Despite dropping a game to Fitzroy, Sunshine still remains on top by one game as VSBL Division 1 enters the final week of regular season games. For the rest of the Division 1 competition, semi-finals start this weekend with Blackburn leading the reserves and thirds and Melbourne finishing on top in the fourths.

Division 1 Firsts - Round 25

Fitzroy Lions 6 v Sunshine Eagles 1

The Lions scored their first run in the second, followed by another in the fifth before a big seventh inning saw four runs cross the plate for Fitzroy.

Behind 6-0, Sunshine had some work to do and it took until the bottom of the eighth inning for the Eagles to pencil in a run. 

Fitzroy's Brock Pawley pitched a complete nine innings to receive the win, giving up five hits for one run with nine strikeouts.

Tallying nine hits across nine innings, the Lions had Ethan Epifanio, Tom Wilson and Gavin Juchnevicius record two each, the latter two making it to second on one occasion with an RBI and a run to their name. Epifanio scored twice while Tom Dicker and Danny King also benefited from batters getting them around the bases to score.

Scott Barr took the loss for the Eagles, going five innings for six hits, two runs and five strikeouts. He was supported by Adam Irons and Griffin Weir. Irons didn't let any runners on base in two innings of work while Fitzroy batters got three hits and four earned runs off of Weir.

There were five hits across the board for Sunshine, birthday boy Bryce Aldridge with a double and Joshua Byrne a triple as he made his way to home on a Jordan Young RBI single. 

It was a great win for the Lions who had won eight games prior to this weekend but have now moved up a place to 10th with a 9-15 record and breaking up a two-game losing streak in the process. 

Fitzroy's Head Coach Ryan Mitchell says this result proved that the team can go toe to toe with anyone. " The way the boys played was incredible," Mitchell said. "With the bat everyone really did contribute by putting hits and runs on and  bunting. We just really did the small things which paid off big time."

Mitchell is confident that Fitzroy can repeat this performance against a tough competitor.  "All we need to do is play like we did on weekend - stay relaxed  with no errors and I believe we will come home strong." 

It was Sunshine's sixth loss of the season, and for the top-placed team in the competition, the Eagles have won one of the last four games as they take a 17-6-1 record into round 26 where they're again at home to Fitzroy. 

Photo: Fitzroy Lions Baseball Club

Geelong Baycats 6 v Essendon Bombers 5

Essendon scored the first run of the day at the bottom of the third but it was quickly drawn even again when Geelong brought in a run in the next dig.

The Baycats continued their run scoring in the sixth with five as the Bombers were forced to catchup in front of a home crowd, and they managed to come close.

Essendon started by bringing the margin back by one run in the seventh, and the eighth is where the Bombers gathered up some momentum to have three runners cross the plate, but unfortunately for the home side, they couldn't finish the job in the ninth.

Geelong's Rudy Jaramillo pitched five innings for the win on the mound giving up four hits for one run along with three strikeouts. 

Of Geelong's 12 hits for the day, Kelli Zablan scored a quarter of them as he hit a three-run homer while Troy Snarey and Tyler Luther-Wilson each had two hits for one run, Troy Snarey also recording two hits. Kobe Greenhalgh had a one for one game with an RBI.

Michael Formisano took the loss for the Bombers, lasting 5.2 innings for eight hits and five runs - four of them unearned - with three strikeouts.

Jared Cruz, Scott McIntyre and McLeod Sell each had two hits for Essendon, Sell coming home on both hits too. Cruz scored also while Ross Bament and Peter Stokes each scored a run from their singles. 

It would have been a great comeback win for the now 10-14-1 Essendon, however the Bombers slip a spot from eighth to ninth place. Geelong's 16th win of the season sees them keep second place on the ladder as the Baycats bounced back from a 6-3 loss to Waverley last week. Both teams will continue to give it their all again with two games to go.

Newport Rams 0 v Sandringham Royals 11

As Sandringham celebrated Teal Day for Ovarian Cancer Awareness, the Royals got on top of the Rams in a huge shutout win. 

The home team got things started in the first with one runner scoring before adding four more in both the third and fifth innings, ending the sixth inning with a further two scores.

David Asp took the loss on the mound through five innings, seeing 13 hits and seven earned runs. 

Newport tallied five hits for the day, all single hits to Cameron Lyons, Mason Wray, Connor Schibeci, Jason Jarvis and Scott Hillier.

Cody Anderson has been a star for the Royals in the middle this season, and this game was no different. He pitched seven innings for five hits and zero runs while striking out seven batters to record the win. 

Declan Ferguson and Branden Stenhouse each had three hits for the game that included a double. Ferguson scored two runs from his few hits while Will Tucker also scored twice and Jack Wills went two from two. Timothy Lane and Harrison Wills both had two hits for the day as Sam Skinner and Ferguson collected two RBIs each.

Sandrigham has moved up one spot to eighth place, holding onto an 11-14 record with back-to-back wins and a chance to make waves in this competition with two rounds to go. Newport has a 4-18-1 record heading into the final two games against Sandringham. 

Blackburn Orioles 4 v Melbourne Demons 0

Blackburn remains inside the top three with a 15-8-1 record after scoring a 4-0 shutout win over Melbourne.

The Orioles got on the scoreboard in the third with two runs before adding a run in both the seventh and ninth. Defense played a big part in the result, recording no errors in the field.

Blake Hodgson picked up the win for the Orioles on the heels of a scoreless outing, giving up four hits with four strikeouts in five innings. Scott Mitchelson got the save, giving up two hits and zero runs in three innings.

Blackburn had 10 hits in total, with Luke Hughes leading the way with three and coming around to score once. Cooper Goodman and Charlie Collins each had two hits, Goodman adding an RBI. Ben Leslie and Jacob Evans each crossed home after they had safe hits while Liam Hopkins was the other scorer for the away side.

Melbourne, now with an 8-16 record, will look to get some runs on the board against Blackburn early when these sides meet again.

