Berwick, Geelong, and Essendon are undefeated in VSBL Division 1 as the 2021/22 season continues. There are three rounds to go before the Christmas break as teams look to finish the year strong.
View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out recaps below.
Division 1 Firsts
Geelong Baycats 10 v Cheltenham Rustlers 3
Geelong improved to 3-0 thanks to a 16-hit day and strong pitching from Hayden Peoples and Rudy Jaramillo.
Peoples gave up just two hits in four scoreless innings with a walk and four strikeouts for a 0.75 WHIP. Jaramillo backed it up with three innings in relief featuring 12 first pitch strikes, two strikeouts, and a 1.33 WHIP.
For Cheltenham, Joshua Tribe threw four scoreless innings with three hits, four walks, three strikeouts, and a 1.75 WHIP. 10 runs scored during Max Barrett's time on the mound but only three were earned as four errors came back to bite Cheltenham.
Keli’i Zablan had three hits and three RBIs with a home run, while Josh Davies sent one over the fence in the fourth inning. James Wood, Peoples, Jaramillo, Davies, and Zablan all had multiple-hit games. Ryan Darcy came around to score twice thanks to great base running.
Geelong's big outing including first-time appearances in the top nine for Jye Robinson who beat out an infield groundball and Jackson Viney who walked and made a great play in right field. Jake Elderfield, Jordan Baumann, and Harper Rickard helped Geelong defensively too.
Geelong aims to stay undefeated at home v Upwey Ferntree Gully in round 4 while Cheltenham heads to Fitzroy.
Blackburn Orioles 1 v Essendon Bombers 5
Essendon is 2-0 to start the season after a solid win over Blackburn.
The Bombers got things moving in the second when James Purcell grounded out, scoring one run. After another run in the fifth, Essendon tacked on three runs in the sixth with an RBI double by Michael Formisano.
Blackburn's lone run came in the top of the sixth on Jacob Evans' single, his second of the day.
Essendon's Gareth Formisano threw five innings, allowing three hits and zero runs while striking out four and walking zero. Sam Street handled two innings with one hit, one unearned run, and two strikeouts.
Blackburn's Sam Bucello covered four innings, allowing one run on two hits, striking out two and walking one. Charlie Collins and Jacob Evans entered the game from the bullpen to cover an inning each.
Essendon saw the ball well today, racking up eight hits in the game. Formisano and Scott McIntyre each managed multiple hits for Essendon. Scott McIntyre and Michael Formisano each collected two hits to lead Essendon as the team had eight hits total.
Liam Hopkins and Thomas Kerr-Chapman singled for Blackburn as the Orioles had an error-free day in the field and Hopkins made the most plays with eight.
Essendon looks to stay undefeated on the road at Melbourne while 1-2 Blackburn heads to Sunshine.
Melbourne Demons 3 v Sunshine Eagles 4
Sunshine was down by three but came back to win 4-3 over Melbourne for their second win of the season.
The Eagles saved all their runs for the final sixth inning after giving up two to Melbourne in the second and one in the fourth.
Allister Lovelock drove in a pair of runs for Sunshine while Clayton Campbell and Cameron Deeble also had RBIs.
Adam Irons picked up the win throwing three scoreless innings in relief with just two hits, a strikeout, and no walks. Griffin Weir contributed four innings, giving up three runs on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Melbourne's Kurtis Smith singled to start the game but a double play quickly ended the inning.
Sunshine's hits on the day included Campbell's double and two singles for Deeble, plus base hits from Joshua Byrne, Allan de San Miguel, and Allister Lovelock.
The Eagles are 2-1 going into this weekend's home game v Blackburn while Melbourne looks for a win at home v Essendon.
Sandringham Royals 2 v Waverley Wildcats 4
Waverley got their first win at home this season after coming back in the later stages.
Sandringham led 1-0 through the top of the third before Waverley scored twice in the bottom frame. The fourth inning was quiet before the fifth when Waverley added one more.
Both teams scored a run in the sixth with the Wildcats pulling just in front. Waverley had four hits and Sandringham had three on the day as strong pitching prevailed.
Darcy Longstaff handled three innings for Waverley with just one hit, four walks, an unearned run, and two strikeouts. Jamie Papanicolaou gave up one run with two hits and a strikeout while Luke Papanicolaou struck out two during two scoreless innings with a lone hit.
Sandringham's Riley Trad was on the mound for five innings, throwing 13 first pitch strikes with three hits, five walks, and three runs - one unearned - plus four strikeouts. Genevieve Beacom pitched an inning in relief.
Jordan Ley helped power the Wildcats offence with a pair of hits while also driving in a run. Tommy Maxfield also knocked in a run as Mitchell Homfray, Ned Hargreaves, and Ben Aslett all singled.
Harrison Wills had two hits for the Royals while Joshua Meyer doubled and Declan Ferguson walked and singled for an RBI.
Waverley is 1-1 going into an away game at Malvern and Sandringham is 1-2 before hosting Berwick this Sunday.
Berwick City Cougars 4 v Malvern Braves 2
Berwick stayed undefeated with a late score to win the game, which was tied at two with the Cougars batting in the top of the sixth when Aaron Ouwehand reached on a dropped third strike.
Berwick was first on the board with one run scoring on Matthew Homfray's single to start the game. Malvern scored two in the bottom of the fourth but Aidan Willis tied it back up with a sacrifice fly.
A two-run sixth was enough to give Berwick the lead as Craig Barnett got the win, allowing six hits and two runs over seven innings, striking out 14 and walking zero.
Mitch Kennedy took the loss for Malvern. The righthander allowed one hit and two runs over two and a third innings, striking out three and walking zero.
Jon Kennedy started the game for Malvern. The hurler lasted three innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out five and walking zero.
Mitch Kennedy homered in the fourth inning while Ryan Dale led Malvern with two hits in three at bats.
Homfray went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Berwick in hits as the Cougars were sure-handed in the field and didn't commit a single error. Marcus Graham had the most fielding chances with 16.
3-0 Berwick plays at Sandringham in round 4 while Malvern hosts Waverley.
Fitzroy Lions 5 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 5
Both sides battled hard as the Tigers worked their way back from a 4-1 deficit in the first. The score was 4-2 Fitzroy at the end of the third as both sides scored one run in the fourth.
Fitzroy held a 2-run lead for two and a half innings before the Tigers scored a pair of runs in the final frame, denying the Lions their first win of the season. Wade McConnon was responsible for the 2-RBI base hit to tie it up.
Ftizroy's Warwick Purchase covered four innings of pitching work with five hits, four walks, one strikeout, and three runs - two of them unearned. Danny King's three innings included five hits, two runs, and a strikeout.
For Upwey Ferntree Gully, Harvey Chinn, Staci Rogers, and Randy Senn had two hits apiece while catcher Jordan Elliott collected a hit and two walks.
Riley Hill doubled for Fitzroy while King plated two on a big single and Alec Smith had a base hit.
The Tigers now have one win, one loss, and a draw as they head to Geelong for round 4 while Fitzroy hosts Cheltenham.