The 2019/20 VSBL Division 1 season continued over the weekend for round three, which saw Blackburn, Essendon, Melbourne and Sunshine secure 3-0 starts. There were some fantastic results with walk-off wins and pitchers duels as the summer season heats up and teams look to start off strong. There's 24 rounds left to go as Div 1 teams chase their premiership dreams with the support of their community clubs.
Division 1 Firsts
2 3
The Royals have lost three tough ones in a row after dropping their recent game at Berwick City. Berwick won in thrilling fashion with a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth on a double from Aidan Willis. Although Sandringham fought hard, they couldn't stop the Cougars from coming back to win it at the end.
Craig Barnett pitched well for Berwick, covering seven innings with 87 pitches as he allowed nine hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts. He also had two hits of his own at the plate.
With his winning ways, Willis had two hits and a walk, while Alex Clark, Bradley McClain, Bradley Kmet, Nick O'Shea, Aaron Ouwehand and Lucas Taylor all added singles to the mix.
The tight scoreline was supported by the superb pitching efforts of Sam Street, who hurled seven innings with six hits, two walks, two earned runs and 10 strikeouts. His teammates backed him up with a handful of hits, as Harrison Wills and Cody Anderson each had a pair of base hits while Branden Stenhouse smashed two doubles. Tim Lane, Paul Rutgers, Will Tucker and Jack Wills all got on base with good at-bats, something Sandringham will look to continue doing as they search for their elusive first win in round four. The Royals host the second game against a Berwick side that's now tied with Waverley at 2-1.
0 1
The 2018/19 VSBL Division 1 champions show no signs of slowing down anytime soon after overcoming Geelong in a quick game highlighted by quality pitching. Blackburn won their third game in a row thanks to the superb pitching efforts of Scott Mitchinson, who threw 70 pitches across seven innings with just two hits allowed and 13 first-pitch strikes. Mitchinson handed the ball over to Rowan Johnston and Blake Hodgson to complete the shutout in commanding style.
Each team collected just two hits on the day as the game flew by in just an hour and 42 minutes. Blackburn scored their lone run in the bottom of the second. Liam Hopkins doubled and Cooper Goodman singled to round out Blackburn's offence on the day.
Geelong's Sam Gibbons gave up just one hit with an unearned run in his four innings on the mound. Rudy Jaramillo was great in his three innings of work as well, giving up just one hit to keep Geelong in the game, while James Wood contributed an inning of scoreless pitching. Troy Snarey and Lewis Weldon singled in the Baycats' tough loss as they hope to turn the tables on the Orioles in round four.
2 8
Newport had come close in their first two games, losing by one run against Melbourne both times, and they were definitely eager to get a win on the board. The Rams came out swinging, and it worked in their favor as they put their two losses behind them and secured their much-needed win in a huge team effort over Waverley.
The Wildcats were quieter on Saturday against Rams' starter Jason Jarvis. A complete start from the standout hurler saw him throw 129 total pitches – 89 of them strikes – with seven hits, three walks and two runs (one unearned) while striking out six.
The Rams’ lineup supported the fabulous pitching efforts of Jarvis with hits from Connor Shibechi, Cameron Lyons, Nathan Smith and Tyler Comben. Jarvis had two hits of his own, a single and a double, while David Land also had a pair of hits.
Although they took a tough loss, Waverley still had some exciting offensive moments with Jordan Ley's three hits - two singles and a double for an RBI. Glenn Mascoll accounted for Waverley's other RBI, his first of the season. Billy Findlay, Jamie Papanicoloau and Mitchell Wilhite also collected base hits. Andrew Russell looked good on the mound for Waverley, covering six innings with five hits and one unearned run while striking out six. The Rams roughed up Luke Papanicolaou, mounting a scoring blitz with five runs crossing the plate in 1.2 innings. Two more runs scored with Mitchell Thomas on the mound, putting the game out of reach for Waverley.
The Wildcats host this weekend as both sides look to improve their records.
4 2
The Eagles have won a handful of close games to stay undefeated after three rounds. Sunshine started off strong and kept the game in their control. Despite some offensive contributions up and down the lineup, Cheltenham couldn't come back to turn the game in their favour. Jack Daniels, Blake Holding and Jackson Hunkin all had hits on the day, while Mac Turley led the way with three hits and an RBI. Sam Michael and Michael Leslie both had a pair of hits to help their team out.
Lars Ligouri covered six innings of work on the mound, giving up eight hits and four earned runs while striking out four. Jack Enciondo filled in with three innings in relief, keeping the Eagles off the mound with four strikeouts and no runs scored.
The Eagles are excited to be 3-0, and they will look to continue their impressive start to the season on Sunday while the Rustlers will be hungry for a win after some close losses.
