Baseball Victoria, Author at Baseball Victoria

A weekend full of exciting semi-finals saw teams lay it all on the line, with some thrilling one-run finishes to confirm who goes through to the VSBL Division 1 Grand Finals on Sunday, 8 March. There was plenty of impressive baseball action across the Division 1 Reserves, Thirds and Fourth, with more in store for the upcoming weekend.

Division 1 Reserves

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 12 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2

Upwey Ferntree Gully won this semi-final over Cheltenham by a double-digit margin, made possible by a five-run effort in the second inning to get things moving.

The Tigers scored a further six runs from the third to fifth innings before the Rustlers brought in their two runs at the bottom of the fifth.

The Tigers made sure of the result in the seventh inning when they added one more and shut down the home side at the bottom.

The win to the Tigers means they’ve earned a spot in the grand final next weekend and it’ll be against Waverley. Upwey Ferntree Gully finished the regular season with a 13-3-1 record ahead of 11-5-2 Waverley, and the Tigers beat Waverley in round 19 with a score of 11-3. The Tigers will have to beat Waverley once more, although the Wildcats will be feeling confident after denying the table-toppers Blackburn the chance to secure a second straight premiership.

Waverley Wildcats 8 v Blackburn Orioles 7

A very close semi-final game between Waverley and Blackburn saw the Wildcats coming back from four runs down after four innings to steal the victory and force the top-seeded Blackburn out.

The Orioles got the jump early as they took a 2-0 lead after the first inning, with no further scoring until Waverley’s three at the top of the fourth, taking the lead for the first time for the day.

Blackburn, not wanting the Wildcats to get too comfortable, created plenty of chances at the bottom, and it transcended into five runs crossing home.

Waverley had consecutive one-run digs after that but still found themselves behind, but not allowing Blackburn to further their lead either, shutting them down on offense.

The ninth inning rolled around and it was do-or-die for the Wildcats, who steadied to take three runs and the lead, forcing the Orioles to once again pick up the bats. A solid defensive display under pressure finished the job for Waverley and saw them progress to next week.

Both sides collected 11 hits on the day, with Mitch Whiting leading the way with four for Blackburn along with two RBIs. Tim Holland knocked in a team-high three runs while teammates Luke Cartwright had four quality at-bats and Brendan Kane had three.

Waverley's Ben Jackson had three hits and Anthony Reinke had two, with Adam Blackley securing three quality at-bats and Lachlan O'Connor knocking in two runs.

Pat White pitched 8.1 innings for the Orioles, striking out four with 21 first-pitch strikes. Cody Caulfield handled 3.1 innings for Waverley and Finn Weichard threw three, while Adam Bright struck out six in his time on the mound for Waverley.

Waverley plays Upwey Ferntree Gully in Sunday's grand final.

Division 1 Thirds

Waverley Wildcats 6 v Blackburn Orioles 5

Waverley hung on for a big win over a very competitive side in Blackburn.

Despite Blackburn leading 2-1 after the first and growing the lead by one in the second, Waverley squared things up at the top of the third, scoring two.

That result was short-lived though as the Orioles got the lead once more, scoring one at the bottom. The Wildcats again weren’t going down without a fight, evening up the score once again in the fifth before taking a much-needed lead in the sixth, two runners coming home.

Blackburn only managed one in the bottom and the Orioles still behind as the game entered the seventh and final inning, to which the home side couldn’t find another run.

Defense wasn't a strong point on either side with both teams making five errors. Waverley had 10 hits to Blackburn's seven, with Ned Hargreaves and Josh Puyk recording two hits each for the Wildcats. Justin Woolard had two hits for Blackburn as teammate Ben Hayes had three quality at-bats.

Waverley's Tom Rynberk walked twice and Manning Davison had a walk, two RBIs and two quality at-bats. Daniel Page also had an RBI for Waverley.

Blackburn's Gerard Kingston pitched seven innings with 28 first-pitch strikes, seven strikeouts and a 1.86 WHIP. Davison covered 6.2 innings for Waverley, throwing 19 first-pitch strikes with three strikes and a 1.06 WHIP.

Waverley makes it through to the Grand Final at Geelong while it’s season over for Blackburn. The Wildcats finished the regular season in fourth place at 9-4-5 behind second place Geelong at 11-3-3, but the Wildcats will be feeling good after denying table toppers Blackburn a shot at grand final glory.

These two sides have seen one another recently, as it was a 7-7 draw between Geelong and Waverley in round 17 but the Baycats won 11-1 in the next round.

Essendon Bombers 6 v Geelong Baycats 7

Down in Geelong, the Baycats prevailed in a decisive sixth inning.

The home team got the first couple of runs in the first inning and backed that up with another two in the second to take a four-run lead through a scoreless third inning.

Essendon came back hard at the Baycats in the fourth, scoring four runs which tied the game up before in the sixth, they went ahead for the first time on the day, adding two more runs.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Baycats were up to bat to save their season and had the scores tied before finding a third run and taking a lead, a lead they hung onto throughout the final inning.

Geelong's starter Duane Davenport threw 3.2 innings with two strikeouts and 46 strikes out of 90 pitches, relying on catcher Brody Stokoe to keep things smooth behind the dish. Lachlan Stott followed in relief to get the Baycats out of a tough inning before turning things over to closer Dan Anson. Three innings with three strikeouts and 27 strikes out of 43 pitches highlighted Anson's performance.

Geelong's exciting finish was highlighted by a two-out rally in the sixth, started by William Fitzgerald who beat an infield hit to score a runner. Anson singled to left and Stott singled to right to bring another runner home, making it a one-run ball game. Matthew Sage was up next, swinging at a curveball and laying down a beautiful bunt. A wild throw at first sent the ball sailing down the right field line as Anson and Stott came running home, with Geelong cheering for a one-run lead.

L. Stott had two RBIs on two singles while Will Fitzgerald and Anson had two hits apiece. Daniel Stott had an RBI single and Jake Warren and Alex Hockey joined in the fun with big base hits.

Geelong will play the grand final at home ground on Sunday against Waverley as the Baycats go for their fourth flag in a row.

Division 1 Fourths

Blackburn Orioles 8 v Essendon Bombers 9

While back-to-back three-run innings for Blackburn kick-started the game, the Orioles fell away towards the end against a strong Essendon side.

Up 7-0 after the fourth dig, Blackburn finally allowed the Bombers on the board with three runs in the bottom.

Blackburn added one more to the score in the sixth but again, the Bombers didn’t back down, scoring five runs to tie the game at eight-all after six innings.

The final inning saw Blackburn not scoring, leaving it up to the Bombers as they found a run to take the win.

The Bombers will be up against Melbourne in the decider this weekend. Essendon finished the season 14-5 in second place behind 17-1-1 Melbourne and the Demons won 9-2 in their first meeting back in round 11, but the Bombers had the upper hand the next week with a 8-5 victory.

Waverley Wildcats 2 v Melbourne Demons 12

Waverley struck first during the second inning in this encounter with Melbourne but that was all the Wildcats wrote as the Demons took over after.

Two consecutive five-run digs in the second and third set up a big lead which they added to in the fourth to take it to double-digits before a scoreless fifth inning ended the game.

The Demons will take that confidence into a grand final against Essendon, with Melbourne hoping to deny the Bombers a second straight premiership.

Division 1 Reserves

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 12 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2

Upwey Ferntree Gully won this semi-final over Cheltenham by a double-digit margin, made possible by a five-run effort in the second inning to get things moving.

The Tigers scored a further six runs from the third to fifth innings before the Rustlers brought in their two runs at the bottom of the fifth.

The Tigers made sure of the result in the seventh inning when they added one more and shut down the home side at the bottom.

Waverley Wildcats 8 v Blackburn Orioles 7

A very close semi-final game between Waverley and Blackburn saw the Wildcats coming back from four runs down after four innings to steal the victory and force the top-seeded Blackburn out.

Blackburn, not wanting the Wildcats to get too comfortable, created plenty of chances at the bottom, and it transcended into five runs crossing home.

Waverley had consecutive one-run digs after that but still found themselves behind, but not allowing Blackburn to further their lead either, shutting them down on offense.

Waverley's Ben Jackson had three hits and Anthony Reinke had two, with Adam Blackley securing three quality at-bats and Lachlan O'Connor knocking in two runs.

Waverley plays Upwey Ferntree Gully in Sunday's grand final.

Division 1 Thirds

Waverley Wildcats 6 v Blackburn Orioles 5

Waverley hung on for a big win over a very competitive side in Blackburn.

Despite Blackburn leading 2-1 after the first and growing the lead by one in the second, Waverley squared things up at the top of the third, scoring two.

Blackburn only managed one in the bottom and the Orioles still behind as the game entered the seventh and final inning, to which the home side couldn’t find another run.

Waverley's Tom Rynberk walked twice and Manning Davison had a walk, two RBIs and two quality at-bats. Daniel Page also had an RBI for Waverley.

These two sides have seen one another recently, as it was a 7-7 draw between Geelong and Waverley in round 17 but the Baycats won 11-1 in the next round.

Essendon Bombers 6 v Geelong Baycats 7

Down in Geelong, the Baycats prevailed in a decisive sixth inning.

The home team got the first couple of runs in the first inning and backed that up with another two in the second to take a four-run lead through a scoreless third inning.

Essendon came back hard at the Baycats in the fourth, scoring four runs which tied the game up before in the sixth, they went ahead for the first time on the day, adding two more runs.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Baycats were up to bat to save their season and had the scores tied before finding a third run and taking a lead, a lead they hung onto throughout the final inning.

L. Stott had two RBIs on two singles while Will Fitzgerald and Anson had two hits apiece. Daniel Stott had an RBI single and Jake Warren and Alex Hockey joined in the fun with big base hits.

Geelong will play the grand final at home ground on Sunday against Waverley as the Baycats go for their fourth flag in a row.

Division 1 Fourths

Blackburn Orioles 8 v Essendon Bombers 9

While back-to-back three-run innings for Blackburn kick-started the game, the Orioles fell away towards the end against a strong Essendon side.

Up 7-0 after the fourth dig, Blackburn finally allowed the Bombers on the board with three runs in the bottom.

Blackburn added one more to the score in the sixth but again, the Bombers didn’t back down, scoring five runs to tie the game at eight-all after six innings.

The final inning saw Blackburn not scoring, leaving it up to the Bombers as they found a run to take the win.

Waverley Wildcats 2 v Melbourne Demons 12

Waverley struck first during the second inning in this encounter with Melbourne but that was all the Wildcats wrote as the Demons took over after.

Two consecutive five-run digs in the second and third set up a big lead which they added to in the fourth to take it to double-digits before a scoreless fifth inning ended the game.

The Demons will take that confidence into a grand final against Essendon, with Melbourne hoping to deny the Bombers a second straight premiership.

The final regular season series featured plenty of impressive performances as Geelong and Blackburn switched places in the top three and Cheltenham hung on for a shot at Grand Final Glory. Now, the top four VSBL Division 1 Firsts teams are preparing for semi-finals, starting at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, 3 March.

Division 1 Firsts - Round 26 (Midweeks)

Berwick City Cougars 0 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2

The Rustlers scored their runs at the bottom of the first as that was the only score for the game, with defence playing an big part for the rest of the night.

Lars Liguori was pitched the full seven innings and earned the win for Cheltenham, giving up five hits with four strikeouts in his sixth scoreless appearance of the year.

Mac Turley had a single which he later scored on while Sam Michael scored Cheltenham’s second run, getting on base via a walk. Andrew Gribben had an RBI single.

Cheltenham reached 15 wins on the back of this result.

Geelong Baycats 2 v Essendon Bombers 9

Under the lights at Melbourne Ballpark, Geelong began the game with a run in the opening frame but it was Essendon's night offensively, swinging the bats more fiercely to score four in the bottom.

The Baycats scored once more in the third to cut the margin, although not for long as the Bombers again accrued a few more runs and were leading 7-2 after three.