Berwick City Cougars 4 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2

An eventful second inning ended 2-1 in favour of the Rustlers but for them, that's where their scoring ended, although they did a good job of keeping Berwick from getting too far in front. 

The Cougars got ahead in the fourth inning when they put up two runs before adding one more in the ninth as the visiting side completely shut down Cheltenham for the majority of the game.

Craig Barnett picked up the win for the Cougars, going seven innings for four hits and one earned run with five strikeouts while Cameron Gibbens got the save, pitching the remaining two innings with one hit, zero runs and four strikeouts.

Cheltenham's fiery offense that scored 28 runs over the last three games was considerably quieter in this game, with five hits on the night. Ben Fierenzi was the standout with the bat, going 3-for-4 with a double and two singles. Andrew Gribben doubled and Dylan Trevorah singled as well. 

Jack Enciondo handled six innings, giving up five hits and five walks for three earned runs with four strikeouts. Lars Liguori threw 2.2 innings for Cheltenham, giving up three hits and one earned run with three strikeouts.

It was a bitter blow to the Rustlers as they are wanting to move further up from their fourth place position, now with a 14-10-1 record. There are plenty of rivals looking to take that spot too, including 12-11-1 Berwick which will try to continue winning in the series against Cheltenham.

Waverley Wildcats 3 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 4

These two sides had a long, tough fight on their hands with the game going 11 innings.

The final play involved Upwey Ferntree Gully's Pete Schreoders hitting a single to score Jordan Elliot and claim the walkoff victory.

Jarrod Turner pitched eight innings for the Tigers while Donovan Hendicks threw three innings in relief. Turner gave up six hits, two walks and three earned runs with five strikeouts while Hendricks allowed three hits and struck out two in his scoreless outing.

Travis Murphy had two hits with an RBI double while Elliot, Schreoders and Hendricks collected two hits as well. 

Waverley's Andrew Russell pitched six innings and went for seven hits and four walks for three runs but it was Adam Bright who saw a loss next to his name, pitching 1.1 innings with four strikeouts but unfortunately two hits and one run that decided the game.

All but two of the Wildcats lineup had hits, all singles except from Reece Longstaff who made it to third and soon scored. Jacob Sheldon-Collins and Jamie Papanicoloau were the other two to score for Waverley with Jordan Ley, Mohi Kahui and Sheldon-Collins recording RBIs.

Upwey Ferntree Gully and Waverley are only separated by 0.38% on the ladder as they're fifth and sixth respectively and if this game is any indication, the remainder of the series is set to be hot as each team wants to make a charge into the top four.

Jacob Sheldon-Collins of Waverley had an RBI in Sunday's game. Photo: Baseball Victoria

Division 1 Reserves - Round 19

Fitzroy Lions 8 v Sunshine Eagles 17

Sunshine ended the season on a high note with a huge nine-run win over Fitzroy as the Eagles scored in every inning of this contest.

It was Sunshine's highest-scoring game of the season, even better than a 13-5 scoreline v Newport back in round five. 

Fitzroy produced an eight-run fifth inning after four straight scoreless digs but it wasn't enough to destabilize a Sunshine side that was clicking on all cylinders.

The Eagles got off to a great start when they had five runs after the first, scoring another two in the second and five in the third for a luxurious 12-0 lead. 

Another long dig for Sunshine ended with them scoring four more in the fourth, before the Lions came out swinging with nothing left to lose. Sunshine scored one at the bottom of the fifth as the game finished.

Sunshine has ended the season in ninth place with a 6-11 record and taking a three-game win streak with them while Fitzroy has finished in 10th place with a 4-14-1 record. One of the highlights for the Lions was overcoming a slow start to the season, where they were 0-5-1 after six but won the next two to kickstart their winning ways.

Geelong Baycats 10 v Essendon Bombers 10

These two sides couldn't be split in the final game of the season as Essendon came close to pulling off a miraculous walkoff victory at the bottom of the fifth.

After some excellent hitting from Geelong in the second when they scored seven, the Bombers were down 10-3 going into the final dig of the game. Essendon replicated Geelong's success from earlier and scored seven but ultimately fell short of making one more and settled for a draw. 

Hayden Peoples threw four fantastic innings for Geelong, while Emerson Rickard and Blake Witham also took turns on the mound. Connor Hickey collected three hits, including a triple and two stolen bases. Witham had two hits and three RBIs while Harper Rickard, Chris Durston, Connor Hughes, Will Brennan and Emerson Rickard all had hits too. Tommy Renouf had a couple of walks from quality at-bats as well. 

Essendon missed out on the top four after finishing the season in sixth place with a 8-9-2 record, but the Bombers can be pleased about the really good stretch in the middle of the season where they won eight out of 10 games from round six to round 16. Geelong ended the season in eighth place with a 5-9-4 record, three of those draws coming from the past five games.

Newport Rams 13 v Sandringham Royals 5

Sandringham got the jump early, scoring four in the first inning but that lead was later cut down all the way when Newport scored in the second.

The Rams brought home six at the top of the third to the Royals' one at the bottom before the away team ended on a high, adding three more and shutting Sandringham out at the end.

The Rams have certainly finished the season on a high with a big win, their second of the season after their first came in round 13 following a 0-12 start to the season. Sandringham finished in 11th place, one spot above the Rams, with a 3-13-2 record. The highlight of the Royals season was a three-game unbeaten run in rounds three, four and five.

Blackburn Orioles 5 v Melbourne Demons 2

Blackburn finished the season on top of the Division 1 reserves ladder after downing Melbourne. The Orioles have a a 16-2 record with a 13-game win streak still alive, something they will want to continue as they look ahead to next weekend's home semi-final against Waverley. 

The teams were tied at one apiece after the third but a three-run fifth for Blackburn turned the game in the Orioles' favour. Melbourne scored one more in the sixth while Blackburn tacked on the fifth and final run of the game.

For the Demons, they've just missed out on the finals as they end the season in fifth place with a 10-7-1 record. After getting off to a hot start where they were on top with a 5-0 record after six rounds, the Demons drifted off a little bit due to some one-run games that didn't go in their favor.

