was too much. The White team managed an extra two at the bottom but that was it.
Baycats White are sitting at 0-12-1 and looking for a win against North Western Titans this weekend, while Baycats Blue sit second with a 7-5 record and will play Fitzroy in an exciting matchup.
Fitzroy Lions v BYE
The Lions go into round 17 with a 5-5-1 record in third place. Their next game is at home v Geelong Baycats Blue, a team that's 7-5-1. These two sides had a 12-12 draw last time they met, with Geelong winning 18-10 all the way back in round two.