The 2024 Under 16 State Winter Championships got off to a fantastic start, hosted by Latrobe Valley Baseball Association at Morwell Cougars and Traralgon Red Sox Baseball Clubs.
Stay tuned to BV Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates from the tournament and follow along with Sunday's finals on GameChanger - Saturday recaps are published below.
U16 Division 1
Ringwood 2, Dandenong 2
Ringwood and Dandenong ended in a draw, although Ringwood scored first with a Harvey Devlin RBI single in the second. An error helped Dandenong tie it up at one in the bottom half.
A single by Archie Hooper gave Ringwood a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth. Dandenong made it 2-all with a bases-loaded walk by Hunter Rouse their next time up.
Angus Saggers led things off on the bump for Ringwood, giving up one hit and one run (zero earned) over two and one-third innings, striking out four and walking none.
Kade Henry stepped on the hill first for Dandenong, giving up zero hits and one run over one and one-third innings, striking out two and walking none.
Hooper and Devlin were a force together in the lineup, each collecting one hit and an RBI for Ringwood. They also had multiple stolen bases with seven total in the game.
Henry, Joash Xavier, and Rouse all collected one hit for Dandenong. The defense was sure-handed in the field and didn't commit a single error as Rouse made the most plays with eight.
Diamond Valley 9, Geelong 1
Diamond Valley got on the board early, scoring on a Geelong error and an RBI groundout by Eric Webster in the first. They added two runs in the second as Ethan Kent singled on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, making it 4-0.
Diamond Valley scored five runs on one hit in the top of the third. Seth Stott singled, scoring one run, before bases-loaded walks to Kent, Bailey Stewart, Lachlan Brennan, and Marcus Murphy brought home four more.
Murphy led things off on the hill for Diamond Valley, giving up zero hits or runs over one and two-thirds innings, striking out one and walking one. Webster appeared in relief.
Charlie Davenport started the game for Geelong, giving up one hit and two runs over one inning, striking out two and walking two.
Kent led Diamond Valley with two hits in two at-bats from the leadoff position. The team practiced patience at the plate, tallying 16 walks in the game as Brennan and Leo McAndrew took three each. Oliver Baillargeon, Stott, Brennan, and McAndrew stole multiple bases with 11 total in the game.
Davenport led Geelong with one run batted in.
Geelong 10, City West 2
Geelong took care of business 10-2 over City West on Saturday, starting the scoring early with Charlie Davenport's RBI single in the first. Lucas Joel also doubled, scoring two runs, and Reid Sexton doubled, scoring one, before an error brought home another.
Geelong scored five runs on three hits in the top of the fourth. Jared Loader, Jack Northfield, and Cruz Appeldorff picked up RBI singles while Joel drew a bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch scored one more run.
Loader started on the hill for Geelong, giving up three hits and two runs over one inning with two strikeouts and two walks. Ash Kaberry and Connor Barrow threw shutout innings in relief.
City West starter Ryan Harris gave up three hits and five runs (four earned) over two and one-third innings, striking out four and walking four.
Joel provided pop in the middle of the lineup, leading Geelong with two runs batted in on a 1-for-1 day. Davenport, Northfield, Sexton, Appeldorff, Joel, and Loader each had one hit.
Geelong's patience at the plate led to seven walks with two apiece for Joel and Kaberry. Davenport, Northfield, Edrin Berisha, and Joel stole multiple bases with 13 total in the game.
Geelong didn't commit a single error in the field, having the most chances with eight.
Hunter Mudford led City West with two hits in two at-bats.
Diamond Valley 13, Ringwood 3
Diamond Valley won big over Ringwood 13-3 on Saturday, although Ringwood scored first with a Harvey Devlin RBI single. Oliver Baillargeon singled to give Diamond Valley a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first.
Diamond Valley scored five runs on four hits in the bottom of the second inning. Bailey Stewart singled, Eric Webster drew a walk, and Marcus Murphy was struck by a pitch, all scoring one run. Darcy Squire took a bases-loaded walk and Baillargeon singled to add two more.
Diamond Valley also scored five runs on five hits in the third. Kai-Jie Yang doubled, scoring one run, Stewart singled, scoring two, and Webster hit a sacrifice fly, scoring one. Kalan Ellis brought home the last run of the inning on a base hit.
Squire stepped on the bump first for Diamond Valley, giving up three hits and three runs over four innings, striking out two and walking two.
Nate Bugeja opened the game for Ringwood, giving up five hits and eight runs over one inning, striking out one and walking four.
Diamond Valley tallied 11 hits in the game, including two apiece for Yang, Baillargeon, Stewart, and Ellis. Baillargeon and Stewart both drove in three runs while Squire and Lachlan took two walks apiee with eight total in the game.
The DV defense turned one double play.
Alessio Petruzzielo, Cassius Matthews, and Devlin each collected one hit for Ringwood while Royce Pirera, Matthews, and Devlin each drove in a run. Tom Bowden stole two bases.
Ringwood's defense turned one double play and didn't make any errors as Devlin led the charge with three chances in the field.
Diamond Valley 8, Dandenong 2
Diamond Valley scored five runs in the third inning to defeat Dandenong 8-2. Joash Xavier's RBI double gave Dandenong an early start, but Eric Webster's bases-loaded walk quickly tied things up for Diamond Valley.
Diamond Valley took the lead in the bottom of the second when a wild pitch scored two runs.
Seth Stott started on the mound for Diamond Valley, giving up two hits and one run over two innings with two walks and three strikeouts. Baillargeon appeared in relief.