Essendon added two more in the fifth, with Geelong left behind and unable to make up the deficit.

Lachlan Hockey took the loss, giving up six earned runs on nine hits and two walks over the course of 3.2 innings.

Tyler Luther-Wilson got two hits for the day, Lewis Weldon scored an RBI single while it was Ryan Darcy and Jordan Baumann who came around to score for Geelong.

Gareth Formisano got the win for the Bombers, pitching five innings, giving up four hits and zero runs with five strikeouts.

Cody Rodwell was a shining light for the Bombers, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a run while Jared Cruz hit a double in one of his two hits as he made his way home three times. Darby Sexton had an RBI single which he scored on whereas Ross Bament had three hits for two runs with two RBIs. Peter Stokes was another to have three hits, he also scored once with two RBIs.

This result was win number 16 for Geelong this season and Essendon's 14th loss.

Fitzroy Lions 0 v Sunshine Eagles 3

It was a quick and quiet game through the sixth when Sunshine finally broke through and got on the board with three runs, the only scores in the game.

Brock Pawley was on the mound for Fitzroy, pitching six innings to give up eight hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts.

There were hits to Danny King, Tom Wilson, Tom Dicker, Ethan Epifanio, Ben Wilson and Ryan Mitchell for the Lions, however the lineup struggled to capitalise on scoring chances.

For Sunshine, Adam Irons was credited with the win, going the whole seven innings and giving up six hits with 11 strikeouts.

One the bats for the Eagles, Nikau Pouaka-Grego made it a double on one of his two hits, coming home once while Allan de san Miguel and Bryce Aldridge each had one run from one hit, Aldridge adding an RBI.

After this game Sunshine had 18 wins while Fitzroy had nine.

Sandringham Royals 4 v Newport Rams 3

A pretty even contest, the Royals able to get over the line, just as they were able to shut the Rams out in the closing inning.

This was due in large part to Genevieve Beacom's VSBL Division 1 Firsts debut, as she took the mound and made history, striking out the final Rams batter with runners in scoring position to end the game on a high note.

A scoreless first inning gave way to the second, when Sandringham gained a lead of three before Newport came away with a couple in the bottom.

A one-run lead to the Royals going into the next inning stayed that way at the conclusion of the third, although each team added a run to their tally before a nil-all fourth inning ended the game and gave the win to Sandringham.

Declan Ferguson knocked in half of Sandringham's runs while Tim Lane also helped out with a RBI single. Harrison Wills took two walks on his way to three quality at-bats as the Royals only had three hits on the night, while Newport had five.

Kynan Wilcox also pitched for Sandringham while Jared Berman and Mason Condie handled pitching duties for Newport. This marked Sandringham's 12th win of the season and Newport's 19th loss.

Waverley Wildcats 5 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 4

Waverley led 4-0 in the middle of the fifth after scoring three to compliment one in the first but Upwey Ferntree Gully was quick to reply at the bottom of the fifth, scoring four to tie things up.

A quiet sixth kept the teams on edge and the Wildcats broke through at the top of the seventh to lead by one, an advantage they kept at the end of the inning as the shut down the Tigers bats.

Donavon Hendricks threw seven innings for the Tigers, giving up five earned runs on nine hits against a Waverley side that was determined to stay in the race for finals.

Riley Light hit his seventh home run of the season, while Wade McConnon and Pete Schroders singled and Staci Rogers had two base hits.

Waverley's Adam Bright got the win on the mound, throwing three scoreless innings with two hits and a walk allowed. Jamie Papanicolaou gave up four earned runs in four innings with three hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

Billy Findlay, Damon Hill and Mitch Homfray all singled while Mohi Kahui doubled. Jordan Ley had a single and a double for two RBIs while Reece Longstaff had an RBI single and Jacob Sheldon-Collins singled. Mitchell Wilhite had a triple and two RBIs in a big performance, marking Waverley's 14th win and Upwey Ferntree Gully's 10th loss.

Blackburn Orioles 0 v Melbourne Demons 0

A scoreless result through four innings is a testament to the defensive pressure placed by Blackburn and Melbourne to come away with a draw.

This game was a pitcher's duel with Andrew Jones leading the way for Blackburn. He gave up just three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in four innings. Liam Davine covered two innings for Melbourne, giving up two hits and a walk while striking out two. Melbourne also had Adam Pahos and Mitch Ellis on the mound with the latter giving up two more hits to Blackburn.

Thomas Kerr-Chapman, Liam Hopkins and Nick Rossell all had hits for Blackburn while Jarryd Rogers and Matthew Blackmore had hits for Melbourne in this draw.

Division 1 Firsts - Round 27 (Saturday Games)

Cheltenham Rustlers 8 v Berwick City Cougars 7

Playing at Mulgrave under new lights, this was a high-energy matchup with Cheltenham needing the win to secure a finals berth.

It was an especially nervous time for both sides during the last two innings, the one-run margin was there from the end of the sixth.

The game ended on a double play from Cheltenham and saw them rewarded with a win, holding up against the constant Cougars pressure.

The Rustlers got out to a three-run lead after three innings before a barrage of runs from Berwick saw them overtake their opponents with five runs at the bottom of the fifth. The next dig, Cheltenham picked this back up with three runs and by the time the seventh dig was over, the Rustlers were up by three runs The Cougars were always there though, scoring two also in their seventh inning.

The win sees Cheltenham stay in the top four. Now the Rustlers will come up against Blackburn in a best-of-three semi-final series starting at Mulgrave on Tuesday night, with first pitch slated for 7pm.

Cheltenham Club Coach Bryan Kloppe is proud of his team's efforts, especially their performance on Saturday night. "With a shot the finals coming down to the last game of the season it was imperative to get a win. The guys battled their way through the game, using all of the physical and mental skills that they have put together during the season to take down a very tough Berwick side," Kloppe said. "Jack Enciondo and Lars Liguori were key for us on the mound but the true success of the team is that we had 24 guys in uniform on the field and on the bench and everybody was committed to doing their part to make the club better."

After winning the season series against Blackburn, the Rustlers know they have what it takes to win against the reigning premiers again. "We know that the key is to stop their high powered offense. Pitching and defense will be key to success in this series with both clubs at full strength," Kloppe added.

Essendon Bombers 6 v Geelong Baycats 1

Essendon had a good away win to end the season, beating top-four contenders Geelong by five runs.

The Bombers got out to a 4-0 lead after two-run second and fourth digs before the Baycats scored their one run for the game at the bottom of the fourth.

Essendon locked the score up at the top of the ninth by scoring another two after four consecutive innings that yielded zero score, and the Bombers were able to put the Baycats away in the final outing of the game to take the win.

Cody Rodwell had three hits and two RBIs while Darby Sexton and Jared Cruz both had two hits for Essendon, with Sexton knocking in two runs. Scott McIntyre had an RBI too. Essendon's Ross Bament and Geelong's Lewis Weldon both took three walks in the game.

Luke Abels threw 15 first-pitch strikes in 4.2 innings of work for Essendon, while Michael Formisano also pitched and struck out six. Emerson Rickard handled four innings for the Baycats.

After dropping two of the three games series to Essendon, Geelong slipped from second to third place. The Baycats had been in second place since round 18 and ended the regular season with a 16-10 record. The Baycats will play Sunshine in a best-of-three semi-finals series, starting on Tuesday night at Melbourne Ballpark.

Essendon did well to beat the Baycats, the win putting them at 12-14-1 to end the season.

Sunshine Eagles 5 v Fitzroy Lions 8

A good showing in the first few innings set the Lions set them up for their 10th win of the season against the ladder leaders in Sunshine.

This was a good way for the Lions to send off their season, gaining an early lead after the first inning, scoring three to the Eagles one. Fitzroy kept on growing the margin, scoring one in the second and keeping pace offensively.

The third inning saw each side bring two runs home. Then both sides traded runs from the fifth to the seventh, two single-run digs each in that time as the game whittled away into the closing ninth inning.

Despite the loss, Sunshine remained on top of the ladder, ending the season with a 18-7-1 record. The Eagles will take on Geelong in a midweek semi-final, while Fitzroy ends the season with a 10-16 record thanks to some solid form to wrap up the season.

Sandringham Royals 10 v Newport Rams 3

The Royals scored three times in the first four innings, all single-run tallies before Newport added a run at the bottom of the fourth.

The next seven runs went to Sandringham as the Royals had two in the fifth, three in the seventh and two in the ninth, leaving Newport with a big deficit.

As a credit to the Rams, they came back with two at the bottom of the ninth but it wasn’t close enough as they dropped the game.

Sandringham had 11 hits compared to eight for Newport, and errors played a big part in this game as the Royals made four and Newport made seven.

Declan Croker had three hits while Cody Anderson and Harrison Wills had two apiece. Croker had two RBIs along with Declan Ferguson, while Will Tucker also batted in a run. Jack Wills took two walks with three quality at-bats on the day and Brandon Stenhouse did the same.

Newport's Keenan Spence had three quality at-bats against Anderson, Sandringham's starter who pitched the entire game in impressive fashion. Anderson threw 25 first-pitch strikes with eight strikeouts and 1.11 WHIP. David Asp hurled 20 first-pitch strikes in his seven innings of work for Newport as Tyler Comben also put in some pitching work for Newport.

Newport finished the year with a loss to take them to 4-20-1 for the season, while Sandringham ended the year with a 13-14 record in seventh place.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Waverley Wildcats 7

Upwey Ferntree Gully’s two runs came in the fourth inning as the Tigers took the lead at that stage, but it didn't last.

Waverley had scored just one run in the second but the Wildcats offense came to life late to secure their third win in four games.

The Wildcats evened the score at the bottom of the fourth, adding their next run to lead in the seventh thanks to a single from Ben Aslett on a 1-1 count. Waverley managed a five-run lead with four runners coming in during the eighth, with a single by Mitchell Wilhite and a double from Andrew Russell.

Russell was the winning pitcher, throwing a complete game with two runs, six hits and six strikeouts. Upwey Ferntree Gully's Jarrod Turner was on the mound for seven innings, giving up 12 hits and three runs with six strikeouts.

Russell, Mohi Kahui, Reece Longstaff, Jacob Sheldon-Colliins and Jordan Ley all had multiple hits as Waverley collected 16 total. Kahui led the way going 4-for-5.

The Tigers had six hits in the game as Wade McConnon went 3-for-4 and Riley Light had two hits.

These two sides still had a lot to play for in the series however Waverley and Upwey Ferntree Gully take out the fifth and sixth spots on the ladder, respectively.

The 15-11 Wildcats and 11-11-2 Tigers will set their sights on returning to top four contention next year, just missing out on finals for the 2019/20 VSBL season.

Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8

The Demons struck first on the very first chance they had before Blackburn steadied to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.

While the Demons kept pace in the third by cutting the margin in half, another all-round performance from the Orioles in the fourth saw them gain a greater margin of six. Blackburn carried this lead to the end of the game as five full scoreless innings followed.

Blackburn had 10 hits compared to Melbourne's five, while the Orioles made three errors and the Demons made one.

Cooper Goodman, Liam Hopkins and Nick Rossell all had two hits while Ryan Berg took three walks and Mitchell Whiting had two. Rossell knocked in four runs and Luke Hughes had three. Ryan Booth had a RBI for Melbourne and Jarryd Rogers took two walks for three quality at-bats.

Jacob Evans pitched four innings for Blackburn with 11 first-pitch strikes while Mitch Ellis and Kurtis Smith threw for Melbourne.

Blackburn finished in second place with a 16-8-2 record, setting up a semi-finals clash with Cheltenham. Melbourne finished at 8-17-1 on the season.

Cheltenham Rustlers 8 v Berwick City Cougars 7

Playing at Mulgrave under new lights, this was a high-energy matchup with Cheltenham needing the win to secure a finals berth.

It was an especially nervous time for both sides during the last two innings, the one-run margin was there from the end of the sixth.