Berwick City Cougars 0 v Cheltenham Rustlers 5

Cheltenham has secured second spot and a home semi-final after beating Berwick in a shutout win on the weekend. 

The Rustlers scored four in the second and added another one in the fourth to take the result and see their record improve to 16-3.

The Cougars end the season in seventh with a 7-9-1 record, thanks in part to their form at the start of the season showing great signs, winning their first two and going 3-3 after six rounds.

Waverley Wildcats 3 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 11

With positions inside the top four still not certain between these two teams prior to the first pitch, Upwey Fentree Gully shot ahead and solidified their third placing, ending the regular season with a 13-3-1 record.

The Tigers capped off a great season with a big win over Waverley and it was with help from guys like Daryn Cassidy and Simon Ratcliffe that has allowed Upwey Ferntree Gully to a sixth consecutive finals appearance.

Mitch John got the start and was good in allowing two runs over five innings, Bryce Taylor closing out the game with one final inning.

Kaioh Sato paced the offence with three hits (two doubles and a triple) and four RBIs, Staci Rogers and Riley Light each having an RBI double too as an all-round team effort when batting provided some great baseball being played.

Upwey Ferntree Gully finishing third means the Tigers will travel to Cheltenham for a semi-final while Waverley will take on Blackburn.

Geelong Baycats 0 v Essendon Bombers 5

The Bombers saw themselves up by three runs after two innings as they managed to shut Geelong out of the game, scoring two more in the sixth and final inning.

This game was just a precursor to a semi-final clash between these two sides again next weekend at Geelong.

The three-time reigning champs Geelong ended the season in second with an 11-3-3 record while the Bombers finished third with an 11-3-5 record.

Newport Rams 1 v Sandringham Royals 16

A semi-close game after three innings still saw an inkling of hope for Newport, even after the Royals scored three in the first and two in the third.

But a massive 11-run fourth innings shot the margin upwards as Sandringham accounted for the Rams, seeing the away side end the year with a 2-15 record. 

Newport was 2-4 after seven rounds but the following 11 games resulted in losses for the Rams to end their season. Sandringham finishes the regular season in sixth with a 10-9 record after an up-and-down season.

Fitzroy led for the entire game after scoring two runs at the bottom of the first before each team scored once in the second.

The Lions were ahead 4-1 after three before both sides brought a runner home in the fifth. Fitzroy brought a run back at the top of the sixth, but that remained the score until game was called.

Fitzroy ended the season in ninth place with a 7-11-1 record and carried momentum right to the end with a three-game win streak. Sunshine finished 11th with a 2-14-1 record, as the Eagles' wins came in the third game and the third-last game of the season  to overcome a 13-game winless streak going in the middle of the campaign.

Melbourne Demons 4 v Blackburn Orioles 13

Melbourne had a 3-0 lead after their fourth dig, but Blackburn proved too powerful, recording five runs in the fourth and backing it up with eight runs in the fifth.

The Orioles ended the year on top of the ladder with a 13-2-3 record and will turn their attention to a semi-final matchup with Waverley.

Melbourne's season ends in seventh place with a 8-9-1 record. The season started well for the Demons, going 5-2 after seven before a seven-game winless run halted their campaign.

Cheltenham Rustlers 4 v Berwick City Cougars 7

Berwick ended the season on a high, beating Cheltenham for win number six of the last eight games. 

The Cougars finished in 10th place with a 7-11 record, while Cheltenham was one spot below with a 7-10-2 record. Four wins in five games during the middle of the season the Rustlers' best stretch of the season.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 11 v Waverley Wildcats 10

Upwey Ferntree Gully survived an almighty scare at the bottom of the sixth as Waverley needed six to win, but the Wildcats fell short of the magic number, recording four in that dig.

Scoring two runs in the first two innings, the Tigers were up by four runs but that lead was cut in half by the Wildcats at the bottom of the second.

Upwey Ferntree Gully scored a massive six runs at the top of the third but Waverley scored the next four runs during their next two digs to keep the scores close.

The fifth inning had no change to the scoreboard while a sixth inning saw the Tigers with one run, leaving Waverley six runs for the win.

While Upwey Ferntree Gully needed the win to possibly go into the four, they've just been kept out by Waverley. The Wildcats end the year in fourth with a 9-4-5 record and will look to a semi-final against Blackburn. The Tigers made a good effort in a three-game win streak to end their season, finishing just two percent outside the top four. 

Division 1 Fourths - Round 19

Geelong Baycats 5 v Essendon Bombers 6

The Bombers won in a walkoff victory over Geelong, securing the three runs they needed after being down 5-3. 

The teams traded one-run digs during the first inning before Geelong brought in the next two in the second. The result was drawn again by the end of the third when the Bombers had two runners score.

The Baycats added one more from each of the fifth and seventh, but Essendon wasn't prepared to give up easily.

The burst of momentum from the Bombers where Josh Jedretich secured the walkoff will hold them in good stead going into a semi-final at home to Blackburn this weekend. 

For Geelong, the season has come to a close at a 9-8-1 record but it wasn't without a real red-hot crack, especially in the second half of the season where from round seven, the Baycats held a 9-3 record that included six wins in a row.

Newport Rams 7 v Sandringham Royals 12

A 3-2 first inning total saw the Rams leading and the away side replicated their first inning score in the third too.

However, Sandringham played beautifully at the bottom and took the lead and grew it plenty, recording 10 runs, to which Newport could only seek one run in reply, at the top of the fifth.

Unfortunately for the Rams, they couldn't end their season with a win, going down to a 0-17-1 record, the closest they came to a win being a drawn result against Fitzroy in round seven.

Sandringham started the season off well, going 3-2 after five rounds but the Royals quickly lost the next five and were behind ever since to finish with a 7-10-1 record. 

Sunshine was leading 3-2 after the first, but a seven-run second inning from Fitzroy paved the way for them to get in front. The following few innings saw each team score three runs.