4 2
The Demons stay undefeated for another week after a hard-fought win over Fitzroy. The game went to extra innings but ultimately Melbourne got the job done to continue their solid season.
Photo: Melbourne Baseball Club - Facebook
This thrilling tight victory over Fitzroy was made possible by a persistent Melbourne lineup that just wouldn't quit. The Lions put two runs in the middle innings to stay in the battle and take a lead on the Demons. Fitzroy's new import Rusty Huber was lights-out on the mound, shutting out the opposition up with 10 strikeouts until the ninth inning, when Melbourne finally got some scoring action started.
The Demons scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie it up, and they added a pair in the top of the 10th to take home the win they were so determined to get. It was a great come-from-behind team effort, with Mitch Ellis leading the way with the bat thanks to four hits - two singles and two doubles. He also took over on the mound to shutout the Lions in the crucial final two innings just for good measure.
Returning veteran Matt Blackmore and young talent Harvey Mitchelhill took things up a notch in the 9th with back-to-back hits. Oliver McMahon and Alex Hondo were patient at the plate to get on base before Ellis and Slade Squire knocked the winning runs in.
As a team Melbourne batted .262 with 11 hits, showing that they have the potential for power at the plate. Fitzroy wasn't far behind with seven hits, including two doubles and a single to Huber and a pair of hits each for Tom Dicker and Damien Preston.
The Demons are eager to protect their undefeated status while Fitzroy will be looking to break into the win column with a huge victory on Sunday at Myrtle Park.
Essendon Bombers vs. Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers
8 3
The Bombers improved their record to 3-0 with a convincing win over the Tigers. Essendon’s bats were busy on Sunday afternoon, tallying eight runs to achieve a 3-0 record.
Upwey Ferntree Gully took a 2-0 lead into the 6th inning, when Essendon came back with a big boost to capture the victory. The Tigers lineup was working hard, with singles to Josh Hendricks, Travis Murphy, Wade McConnon, Pete Schroeders and Jordan Elliott, although they struggled to bring their runners around to score.
Essendon had hits up and down the lineup. Jared Cruz had two hits for Essendon, while Cody Rodwell was just a triple shy of the cycle. Both Peter Stokes and Michael Formisano had a double and a single, while Darby Sexton recorded a pair of base hits. Bailey Waterman, Jack Giles, Ross Bament and William Kline-Marantelli all displayed their hitting power as well to help Essendon over the line.
The Tigers will be eager to take home a win as they visit Essendon on Sunday for another competitive game.
Division 1 Reserves
8 5
Sandringham's Reserves got the better of Berwick City on Saturday, thanks to pitching efforts of Declan Croker and some solid team batting. The Royals were happy to get a win on the board, while the Cougars took their first loss of the season. The Royals host the round four game this weekend.
1 5
Blackburn won the premiership last season, and they are keeping up the momentum with three wins in as many games. The club as a whole enjoyed a sweep this weekend, made possible in part by a determined Reserves side that kept adding to their advantage in the second half of the game.
Geelong scored first, while Blackburn tacked on two runs in the bottom of the third, one in the fifth and two in the sixth to secure the win and put the game out of reach. Blackburn's pitcher Sam Bucello handled five great innings of one-run ball, and he was backed up by the bats with Mitch Whiting sending a ball over the fence and Owen de Vries adding to his hit tally.
Photo: Baycats Baseball Club - Facebook
Despite the loss, this was a huge game for Geelong and a true family affair as father Chris Rickard was proud to watch his three sons Emerson, Harper and Cooper all take the field. It was history in the making as Emerson pitched well with his father behind the dish. Harper picked up a hit with four quality at-bats in his first game in the reserves.
Hayden Peoples led the way with two hits, while Matt Sage, Jordan Baumann and Angus McNee also contributed with hits of their own. Although Geelong has a young team, they are looking forward to a bright season ahead as they keep up the intensity and competitive nature.
16 5
The Wildcats were on a roll, taking out an 11-run advantage over the Rams to remain undefeated alongside Upwey Ferntree Gully, Blackburn, Melbourne and Cheltenham. Newport has yet to win a game, something they are eager to change as they prepare for this weekend's second meeting with Waverley.
2 3
It was a close and competitive game as Cheltenham came away with the win late to secure a three-game winning streak. The teams were tied at two with the Rustlers batting in the bottom of the fifth when Cam Zimerman singled on the first pitch of his at-bat to score the go-ahead run.
Zimerman and Blake Holding had multiple hits for Cheltenham on the day as the team tallied eight hits in total. Cheltenham's pitchers struck out four batters, while Sunshine's Griffin Weir gave up two runs on five hits over three innings, striking out two and walking one. Connor Young took the loss for Sunshine after giving up three hits and one run in two innings.
