The VSBL Division 4 season is in the final few weeks with Waverley, Fitzroy, Bonbeach, and Essendon leading the way.
Division 4 East
Waverley Wildcats Red 1 v Melbourne Red 14
The Wildcats scored first but their run was cancelled out by five Melbourne runs in the first. The Demons kept Waverley off the board for the rest of the game while scoring three runs in each of the next three innings.
Melbourne Red improved to a 4-3-1 record with 77 runs scored for and 54 runs against. Waverley Red has a 3-4-1 record with 63 runs for and 77 against. The Demons play Upwey Ferntree Gully Black next and the Wildcats host Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold.
Blackburn Orioles 10 v Monash University Farmers 8
The Orioles scored seven runs in the second to take the lead after the Farmers brought home two in the first. Monash scored another two in the second and three in the third.
Blackburn made it a 9-7 ballgame in the fifth before the Farmers got their final run. Another run in the sixth gave the Orioles a bit more breathing room to close it out for their fifth win. The third-place team has scored 59 runs and given up 72 while Monash sits fifth with four wins, three losses, and a draw. The Farmers have scored 94 and given up 69 with the next game at Mornington as Blackburn hosts Melbourne Blue.
Doncaster Dragons 18 v Mornington Pirates 9
The Dragons powered past the Pirates as they recorded their fourth win of the season. They jumped all the way from ninth place to fourth and improved their runs for tally to 60 with 66 runs against.
Mornington has a 2-5-1 record with 66 runs for and 89 against. The Pirates play Monash and the Dragons visit top side Waverley Black in the next round.
Melbourne Demons Blue 8 v Waverley Wildcats White 2
Melbourne Blue kicked things off with two in the second and one more in the third. The Wildcats struggle to contain the offense with three Melbourne runs scoring in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Although the Wildcats got two back in the bottom of the sixth, it wasn't enough to avoid their fourth loss. With 78 runs for and 49 against, Waverley White will look to get back to their winning ways in the next round at Malvern. Their last victory came in round six with a 20-2 win over Monash.
Melbourne Blue stays in second place with a 6-1 record on 78 runs for and 25 given up. The Demons play Blackburn next.
Malvern Braves 7 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers Black 8
The Tigers narrowly got the edge over the Braves with the winning run coming in the final frame.
This marked the team's first win as the hard-fought battle opened with a run on each side. The Braves got one more in the second but gave up five to the Tigers.
Malvern scored three in the third to make it a 6-5 ballgame, and the Tigers extended their lead by one in the fourth. The Braves had two runs in the fifth but the Tigers fought back, scoring the go-ahead run in the final frame.
The Tigers play Melbourne Red at home and the Braves host Waverley White.
Waverley Wildcats Black 7 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers Gold 0
The top side earned their eighth straight win to defend an undefeated record and keep some distance from Melbourne Blue on the ladder.
Waverley scored two to start the game and one more run in both the second and third. The fourth was quiet on both sides but three more Waverley runs came around in the fifth before time was up.
The Wildcats have scored 112 and given up 22 with the next game at home v Doncaster, while the 3-3 Tigers play Waverley Red in hopes of improving on 45 runs for and 52 against.
Division 4 North
North Coburg Rebels A 7 v Fitzroy Lions A 12
The Rebels and the Lions both fought hard as Fitzroy pulled ahead late.
The Lions led 3-2 after the first but by the middle of the second, the Rebels had a 4-3 advantage. They extended that to 7-3 in the top of the third before Fitzroy got two back. The Lions went on to rally with seven runs in the fourth, securing win number seven and protecting an undefeated record.
North Coburg B had the bye this round but returns to action to play the other Rebels side in round 10. North Coburg A has scored 29 and given up 96 while Fitzroy has tallied 87 and allowed just 33. The Lions play Mitchell Majors A next.
