Canberra 8-6 Northern Diamondbacks
Canberra came from behind and held on for a fantastic victory, defeating the Northern Diamondbacks 8-6.
Khayne Morales nailed a home run, which was followed by a Ryan Lyddiard RBI single that gave Canberra the lead. From there, Canberra looked to Rohan McDonough, who threw 2.1 shutout innings to finish the ballgame and seal Canberra’s second win in pool play.
Macks Powell nailed two hits and drove in a pair from the cleanup spot for Canberra, with McDonough swinging the bat well to claimed two hits of his own.
Ben Howard played the leadoff role to perfection for the Diamondbacks, going 4-for-4 and scoring twice. Tye Robinson was a tough out for the Diamondbacks, going 2-for-2 with two RBI.
Canberra made the most of their hits, and finished with a morale boosting victory as they look to the second round.
Swan Hills 11-0 Brisbane Metro
Behind a strong hitting performance and a fantastic pitching effort for Jesse Brown, Swan Hills defeated Brisbane Metro 11-0.
Jesse Brown threw the first complete game shutout of the 2017 tournament, striking out eight and only giving up three hits in a wonderful performance.
Elijah Hewett continued his excellent tournament for the Aces, going 3-for-3 with a triple, a home run and two RBI to anchor the Aces lineup. Ben Ferencakovic also hit exceptionally well for Swan Hills, driving in a pair of runs from his two hits.
Ben Walmsley, Jock Millar and Rubens Romero claimed the three hits for Metro, but Swan Hills took the win, sealed first place in Pool B, and a spot in the quarter finals.
Macarthur 11-4 Southern Mariners
Macarthur booked their place in the quarter finals following an 11-4 win against the Southern Mariners.
A balanced team hitting approach from Macarthur lead them to victory, with Owen Glover and Samuel Jackson picking up two RBI each. Bayley Stevens also chimed in with a pair of hits each.
Glover and Zac Small both pitched well for Macarthur, as Glover struck out four in his start, and Small only giving up one run in his 2.2 relief innings.
Charlie Pierson picked up two hits and an RBI for the Mariners, and he was ably supported by Ryan Langworthy and Xander Gunn who claimed a pair of hits each.
Cronulla 8-4 Eastern Phantoms
Cronulla sealed their place at the top of Pool C, following their fourth win from as many games against the Eastern Phantoms.
Ethan Martin was strong in the leadoff spot for the Sharks, going 2-for-3, while Jye Burns and Patrick Glasheen drove in two runs apiece for Cronulla.
Cronulla used a battery of pitchers, with Jye Burns one of the most impressive, striking three in two perfect innings of relief.
Hits were shared for the Phantoms, with Owen Paschke driving in two runs, and Ethan Oliphant nailing a solo home run to keep the Phantoms in contention.
Will Morel gave it his all on the mound for his team, with the Phantoms starting pitcher striking out four and kept a dominant Cronulla lineup relatively under control.
That win sees Cronulla seal a spot in the quarter finals, as they remain undefeated at the Bendigo Bank Australian Little League Championship.
Gold Coast Pirates 5-4 Central Firebirds
Gold Coast made the most of their opportunities and withstood a comeback from the Central Firebirds to claim a narrow 5-4 win.
William Baker starred for Gold Coast, striking out nine and only giving up one earned run across his five inning start. Baker also swung the bat well, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Dane Gibson and Lucas Pascoe chimed in with a hit apiece for the Pirates, with Pascoe and Damon Norris driving in an RBI each.
Taeyeon Jeon was the only Firebirds hitter to claimed two hits on the day, with Callum Plant continuing his good tournament, going 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBI.
Despite Jaxon Limpus scoring late on a wild pitch, Peter Alexander was the final out of the ballgame, grounding out to Jaecob Arnott and sealing a hard-fought win for the Gold Coast Pirates.
Northern Metros 9-5 Illawarra
Both teams hit well, but eventually it was the Northern Metros who ran away with it, defeating Illawarra 9-5.
The Metros trio of Tom Spreckley, Reef Tana and Aden Browne pitched exceptionally well, striking out 10 and only walking four in six innings.
Browne also hit well for his team, nailing a home run and driving in a pair of runs. Ethan Campbell went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Metros as he continued his tournament well.
Callum Donnelly went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, while Mitchell Wheatley continued an excellent tournament with another two hits and an RBI.
Liam Herbert played a tough role for Illawarra as both the leadoff hitter and starting pitcher, however two hits and an RBI and a gusty start showed his quality.
