The semi-final matchups are set after the VSBL Division 3 Firsts wrapped up the regular season in style.
Division 3 Firsts
Footscray Bulldogs 1 v Springvale Lions 11
Springvale scored four in the first inning and three in the second to take a commanding lead over Footscray in this final round.
The Bulldogs got a run on the board in the third inning however they weren't able to continue as the Lions ran away with the match, combining their offensive and defensive prowess over their opponents.
By the end of the fifth inning, Springvale had added four more runs, which the Bulldogs couldn't claw back from as the game ended in the seventh inning.
Brittney Cedelland pitched six innings for Footscray, giving up 11 hits and eight earned runs with three strikeouts.
Jake Cole-Sinclair and Joe Michard each bagged doubles for the Bulldogs, with the former scoring the side's only run of the game. Alexander Da Silva, Jaime Harvey and Asdrubal Jimenez each had single-hit games.
Scott Baillie had six innings in the middle for Springvale, picking up the win. He gave up five hits for one run, along with seven strikeouts. Matthew Cameron came on in relief for the final inning.
Lucas Anderson had a good day with the bat for the Lions, going four from four at the plate, including a double. Neal Cavanagh, Rowan Hall and Adam Thatcher each had two hits with Anderson, Cameron and Thatcher running home twice.
Springvale finished the 2020/21 season on top of the ladder with a 10-1 record, looking to host Bonbeach in next week's final. Footscray sits third after the completion of Round 12 with a 6-5 record and will face North Western in a semi-final next week.
North Western Titans 0 v Bonbeach Bluejays 15
It was an absolute masterclass by Bonbeach as the Bluejays carry momentum into this weekend's finals series. They prevailed bigtime in a game where the side was switched on with the bat and in the field.
Bonbeach began its account with two runs in the first, doubling that in the second by adding four more runs. A one-run third inning quieted things down before a big six-run inning in the fourth put the margin out even further. Bonbeach scored once more in each of the fifth and sixth innings, all the while shutting out the Titans who failed to register a score.
Daniel Conway-Jones had five innings on the mound and took the win from five innings where he gave up one hit, zero runs and struck out two. Adam Major was given the ball for two innings, giving up one hit and striking out two batters.
Conway-Jones had a four from four day at the plate that included a double and two RBIs. James Crowe went three from four as he scored four RBIs. Matthew Prior brought three runs in for his side from two hits. Kyle Brooks, Matt Bucci and Conway-Jones each scored twice themselves whereas Harry Hines-Cavanagh scored three runs from one hit and two base on balls.
North Western was safe in second place and finish there despite the heavy loss. The Titans round out the year with a 7-4 record, preparing to face Footscray at home in week one of the finals. Bonbeach travels to Springvale after finishing fourth this season with a 5-6 record.
Pakenham Pumas 11 v Chelsea Dolphins 1
Pakneham was dominant from the get-go against Chelsea, leading off with two runs at the top of the first, and then doubling its lead in the third.
Each club scored one run in the fourth before Pakenham got the lead back out to four runs by scoring another in the fifth. Back-to-back two-run innings from the Pumas saw the lead grow and another singular run in the eighth put the margin at 10 which the Dolphins weren't able match.
Tim Bellerby threw seven innings for Pakenham, giving up five hits, three walks, and one run with six strikeouts. Trent Job struck out one in a scoreless inning.
Bellerby had two singles as Danny Cannizzaro, Darren Reeves, and Daniel Taylor knocked in runs. Mitchell Lording doubled and Jarrad Bell singled too.
The two sides fall outside of the top four, Pakenham finishing fifth with a 4-7 record while Chelsea finish the year with a 1-10 record.
Division 3 Seconds
North Western Titans 5 v Bonbeach Bluejays 21
The Bluejays racked up the runs, scoring six runs in the second to turn the game around after North Western had a 4-2 lead to start the inning. Nine runs in the fourth and four in the fifth also helped the Bluejays' cause.
The third-place Bluejays take a 7-3-1 record into the semi-finals as they visit Footscray, a team they beat 5-4 in round 11.
Pakenham Pumas 7 v Chelsea Dolphins 8
The Dolphins narrowly got the better of the Pumas, scoring the tying and go-ahead runs in the fourth.
Pakenham led 6-1 after the first while both teams kept it scoreless in the second. The Pumas got one more on in the third but Chelsea fought back with five runs in the bottom frame. Chelsea's two final runs in the fourth secured the win, the team's fourth of the season.
Chelsea finished fourth with a 4-5-2 record on 64 runs for and 87 against. Pakenham finished fifth with two wins and nine losses, having scored 77 runs and given up 111. The Dolphins play the ladder leaders at Springvale in the semi-finals.
Footscray Bulldogs 3 v Springvale Lions 8
The first-place Lions used a five-run second inning to get ahead and break a short-lived 1-1 tie. The third was scoreless while both sides put two on in the fourth.
Springvale has an 8-2-1 record on 131 runs for and 38 against. Footscray is second with the same record but 108 runs for and 60 against.
Footscray hosts Bonbeach and Springvale hosts Chelsea in the first round of finals.