The Eagles have extended a winless streak to 13 games to end the season after starting the year at 4-1, finishing 11th with a 4-13-1 record. The Lions have won two of their last four games to see some positive results at the backend of the season, finishing 10th with a 4-12-3 record.

Melbourne Demons 2 v Blackburn Orioles 2

It was a draw for these two sides to end the home and away season, however both of these teams will be playing on in the semi-finals.

Blackburn's two runs were scored at the bottom of the first while Melbourne's two runs were scored at the top of the fourth, with plenty of great defensive displays in between for the seven-inning game.

Melbourne finished the season with a 17-1-1 record, the only loss coming at the hands of Cheltenham in round 11. The Demons will be at home to Waverley next weekend. Blackburn finished the season in third with a 12-5-1 record but with a four-game winless streak going into finals, the Orioles will need to perform well against Essendon.

Cheltenham Rustlers 7 v Berwick City Cougars 3

The Rustlers have rounded out their season with a win over Berwick, but it wasn't enough to get them over the line and into the top four, instead finishing fifth with an 11-8 record and a 5-1 record from the past six games as they made a run for it.

Berwick sits one spot below in sixth with a 9-7-2 record, finding a positive in just losing three games from the last 10. 

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 5 v Waverley Wildcats 4

The Tigers have improved their win tally this season with a win over Waverley, as the team has also built on their form from last season.

Upwey Ferntree Gully was ahead 5-0 after a three-run effort in the third, shutting down the Waverley bats in the first two innings.

Things turned from the bottom of the third when the Wildcats finally got on the board, tallying two runs in the third and fourth, leaving them to score four at the bottom of the fifth after shutting down the opposition bats themselves. 

Waverley managed two before three outs were made, falling short of a win to end their season. It was alright though as they'd had fourth place locked up and will be participating in a semi-final against Melbourne this weekend.

For the Tigers, a 6-11-1 record for the season has seen their year end well with a three-game win streak but before that, they had six losses in a row which put them behind much of the rest of the competition.

The final regular season games in VSBL Women's Division 1, 2 and 3 are complete as Springvale won against fellow top two contender Doncaster to cement first place in Women's Division 1. Doncaster finished strong to stay in first place in Women's Division 2 while Melbourne ended the year on top in Women's Division 3 East. With just one loss on the season, Bonbeach Blue is the top team in Women's Division 3 South while Sunshine finished six wins ahead of second place Fitzroy in Women's Division 3 West. The first round of finals across all three divisions is set for Saturday, 29 February.

Women's Division 1 - Round 20

Footscray Bulldogs 4 v Essendon Bombers 6

Footscray gave it a good shot but Essendon prevailed to finish the regular season on a high note. 

The opening inning produced runs from both sides as the Bulldogs got the bats swinging, first with two at the top which was beaten out by the Bombers at the bottom who scored three.

The next series of runs went the way of the Bombers too, finishing the second inning with a three-run lead. Footscray got those two runs back at the top of the fourth as it became a one-run ballgame once more. 

Essendon was ahead 5-4 going into the fifth, but the Bombers stayed strong on defense for the remainder of the game, not allowing the Bulldogs to score in the next three digs while extending their lead by one.

Footscray's Morgan Doty pitched two innings, giving up three hits and five runs - four of them earned - with three walks and two strikeouts. Brittney Cedelland pitched four innings, ending her time on the mound with three hits, one unearned run and six strikeouts. 

Doty was great on offence, enjoying a 3-for-3 day that included a triple and two singles with an RBI and two runs scored. Holly Howard had a double and a single for an RBI while Amanda Napier knocked in two runners on a big hit. Megan Kelly and Cedelland both scored a run after getting on base with singles.

Next up for these two teams are the semi-finals where Footscray visits Springvale and third-place Essendon brings a 8-9-2 record into a battle with Doncaster. 

Doncaster Dragons 3 v Springvale Lions 6

It was a tight game between the top two teams and it lived up to expectations with a first place finish on the line.

While Doncaster and Springvale were both safe inside the the top two, there was still the possibility of the Dragons snatching first place.It wasn't to be as the Lions showed their composure to beat the Dragons by three runs, finishing the season with a 14-3-2 record while for the Dragons, they ended the regular season at 12-4-3.

Jessica Johnston pitched six innings for the Dragons, giving up 12 hits and six runs for the loss. She was backed up by nine hits off of Doncaster's bats. Maddi Weller went 2-for-3 with an RBI while Sam Hamilton had two hits and scored a run. Erin Collins and Ursula Howard both had one hit, one run games as Vanessa Clifford, Bec White and Amy McCann contributed singles. 

Now focused on finals, these two sides will meet again on Saturday at Springvale for a big game, with the winner securing a spot in the Grand Final.

Women's Division 2 - Round 17

Wheelers Hill Warriors 3 v Springvale Lions 9

The first inning saw both Wheelers Hill and Springvale drive in a couple of runs, that 2-2 scoreline staying the same until the fifth inning when the Warriors got ahead by one.

That lead didn't last long as at the bottom of the inning, the Lions rallied well to record seven runs and put the game beyond the Warriors, who couldn't put up any more runs in the sixth as they needed to play catch up.

These two sides have both made semi-finals, with Springvale playing Doncaster after finishing the season in second place with a 12-2 record while Wheelers Hill sits third with a 8-7 record and hosts Footscray at home.

Doncaster Dragons 19 v Fitzroy Lions 1

The Dragons proved their still a force to be reckoned with in VSBL Women's Division 2 with a commanding win over Fitzroy. 

This win allowed first-place Doncaster to wrap up the regular season with a 14-1 record. Doncaster coach Andrew Weller says that after locking in top spot on the ladder last week, the team was thinking about finals going into this meeting with Fitzroy. "Offensively our game plan was pretty simple, be aggressive with our bats and run the bases hard," Weller said. "We did this really well, scoring 19 runs off the back of 16 hits and 13 stolen bases."

