There are four rounds to go in VSBL Division 2 with Newport, Mulgrave, Moorabbin, and Werribee looking towards finals, and Doncaster and Williamstown not far out of the top four.
Read full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out the latest recaps below.
Division 2 Firsts
Mulgrave Rebels 16 v Preston Pirates 5
Mulgrave took care of business on Saturday, scoring six in the first, two in the second, and one in the third. Preston got three back throughout the middle innings before the Rebels put another four on in the fifth and three in the sixth. The Pirates scored twice more but that was it for the day.
Liam Richardson got the win on the mound, striking out six with 12 hits and five runs (two unearned). Riley O'Shea struck out one during a short relief appearance to end the game.
Mulgrave's batters didn't strike out once on the day, getting the better of Preston's pitching staff with timely hits - 21 in total. This included three RBIs for Jordan Gavin, Ryan Phillips, and Paul Rutgers, who all doubled on the day. Nicholas Thompson, Donnie Poole, Caleb Poole, O'Shea, and Richardson also knocked in runs while Jason Cousins had a pair of singles.
Preston wasn't shy at the plate either, collecting 12 hits with three RBIs for Jaycob Pascuzzi, a home run by Gabriel Valderrama, and an RBI base hit for Hebert Rodriguez. Shane Waters and Campbell Every had two hits apiece while Glenn Farrell, Mitch Legge, and Logan O'Brien had one.
Mulgrave sits second at 12-4 with the next game at home v Preston, which now has a 5-11-1 record.
Moorabbin Panthers 3 v Newport Rams 7
The Rams took a 2-1 lead in the third and kept scoring from there, adding two more runs in both the fourth and the fifth before a final run in the seventh. Moorabbin didn't get on the board again until the ninth, scoring two before the final out was recorded.
Winning pitcher Tyler Comben gave up 11 hits and struck out eight in seven innings with no walks and just one run. Aaron Robson filled in for two innings, giving up five hits, a walk, and two runs with a strikeout. Newport's offense included RBIs from Ben Howard, Matthew Lawman, Alan Ortiz, and Nathan Smith. Jared Berman, Cam Lyons, and Dean Malthouse got on base with big hits.
Moorabbin had Ben Campbell and Matt Hardie on the mound for four innings each. Hardie took the loss but did have a good day at the plate, knocking in two runs on three singles. Nick Bertucci smashed a double and two singles for an RBI, while Ben Laux and Nicholas Veale had four base hits each. Adam Harris and Tom Brookes also had hits for the Panthers.
Newport is now 13-4 while Moorabbin is 11-5-1, sitting first and third respectively. Moorabbin hosts the next game between these two on Thursday night.
Ormond Glenhuntly 8 v St Kilda Saints 14
The game was tied 1-1 after the first, although Ormond Glenhuntly pulled ahead by two in the third. It wasn't until the later stages when St Kilda battled back, with the Hunters still leading 4-3 after the fifth. It was 7-5 after the sixth with the Saints coming within one in the seventh.
After Ormond Glenhuntly scored once in the top of the eighth, St Kilda's bats came alive in the bottom frame, racking up eight runs to take the lead and seal the deal on their fifth win of the year.
Adam Schoppe pitched all nine innings, striking out five and throwing 147 pitches total. Rolando Curiel, Mariano Favia, and Robby Lewis had a pair of RBIs each while Deilyn Guzman, Millar Kuhl, and George Polley had one RBI each. Guzman, Kuhl, Lewis, and Polley had triples on the day.
Both sides are 5-12 going into round 18 at Ormond Glenhuntly.
Port Melbourne Mariners 0 v Werribee Giants 14
The Giants started scoring early and didn't stop the pressure, cruising to a 14-0 victory with five runs in the first, four in the third, and one in the fourth. They added three more in the fifth and a final run in the last inning while keeping Port Melbourne off the board altogether.
Winning pitcher Wesley de Jong gave up six hits in six innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks or runs. Tyler Huisman and Jacob Sigismondi pitched in relief, protecting the shutout while Werribee batters did their job at the plate.
Trent Pantalleresco collected four RBIs on a pair of doubles, while Huisman hit a single and a home run for two RBIs. Oliver Box plated two with a big base hit, while de Jong, Hibbert, and Lowe had one RBI each. John Curnow, Andrew Christou, and Wade Balzer also had hits.
Five unearned runs hurt Port Melbourne, with Kevin Ung on the mound for six innings. On the offensive side, the Mariners had two singles from Beau Graham and Matthew Parker, while George Camov and Ung had one single each.
Fourth-place Werribee goes into the next game at Port Melbourne with an 11-6 record.
Doncaster Dragons 3 v Williamstown Wolves 5
The Wolves scored two early runs and added to their run tally across the middle innings, holding off a late three-run rally from Doncaster to win the game.
The Dragons' comeback was led by Brian Chen and Billy Findlay with RBIs, although Williamstown starter Dennis Neal was able to calm things down. He gave up eight hits, three walks, and three runs in nine innings with 14 strikeouts.
Justin Gourlay and Aaron Green had RBI singles while Robert Higginson and Hiroshi Narasaki also got on base.
Doncaster has a 10-6-1 record going into a home game v the Wolves, who hold a 9-7-1 record.