Xavier led things off on the hill for Dandenong, giving up zero hits and one run over one and one-third innings, striking out four and walking two.
Baillargeon, Kalan Ellis, and Leo McAndrew each drove in one run for Diamond Valley. Ethan Kent took two of the team's eight walks while Marcus Murphy, Webster, and Kent stole multiple bases with 12 total in the game.
Brooke Edwards and Xavier both had one hit for Dandenong with the latter knocking in a run. Kade Henry stole four bases.
Ringwood 7, City West 4
Ringwood won 7-4 over City West, scoring in the bottom of the first after Harvey Devlin hit a 2-RBI single and Cassius Matthews had an RBI groundout.
Ringwood added to their early lead in the bottom of the second inning after a walk by Alessio Petruzzielo and singles to Devlin, Tom Bowden, and Matthews, each scoring one run.
Matthews started the game for Ringwood, giving up one hit and four runs (three earned) over three innings with seven walks and three strikeouts.
Hunter Mudford started the game for City West, giving up one hit and three runs over one inning, striking out none and walking four.
Devlin drove the middle of the lineup, leading Ringwood with three runs batted in on a 2-for-2 day. The team was patient at the plate, tallying nine walks with two bases on balls for Nate Bugeja and Archie Hooper.
Neon Khadka and Lacey Tompkins were tough to handle back-to-back in the lineup, each driving in a run. Riley Harrington led City West with one hit in two at-bats. They had seven walks total with two apiece for Mudford and Tompkins.
U16 Division 2
Latrobe Valley 11, North East 4
Latrobe Valley won big over North East 11-4 on Saturday, starting with an RBI double by Alex Smith in the first inning, when two runs also scored on an error.
A walk by Connor McKenzie and an error helped Latrobe Valley extend their early lead in the second. They added to their tally in the third after Liam Duncan and McKenzie grounded out, Cooper Boyes was struck by a pitch, and Josh Smith walked, each scoring one run on top of an error.
McKenzie started the game for Latrobe Valley with no hits, walks, or runs in one inning of work, just three strikeouts. Smith, Harry Russ, and Blake Duncan appeared in relief.
Grace Castello stepped on the bump first for North East, giving up one hit and six runs (two earned) with two strikeouts.
Michael Coulthard provided pop in the middle of the lineup, leading Latrobe Valley with four runs batted in. Smith went 1-for-1 and took two walks alongside Duncan and McKenzie. The team had 10 walks total and eight stolen bases, including multiple SBs for Smith, Duncan, and Harry Kus.
Oscar Maiden led North East with one run batted in while Makayla Pool picked up a timely hit. They walked six times overall.
North East 10, Diamond Valley 6
Despite trailing by as many as four runs, North East rallied to beat Diamond Valley 10-6 on Saturday.
Diamond Valley jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning after Henry Rossa drew a bases-loaded walk. An error and a groundout by Caleb Szeremeta added to the tally.
North East flipped the game on its head in the bottom of the first, scoring five runs on one hit to take a 5-4 lead. The biggest blow in the inning was a groundout by Jessie Hoare that drove in two.
Diamond Valley captured the 6-5 lead in the top of the second after an error and a wild pitch. North East responded with five runs in the bottom half, including a bases-loaded walk by Taylor Jones.
Darcey Sanders stepped on the mound first for North East, giving up two hits and six runs (one earned) over two innings, striking out three and walking four. Tanner Godenzi and Micheal Nistico appeared in relief.
Zach Papadimitriou stepped on the hill first for Diamond Valley, giving up one hit and five runs (four earned) with four walks and a strikeout.
Hoare led North East with two runs batted in while the lineup collected 11 walks overall, including two apiece for Jones, Josh Wells, Grace Castello, and Ayla McCalloin. Wells stole three bases with six total in the game.
Diamond Valley's Hudson Castle led the team with two runs batted in while Chase Messinger and Kay Zhang had one hit each. They walked nine time with two free passes for Castle, Rossa, and Charlize Chilcott. Messinger and Zhang stole multiple bases with 10 total in the game.
Bendigo 10, Latrobe Valley 6
Bendigo rallied to top Latrobe Valley 10-6 on Saturday despite trailing by as many as five runs during the game.
Latrobe Valley got on board in the top of the first inning after RBI singles to Alex Smith, Harry Kus, and Cooper Boyes. Josh Dortmans hit a 2-RBI double as well.
Bendigo scored five runs on one hit in the bottom of the first. A dropped third strike, Deon Strahan single, and bases-loaded walks to Tahlia Dickinson and Sierra Morgan brought home runs. Thomas Ward grounded out to score another before the inning was over.
Latrobe Valley took the lead in the top of the second when Kus singled to score one and make it 6-5. Bendigo flipped the game on its head in the bottom frame, scoring five runs on two hits to take a 10-6 lead. The biggest blow in the inning was a single by Josh Ralston that drove in one.
Fletcher Cain opened the game for Bendigo, giving up seven hits and six runs over one and one-third innings, striking out one and walking two.
Ward, the number seven hitter for Bendigo, led the way with two runs batted in on a 1-for-2 day. Ward, Strahan, and Ralston each collected one hit while the team took 10 walks. Morgan, Dickinson, Archer Etherton, and Mason Strahan led the side with two walks each. Strahan, Etherton, and Ralston also stole multiple bases with 11 total in the game.
Bendigo didn't commit a single error in the field as Ward had the most chances.
Smith and Kus were a force together in the lineup, both collecting two hits and multiple stolen bases for Latrobe Valley. Kus and Dortmans drove in two runs while the team piled up 10 stolen bases.
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