Maddi Davis, Hannah Sowden, Chelsea Stewart, Keeley Harrison and Shelley Love all had multiple hits for Doncaster on the day, and contributions from these players will be important moving forward as well. "Defensively we used three pitchers who all threw really well - Erin Collins, Chelsea Stewart and Becky Petty with Jess Thompson behind the dish," Weller said. "Special mention to Chelsea who came on late and dominated with, strikeout, strikeout, walk and then a strikeout to shut down the hitters quickly."

Weller and the Dragons are ready for what comes next. "I am very proud of what this young team has been able to achieve this season throughout the home and away games," Weller added. "We have achieved our first goal which is to play finals. We now have to re-set and our next goal is to win a final which will put us into the Grand Final."

Everyone on the team is pumped for finals and eager to finish the season in strong fashion. "This will be an exciting couple of weeks to see how these young Dragons respond to finals pressure. Springvale, Wheelers Hill and Footscray have some quality players and we will all be trying to do the same thing, which is make the Grand Final. I can’t wait to see it all play out." 

Doncaster's one and only loss came three weeks ago but the Dragons have proved they can bounce back quickly and they will be looking to continue their winning ways in a semi-final against Springvale.

Fitzroy's season ends in fifth place with a 2-12-1 record, with plenty of things to be proud of and the potential to improve on for next season.

Essendon Bombers 4 v Footscray Bulldogs 7

Footscray had the edge in this matchup, overpowering Essendon as the Bombers finished in sixth place with a 2-13 record. 

Footscray will carry a fourth place 5-8-1 record into the finals as the Bulldogs head to Wheelers Hill for a big matchup, the winner of which will move forward to the preliminary final.

Women's Division 3 East - Round 17

Mulgrave Rebels 4 v Springvale Lions 23

The Rebels got off to the start they wanted against a quality Springvale side, scoring two runs at the top of the first.

However, the Lions settled down and kept composed in the box, scoring the next 17 runs of the game across the following three innings, highlighted by seven coming in in the first and third. A Springvale lineup featuring Liesel Bouker, Rachael Bouker, Debbie Bryant and Breanna Cavanagh proved unstoppable.

The Rebels brought in two more at the top of the fourth but another big inning by the Lions put the game further away as there were another six runners scoring.

Springvale ends the regular season in fourth place with a 5-8 record and will take on Doncaster in a semi-final this weekend. Mulgrave finished in fifth place with a 1-10 record but solid contributions and improvements throughout the team.

Moorabbin Panthers 17 v Doncaster Dragons 6

Two top four teams battled it out, with Moorabbin racking up the runs. Caitlin Bann, Janelle Campbell and Ruby Dale were among the big contributors in the game as the Panthers improved their runs for and against totals to 168 and 73. 

Moorabbin finished in second place at 10-3 while Melbourne had a bye but finished 10-2. Now these two sides play each other in an exciting semi-final matchup with both teams hungry to advance. 

Melbourne Demons v BYE

Melbourne's spot at the top was safe despite the bye this week, ending the season with a 10-2 record. Melbourne has scored 167 runs this season while giving up 68, which are impressive figures that set up a massive semi-final game with Moorabbin. 

Melbourne hosts the semi-final and will look to go further in the finals, with the Demons chasing their second straight flag.

Women's Division 3 South - Round 17

Pakenham Pumas Black 7 v Berwick City Cougars 9

Berwick got off to a good start, leading 5-0 after one complete inning before adding two more in each of the second and third.

The Cougars managed to shut the Pumas out for the first four innings before Pakenham Black knuckled down at the top of the fifth and scored seven. Berwick shut the scoring drive down eventually to keep a two-run lead for the end of the game. 

The Cougars are in fourth place with a 7-6 record as they get ready to face Sandringham in the semi-finals. For Pakenham Black, the Pumas have stayed strong and given this season their best shot, and they will look to improve for the next year. 

Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 15 v Cheltenham Rustlers 3

The top two sides battled it out but it was a one-way result in favour of the top-placed Bonbeach Blue. 

The game started with seven runs at the top of the first to Bonbeach Blue and the score was 10-1 after two. 

Cheltenham scored their next two at the bottom of the third but Bonbeach Blue had another big inning to score five.

Bonbeach Blue finished the regular season in first place with a 12-1 record, that only loss coming at the hands of the Rustlers in the third round. Making finals for the first time since the 1990s is a big deal for the Lady Jays, and they will host Cheltenham in this weekend's semi-final.

Cheltenham's 11-3 record puts the Rustlers in second place as they strive for final glory.

Pakenham Pumas White v Bonbeach Bluejays White - FORFEIT

Pakenham White's forfeit brought an end to the season for these two sides where neither team will be progressing to the finals.

Pakenham White finished in fifth with a 5-7 record after starting the season 2-0 while Bonbeach White finished sixth with a 3-10 record.

Sandringham Royals v BYE

Sandringham had the bye but were always going to be safe in third during the round, with the Royals taking a 8-5 regular season record into a semi-final home game v Berwick, a team they beat twice before.

Women's Division 3 West - Round 17

Geelong Baycats Blue 8 v Fitzroy Lions 14

The first inning produced four runs for both sides before the Lions blitzed away further with five runs in te second and three in the third.

Baycats Blue mounted a small comeback through the fourth and fifth, scoring a combined four runs including three in the fourth but Fitzroy kept going, the game ending in the fifth but not before the Lions put another two onto their score.

Fitzroy finished second with a 6-5-1 record, a huge moment as it marks the first time Fitzroy's women's program has been in the finals since the winter women's league of the 1990s.

Fitzroy plays Sunshine in the semi-finals while third place Geelong Blue takes a 7-6-1 record into a home semi-final v the Titans.

North Western Titans 17 v Geelong Baycats White 7

The Baycats were still in the game after two innings, down by two as they matched the Titans first-inning score of seven in their half of the second inning, although North Western had brought two more home in the top.

The Titans scored the next eight runs of the game including another seven-run dig in the fourth, all the while shutting out the Baycats. 

For the Baycats,, it brings an end to their season, finishing with a 0-13-1 record, the drawn result coming against the Titans in round two. The Titans finished with a 6-6-1 record, entering the first week of finals with a semi-final agaisnt Geelong Baycats Blue. 