Mitchell Majors A 7 v Mitchell Majors B 7
The club's two teams worked hard in a friendly game, with the B team taking a 2-0 lead out of the second. By the end of the third it was 5-1, but a scoreless fourth led to a three-run fifth for the A side. The game was 6-4 after five but three runs for A and one for B made it a draw.
The teams are second and third with Mitchell Majors A sitting at 5-1-1 on 67 runs for and 26 against. Mitchell Majors B have a 4-3-1 record, having scored 59 and given up 41. B has the bye next and A plays Fitzroy.
Division 4 South
Bonbeach Bluejays A 11 v Chelsea Dolphins 1
Chelsea got on the board with one in the second but the Bluejays weren't deterred, scoring six in the third and two in the fourth. Three more Bonbeach runs came around in the fifth as the team won its fourth game of the season. The Bluejays have scored 47 runs so far and given up 45 while 1-7 Chelsea has 28 runs for and 115 against.
Chelsea hosts Bonbeach B and Bonbeach A has the bye.
Mornington Pirates 3 v Mordialloc Ducks 8
The Ducks scored on an error in the first but the rest of the early innings were quiet.
Mordialloc got three on the board in the fourth with singles by Luke Thompson, Owen Lewis, and Aaron Wilson. Three more runs scored in the fifth with singles from James Coyne and Aidan Rusden and Thompson stealing home.
Mornington got one run in the top of the sixth but Coyne hit the team's first home run of the season, sending the ball 315 feet out over left field. The Pirates had two more runs in the seventh but the game finished with a pick-off at first.
Thompson struck out six and gave up just two earned runs as he threw 121 pitches. He had two hits, two runs, and an RBI as well.
Both teams have a 7-5-2 record as Mordialloc sits third with 82 runs scored and 36 given up. Mornington has collected 51 runs and allowed 35. The Ducks play Berwick City fresh off the bye and Mornington visits Pakenham.
St Kilda Saints 8 v Pakenham Pumas 13
Both sides opened with runs in the first, and by the end of the second it was an 11-4 ballgame. The Pumas would go on to add two more while giving up three runs to St Kilda in the fourth and one more in the fifth.
The Pumas sit fifth with a 7-5-2 record and an even 60 runs scored and given up. St Kilda has scored 42 and allowed 73 going into the next round as the Saints play Wheelers Hill and Pakenham plays Mornington.
Bonbeach Bluejays B v Wheelers Hill Warriors - FORFEIT
The Bluejays improved to a 6-1 record after this forfeit with 77 runs for and just 14 given up. They play Chelsea next.
Division 4 West
Geelong Baycats White 13 v Newport Rams 8
The Baycats put together their third win with a strong seven-run first inning. Their bats were quieted in the second and the third although they got one run in each inning, and Newport didn't strike until the bottom of the third with two runs.
Both sides scored three in the fourth and by the end of the fifth it was a 12-6 ballgame. Geelong scored once more in the sixth and Newport got two more to end the game.
Geelong White sits fourth with a 3-5 record and 60 runs for v 79 against. Newport has a 2-5-1 record, having scored 57 runs and allowed 70. The Baycats play the Jets and the Rams play Geelong Blue.
Essendon Jets 15 v Essendon Bombers 0
The fun matchup between the two Essendon sides saw the Jets get their second win of the year. They scored four in the first, seven in the second, and three in the fourth before finishing with a final run in the fifth.
The Jets have a 2-5-1 record with 48 runs for and 60 against. The 7-1 Bombers have scored 84 runs and allowed 36. The Bombers visit Footscray next and the Jets host Geelong White.
Footscray Bulldogs 9 v Geelong Baycats Blue 2
The Bulldogs scored four in the first and followed up with two in the third and two more in the fourth. Geelong got one on the board in the first and didn't score again until the sixth. They gave up one more run to Footscray in the fifth as the Bulldogs improved to a 5-3 record on 56 runs for and 54 runs against.
Geelong Blue sits one spot behind Footscray in third with a 4-4 record on 41 runs for and 53 runs given up. The Bulldogs host the Bombers next while Geelong Blue plays Newport at home.