The second round of the 2021/22 VSBL Division 4 season featured better weather and big wins across the board as teams aim for strong starts.
View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and read recaps below.
Division 4 East
Monash University Farmers 11 v Malvern Braves 6
The Farmers had the upper hand in this matchup, bouncing back quickly despite giving up three runs to Malvern in the first.
The score was 3-1 to Malvern at the end of the second but five runs in the third put the Farmers in front. Monash led 9-5 going into the fifth and got two more in the final frame while the Braves scored one last run.
Monash had nine hits while giving up just one to Malvern, although the Braves did take advantage of a Monash error on the base paths.
Louis Francois-Downey. Kay Louis Shimizu, and Ashley Aylen all had two hits while Paul Blakeney had four quality at-bats and Josh Duff had three.
Blakeney and Joseph Chim were patient at the plate, taking three walks apiece, while the former had two RBIs along with Francois-Downey. Shimizu plated three runs too.
Aylen had a pair of strikeouts in two innings of work with a 1.50 WHIP and five first pitch strikes. Shubhankar Verma struck out three in two innings and Cristos Giannopoulos fanned two in one inning.
The Farmers are 1-1 and play at Upwey Ferntree Gully Black next while Malvern hosts Waverley Red.
Doncaster Dragons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 7
The Orioles got their first win on the board, getting the better of the Dragons who are hoping to get in the win column in round 3 at Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold.
Blackburn visits Waverley Black in hopes of back-to-back wins on Sunday.
Waverley Wildcats Red 8 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Black 3
Waverley scored two in the first and six in the second, putting the game out of reach for the Tigers.
Now 2-0, Waverley Red visits Malvern next while the 1-1 Tigers host Monash Uni.
Waverley Wildcats Black 8 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold 3
In a similar result for the other two sides, Waverley Black earned win number one of the season and handed the Tigers their first loss.
Despite the final result, the Tigers were excited to welcome some new players to the field and will look to bounce back at home v Doncaster in round 3. Waverley Black will also be at home playing Blackburn.
Division 4 South
Pakenham Pumas White 4 v Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 9
Senior wins across the board made the Bluejays happy as the side is now 2-0.
After giving up two runs to start the game, the Bluejays powered back with seven in the first. By the end of the second, it was an 8-4 ballgame, and one more run in the fourth finalised the score.
Bonbeach Blue plays at Mornington Red in round 3 and Pakenham White visits St Kilda in search of a win.
Chelsea Dolphins 2 v Mornington Pirates Black 23
The Pirates were first to score, putting up seven in the first and two in the second. They didn't stop there, adding seven more in both the third and the fourth while the Dolphins managed two in the final frame.
The Pirates are 1-0 and host Mulgrave on the weekend while Chelsea hosts Bonbeach White.
Bonbeach Bluejays White 10 v Sandringham Royals 5
The Bluejays rode the momentum of their 18-2 win in the opening round, keeping up the offense to win over Sandringham.
Bonbeach White is now 2-0 and sits atop the ladder on runs scored as the Bluejays head to Chelsea for round 3. Sandringham is 1-1 and hosts Pakenham Black next.
Mulgrave Rebels 2 v Pakenham Pumas Black 20
The Pumas were a force to be reckoned with, taking a 7-1 lead into the second before taking on five more runs.
By the end of the third it was a 13-2 ballgame, and that was before the Pumas got seven more in the third.
This marked Pakenham's first win of the season as the Pumas head into round 3 at Sandringham. Mulgrave will visit Mornington Black in search of a win.
Mornington Pirates Red 12 v St Kilda Saints 16
This high-scoring game was a back and forth battle from the get-go, with Mornington putting two on to start the game before St Kilda cut the lead in half.
The Saints managed an eight-run rally in the second but the Pirates fired back to keep things interesting, and by the end of the third, it was 10-7 St Kilda's way.
Mornington scored three more in the fourth and two in the fifth, but St Kilda squeaked past with an extra six runs to record win number one of the season.
The Saints are 1-0 and play Pakenham White at home while Mornington hosts Bonbeach Blue in hopes of getting their first win.
Division 4 North West
Essendon Jets 15 v Port Melbourne Mariners 4
Troy Grady pitched well for Essendon as son Ben Grady made his first senior at-bat, doubling to right field.
The success didn't stop there as the Jets scored in four out of the five innings. It was close to start with the game tied at 2-2 after the first.
Essendon led 4-3 at the end of the second inning but then broke free, adding four in the third and seven in the fourth. Port Melbourne got one back in the final frame but it wasn't enough to erase the deficit.
The Jets are 1-0 and on the road to Mitchell Majors this weekend while Port Melbourne plays away at Melbourne Red.
Fitzroy Lions Maroon 8 v Essendon Spitfires 13
Fitzroy wasn't going down without a fight as the Lions battled back from a 7-3 deficit after the first. Both sides scored once in the second, and four Fitzroy runs across the middle innings went unanswered until Essendon's final few at-bats.
One run in the fifth and four in the sixth sealed the deal for the Spitfires, although Fitzroy's Dion Cust had a solid effort on the mound.
The 1-0 Spitfires host Melbourne Blue and Fitzroy Maroon plays at home v Geelong in the next round.
North Western Titans 4 v Mitchell Majors 12
Mitchell Majors enjoyed an early 5-0 lead after the first and by the end of the next inning, they led 9-0.
North Western battled back to put two on in the third and another two in the fourth. However, three more runs in the bottom of the sixth put the finishing touches on Mitchell Majors' victory, made possibly by 16 hits.
The Titans collected five hits and did their best to capitalise on three errors by the opposition.
Lance Keighran had three hits and threw four innings for Mitchell Majors, with six first pitch strikes, five strikeouts, and a 2.00 WHIP. Corey Dennehy recorded two RBIs and handled two innings on the mound with five first pitch strikes, three strikeouts, and a 1.00 WHIP.
North Western's Dan Mudford Jr. went 2-for-3 with a single, a double, and two RBIs while Jarrod Johns was 1-2 with a single, 5.1 innings pitched, and 10 strikeouts.
Michael Morrissey proved challenging at the plate, knocking in three runs for Mitchell Majors while Ben Harkom had two hits as well.
Next up, 1-0 Mitchell Majors hosts Essendon Jets as North Western looks for a win at Fitzroy Blue.
Geelong Baycats 2 v Research Lower Plenty 18
Research scored six in the first and led 9-2 by the end of the second before adding seven in the third and a final two in the fourth.
Essendon Bombers 15 v Melbourne Demons Red 12
Neither side was willing to give up easily after an early 3-3 tie.
Melbourne made it a 4-3 ballgame in the second but Essendon wasn't satisfied, making it 7-4 in the third before adding two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth.
The Bombers put up five in the sixth to pull in front, although the Demons did their best to fight back with another eight runs to finish the game.
The 2-0 Bombers will visit Research Lower Plenty in round 3 while Melbourne Red hosts Port Melbourne.