Sunshine Eagles v BYE

Sunshine was so far in front that the bye in the final round made no difference. The Eagles ended the season with a stellar 12-1 record, six wins ahead of second place Fitzroy. 

Fitzroy actually handed the Eagles their only loss of the season back in round four as they rode a 10-game win streak to wrap up the regular season. Sunshine will look to carry that momentum in the semi-final at home v Fitzroy.

The final round of 2019/20 VSBL action has arrived across the East, North West and South competitions in Division 4, and there's a lot to look forward to with finals fast approaching. Melbourne is still undefeated with a 17-0 record in the East, while Footscray White and Red have swapped positions at the top in the North West. Cheltenham and Monash Uni are still battling in the South for the number one spot after the regular season wraps up.

Division 4 East

Waverley Wildcats Black 3 v Fitzroy Lions Gold 5

It was a battle between two top four sides and it was the lower-ranked Lions who came through in the end.

The win ensures the Lions are safe in third place, currently holding a 9-7-1 record while their semi-final matchup looks set to be Waverley Black again, sitting second with a 14-4 record.

Waverley Black had won the past two games but will look to bounce back from this loss, ending the regular season at home to Blackburn. Fitzroy will hope to put double digits in the win column in a game v Waverley Red.

Monash University Farmers 0 v Melbourne Demons 15

Melbourne got off to the perfect start against Monash Uni, securing seven runs in their first inning before back-to-back four-run innings immediately after.

The Farmers were able to limit the Demons for the final two innings, but a quiet day offensively sealed the Farmer's fate as Melbourne recorded a third shutout victory for the season.

The 17-0 Demons will hope to go the length of the regular season undefeated when they travel to St Kilda this weekend while for the Farmers, their fourth place 6-8-3 record should be safe even after travelling to Malvern next round.

Malvern Braves 15 v Blackburn Orioles 10

The two lowest-ranked teams of the division battled it out in a close match where Malvern was able to improve their season record to 6-11, with the potential to move up to fifth after the final game this weekend.

The Braves come up against Monash Uni in the last round of the season while the Orioles will hope to record their third win of the season when they travel to Waverley to take on Wildcats Black.

Waverely Wildcats Red 16 v St Kilda Saints 14

It was a decisive third inning from Waverley red that propelled them to a hard-fought win over St Kilda on the weekend in a contest that had a run scored in every dig of the five-inning game.

St Kilda led 4-3  after the first and extended the lead by one throughout the second inning, making it a 6-4 ballgame. Then came a big inning from the Wildcats that put them past the Saints who scored one at the bottom of the third.

St Kilda was forced to play catch up for the rest of the game and while they outscored the Wildcats in the next two innings by two runs, it still wasn't enough to power them over the line for a win, scoring four in the final dig of the game when they needed seven for the walkoff.

John Darby, Paul Davison and Tony Page were key for Wildcats Red, while AJ Chalker, Steven Cuthbert and Alyssa Hampson had big contributions for St Kilda. 

The loss marks four straight weeks without a win for the Saints, whose hopes of finals have slipped away. St Kilda sits fifth with a 6-10-1 record ahead of a meeting with Melbourne to end the season. Waverley Red, also with a 6-10-1 record after back-to-back win, hosts Fitzroy Gold.

Division 4 North West

Essendon Bombers 4 v Essendon Jets 15

The Jets were out to a ten run lead after four innings before the Bombers were able to put something up on the scoreboard.

A seven-run fourth inning to the Jets complimented their three runs up to that point as the fifth inning produced runs for both sides.

The Bombers scored four at the top but that result and more was cancelled out as the Jets claimed another five runs to their tally.

With both teams out of finals contention, they'll each hope to end the year with wins to their records. The Jets will aim to win at home against North Coburg Gold while the Bombers are away to Mitchell Majors Yellow.

Footscray Bulldogs Blue 4 v Fitzroy Lions Maroon 9

The Lions scored three runs at the bottom of the first inning and were able to extend their lead to seven runs on the back of a four-run effort in the fourth.

The Bulldogs got on the board in the fifth when they had three runners score but the Lions kept scoring and added two more at the bottom. 

The Bulldogs scored one at the top of the sixth as they tried to extend the game but couldn't get there, losing their 10th game of the season and third in a row. Fitzroy is still in with a chance at making finals; the Lions are fifth holding a 10-6 record. 

In the final round of the season, Footscray Blue takes on Mitchell Majors Black while Fitzroy Maroon hope to keep the season alive at home to North Coburg Maroon.

North Coburg Rebels Maroon 0 v Mitchell Majors Yellow 17

Mitchell Majors Yellow left nothing on the field as they broke a three-game losing streak in a shutout win over North Coburg Maroon. In that time though, they've managed to remain in the top four with a 11-6 record.

The home side started proceedings in the first inning with four runs, which they replicated in the second inning before a big seven-run effort in the third before ending the game with two more in the fourth. Matt Whyte collected three RBIs on two big hits, while Nick Attard, Joel Burton and John Hawkins also helped Mitchell Majors get the much-needed victory. 

It was North Coburg Maroon's second shutout loss of the season, the other time was in round 3, which was also a 17-run margin.

Mitchell Majors Yellow could finish anywhere from third to fifth so it's vital to the team that they beat Essendon Bombers at home this weekend. North Coburg Maroon plays Fitzroy Maroon and will aim to break a 13-game losing streak to end the season.

North Coburg Rebels Gold 5 v Footscray Bulldogs Red 4

Footscray Red almost pulled off a miraculous victory against North Coburg Gold in this clash, however the Bulldogs fell agonisingly short with the third-placed Rebels knocking Footscray Red off their perch at the top.

The Rebels started the game with three runs in their first inning before one-run digs in the third and fourth, taking a 5-0 lead into the fifth. It was at the bottom of the fifth that Footscray Red was finally able to get on the board.