Rupert Fischer had 2 RBIs for Sunshine and Jack Haxby had a hit to help out his team. Cheltenham's fielders had a good day with no errors, and Tom Olgie made the most plays with seven. Sunshine will be ready to snap their skid and get a huge win on the board this weekend.
2 0
The Demons shutout the Lions on Sunday in a close game. Both teams were scoreless through the fourth, when Melbourne got a runner across the plate. The Demons added one more run in the sixth, and that was about it for offensive production. Kurtis Smith threw seven spectacular innings of baseball before handing it over to Cooper Gerwing for a successful close. Campbell Wiggins, Jacob Bald and Gerwing contributed doubles to centre field to give Melbourne a boost. Melbourne is looking good for round four, but Fitzroy has proven to be highly competitive and they will be determined to get a win on the board this upcoming weekend.
Essendon Bombers vs. Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers
2 16
The first two games of the season saw Essendon lose in close games, but they fell farther behind in this one as Upwey Ferntree Gully proved unstoppable. The Tigers scored seven runs in the first inning to give starting pitcher Sean Meldrum lots of room to work with. Mitch John had three hits and closed the game out with a tidy inning of relief. Randy Senn, Daryn Cassidy, Nick Rice and Michael Oxworth all had hits for the Tigers, too. Essendon is ready to achieve a big victory, which they will be looking to do this weekend at home.
Division 1 Thirds
Sandringham Royals vs. Berwick City Cougars
10 2
The Royals had the upper-hand on Sunday, cruising to their first win of the season over the Cougars, who are still searching for their first victory. Sandringham hosts Berwick City on Sunday for another great meeting between these two determined sides.
Geelong Baycats vs. Blackburn Orioles
0 8
A home run and strong fielding efforts from Blackburn's defense helped them overcome the reigning premiers. Geelong was kept quiet for once, a result they will be eager to make up for when they host Blackburn on Saturday for round four. The Orioles are 3-0 right now while Geelong is 2-1.
Waverley Wildcats vs. Newport Rams
6 0
The Wildcats were on fire on Sunday, commanding the field and keeping the Rams from coming around to score. Waverley is one of two undefeated teams remaining in the competition, while Newport has lost three in a row while aiming for a win on Sunday.
Cheltenham Rustlers vs. Sunshine Eagles
7 15
The Eagles were flying high after a monster victory over the Rustlers to keep their 2019/20 campaign moving in the right direction. Sunshine is 1-2 and Cheltenham has two losses and a draw as they look to capture that crucial first victory in round four.
Photo: Sally Hand - Sunshine Baseball Club Facebook
Fitzroy Lions vs. Melbourne Demons
12 0
The Lions are feeling good after picking up their first win of the season. James Roy had a couple of hits for Melbourne, but the Demons struggled to bring their few base runners around to score. Melbourne is 2-1 and Fitzroy is 1-2 going into this weekend's game.
Essendon Bombers vs. Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers
10 10
It was a terrific game of baseball for the thirds as Essendon and Upwey Ferntree Gully drew after bursts of offense throughout the game. Although the Tigers made a few defensive mistakes that cost them some runs, the lineup was there to make up for it and keep them in the game. Essendon has one win and two draws while Upwey Ferntree Gully has two wins and a draw heading into the next round.
Division 1 Fourths
Sandringham Royals vs. Berwick City Cougars
3 7
The Cougars could not be stopped on Sunday as they capitalised on scoring opportunities to get a big win. After taking their first loss of the season, Sandringham is looking forward to another game against Berwick City this weekend.
Geelong Baycats vs. Blackburn Orioles
7 16
Blackburn lost a tough one last week to Sandringham, and they made up for it with a huge offensive effort against Geelong on Saturday. Geelong hosts the round four meeting as they look to avoid three straight losses.
Waverley Wildcats vs. Newport Rams
6 1
The Wildcats have won two in a row, giving them a boost as they look to climb up the ladder and secure another victory over Newport this coming weekend.
Cheltenham Rustlers vs. Sunshine Eagles
12 13
In a wild game of constant scoring and a brilliant back-and-forth battle, Sunshine won in a walk-off thanks to Neeraj Kumar's hit to score Brenton May and Graham May. Sunshine has won three in a row to get their season started off right.
Fitzroy Lions vs. Melbourne Demons
8 9
There was another close matchup as Fitzroy and Melbourne went toe-to-toe. Fitzroy fought hard but ultimately fell to Melbourne as the Demons continued their undefeated streak in exciting fashion. The Lions will try and slow down the Demons in round four.
Essendon Bombers vs. Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers
21 3