The game ended on a double play from Cheltenham and saw them rewarded with a win, holding up against the constant Cougars pressure.

Essendon Bombers 6 v Geelong Baycats 1

Essendon had a good away win to end the season, beating top-four contenders Geelong by five runs.

The Bombers got out to a 4-0 lead after two-run second and fourth digs before the Baycats scored their one run for the game at the bottom of the fourth.

Luke Abels threw 15 first-pitch strikes in 4.2 innings of work for Essendon, while Michael Formisano also pitched and struck out six. Emerson Rickard handled four innings for the Baycats.

Essendon did well to beat the Baycats, the win putting them at 12-14-1 to end the season.

Sunshine Eagles 5 v Fitzroy Lions 8

A good showing in the first few innings set the Lions set them up for their 10th win of the season against the ladder leaders in Sunshine.

Sandringham Royals 10 v Newport Rams 3

The Royals scored three times in the first four innings, all single-run tallies before Newport added a run at the bottom of the fourth.

The next seven runs went to Sandringham as the Royals had two in the fifth, three in the seventh and two in the ninth, leaving Newport with a big deficit.

As a credit to the Rams, they came back with two at the bottom of the ninth but it wasn’t close enough as they dropped the game.

Sandringham had 11 hits compared to eight for Newport, and errors played a big part in this game as the Royals made four and Newport made seven.

Newport finished the year with a loss to take them to 4-20-1 for the season, while Sandringham ended the year with a 13-14 record in seventh place.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Waverley Wildcats 7

Upwey Ferntree Gully’s two runs came in the fourth inning as the Tigers took the lead at that stage, but it didn't last.

Waverley had scored just one run in the second but the Wildcats offense came to life late to secure their third win in four games.

Russell, Mohi Kahui, Reece Longstaff, Jacob Sheldon-Colliins and Jordan Ley all had multiple hits as Waverley collected 16 total. Kahui led the way going 4-for-5.

The Tigers had six hits in the game as Wade McConnon went 3-for-4 and Riley Light had two hits.

These two sides still had a lot to play for in the series however Waverley and Upwey Ferntree Gully take out the fifth and sixth spots on the ladder, respectively.

The 15-11 Wildcats and 11-11-2 Tigers will set their sights on returning to top four contention next year, just missing out on finals for the 2019/20 VSBL season.

Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8

The Demons struck first on the very first chance they had before Blackburn steadied to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.

Blackburn had 10 hits compared to Melbourne's five, while the Orioles made three errors and the Demons made one.

Jacob Evans pitched four innings for Blackburn with 11 first-pitch strikes while Mitch Ellis and Kurtis Smith threw for Melbourne.

Blackburn finished in second place with a 16-8-2 record, setting up a semi-finals clash with Cheltenham. Melbourne finished at 8-17-1 on the season.

Essendon Bombers 6 v Geelong Baycats 1

Essendon had a good away win to end the season, beating top-four contenders Geelong by five runs.

The Bombers got out to a 4-0 lead after two-run second and fourth digs before the Baycats scored their one run for the game at the bottom of the fourth.

Luke Abels threw 15 first-pitch strikes in 4.2 innings of work for Essendon, while Michael Formisano also pitched and struck out six. Emerson Rickard handled four innings for the Baycats.

Essendon did well to beat the Baycats, the win putting them at 12-14-1 to end the season.

Sunshine Eagles 5 v Fitzroy Lions 8

A good showing in the first few innings set the Lions set them up for their 10th win of the season against the ladder leaders in Sunshine.

Sandringham Royals 10 v Newport Rams 3

The Royals scored three times in the first four innings, all single-run tallies before Newport added a run at the bottom of the fourth.

The next seven runs went to Sandringham as the Royals had two in the fifth, three in the seventh and two in the ninth, leaving Newport with a big deficit.

As a credit to the Rams, they came back with two at the bottom of the ninth but it wasn’t close enough as they dropped the game.

Sandringham had 11 hits compared to eight for Newport, and errors played a big part in this game as the Royals made four and Newport made seven.

Newport finished the year with a loss to take them to 4-20-1 for the season, while Sandringham ended the year with a 13-14 record in seventh place.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Waverley Wildcats 7

Upwey Ferntree Gully’s two runs came in the fourth inning as the Tigers took the lead at that stage, but it didn't last.

Waverley had scored just one run in the second but the Wildcats offense came to life late to secure their third win in four games.

Russell, Mohi Kahui, Reece Longstaff, Jacob Sheldon-Colliins and Jordan Ley all had multiple hits as Waverley collected 16 total. Kahui led the way going 4-for-5.

The Tigers had six hits in the game as Wade McConnon went 3-for-4 and Riley Light had two hits.

These two sides still had a lot to play for in the series however Waverley and Upwey Ferntree Gully take out the fifth and sixth spots on the ladder, respectively.

The 15-11 Wildcats and 11-11-2 Tigers will set their sights on returning to top four contention next year, just missing out on finals for the 2019/20 VSBL season.

Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8

The Demons struck first on the very first chance they had before Blackburn steadied to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.

Blackburn had 10 hits compared to Melbourne's five, while the Orioles made three errors and the Demons made one.

Jacob Evans pitched four innings for Blackburn with 11 first-pitch strikes while Mitch Ellis and Kurtis Smith threw for Melbourne.

Blackburn finished in second place with a 16-8-2 record, setting up a semi-finals clash with Cheltenham. Melbourne finished at 8-17-1 on the season.

Sandringham Royals 10 v Newport Rams 3

The Royals scored three times in the first four innings, all single-run tallies before Newport added a run at the bottom of the fourth.

The next seven runs went to Sandringham as the Royals had two in the fifth, three in the seventh and two in the ninth, leaving Newport with a big deficit.

As a credit to the Rams, they came back with two at the bottom of the ninth but it wasn’t close enough as they dropped the game.

Sandringham had 11 hits compared to eight for Newport, and errors played a big part in this game as the Royals made four and Newport made seven.

Newport finished the year with a loss to take them to 4-20-1 for the season, while Sandringham ended the year with a 13-14 record in seventh place.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Waverley Wildcats 7

Upwey Ferntree Gully’s two runs came in the fourth inning as the Tigers took the lead at that stage, but it didn't last.

Waverley had scored just one run in the second but the Wildcats offense came to life late to secure their third win in four games.

Russell, Mohi Kahui, Reece Longstaff, Jacob Sheldon-Colliins and Jordan Ley all had multiple hits as Waverley collected 16 total. Kahui led the way going 4-for-5.

The Tigers had six hits in the game as Wade McConnon went 3-for-4 and Riley Light had two hits.

These two sides still had a lot to play for in the series however Waverley and Upwey Ferntree Gully take out the fifth and sixth spots on the ladder, respectively.

The 15-11 Wildcats and 11-11-2 Tigers will set their sights on returning to top four contention next year, just missing out on finals for the 2019/20 VSBL season.

Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8

The Demons struck first on the very first chance they had before Blackburn steadied to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.

Blackburn had 10 hits compared to Melbourne's five, while the Orioles made three errors and the Demons made one.

Jacob Evans pitched four innings for Blackburn with 11 first-pitch strikes while Mitch Ellis and Kurtis Smith threw for Melbourne.

Blackburn finished in second place with a 16-8-2 record, setting up a semi-finals clash with Cheltenham. Melbourne finished at 8-17-1 on the season.

Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 8

The Demons struck first on the very first chance they had before Blackburn steadied to take a 3-1 lead after two innings.

Blackburn had 10 hits compared to Melbourne's five, while the Orioles made three errors and the Demons made one.

Jacob Evans pitched four innings for Blackburn with 11 first-pitch strikes while Mitch Ellis and Kurtis Smith threw for Melbourne.

Blackburn finished in second place with a 16-8-2 record, setting up a semi-finals clash with Cheltenham. Melbourne finished at 8-17-1 on the season.

There were plenty of exciting results over the weekend as VSBL Women's Division 1, 2 and 3 semi-finals got underway. Several teams have booked their spots in the Grand Finals, while others will take part in preliminary finals this upcoming weekend as the VSBL Women's competition continues.

Women’s Division 1

Footscray Bulldogs 2 v Essendon Bombers 5

Reigning premiers Essendon made sure to get the job done and get a spot in the prelims.

Footscray gave it a good shot, keeping the Bombers bats relatively under control but still Essendon managed to get ahead.

This result means that the Bulldogs are out for the season, while Essendon has that one more hurdle to jump through before the Grand Final. Essendon will play Doncaster on Saturday, with the winner playing Springvale for the flag on Women's Super Saturday.

The Bombers were 8-9-2 in the regular season while Doncaster was 12-4-3, with Doncaster 15-4 in their last meeting in round 19.

Doncaster Dragons 9 v Springvale Lions 15

Springvale will return to the Grand Final for yet another year after beating season-long opponents Doncaster.

The Lions will look forward to the Grand Final, having won six in a row from 2013-2018.

Springvale started the scoring early and by the sixth the Lions led 10-6. They went on to score five more while keeping Doncaster from coming back and tying it.

After a great season campaign that saw them finish 12-4-3, Doncaster will head into the prelim against Essendon, with the winner ready to play Springvale in the Grand Final. Springvale finished 14-3-2 at the top of the ladder.

Women’s Division 2

Springvale Lions 2 v Doncaster Dragons 12

Springvale was no match for Doncaster in this semi-final, with the Dragons quickly getting in front.

Doncaster continues to build on a fantastic 14-1 regular season, now looking forward to a spot in the Grand Final when the Dragons will pursue their first Women's Division 2 flag since the 2009/10 season.

The Lions will try not to be too deterred by this loss, instead turning their focus to a prelim at home v Footscray. Springvale finished the regular season with a 12-2 record, and the Lions won 21-5 over Footscray in round nine so they've proven they can overcome the Bulldogs before.

Footscray had a 6-8-1 record in the regular season.

Footscray Bulldogs 15 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 6

The Warriors had a slightly better record coming into this game, but that didn't faze the Bulldogs.

Wheelers Hill fell behind early and couldn't quite catch up to this fast-moving Footscray side. Faced with the prospect of elimination, Footscray laid it all on the line and put together a strong offensive performance to proceed to the prelim.

Footscray had a 6-0 lead after the top of the first, while Wheelers Hill scored one in the bottom frame. Two more Footscray runs came home in the top of the third, but the fourth saw seven Bulldogs score.

Five runs across the final two innings helped Wheelers Hill but the Warriors had too big of a deficit to overcome.

Footscray is booked to play Springvale this Saturday, with the winner moving on to face Doncaster in the Grand Final.

Women’s Division 3 East

Springvale Lions 7 v Doncaster Dragons 11

This was a big matchup between the third and fourth place teams, but the Dragons prevailed in a high-scoring affair.

The Dragons were leading 9-2 by the top of the third, and it was an 11-4 advantage by the time the fifth rolled around. The Lions did their best to stay in the game but they bowed out of the competition, while Doncaster earned a spot in the prelim.

Doncaster will play Moorabbin, a team that finished 10-3, on Saturday. After the combined Doncaster/Melbourne team won the Women's Division 3 premiership last season, the Dragons will be looking to achieve similar success.

Moorabbin Panthers 4 v Melbourne Demons 10

Both teams got off to a good start in this semi-final, Moorabbin and Melbourne locked at two-all after the first inning.

The Panthers got the lead back at the top of the third by scoring a run but it was all the Demons from then on, starting with a three-run third dig.

Melbourne added one more in the fourth before a huge five-run effort in the fifth saw them take a seven-run lead. The Demons were able to prevent their opponents from scoring, until giving up one last run at the top of the sixth.

Moorabbin will now host Doncaster for a second chance at a spot in the grand final where the winner of that will play Melbourne, as they go straight through.

Women’s Division 3 South

Cheltenham Rustlers 5 v Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 6

The Rustlers came close in an exciting game but ultimtely the Bluejays hung on to continue their amazing ride this season, having made finals for the first time since the 1990s.