The Bulldogs scored one in the fifth and had three runs at the bottom of the sixth, chasing five for the win, however the Rebels were able to get the last out before any more damage was done to the scoreboard.

The North Coburg Gold side has won the past two, sitting third with a 10-5-1 record. The Rebels could still give up their third placing and slip to fifth meaning the game against  Essendon Jets is crucial. Before this, Footscray Red hadn't suffered a loss since the second round and the Bulldogs don't want to make that two in a row Footscray plays Fitzroy Blue. 

Footscray Bulldogs White 15 v Fitzroy Lions Blue 10

In an almost match-for-match box score, the second inning was the decisive inning for the Bulldogs White team as they took this game against Fitzroy Blue.

The first inning ended 3-2 the way of the Bulldogs as they shot away in the next inning, scoring five runs to two. 

The fourth inning saw both sides score four runs before the fourth and final inning saw the exact same scores from both teams as in the first inning. 

The constant extra runs Footscray White managed to get over Fitzroy Blue allowed them to win the game, and take top spot in the process as the Bulldogs are on a four-game win streak. Footscray White will have to watch what happens this weekend due to the bye, anticipating a potential overtaking by Footscray Red once more.

Fitzroy Blue has lost the last three and will want to break that streak against Footscray Red this weekend.

Mitchell Majors Black v BYE

Out of the finals race, Mitchell Majors Black had the bye this past week. 

This side is sitting eighth with a 5-9-1 record ahead of a final fixture at home against Footscray Blue but have had a stellar second half to season, currently on a four-game win streak.

Division 4 South

Berwick City Cougars 3 v Cheltenham Rustlers 9

A strong first few innings from Cheltenham gave them enough of a lead to beat fellow top-four side Berwick on the weekend. 

The Rustlers scored three in each of the first and second innings with a two-run dig in between as the Cougars secured their first run of the game at the top of the fourth.

The Cougars next scored in the fifth where they put two more onto their score before the Rustlers' last dig saw one more run before the game ended.

11-1-1 Cheltenham has won five in a row and sits in first place ahead of a trip to St Kilda this weekend while Berwick is third with a 12-4 record and plays Monash Uni at home for the final game of the regular season. 

Ormond Glenhuntly 0 v St Kilda Saints 12

The Saints made sure of their place in the finals with a shutout win over Ormond Glehuntly on the weekend, gathering a six-run lead as the second inning came to a close before adding six more runs in their fourth inning.

The 7-6 Saints are home to Cheltenham this weekend while the Hunters season is now over with the scheduled bye, ending with a 4-12 record in seventh place. 

Monash University Farmers 8 v Melbourne Demons 3

The Farmers shot out of the blocks early in this contest, never looking back as they scored seven in the first inning and led 8-0 after two innings.

The Farmers were held quite well by Melbourne after that point as the Demons finally got on the board at the bottom of the fourth with a singular run, adding two more in the fifth.

Melbourne's finals hopes are over as the Demons sit fifth with a 5-8 record while for the Farmers, they could take first place with a win over Berwick.

Pakenham Pumas v BYE

The Pumas had the bye to go over their gameplan for the final game of their season against Melbourne at home.

The 1-16 Pumas will look to end the season with a victory against the Demons.

The 2019/20 VSBL season will wrap up this weekend in exciting fashion for Division 3, with some big matchups setting the stage for a great end to the regular season ahead of finals. Springvale still has just the one loss for the season in the firsts, sitting safely at the top while the second and third spots are up for grabs and will be decided in the Pakenham and Ormond Glenhuntly Gold matchup this weekend. The reserves are in the same situation where the Lions lead the crop of teams while second and third could still change.

Division 3 Firsts

Chelsea Dolphins 15 v North Western Titans 10

After bringing the scores to an even 10-10, North Western let all that hard work slip at the top of the eighth as Chelsea scored five to take the lead once more, and then shut out the Titans at the bottom.

The lead changed a few times throughout the game after the teams were tied at two-apiece following the first inning. The Titans were ahead by one run once the second inning came to a close.

The Dolphins scored the next six runs, including four runs in the fourth, as the Titans secured two more to their total at he bottom. 

The fifth inning saw no score from either team but that scoring drought was broken in the sixth when Chelsea had two runners come home. North Western wasn't done yet, bringing four runs in at the bottom and tying the game with one more in the seventh.

The Titans came close to winning their fourth game of the season but couldn't quite bridge the gap, giving up too many scoring chances on walks. After losing a fourth straight game, North Western will end the season at home playing Ormond Glenhuntly Blue. Chelsea plays Springvale at home for round 19.

Springvale Lions 26 v Pakenham Pumas 1

This game was a far cry from the 3-2 pitcher's duel the week before that Springvale won over Ormond Glenhuntly Gold. 

Springvale started the game with an eight-run first inning and followed that up with six in the second and four in the third to lead 18-0 before Pakenham got on the board at the bottom of the third.

After that Pumas score, they didn't score again as the Lions had another big inning that saw them bring in seven runs before adding one more in the fifth. Things slowed down for both teams in the final two innings as Pakenham's reliever Sam Westhorpe quieted Springvale's busy bats. 

There were thirteen batters in the first inning alone, with Springvale recording four hits, four walks and a hit by pitch. Lucas Anderson got on base twice with hits and stole four bases in the first frame. The Pumas did get a great catch in lift field on a fly ball to curb any further damage in that inning. 

With Myles Barnden reliable as ever on the mound for Springvale, the Lions kept things moving. Mitchell Lording got an infield hit for Pakenham but that was about it. Tristian Hill and Martin Kennedy did their best to control Springvale on the mound, but the Lions were on a mission and it showed in every at-bat. 

The second inning saw the first five batters get on base, thanks to four hits and a walk. This included a Mark Richards double, a base hit from Barnden, a double by Rydge Hogan and Matt Cameron's single. Cycling through the lineup once more, Springvale just kept scoring. 

Barnden gave up just an unearned run due to an infield pop-up, and he struck out the final batter he faced before handing things over to Lucas Anderson. He gave up four hits and zero walks over four innings, denying Pakenham of the chance to get on base and put a dent in the deficit. 

