The 2021/22 VSBL Division 3 season is delivering plenty of excitement as Springvale and Pakenham enjoy undefeated starts with the rest of the teams not far behind.
View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and read recaps below.
Division 3 Firsts
Chelsea Dolphins 5 v Springvale Lions 15
Chelsea fell behind early and couldn't make up the deficit as Springvale collected 16 hits overall.
Springvale came out of the first with a 7-0 lead, although Chelsea battled back to come within two by the middle of the second.
While that strong frame was Chelsea's only scoring for the day, Springvale stayed busy at the plate, adding another two in the second, one in the third, and four in the fourth. A final run came in the bottom of the fifth as the Lions finished 10 in front.
Scott Baillie threw 3.33 scoreless innings for Springvale, giving up just one hit with five strikeouts. Five unearned runs scored during Matthew Cameron's time on the mound, with two hits, six walks, and three strikeouts in 1.66 innings.
While Springvale kept Chelsea to just three hits, the Lions were busy up and down the lineup, with Cameron earning three RBIs on two doubles and a single. Adam Thatcher also had three RBIs with three singles, while Rydge Hogan and Ryan Kirby recorded extra base hits too.
Lucas Anderson had one double and two singles as Joel Stubbs, Rowan Hall, and Baillie had base hits.
With two big wins under their belts, the Lions are looking to go three in a row at Pakenham while Chelsea is 1-1 and playing Geelong at home in round 3.
Pakenham Pumas 4 v Footscray Bulldogs 1
The Pumas have won their first two games of the season after a solid performance at Footscray.
Pakenham opened with one run in the first frame and held on to 1 -0 lead until the bottom of the fifth when Footscray tied it up. Pakenham was undeterred, scoring three in the top of the sixth to create a buffer. With a scoreless seventh on both sides, the Pumas secured the win.
Now 2-0, Pakenham hosts fellow undefeated side Springvale while 1-1 Footscray hosts North Coburg.
North Western Titans 13 v Geelong Baycats 3
The Titans got started early with six runs in the first and consistent scoring throughout the rest of the game. Although the Baycats got two back in the bottom of the first, they were always playing catchup, and eventually the deficit proved too much.
Geelong's only other run came in the bottom of the third as the Titans added one run in the second and third before adding four runs in the fourth and a final run in the sixth.
Connor Wilson threw four innings for North Western, giving up five hits, five walks, and three runs with four strikeouts. Both Dan Hamilton and Wilson went 3-for-5 with three singles and two RBIs, while Anthony Falzon went 1-for-4 and got his first hit with the top nine. Kyle Hodgetts singled and doubled with three RBIs too.
Duane Davenport and Matthew Noonan pitched for Geelong as the side had hits from Davenport, Cade White, and Jesse Buzza.
North Western is 1-1 and plays Bonbeach at home in round 3 as Geelong heads to Chelsea.
Bonbeach Bluejays 23 v North Coburg Rebels 2
Not only did Bonbeach get a big win over the Rebels, but the club's seven senior sides all won on a great weekend for the Bluejays.
Mathew Prior's three innings of pitching work included six strikeouts and helped the Bluejays focus on offense, ultimately winning their first game of the year.
Bonbeach led 2-1 after the first inning and soon made it a 4-1 ballgame. The Bluejays broke it open in the fourth with six runs, followed by two in the fifth and 11 in the seventh. The Rebels got one back in the sixth but that was it.
Matthew Bucci had an awesome day at the plate, recording six RBIs with a single, a triple, and a home run. Jacob Bald doubled and knocked in two runs while Liam Bald singled for two RBIs.
James Crowe doubled, Olly Hookey-Rizzo plated two, and Prior singled and walked twice.
On North Coburg's side, Jack Pinches, Andy Karp, and Addison Kaye shared pitching duties while Jonathan Anderson, Jay Grahovac, and Kaye had singles.
Bonbeach takes a 1-1 record into the next round at North Western while the Rebels look for a win at Footscray.