Bonbeach led 4-1 by the bottom of the second, but it was a tied 5-5 ballgame before the third inning was over. Bonbeach managed one more before time and game to secure the victory, thanks to a strong team performance. U14 Jess Brown made a terrific solo double play to end the top of the third. Her line drive catch to tag the player off the bag on third was impressive to say the least.

Brown joined Jess Walters, Olivia Richards, Jo Myers, Brooke Tolley and Abra Osborne with singles while Sarah Vincent handled pitching duties. Jo Myers was great on defense at second base while Liv Richards recorded some crucial outs at first and brought in the winning run.

Cheltenham took six walks to continuously get on base and keep pace with the Bluejays.

Bronwyn James says coaching the Bluejays and playing with them has been very memorable this year, especially with this fantastic win.

"I'm proud to be a Lady Jay, proud to be coach to these fantastic women and excited to get to the Grand Final," James said. "Ultimately the win was a great bonus, giving the girls confidence heading into the Grand Final and also giving us the added bonus of being the home team. It was something special to see the girls push through a tough innings with Cheltenham tying up the scores. The girls fought hard, made the plays and didn't give up."

Bronwyn and the Bluejays are all about basic, honest and quality baseball, which was evident on Saturday. "As has been our motto throughout - one base at a time, one game at a time," James added. "Heading into the Grand Final we plan to keep up the hard work in training. The girls have everything they need to win - quality baseball and determination. Now to bring it all together, harness the nerves and show everyone what the Lady Jays are made of!"

Bonbeach Blue is booked in for the Women's Division 3 South Grand Final while Cheltenham plays Berwick in the prelim.

Berwick City Cougars 9 v Sandringham Royals 6

The Cougars finished fourth in the regular season but they got the better of third place Sandringham to keep their season alive.

Berwick won seven games and lost six throughout the season, and now the Cougars will face the challenge of overcoming a Cheltenham side that finished 11-3. Cheltenham won 19-7 in round 12, something the Rustlers will look to do again.

Women’s Division 3 West

North Western Titans 16 v Geelong Baycats Blue 15

The Titans took their first finals appearance to new heights with a high-energy, high-scoring game in Geelong.

North Western led 7-5 after the first but the Baycats soon took a 12-8 lead. Geelong was holding on to a 13-11 advantage at the end of the third, but the Titans rallied in the final inning.

The Baycats had a runner on second, ready to score, but North Western shut it down and secured a spot in the prelim at Fitzroy.

Fitzroy narrowly won 10-9 in round 15, but the Titans won the round 10 meeting by a score of 12-9, so the prelim will be a good matchup.

Fitzroy Lions 4 v Sunshine Eagles 17

The Eagles are flying high and preparing for the grand final after a big win over Fitzroy.

Sunshine scored five in the first and four in the second with two more coming home in the third. Fitzroy scored one in the fourth and three in the fifth, but six more for Sunshine in the fourth really put the game out of reach.

The Eagles turned a triple play and Katherine Salkovic hit an inside the park home run.

Fitzroy's finals chances aren't over yet, as now the Lions host the prelim against the Titans on Saturday. If the Lions pull off a victory, they will face Sunshine once more on Women's Super Saturday.

Women’s Division 1

Footscray Bulldogs 2 v Essendon Bombers 5

Reigning premiers Essendon made sure to get the job done and get a spot in the prelims.

Footscray gave it a good shot, keeping the Bombers bats relatively under control but still Essendon managed to get ahead.

The Bombers were 8-9-2 in the regular season while Doncaster was 12-4-3, with Doncaster 15-4 in their last meeting in round 19.

Reigning premiers Essendon made sure to get the job done and get a spot in the prelims.

Footscray gave it a good shot, keeping the Bombers bats relatively under control but still Essendon managed to get ahead.

The Bombers were 8-9-2 in the regular season while Doncaster was 12-4-3, with Doncaster 15-4 in their last meeting in round 19.

Doncaster Dragons 9 v Springvale Lions 15

Springvale will return to the Grand Final for yet another year after beating season-long opponents Doncaster.

The Lions will look forward to the Grand Final, having won six in a row from 2013-2018.

Springvale started the scoring early and by the sixth the Lions led 10-6. They went on to score five more while keeping Doncaster from coming back and tying it.

Springvale will return to the Grand Final for yet another year after beating season-long opponents Doncaster.

The Lions will look forward to the Grand Final, having won six in a row from 2013-2018.

Springvale started the scoring early and by the sixth the Lions led 10-6. They went on to score five more while keeping Doncaster from coming back and tying it.

Women’s Division 2

Springvale Lions 2 v Doncaster Dragons 12

Springvale was no match for Doncaster in this semi-final, with the Dragons quickly getting in front.

Footscray had a 6-8-1 record in the regular season.

Footscray Bulldogs 15 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 6

The Warriors had a slightly better record coming into this game, but that didn't faze the Bulldogs.

Five runs across the final two innings helped Wheelers Hill but the Warriors had too big of a deficit to overcome.

Footscray is booked to play Springvale this Saturday, with the winner moving on to face Doncaster in the Grand Final.

Women’s Division 3 East

Springvale Lions 7 v Doncaster Dragons 11

This was a big matchup between the third and fourth place teams, but the Dragons prevailed in a high-scoring affair.

Moorabbin Panthers 4 v Melbourne Demons 10

Both teams got off to a good start in this semi-final, Moorabbin and Melbourne locked at two-all after the first inning.

The Panthers got the lead back at the top of the third by scoring a run but it was all the Demons from then on, starting with a three-run third dig.

Moorabbin will now host Doncaster for a second chance at a spot in the grand final where the winner of that will play Melbourne, as they go straight through.

Both teams got off to a good start in this semi-final, Moorabbin and Melbourne locked at two-all after the first inning.

The Panthers got the lead back at the top of the third by scoring a run but it was all the Demons from then on, starting with a three-run third dig.

Moorabbin will now host Doncaster for a second chance at a spot in the grand final where the winner of that will play Melbourne, as they go straight through.

Women’s Division 3 South

Cheltenham Rustlers 5 v Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 6

The Rustlers came close in an exciting game but ultimtely the Bluejays hung on to continue their amazing ride this season, having made finals for the first time since the 1990s.

Cheltenham took six walks to continuously get on base and keep pace with the Bluejays.

Bronwyn James says coaching the Bluejays and playing with them has been very memorable this year, especially with this fantastic win.

Bonbeach Blue is booked in for the Women's Division 3 South Grand Final while Cheltenham plays Berwick in the prelim.

Berwick City Cougars 9 v Sandringham Royals 6

The Cougars finished fourth in the regular season but they got the better of third place Sandringham to keep their season alive.

Women’s Division 3 West

North Western Titans 16 v Geelong Baycats Blue 15

The Titans took their first finals appearance to new heights with a high-energy, high-scoring game in Geelong.

North Western led 7-5 after the first but the Baycats soon took a 12-8 lead. Geelong was holding on to a 13-11 advantage at the end of the third, but the Titans rallied in the final inning.

The Baycats had a runner on second, ready to score, but North Western shut it down and secured a spot in the prelim at Fitzroy.

Fitzroy narrowly won 10-9 in round 15, but the Titans won the round 10 meeting by a score of 12-9, so the prelim will be a good matchup.

Fitzroy Lions 4 v Sunshine Eagles 17

The Eagles are flying high and preparing for the grand final after a big win over Fitzroy.

The Eagles turned a triple play and Katherine Salkovic hit an inside the park home run.

With final playoff positions at stake, teams gave it their best shot in the last two regular season rounds for VSBL Division 2 Firsts. Werribee, Williamstown, Moorabbin and Malvern are through to the semi-finals, which begin on Thursday, 5 March as teams fight for a spot in the grand final.

Division 2 Firsts - Round 26 (Midweeks)

Preston Pirates 0 v Moorabbin Panthers 15

Hungry to stay in the finals picture, Moorabbin came out determined and made the most of scoring opportunities. Three runs came around in the first, and by the end of the third the Panthers were leading 6-0.

Preston was unable to make anything happen, coming up empty against a Moorabbin side that was clicking on all cylinders.

The home team scored nine in the fourth to stamp their authority, and their defensive efforts were on show too, shutting out the Pirates in five innings.

This result saw Moorabbin improve to a 16-8 record while Preston was 14-11.

Mulgrave Rebels 7 v Port Melbourne Mariners 8

For the second game in a row Port Melbourne just hung on to a huge win at home, Mulgrave pressing very much throughout the final two innings.

The Rebels evened up the score in the third when they scored three in reply to the Mariners' three across the first two innings.

The Mariners sensed the incoming challenge and sought to gain a big enough lead in the bottom of the third, and that they did by scoring five.

Mulgrave continued to charge but the defensive efforts of the Mariners proved too strong when it looked dicey, hanging on to win by one run.

Port Melbourne had seven hits while giving up six to Mulgrave. Anthony White had two hits and three RBIs for Mulgrave while Billy Parsons and Aaron Petri had two apiece for Port Melbourne. Jock Allen and Jackson White did a good job of getting on base for the Mariners, taking two walks each, while Parsons collected three RBIs and White had two.

Port Melbourne's coach Ben Burke says it's important to give players the chance to finish off the year on a high note. "We have managed to put up eight runs in our first two games against Mulgrave, and will be looking to continue that in the final game," Burke said. "We will also try and reward a few blokes who have been around from the 2nds, and get them into the game at some stage. We had Joe Parsons play his first senior game for the club on Thursday night, and play a good role in our win."

Burke credits the contributions of Billy Parsons and Chris Doyle, including his walk-off homer the round before, as instrumental in the club's success this season. "It is always good for the team as well having Darryl George back in the line-up from his other duties. Not only what he brings from a playing standpoint, but also his energy and another quality person around the club," Burke added. "Having Jock Allen for the back half of the season with his bat and knowledge of the game has been a real positive moving forward. Sam Morris is also a key component amongst the group, and has been great in driving the group for the whole season both on and off the field."

Mulgrave's Nick Thompson and Caleb Poole both had three quality at-bats in support of pitchers Zeke Howie and Donnie Poole. Petri pitched four innings with 13 first-pitch strikes and three strikeouts for Port Melbourne as the Mariners improved to a 15-10 record while Mulgrave slipped to 9-15.

Werribee Giants 5 v Bonbeach Bluejays 1

Bonbeach was always in the game, keeping Werribee under control although the Giants had a 2-1 lead after the end of the second.

In the third inning, the Giants found more than just one run, instead extending their lead by three as the Bluejays didn’t string together anymore runs for the game.

Wesley de Jong picked up the win for Werribee, pitching four innings and giving up one hit for zero runs with seven strikeouts.

Trent Pantalleresco, Oliver Box, John Curnow, Wade Balzer and de Jong all had two hits on the night, Ryan Balzer and Box scored a run while Pantalleresco scored three times with an RBI.

This win helped Werribee improve to a 19-6 record, staying in first place.

Williamstown Wolves 3 v Malvern Braves 0

Malvern won 9-3 in the first game, but the Wolves got revenge in the midweek meeting.

Williamstown got out of the blocks early, scoring three runs at the top of the first as no score was added to either side throughout the rest of the contest that went for four innings.

This win put Williamstown at 19-7 and Malvern at 16-8 for the season.

St Kilda Saints 5 v Doncaster Dragons 5

St Kilda and Doncaster played in a five-all draw in this midweek matchup, with neither side able to come up with the winning run in the final frame.

This result put Doncaster at a 9-15-1 record ahead of one final game for the season while St Kilda sits at 5-20-1 with one game to go.

Division 2 Firsts - Round 27 (Saturday Games)

Moorabbin Panthers 8 v Preston Pirates 7

All the runs in this contest came from the fifth inning onwards after the first four went scoreless.

Preston scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth before each team scored that amount in the sixth.

The Pirates found themselves with a five-run lead after seven as Moorabbin kept coming at them, firstly by creeping forward and taking three runs at the top of the eighth and then the lead with another three runs at the top of the ninth.