Southern Mariners 7-2 Brisbane South
The Southern Mariners scored three runs in the opening frame and never looked back, defeating Brisbane South and sealing their place in the Quarter Finals.
Ryan Langworthy was one of the Mariners best with the bat, claiming a team high three hits and driving in a run. Charlie Pierson also hit well for the Victorian charter, going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Wesley Ka had a strong start for the Mariners, striking out three and only giving up two runs in a fantastic performance.
Gabe Kushi kept the Mariners offence relatively quiet in his 2.2 innings of relief, only allowing the one earned run. Ben Paton was one of Brisbane South’s best with bat in hand picking up two hits, while David Riley and Josh McDougall picked up an RBI each.
That result sees the Southern Mariners claim three wins from four games and seal a place in the quarter finals of the Australian Championship.
Hills 12-8 Adelaide Rays
Hills kept their undefeated tournament alive with a 12-8 victory, but it wasn’t without a scrap as the Adelaide Rays pushed the defending champions all the way.
Tom Stancic drove in a team high four RBI for Hills, while Tyler Spiteri and Harrison Wheeldon picked up three RBI each.
Stancic, Spiteri and Wheeldon all nailed home runs for Hills, as they used the long ball to great effect.
Jett Watson struck out four in three innings of work Hills, while Cody Brian finished it off for Hills, only giving up one run in two innings of relief.
Jordan Hodges and Archie Lovelock picked up two RBI each for the Rays, with Hodges nailing a home run for his team.
Chase Rowe had an exceptional relief outing against a solid lineup, only giving up a pair of runs in 3.1 innings of work.
Ryde 13-4 Gold Coast Pirates
Consistent scoring from Ryde saw them defeat the Gold Coast Pirates 13-4 and in turn seal the second seed in Pool D.
Matt Cecere was exceptional in his 3.2 inning start for the Hawks, striking out five and not giving up a run in a fantastic performance.
Matthew Roberts was a tough out for the Pirates as the Hawks utility went 3-for-3 with three runs, a walk and two RBI. Zen Stevens and Callum Lambert also hit well, picking up two hits and two RBI apiece.
Oscar Hyde, Lewis Day and Damon Norris all managed hits and RBI for the Pirates, however Ryde won the day and secured a place in the Bendigo Bank Australian Little League Championship Quarter Finals.
Eastern Athletics 10-2 Brisbane North
Eastern Athletics moved one step closer to qualifying for the Quarter Finals after a 10-2 victory against Brisbane North.
Beau Allsworth and Sam Wilson both claimed a pair of hits for Brisbane North, while Joel Hogan and Miller Bell drove in an RBI each.
Tyler Ellis and Cameron Bieker each threw exceptionally well in relief for the Athletics, with Bieker striking out four and not allowing a hit in 2.1 innings.
Nick Parton and James Patterson each nailed three RBI for the Athletics, with Nicholas Harris going 2-for-2 with three runs, an RBI and two walks at the top of the Athletics order.
Manly 12-2 Brisbane Metro
Manly sewed up the second seed in Pool B following a 12-2 win against Brisbane Metro.
Oliver Tibbett had to work hard during his two inning start, as he struck out four and only gave up two earned runs. Sean Parkinson threw two excellent innings of relief for Manly, only allowing two hits and striking out three in two innings.
Tallulah Lewis hit well in the cleanup position, as she picked up a team-high two hits. Daigo Yamaguchi drove in two of his team’s runs at the top of the lineup, while hits were shared for Brisbane Metro.
Three wins from four games is good enough for the second seed in Pool B for Manly, as they look to keep it rolling to improve on their seventh place finish from a year ago.
Adelaide Marlins 16-13 Eastern Athletics
The Adelaide Marlins finished off pool play with a lengthy 16-13 victory against the Eastern Athletics.
Both teams hat to endure a length rain delay, and it was the Marlins who came back the stronger, as Jude Barker nailed a massive home run to finish with five RBI on the night.
Aiden Lucas chimed in with three hits and three RBI of his own, while Flynn McKee went 3-for-4 with two RBI and some flashy plays at third.
Hits were shared for the Athletics, with Tyler Evans driving in a team high three RBI.
Taran Rose and Nick Parton both had three hits apiece, as Rose and Evan Maury both chimed in with three RBI.
Despite that loss, the Eastern Athletics have qualified for the quarter finals of the Bendigo Bank Australian Little League Championship.