Eagerly needing a win to secure a finals birth, Moorabbin prevented the home team from scoring and taking the game away.

After a hot start to the season Moorabbin cooled down slightly in the middle stretch, ultimately finishing third at 17-8 ahead of 16-9 Malvern. Moorabbin plays Williamstown in the semi-finals, which will be an interesting matchup after the Wolves turned the heat up in the last two months of the season.

Williamstown won 5-1 over Moorabbin in round 10 but the Panthers took game two 6-1 before Williamstown won the series in game three with a final score of 10-4.

Preston had a shot at finals but a few missed opportunities in February sealed the Pirates' fate, finishing sixth at 14-12.

Moorabbin Panthers 8 v Preston Pirates 7

All the runs in this contest came from the fifth inning onwards after the first four went scoreless.

Preston scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth before each team scored that amount in the sixth.

Eagerly needing a win to secure a finals birth, Moorabbin prevented the home team from scoring and taking the game away.

Williamstown won 5-1 over Moorabbin in round 10 but the Panthers took game two 6-1 before Williamstown won the series in game three with a final score of 10-4.

Preston had a shot at finals but a few missed opportunities in February sealed the Pirates' fate, finishing sixth at 14-12.

Port Melbourne Mariners 12 v Mulgrave Rebels 2

A few big innings from Port Melbourne allowed them to shoot ahead of Mulgrave in the final hitout for the season.

The Mariners got the first four runs of the game at the top of the third as the Rebels scored one in the bottom.

The next four runs also belonged to the Mariners that included three runs in the eighth, the Rebels again finding one run in their eighth dig.

The Mariners weren’t done just yet, scoring four at the top of the ninth to seal the deal and make it impossible for Mulgrave to come back.

Darryl George had three hits and four RBIs to lead the Mariners to victory, as Port Melbourne collected 13 hits while giving up only four to Mulgrave. Chris Doyle and Billy Parsons also had three hits for Port Melbourne, with Jock Allen and Andrei Cortez getting on base with two walks apiece. Parsons had three RBIs and Doyle had two to support the Mariner's high-scoring efforts.

Caleb Poole took two walks for Mulgrave but Port Melbourne dominated in the quality at-bats department with four apiece for Allen, George and Parsons.

In a fantastic complete game start, Parsons threw 24 first-pitch strikes and struck out 12 batters on his way to a 1.22 WHIP. Liam Richardson struck out four in his time on the mound for Mulgrave with 14 first-pitch strikes and four strikeouts. Richardson covered 4.2 innings and Jayson Arthur handled three for Mulgrave with 10 first pitches called for strikes.

Port Melbourne finished just shy of finals at 16-10 in fifth place while Mulgrave ended in eighth place at 9-16.

Bonbeach Bluejays 1 v Werribee Giants 3

The Bluejays did their best to keep the Giants at bay, and although Werribee had a 2-0 after the first and a 3-0 lead after the six, Bonbeach remained competitive.

The Bluejays got on the board at the top of the seventh, just scoring one as they weren’t able to add anymore in the later stages of the game.

With this win, Werribee clinched a highly-anticipated promotion to VSBL Division 1 thanks to a 20-6 record at the top of the ladder. Other highlights in the game included Trent Pantalleresco's great pitching performance across seven innings with just one run allowed. John Curnow pitched in relief, allowing standout starters Wes De Jong and Josh Lee to stay fresh for finals.

Reece Haywood sent a double sailing into right field to knock in Werribee's third and final run of the game.

Bonbeach Bluejays 1 v Werribee Giants 3

The Bluejays did their best to keep the Giants at bay, and although Werribee had a 2-0 after the first and a 3-0 lead after the six, Bonbeach remained competitive.

The Bluejays got on the board at the top of the seventh, just scoring one as they weren’t able to add anymore in the later stages of the game.

Reece Haywood sent a double sailing into right field to knock in Werribee's third and final run of the game.

Williamstown Wolves 5 v Malvern Braves 4

Malvern needed to come back from a two-run deficit in the last three innings but could just manage one in the bottom of the eighth.

The Braves did lead by two runs after the first inning, the Wolves drawing level after their third dig.

Malvern and Williamstown’s next runs were just single additions, in the third and fifth respectively, before Williamstown added a couple more in the seventh.

Dennis Neal started on the mound for Williamstown, keeping the Wolves in high spirits as they secured a 2-1 series win to wrap up the regular season.

Aaron Green got two hits off of Malvern's starter Jon Kennedy, who covered five innings before turning to the bullpen.

Williamstown and Malvern may see one another again in the Grand Final, depending on how they go in semi-finals series. After finishing in second place at 19-7, Williamstown plays fourth place Moorabbin while 16-8 Malvern face the challenge of the top seed Werribee Giants.

Williamstown Wolves 5 v Malvern Braves 4

Malvern needed to come back from a two-run deficit in the last three innings but could just manage one in the bottom of the eighth.

The Braves did lead by two runs after the first inning, the Wolves drawing level after their third dig.

Malvern and Williamstown’s next runs were just single additions, in the third and fifth respectively, before Williamstown added a couple more in the seventh.

Dennis Neal started on the mound for Williamstown, keeping the Wolves in high spirits as they secured a 2-1 series win to wrap up the regular season.

Aaron Green got two hits off of Malvern's starter Jon Kennedy, who covered five innings before turning to the bullpen.

Doncaster Dragons 7 v St Kilda Saints 4

After a 5-5 draw in the midweek game, Doncaster broke through with a solid win to end the season.

It was an up-and-down ride for the Dragons, finishing in seventh place with a 10-15-1 record while St Kilda came in ninth at 5-21-1, with plenty of potential to improve moving forward.

Doncaster Dragons 7 v St Kilda Saints 4

After a 5-5 draw in the midweek game, Doncaster broke through with a solid win to end the season.

It was an up-and-down ride for the Dragons, finishing in seventh place with a 10-15-1 record while St Kilda came in ninth at 5-21-1, with plenty of potential to improve moving forward.

Baseball Victoria welcomed members to the 2020 Annual General Meeting, which was held at The Views Life Saving Victoria in Port Melbourne on the evening of Tuesday 25 February.

There were 31 Baseball Victoria Member Bodies in attendance, including Victorian Summer Baseball League Clubs, Winter Associations, Victorian Baseball Association Life Members Robert Blackmore (2005), Grant Weir (2005) and Baseball Victoria Life Members Jason Blair (2009), John King (2015), Julie Jones (2016) and Michael Gourlay (2017), six members of the Baseball Victoria Board and Baseball Victoria CEO and Baseball Victoria staff.

During the Annual General Meeting, the Members in accordance with the Constitution of Baseball Victoria:

Adopted the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held 12 February 2019.
Adopted the Financial Statements for the financial year ended 30 September 2019. This followed a presentation by Baseball Victoria Finance Director James van Beek on the key movements in the Financial Statements, which can be found in the 2018/19 Baseball Victoria Annual Report HERE.
Adopted the 2018/19 Baseball Victoria Annual Report. A copy of the Annual Report can be found on the Baseball Victoria Website HERE.
Ratified the reappointment of Myles Foreman as a Director of Baseball Victoria for a third term. Appointed to the Board in September 2013, Myles was elected to the role of President in February 2015. Myles brings his corporate strategic and governance experience to the role of President, with over 25 years’ experience in senior executive positions in the hospitality, entertainment and sports industries. Myles became involved in baseball through his kids, becoming a junior coordinator and club vice president before resigning to join the Baseball Victoria Board.
Ratified the appointment of Meghan Mayman as a Director of Baseball Victoria for a first term of three years. Meghan obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science in Sport Coaching and Administration from Deakin University, followed by a Master of Business in Sport Management. As part of her Master’s Program, she was selected to participate in the San Diego Sports Consulting Project in July 2015, during which she delivered a report and presentation to MLB team San Diego Padres on leveraging the 2016 All-Star Event to maintain current partnerships and attract new sponsors. After working as Operations and HR Manager for Bowls Australia from 2007-2015, Meghan spent the past four years as the General Manager of Vicsport, the peak body for sport and active recreation in Victoria. She was responsible for the overall operations of the organisation, including direct delivery of projects and membership retention and growth.
Ratified the appointment of Sam Taylor as a Director of Baseball Victoria for a first term of three years. Sam is the current CEO of InteractSport and has worked in the digital sports industry for over 15 years, specialising in the development of electronic scoring and live streaming applications. Sam is a cricketer by trade having played over 250 matches for Richmond where he is a life member, premiership player and former club captain. In between cricket seasons Sam has also played seven seasons of winter league baseball. He is also a passionate Cubs fan having followed them since childhood, long before they won the World Series.
Resolved that based on the current criteria for assessing nominations for Life Membership of Baseball Victoria that of the three nominations received none met the current criteria and no Baseball Victoria Life Memberships were awarded this year.

Following the 2020 Annual General Meeting, Baseball Victoria will:

Review the Life Membership criteria in the constitution and policies for nomination to broaden the opportunity for nominations and to provide enhanced clarity on the process and criteria for selection to maximise the opportunity for awarding of Life Membership.
Review the time of the year the AGM is scheduled to include consideration of day of the week and fixtured baseball games, consistency of location and an exploration of what technologies could be implemented to reduce the need for travel and the potential of remote meetings.

The review and a decision on (a) and (b) above are to be finalised no later than mid-2020.

After a fantastic end of the regular season across the East, North West and South conferences, it's time for finals in VSBL Division 4. Melbourne has a perfect 18-0 record, while Footscray Red and Footscray White are carrying a lot of momentum into the semi-finals too.

Division 4 East

Melbourne Demons 11 v St Kilda Saints 1

Melbourne achieve a perfect 2019/20 regular season, remaining undefeated after finishing with this big win over St Kilda.

The scoreline read 2-1 to the Demons after the first inning but that was the only score St Kilda could put up for the day as Melbourne got off to a greater lead in the second by scoring four runs.

The Demons scored three runs in the fourth and one run either side of that inning to take a double digit lead and the win.

The 18-0 Demons will host Monash Uni this weekend in a semi-final where they'll hope their run of fantastic form continues. Scott Briggs, Mason Clark, Patrick Cotter, Adam Daly and the rest of Melbourne's lineup have collectively scored 209 runs this season while giving up only 40.

The Saints finish sixth with a 6-11-1 record, a string of four wins in five games across rounds seven to 11 a highlight for the side that lost its last four.

Blackburn Orioles 0 v Waverley Wildcats Black 22

The Wildcats will take a lot of momentum into their semi-final clash on the weekend after a dominant shutout performance over Blackburn.

The Wildcats piled on seven runs in the first and third innings with two runs in between and added another six more in the final fourth inning.

The 15-4 Wildcats finish second and will take on Fitzroy Gold in the semi-final while the Orioles end the year with a 2-17 record.

The Orioles had a 12-game losing streak before their first proper win of the season in round 16, a one-run win against Fitzroy Gold.

Fitzroy Lions Gold 7 v Waverely Wildcats Red 14

There were plenty of runs scored in this matchup as Fitzroy opened with one run in the first, which was quickly undone with Waverley's four runs in the bottom half.

Fitzroy battled back, tying it up in the next turn but Waverley scored another. The back-and-forth affair continued as the Lions took a 6-5 lead in the top of the third, although it didn't last long with Waverley hanging in there and tying it up once again.

Both sides brought a runner home in the fourth but Fitzroy ran out of steam in the fifth, failing to score and giving up seven to the Wildcats in the final frame of the game. It was a decent performance for the Wildcats and a great way to end their season, improving to 7-10-1 after a 2-7 start to the season. Winning six out of the last 10 gave the Wildcats a fifth place finish.

Fitzroy Gold is through to the semi-finals after finishing in third place with a 9-8-1 record. The Lions face a challenge against Waverley Wildcats Black on Sunday, a side that's only lost four times this season, although Fitzroy did get the better of them back in round 18 with a 5-3 win.

Monash University Farmers 12 v Malvern Braves 3

The Farmers were eager to bounce back from a 15-0 loss at the hands of Melbourne the week before, and they got the job done with a comprehensive win over Malvern.

Monash Uni wasted no time getting on the board, scoring five in the first and three in the second before Malvern bit back with two in the bottom frame.

The Farmers scored four more in the fourth while Malvern managed only one more run. Finishing in fourth place with a 7-8-3 record, Monash Uni will now play Melbourne in the semi-finals. Malvern's season ends in seventh place with a 6-12 record.

Division 4 North West

North Coburg Rebels Gold 13 v Essendon Jets 5

The Rebels were on a mission to hold onto third place and they accomplished that over the weekend, scoring seven in the first inning while keeping the Jets off the board.

North Coburg scored one in the third and fourth along with four in the fifth to put the game out of reach for good, although Essendon did score four in the fourth and one in the sixth.

Essendon's season ends in sixth place with a 7-9-1 record while the Rebels are set to play Footscray Bulldogs Red in the semi-finals. North Coburg won 5-4 against the Bulldogs in their last meeting in round 18.

Footscray Bulldogs Red 20 v Fitzroy Lions Blue 4

The Bulldogs were hard to handle on Sunday, with a late burst of scoring to dominate the scoreline.

The game was tied at one after the first but Footscray scored four in the third to pull away. The Lions answered with three in the bottom of the fourth but that was about it for them offensively.

Footscray Red scored seven in the fifth, one in the sixth and seven in the seventh to reach this significant run tally. The Bulldogs have now scored 216 runs in the season while giving up only 61.

The Bulldogs finished second with a 15-2-1 record and will play North Coburg Rebels Gold in the semi-final.

Footscray Bulldogs Blue - FORFEIT v Mitchell Majors Black

The Bulldogs forfeited the final regular season game with both of these sides missing finals. Footscray Blue finished in eighth place with a 6-11 record while Mitchell Majors Black was seventh at 6-9-1.

North Coburg Rebels Maroon 7 v Fitzroy Lions Maroon 26

The Lions were on fire in this game, finishing the season on a very strong note with one of their best offensive performances of the season.

Seven runs in both the first and the second set Fitzroy up for a smooth ride, while six runs followed in both the third and the fourth.

North Coburg scored one run in the first and another in the third, with the biggest burst of Rebels offense coming in the fourth with five runs.

Fitzroy Maroon finished 11-6 in fifth place, just shy of a finals berth behind 12-6 Mitchell Majors Yellow.

Essendon Bombers 0 v Mitchell Majors Yellow 15

Needing a win to protect their fourth place position, Mitchell Majors Yellow opened their account with seven-run efforts in both the first and the second. One more run in the third resulted in the final scoreline as the Bombers were kept quiet with their bats.

12-6 Mitchell Majors Yellow will chase back-to-back premierships in the semi-finals with a game at Footscray Bulldogs White. The Bulldogs won their last meeting 10-2 in round 15. Footscray also had a narrow 4-3 win over Mitchell Majors in round four.

Footscray Bulldogs White - BYE

The Bulldogs had a bye this weekend, finishing the season at the top of the ladder with a 14-1-1 record, their only loss coming in round 13, a 3-2 loss to Essendon Jets.

Division 4 South

Cheltenham Rustlers 6 v S Kilda Saints 0

The Rustlers were leading 3-0 by the top of the second, and the scoring continued with a run in the fourth and two in the sixth.

Cheltenham finished at the top of the ladder with a 12-1-1 record and will play fourth place St Kilda in the semi finals. The Saints finished 7-7 on the season.

Monash University Farmers 2 v Berwick City Cougars 8

The Cougars fought back in a tight tied game, going ahead by two runs in the bottom of the third. Three more runs in the fourth and one in the sixth got things done for the Cougars.

Berwick finished 13-4 in third place and Monash University came second with a 13-3-1 record. These two teams play each other in the semi-final.

Melbourne Demons 14 v Pakenham Pumas 12

Melbourne got there in the end but Pakenham put up a pretty good fight, scoring seven runs in the final frame to threaten Melbourne's lead.

The Pumas had a 3-0 lead after the first inning but it didn't last long as the Demons scored seven in the top of the second. Pakenham put two more runs on but Melbourne scored seven more in the top of the third.

Melbourne shut down Pakenham's comeback to get the lead and end the season on a high note, finishing in fifth place at 6-8.

This was a great final performance for Pakenham after a season of ups and downs.

Ormond Glenhuntly Baseball Club - BYE

4-12 Ormond Glenhuntly had a bye to finish the season.

The final regular season games wrapped up in exciting fashion for teams in VSBL Division 3 as now the semi-final matchups are set in stone. In the firsts, Springvale finished eight games ahead of the rest of the competition while Pakenham will also host a semi-final this weekend. Springvale also earned a home game in the seconds while it'll be an Ormond Glenhuntly classic in the other semi-final.

Division 3 Firsts

Springvale Lions 14 v Chelsea Dolphins 0

Springvale was unstoppable through nine innings for yet another shutout victory, ending Chelsea's season.

The Lions spaced out their flurry of runs, first scoring three in the opening frame before tacking on four in the fifth and two in the seventh. Springvale scored five additional runs in the ninth inning to end the game with a strong statement.

Lucas Anderson got the win on the mound, throwing three innings no-hit innings with two strikeouts and just one runner on base as the result of getting four balls. Scott Baillie (four innings, two hits, three strikeouts) and Tim Hanson (two innings, one hit, one strikeout) helped along the way.

On the bats for the Lions, most players recorded a hit but it was Rydge Hogan, Hanson and Baillie who had three each, two hits going to Cory Hart, Adam Thatcher and Neal Cavanagh as well. Again, most of the Springvale lineup scored runs also with Anderson leading the way with three as Baillie, Thatcher and Lili Cavanagh all scored twice. Hanson and Baillie lead the way with their RBIs with three apiece.

Gavin Smith was on the mound for the whole game for the Dolphins, giving up 18 hits and 12 earned runs among four walks as he took the loss against the competition's toughest competitor.

Chelsea only had three hits for the game to Brendan Robinson, Cameron Hubbard and Smith as the former two also found their way on base via a walk.

Chelsea's season ends in fifth place with a 7-12 record, finding great form from rounds six to 10 when the Dolphins won four out of five games.

Springvale follows up the regular season with a home semi-final against Ormond Glenhuntly Blue this weekend. The Lions outscored the Hunters 34-3 in three wins this season.

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 17 v North Western Titans 6

The Hunters confirmed their spot in the finals with a double-digit win over North Western Titans.

Michael Sullivan was on the mound for Ormond Blue, pitching five innings for the win where he gave up six hits, two earned runs and four strikeouts. Trifon Stafilis got the save through two innings of work with two hits, zero runs and one strikeout.

Geoff MacDonald and Tim Carracher did a great job of getting on base, with MacDonald taking three walks and a hit by pitch. A three-run homer made a big difference too.

Carracher went 3-for-3 with two walks, and he managed to score from all five of his plate appearances. Andrew Clark also had three hits for two runs as did Lucas Bull who added an RBI double. Jarrad Barrow was another Ormond Blue player who scored a home run, a grand slam his one hit of the game where he brought in five runs in total.

Ormond Blue finished fourth with a 8-9-1 record and will play Springvale this weekend in a semi-final while North Western Titans finished the year in sixth with a 3-15 record. The Titans ended their season on a six-game losing streak as their wins were spread out across the season.

Pakenham Pumas 8 v Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 4

In a foreshadowing to this weekend's semi-final which will see these two sides play each other again, the Pumas got the job done.

The reigning premiers took a four-run lead after three innings on the back of a three-run third dig.

The Hunters brought their first run in at the bottom of the fourth but the margin was brought back up when Pakenham took two more runs in the fifth.

Another run at the bottom of the seventh doubled Ormond Gold's score before each team scored two runs in the eighth. Tim Bellerby, Danny Cannizzarro and Shaun Fahy kept the Pumas on the path to a solid victory, their tenth of the season.

Pakenham will host this weekend's semi-final as the Pumas chase back-to-back premierships.

Division 3 Reserves

Springvale Lions 9 v Chelsea Dolphins 1

The Lions ensured they finished the season exactly how they wanted and didn't give up as they handed a defeat to Chelsea.

The 16-3 Lions will now play in a semi-final against Pakenham while the 7-12 Dolphins will miss the postseason. Chelsea started the first 10 rounds with a 5-5 record, including a first win of 26 runs over North Western Titans.

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 19 v North Western Titans 0

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue earned themselves a home semi-final on the back of this shutout win over North Western Titans, overtaking fellow competitors Ormond Glenhuntly Gold.

Finishing second with a 12-6 record will see Ormond Blue as the home team against Ormond Gold, but it could be anyone's game so both sides will have to fight hard.

For the Titans, a 0-17-1 record this season wasn't ideal, especially considering that one draw was in round two v Pakenham as they rode a 16-game losing streak to end the season. Even so, North Western showed plenty of potential that the Titans can build on moving forward.

Pakenham Pumas 13 v Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 2

Pakenham wasted no time getting on the board, scoring nine runs across the first three innings before the Hunters answered with their own offense.

Ormond Glenhuntly's loss to Pakenham has seen them slip from second to third with a 12-7 record, giving up the right to host a semi-final although, it will still be played at home as they switched places with Ormond Blue.

The Pumas' win sees them in fourth to end the season with a 8-9-2 record and they'll travel to Springvale for this week's semi-final.

There's been yet another change at the top of the ladder as Werribee and Williamstown keep trading places in VSBL Division 2. Werribee was victorious in the firsts over the weekend as Williamstown suffered a loss, with more changes to the top four possible as the last regular season series continue. Moorabbin pulled further in front in the reserves after Williamstown went down in a nail-biting loss, while Malvern leads the thirds and Williamstown has the best record in the fourths.

Division 2 Firsts - Round 25

St Kilda Saints 3 v Doncaster Dragons 6

Doncaster enjoyed a well-constructed win against St Kilda to kick off the last series.

Unfortunately for both of these teams, they won't be progressing to finals as Doncaster sits eighth at 9-15, one spot ahead of the 5-20 St Kilda but each side will be eager to end the final two games off positively.

The Saints tallied 10 hits on the day as Rob Mescher chimed in an RBI as he went 3-for-4. Tom Snowden and Paul Paskar had two hits apiece, the latter scoring once with an RBI also. Eduardo hit a solo home run to be one of the Saints three runs, Daniel Hogg also coming home from one hit.

Franco Caramia was on the mound through seven innings for the Saints, taking the loss. He gave up five hits for six runs with eight walks as the Dragons were watching carefully at the plate.

Simon Fitzmuaurice got the win for the Dragons, going 8.2 innings for 10 hits, three runs and four strikeouts before Marcel D'Avoine picked up the save, facing one batter for the final out of the ballgame.

Doncaster picked up six runs on six hits as Brendan McDonald lea the way with a double as he scored two runs for the game after drawing a walk also. Luke Utting, Dakota Gibson and Ben Palensky each had one hit for one run with Callum Lethborg and D'Avoine credited with two RBIs each.

Doncaster hosts the midweek before St Kilda has the home game to finish off the season.

Mulgrave Rebels 6 v Port Melbourne Mariners 8

This game went into extra innings as the scores were tied at six-all after nine, the Mariners needing one final dig to record their 14th win of the season and keep them one win away from the top four.

Mulgrave started off well in the first, bringing in three runs. The Rebels were up 4-1 after two innings were completed.

Still ahead by three after their fourth dig, the Rebels let the lead slip as the Mariners piled on four runs to secure their first advantage of the day.

The Rebels quickly rectified that but only scored one to bring to scores even and by the time the sixth inning was done, Port Melbourne was ahead once again, scoring one run.

As they had done beforehand, the Rebels tied the game up yet again in the ninth and shut Port Melbourne out at the bottom, forcing the game to go to extras. That's when the Mariners didn't give up and contributed two runs to win the game.

Jayson Arthur pitched 5.2 innings for the Rebels, giving up 11 hits, four walks and six runs with six strikeouts along the way. Liam Richardson chipped in too with 3.2 innings of work, giving up two hits, two runs and two strikeouts in that time.

Richardson lead the Rebels in hits with three singles, one of those for an RBI, while Caleb Poole and Riley O'Shea had two hits each, the former coming home on both occasions with an RBI thrown in the mix. Nick Thompson had three RBIs, courtesy of a home run, one of two runs he scored for the game.

William Parsons was on the mound for Port Melbourne, throwing eight innings for 10 hits and five earned runs with six strikeouts. Sam Morris picked up the win in two innings as he faced eight batters for one hit, zero runs and a strikeout.

Chris Doyle and Darryl George were both clutch in hitting home runs, as they had three and two RBIs respectively with the former coming home to score again in the game. Aaron Petri, Matt Morris and Parsons had two-hit games as well, with Petri and Morris scoring runs and Parsons recording a RBI. Jock Allen had two RBIs from one hit, and he scored one of Port Melbourne's eight runs too.

The 14-10 Mariners are within a chance of cracking the top four and a win in the midweek matchup with Mulgrave will go a long way to getting them there but the Rebels will want to spoil their chances and pick up another win themselves this season as they sit seventh at 9-14.

Werribee Giants 5 v Bonbeach Bluejays 3

The sixth inning was a decisive one in this clash as Werribee's two runs made all the difference.

The two sides traded runs for the remainder of the game. It was a relatively quiet one to start, with the scores level at one-all after the second. Fast forward to the eighth, when both Werribee and Bonbeach scored two, but Werribee hung on for a crucial two-run victory to catapult the Giants back into first place.

Joshua Lee got the win from the game as he pitched well for his Giants, covering 7.1 innings for four hits and one run with nine strikeouts. Wesley de Jong got the save from 1.2 innings pitched, giving up one hit and zero runs, although it was pretty nervewracking with two strikeouts and three walks from facing nine batters.

Four batters combined for Werribees's 10 hits, three each to Jonathon Lowe and Evan McPherson and two to Ryan Balzer and Justin Gil. Lowe was the only one to go beyond first base as he hit a double. Gil scored twice with single runs to Andrew Christou, Balzer and McPherson, the latter having three RBIs also.

Mitchell Sheldon-Collins took the loss for the Bluejays, pitching 7.1 innings for seven hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts.

There were five hits in total for the Bluejays, Jim Crowe with a single and a double as well as singles to Matthew Bucci, Dylan Brown and Gordy Minty. Bucci secured two runs while Crowe was the final runscorer for the home team, who also had an RBI.

The win puts the Giants at a 18-6 record as they've again swapped with Williamstown to go to the top of the ladder while Bonbeach is 2-22. Although the Bluejays will finish the year in 10th place, they will look to challenge Werribee in the final two games.

Josh Lee got the win for Werribee on the weekend. Photo: Baseball Victoria

Preston Pirates 3 v Moorabbin Panthers 2

It was a nil-all scoreline through the first five innings but things shifted in the sixth and seventh innings, with both sides staying in the contest.

The score was tied 2-2 going into the eighth, but the Pirates did what they'd done the previous two innings and scored what would be the deciding run. Moorabbin wasn't able to bite back as the ninth was scoreless for both sides.

Preston had Ben Donnell on the mound for eight innings as he picked up the win while giving up nine hits and two runs with nine strikeouts. Mitchell Heyward ended the game with one inning of work, giving up a hit but striking out one in his scoreless appearance.

With the bats, the Pirates recorded five hits; two each to Mitchell Legge and Luke Williams who both scored a run. Taisuke Sakaguchi was the other runscorer, from reaching on a walk with Oscar Hargreaves and Legge each earning RBIs.

Moorabbin's Zach Kamerman was on the mound for eight innings in his team's defeat. He gave up five hits and two earned runs with eight strikeouts but he was credited the loss.

The Panthers racked up 10 hits over nine innings, with Mich Barr and Neil Johnston recording two apiece while Stewart Mathieson added a run with his two hits. Nick Veale was the other runscorer, coming home on his one hit of the game while Adam Harris and Barr were responsible for bringing in the runners. Nine of Moorabbin's hits were singles while Barr had the only double of the game for hiss ide.

Preston's win means the Pirates move within one game of fourth place Moorabbin, setting up an exciting final two games in the series which continues on Thursday night. Preston currently has a 14-10 record while Moorabbin is 15-8.

Malvern Braves 9 v Williamstown Wolves 3

Williamstown has given up first place to Werribee once more after this loss to Malvern on the weekend.

The Braves' fourth inning made all the difference as they scored six runs. By the time the bottom of the seventh came around, Malvern was up 7-0, having started the game with two runs in the first dig. Malvern just kept building from there, and it wasn't until the seventh inning that the Wolves were able to shut the Braves down and claim some runs themselves. Williamstown started with one in the seventh before ending up with two in the ninth, unable to go further.

Jon Kennedy pitched four innings for one hit, zero runs and eight strikeouts across 13 batters. Sean Cruz picked up the win for Malvern in his outing on the mound, as through five innings he gave up six hits and three runs - two of them earned - while striking out four.

Of the offensive end for the Braves, Chris Burke had three hits - a single, double and a triple - for one RBI. Henry Hayman had two hits including a double, recording two RBIs in the process but he also scored a third of Malvern's total runs. Jarryd Dale also recorded two RBIs from one hit and a sacrifice fly.

Williamstown used three pitchers over the nine innings. Dennis Neal took the loss, having pitched five innings, allowing eight hits and five walks for six earned runs with five strikeouts.

Jason McDonald and Kevin Desmedt each had two hits for the Wolves, McDonald getting back to home twice after bagging a double for one of his hits. Robert Higginson also came around to score as Scott Meager and Desmedt collected RBIs.

The Braves have proven they belong in the top four, currently sitting third with a 16-7 record with another two games to go in the series against Williamstown. Williamstown is 18-7 in second place now, and if things continue to go the way of the Braves, they could be going ahead of the Wolves come the end of the season.

Division 2 Reserves - Round 19

St Kilda Saints 3 v Doncaster Dragons 10

The Dragons finished off the regular season in dominant fashion, confirming their spot in the finals and finishing fourth while St Kilda's place in the postseason was already ensured, finishing third.

Doncaster is 11-7-1 record and will take on the might of Moorabbin in a semi-final while for the Saints, their 12-7 season means they travel to Williamstown this weekend for a huge game.

Preston Pirates 2 v Moorabbin Panthers 13

It seemed that whatever Preston gave to Moorabbin, the top placed team in the competition had more and more answers.

It started with the Pirates scoring the first run of the game at the top of the third, to which the Panthers responded with five.

Preston again started off the next inning with a run and while the Pirates were able to shut down the home team a little more than before, Moorabbin still scored two at the bottom.

Looking for a strong finish, Moorabbin scored six at the bottom of the fifth as the game lasted six innings. Moorabbin's win gives them a first place 14-4-1 record as the Panthers will now see them host Doncaster in a semi-final.

Preston ends the season in eighth spot with a 6-12-1 record.

Werribee Giants 20 v Bonbeach Bluejays 3

The Giants gradually increased their lead over the first four innings of this game against Bonbeach, scoring five in the opening three frames and four in the fourth but the sixth inning is where the Giants did the most damage.

Already ahead by nine runs, Werribee had 11 runners cross the plate in the sixth as the score stood at 20-0 after five and a half innings.

The Bluejays were shut out of the contest throughout their first five offensive chances but stood tall at the bottom of the sixth to come away with a semblance of a score to end their season on a positive note.

Bonbeach finished the season in 10th place with a 1-18 record, that one win coming in round two against Port Melbourne despite showing teamwork, determination and potential throughout the season.

The Giants were competitive for much of the year, however fthey've fallen just short of the top four, finishing fifth with a 10-7-2 record. Werribee is unlucky to miss out on finals, having won six of the last seven, but a stretch of four consecutive losses and a winless first four rounds ultimately hurt them in the long run.

Already ahead by nine runs, Werribee had 11 runners cross the plate in the sixth as the score stood at 20-0 after five and a half innings.

Bonbeach finished the season in 10th place with a 1-18 record, that one win coming in round two against Port Melbourne despite showing teamwork, determination and potential throughout the season.

Mulgrave Rebels 11 v Port Melbourne Mariners 9

Port Melbourne was facing a 10-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth, and although the Mariners came close, they fell short by a few runs.

The Mariners hadn't strung together many runs in the game, with lone runners scoring in the third and fourth frames. Heading into the final inning Port Melbourne was behind 11-2, as Mulgrave had done well to gain enough of a lead to hold on, starting with three in the first and another three in the third before one and four in the fifth and sixth, respectively.

Port Melbourne's seven runs to finish the game just weren't enough, although it was an exciting comeback for the Mariners nonetheless.

Both of these sides have missed out on progressing further this season, the Rebels finishing seventh with a 9-10 record, ending the season well with a five-game win streak. Port Melbourne finished ninth with a 6-13 record, as the Mariners had a good middle part of the season, winning three games between rounds nine and 12 after being on a five-game losing streak.

Port Melbourne was facing a 10-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth, and although the Mariners came close, they fell short by a few runs.

Port Melbourne's seven runs to finish the game just weren't enough, although it was an exciting comeback for the Mariners nonetheless.

Malvern Braves 7 v Williamstown Wolves 6

It was a great effort by Malvern to shut the Wolves down at the bottom of the seventh, the Braves needing to come back themselves from a deficit after the first inning.

While Malvern got the first run of the game in the opening dig, Williamstown brought in four runs at the bottom to take the lead after the inning.

Malvern was up for the fight, driving in five runs in the next dig and another one in the fourth to hold a 7-4 lead. It was then a good display of defense from both sides, until the Braves let up two runs at the bottom of the sixth which would've had the Wolves hungry to taste victory in the final game of the season.

As the Braves hung on for the win, the Wolves turn their attention to finals after finishing the season second with a 13-6 record. Williamstown will host a semi-final against St Kilda.

For Malvern, a 10-8-1 record keeps them in sixth place, although this result allowed the Braves to end their season on a high, snapping a six-game losing streak in the process. This losing pattern saw Malvern drop down dramatically from a second place position after round 12, due in large part to a fiery start to the season with just one loss through the first 10 games.

Division 2 Thirds - Round 19

Williamstown Wolves 1 v Malvern Braves 12

The score was tied at one-all going into the bottom of the third, but that's when Malvern started piling on the runs, scoring three in the third and fifth with a five-run effort in the middle of those.

Malvern was safe at the top of the ladder regardless of the result, however this win will see the 14-3-1 Braves take a great deal of confidence into a home semi-final matchup with Moorabbin.

For Williamstown, a win would've been handy but the Wolves had already confirmed a spot in the finals with a 13-6 season record for a third place finish. Williamstown will be away to St Kilda this weekend.

Port Melbourne Mariners 2 v Mulgrave Rebels 6

The Rebels ended their season on a positive note but haven't qualified for finals, finishing sixth with a 9-8-2 record while Port Melbourne is 3-16 for the year.

From round 12 onwards, Mulgrave rode an eight-game win streak and shot up from ninth to sixth as one win out of the first 11 games hurt finals chances.

The Mariners started their season off with a 2-1 record but one win in the next 16 games and an 11-game losing streak to end the season wasn't ideal as their finals hopes were dashed. Even so, both teams can be proud of the efforts they put in this season and will be looking ahead to supporting their teammates in the coming weeks.

Moorabbin Panthers 9 v Preston Pirates 11

The third inning proved decisive for the two sides as every other inning for Moorabbin and Preston produced just one run if any.

It was a 2-1 lead to the Pirates after the second inning before the Panthers shot out of the dugout and got the bats swinging to record seven runs in their top half. Preston wasn't done though, and theam went on to outshine Moorabbin, recording nine in their respective half of the inning.

From there, the Panthers just scored the one run in the fourth as great defensive displays were on show for the remainder of the game.

The Panthers would've been nervous regarding other results and watching closely, but they will play finals after a 12-6 season, finishing fourth, 0.88% ahead of fifth-placed Doncaster. The Panthers will travel to Malvern and take on the Braves in a semi-final this weekend.

For the Pirates, a 9-9-1 seventh placing is where their season ends but they've found varying runs of form throughout the year, starting the season with three wins from four games, while at the backend, finishing with four wins from the final six games.

Doncaster Dragons 0 v St Kilda Saints 14

Doncaster had a finals spot to play for as the race to fourth place was open, but the Dragons fell to a mighty Saints side who managed to shut them out of the game completely.

St Kilda finished the season in second place and will now host a semi-final against Williamstown while for the Dragons, ending with less than one percent behind the fourth place team will hurt, but they can still be proud of their hard work over the course of the year.

Doncaster still had an impressive 12-6-1 season, starting the year with a 3-1 record and going on a eight-game win streak from round nine onwards before losing two of the last three games for the season.

Bonbeach Bluejays 10 v Werribee Giants 20

Bonbeach matched it with the Giants in the second inning, each team scoring seven runs but the Giants had already scored seven in the first inning as well.

Werribee came close to another seven-run dig in the third but still managed six to see the score balloon out to 20-7.

The Bluejays weren't giving up without a fight, scoring three at the top of the fourth to mount a small comeback but they weren't able to gather up enough runs to move within a closer margin.

Werribee and Bonbeach won't be playing through the next few weeks as they finish eighth and 10th respectively.

Werribee had a 6-13 season while Bonbeach was 1-18 for the year. The Bluejays' only win of the year came in round two against Port Melbourne while the Giants had a good stretch of games from round five to nine, winning four straight.

Division 2 Fourths - Round 19

Williamstown Wolves 2 v Malvern Braves 5

Malvern took the lead after a two-run second dig as Williamstown scored one on either side in between, the scores tied at two-all until the Braves went ahead once more at the bottom of the fourth by one run.

Malvern ended the game in the sixth inning with a further two runs to be added to the score as the excitement grew for a second-placed Braves side to beat the top-placed Wolves.

While Malvern's win didn't do anything to the top two standings, both teams will host home semi-finals this weekend: Williamstown's 14-2-1 season sees them take on Geelong while the 15-3 Malvern will battle St Kilda.

Moorabbin Panthers 8 v Preston Pirates 10

Moorabbin led 5-2 after the first but the scores were reversed in the second as Preston drew even after scoring five themselves.

The next score was to the Pirates at the bottom of the fourth, scoring one but that was quickly cancelled out as the Panthers drew level again at the top of the fifth with Preston needing to do some work to claim a walkoff win.

The Pirates did so, scoring two at the bottom for their sixth win of the season, ending in seventh place with a 6-11 record.

Preston never truly got going this season but snapped a six-game losing streak with this win over the Panthers.

It was a bitter blow to Moorabbin, as a win would have given the Panthers a chance to sneak into the top four but are left to lament their chances. The Panthers had a good start to the season, winning their first five games but fell away towards the end of the season.

Doncaster Dragons 4 v St Kilda Saints 14

Doncaster was edged out of the top four, the Saints inflicting a double digit loss on their way to a third place finish.

St Kilda has a 11-5-1 record and will travel to Malvern in a semi-final clash.

For Doncaster, this season has been up-and-down as an 8-9 record shows but the Dragons did well to come back from a 0-4 start and ended the season with four wins from their last seven games.

Geelong Baycats 18 v Mulgrave Rebels 7

Geelong has snuck into the top four on the back of this win over Mulgrave. This victory sees Geelong switch places with Moorabbin.

Daniel Dobbie started on the mound for Geelong, and Mulgrave got five runs on the board after a few costly Baycats errors in the fields. It was in the third inning that the Baycats really got things moving, scoring three before a pitching change. By the time the frame was over, Geelong had scored 12 runs to go in front 13-5. Seven of those runs were scored as the result of a two-out rally.

Mulgrave got on base in the bottom of the third with a hit by pitch, but it was quickly followed by a double play. Two runs scored but that was it for the Rebels. Jordan Sinnamon, Jennifer Mason and Ethan Weakley supported Geelong in the last part of the game, giving the Baycats a big boost.

Now the Baycats season will continue as it looked like they were determined from the outset to get a favourable result. They'll face Williamstown away in this weekend's semi-final.

For the Rebels, their season ends ninth with a 2-15 record, those wins coming in round four against Doncaster and over Werribee in round 13.

Werribee Giants v BYE

Werribee's season was over at the end of last week as the Giants were able to start their break a week early due to this weekend's bye.

The 3-13-1 Giants finished in eighth spot of the competition, their three wins coming within the first seven weeks of the competition as they rode a 10-game winless run to round out the season.

It was a great effort by Malvern to shut the Wolves down at the bottom of the seventh, the Braves needing to come back themselves from a deficit after the first inning.

While Malvern got the first run of the game in the opening dig, Williamstown brought in four runs at the bottom to take the lead after the inning.

As the Braves hung on for the win, the Wolves turn their attention to finals after finishing the season second with a 13-6 record. Williamstown will host a semi-final against St Kilda.

Division 2 Thirds - Round 19

Williamstown Wolves 1 v Malvern Braves 12

Malvern was safe at the top of the ladder regardless of the result, however this win will see the 14-3-1 Braves take a great deal of confidence into a home semi-final matchup with Moorabbin.

Port Melbourne Mariners 2 v Mulgrave Rebels 6

The Rebels ended their season on a positive note but haven't qualified for finals, finishing sixth with a 9-8-2 record while Port Melbourne is 3-16 for the year.

From round 12 onwards, Mulgrave rode an eight-game win streak and shot up from ninth to sixth as one win out of the first 11 games hurt finals chances.

Moorabbin Panthers 9 v Preston Pirates 11

The third inning proved decisive for the two sides as every other inning for Moorabbin and Preston produced just one run if any.

From there, the Panthers just scored the one run in the fourth as great defensive displays were on show for the remainder of the game.

Doncaster Dragons 0 v St Kilda Saints 14

Doncaster had a finals spot to play for as the race to fourth place was open, but the Dragons fell to a mighty Saints side who managed to shut them out of the game completely.

Bonbeach Bluejays 10 v Werribee Giants 20

Bonbeach matched it with the Giants in the second inning, each team scoring seven runs but the Giants had already scored seven in the first inning as well.

Werribee came close to another seven-run dig in the third but still managed six to see the score balloon out to 20-7.

The Bluejays weren't giving up without a fight, scoring three at the top of the fourth to mount a small comeback but they weren't able to gather up enough runs to move within a closer margin.

Werribee and Bonbeach won't be playing through the next few weeks as they finish eighth and 10th respectively.

Division 2 Fourths - Round 19

Williamstown Wolves 2 v Malvern Braves 5

Malvern ended the game in the sixth inning with a further two runs to be added to the score as the excitement grew for a second-placed Braves side to beat the top-placed Wolves.

Moorabbin Panthers 8 v Preston Pirates 10

Moorabbin led 5-2 after the first but the scores were reversed in the second as Preston drew even after scoring five themselves.

The Pirates did so, scoring two at the bottom for their sixth win of the season, ending in seventh place with a 6-11 record.

Preston never truly got going this season but snapped a six-game losing streak with this win over the Panthers.

Doncaster Dragons 4 v St Kilda Saints 14

Doncaster was edged out of the top four, the Saints inflicting a double digit loss on their way to a third place finish.

St Kilda has a 11-5-1 record and will travel to Malvern in a semi-final clash.

For Doncaster, this season has been up-and-down as an 8-9 record shows but the Dragons did well to come back from a 0-4 start and ended the season with four wins from their last seven games.

Geelong Baycats 18 v Mulgrave Rebels 7

Geelong has snuck into the top four on the back of this win over Mulgrave. This victory sees Geelong switch places with Moorabbin.

Now the Baycats season will continue as it looked like they were determined from the outset to get a favourable result. They'll face Williamstown away in this weekend's semi-final.

For the Rebels, their season ends ninth with a 2-15 record, those wins coming in round four against Doncaster and over Werribee in round 13.

Werribee Giants v BYE

Werribee's season was over at the end of last week as the Giants were able to start their break a week early due to this weekend's bye.

The 3-13-1 Giants finished in eighth spot of the competition, their three wins coming within the first seven weeks of the competition as they rode a 10-game winless run to round out the season.

Donavon Hendricks is a dedicated leader at Upwey Ferntree Gully Baseball Club.

As club coach, Donavon is determined to see his teams improve and help players unlock their true potential. Having spent the past eight years with the club, Donavon loves the Tigers and looks ahead to seeing what the VSBL Division 1 club can do. “We pride ourselves on having a good culture for people, including those who have never played before and those who want to try a different club,” Donavon said. “We are trying to create a really good culture with competitive training and a fun environment.”

After first picking up a ball and a bat at the age of six, Donavon was hooked on the game and he hasn’t looked back since. He has had plenty of playing experience that shaped him into the coach he is today, including representing Victoria on junior state teams as well as playing for the Melbourne Aces and the Victorian Claxton Shield team.

Donavon played for Australia as both a junior and a senior and enjoyed six years of playing professionally too. Taking the field for South Africa in the 2009 World Baseball Classic was another big moment for him.

“My personal favourite memory would be pitching in the WBC against Cuba,” Donavon said. “That was a phenomenal experience for me personally to represent South Africa - where I was born - on the big stage against the best of the best. That was definitely a highlight.”

It’s memories like these that drive his determination at the club level, something players can look up to and learn from. The Tigers have fun each and every week out on the field because they have great chemistry. “We’ve got a pretty big playing list and everyone loves being around each other and training and playing together,” Donavon said. “That chemistry is probably one of the biggest things for us.”

As a whole, Upwey Ferntree Gully has had a solid season under Donavon’s watchful leadership and guidance. While the Division 1 firsts are just outside the top four with two games to go, the reserves are in third place and set to play Cheltenham in the semi-finals. The Tigers thirds finished 10-6-1 in fifth place, just shy of finals as well.

Not only did Donavon make a difference as a coach this season, but he also made big contributions as a player, batting .327 with a .456 on-base percentage in 18 games. He’s also pitched remarkably well, with a 2.34 ERA across 50 innings.

For Donavon it’s important to find the right balance between coaching and playing. “As a coach, you have to have everyone’s abilities and mindsets at the forefront,” Donavon said. “You kind of take yourself out of the picture and you have to focus on your players.”

Donavon embraces the opportunity to concentrate on individual players and help them get more out of the sport. “Being a player-coach is challenging because I’ve got to perform myself as well and I still love to play,” Donavon added. “When you’re playing you’re focusing on how you can help the team and what you can do, and as a coach you’re focusing on everybody in a sense.”

Upwey Ferntree Gully has faced tough competition all season long, something Donavon anticipated and prepared for. “Ultimately it’s going to be how we want to play and how we want to train that will dictate how far we can go,” Donavon said.

With the season quickly wrapping up, Donavon remains committed to the club and his goals. “I love the club and I’m always looking forward to being around the members at our club,” Donavon said. “My goals as a club coach are to see as much success as we can, from the firsts all the way down through to our junior program and just developing that program as best I can. But ultimately, I’d love to get a Division 1 flag.”

Donavon can’t imagine his life without playing and coaching baseball. “I keep doing it because I love it, I loved it ever since I started playing,” Donavon said. “I probably love coaching now that I’ve been in it for a long period of time, I’ve really found an enjoyment in being a coach and teaching.”

At the end of the day, Donavon hopes that more people give baseball a try. “Do it, jump in and learn it,” Donavon said. “It’s difficult and it’s challenging on a lot of different levels but it’s one of the greatest games you could play.”