Scott Baillie and Chris Davies led Springvale with four hits, while Lucas Anderson, Neal Cavanagh, Rydge Hogan and Matt Cameron all had three hits apiece. Myles Barnden, Mark Richards and Cory Hart contributed to Springvale's total of 23 hits.

Springvale is clearly in front with a 17-1 record, now on a six-game win streak after the only loss back in round 12. The Lions are eight wins difference from second place and take on Chelsea in the final game of the regular season as they look to ride their momentum further. 9-8-1 Pakenham plays 9-9 Ormond Glenhuntly Gold and will still need a win to keep second place.

Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 5 v Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 9

11 of the game's 14 runs came within the final two innings of this close contest.

Gold took an early 1-0 lead but Blue was ahead by one after the third inning finished.

The next four innings saw no movement on the scoreboard but Gold then added three to the score to take the lead back. But the moment was short-lived as Ormond Blue gathered six runs at the bottom before each team added one more each in the ninth.

Out of nine hits for the Blue team, three came off the bat of Brad Dolan. Geoff MacDonald hit his fifth double and fifth home run of the season. Tim Carracher, Jarrad Barrow, Jason Maxwell and Lachlan Eddington had hits as well. 

Dolan threw 7.1 innings, giving up four earned runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts, earning the win for his team. 

The win wad crucial for Ormond Blue, not only for bragging rights, but it keeps them within the top four with a 7-9-1 record while Ormond Gold is third at 9-9. 

Ormond Blue will look to win again this weekend against North Western Titans while Ormond Gold could move to second with a win over Pakenham.

Division 3 Reserves

Chelsea Dolphins 7 v North Western Titans 2

The Dolphins won their seventh game of the season but it's a case of too little, too late for the Dolphins as even if they win against Springvale this weekend, it won't be enough to enter the top four after a four-game losing streak.

The Titans will hope their first win can come against Ormond Blue. 

Springvale Lions 5 v Pakenham Pumas 4

Springvale almost gave up a five run lead but held on for the win. 

The Lions got the first run on the board in the second while scoring two runs in the fourth and sixth innings.

The Pumas first found a score at the bottom of the sixth when they scored one before they needed five to win at the bottom of the seventh. They unfortunately managed just three runs as they fell by one run. 

Pakenham will still be safe in fourth place, currently with a 7-9-2 record, but the Pumas would like a win against Ormond Glenhuntly Gold this weekend while the 15-3 Lions are away to Chelsea.

Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 4 v Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 21

A huge 13-run first inning to Ormond Blue went a long way in deciding this game as the Blue Hunters edged closer to the potential of making their way into the top two after this weekend.

Ormond Gold got two runs in the second and two in the fifth as Ormond Blue had two back-to-back four-run digs in between.

11-6-1 Ormond Blue can move into second with a win over North Western Titans while second place Ormond Gold takes on Pakenham at home.

It's full speed ahead for the 2019/20 VSBL season as the race to finals in Division 2 is tighter than ever before. In the firsts, Williamstown and Werribee are the teams to beat, while the Wolves and the Panthers are battling for top spot in the Reserves with one game left. Malvern leads the thirds and Williamstown holds first place in the fourths as every team looks to finish the regular season on a high note. 

Division 2 Firsts - Round 24

Malvern Braves 3 v St Kilda Saints 1

Malvern's offense came alive late in this contest as they didn't score their first run until the eighth inning when they tied things up at one-all. St Kilda had scored first in the fourth.

In a tense ninth inning, Malvern managed to score two runners at the top, and then completed the job by shutting St Kilda out for the rest of the game. Malvern coach Phil Dale says this was a great pitcher's duel, thanks in large part to the efforts of Sean Cruz. "Justin Burke had a two RBI hit to get the lead late in the game and Mitch Kennedy closed it on the mound," Dale said. "Now we've got a big final series starting this weekend against Williamstown." 

Malvern seems prepared for the Wolves, with a healthy and hardworking lineup ready to go. In this game Mitchell Kennedy and Sean Cruz combined on the mound for Malvern through the nine innings, Cruz going for seven innings for two hits, zero earned runs and nine strikeouts.

Chris Burke had one hit and a walk, coming home for runs both times. Henry Hayman had a run from his hit while Lachlan Fuda had two hits and an RBI. Justin Burke got himself a two-RBI double.

Daniel Hogg took the loss for the Saints as he went through one inning in relief for Franco Caramia. Hogg gave up two hits, two unearned runs and a walk with two strikeouts across seven batters.

Eduardo Escalona had two hits for the day while it was Antonio Torres who scored for St Kilda, Hogg with the RBI single to score Torres.

The Braves are one of two teams on a 15-7 record, however they sit third with a series against fellow top-four side Williamstown to round of the season. St Kilda with a 5-19 record will want to end the season with a few wins from their series against Doncaster set to begin this weekend.

Doncaster Dragons 4 v Moorabbin Panthers 9

The Panthers prevailed over the Dragons in a game they really needed to win as they try and distance themselves from those teams chasing the fourth spot that is currently theirs.

John Britton took the loss on the hill for the Dragons. He went for five hits, five earned runs and two base on balls through facing eight batters in one inning. Ben Palensky pitched seven innings for eight hits, one earned run and two strikeouts.

Britton, Callum Lethborg and Dakota Gibson combined for six of Doncaster's eight hits on the day as Britton tallied two RBIs. Lethborg, Gibson, Brian Chen and Macel D'Avoine all scored for the Dragons.

Zach Kamerman got the win on the mound as he went through five innings to give up six hits, three earned runs with five strikeouts. Stewart Mathieson pitched four innings for the Panthers giving up two hits and zero runs. 

Mathieson went two from two with the bat with a solo home run and a double, coming home on that occasion too. Neil Johnston and Travis Finney each had three hits, Finney claiming two runs while Ben Laux and Adam Harris each earned doubles that they scored on, Laux recording three RBIs.

The Panthers have won three in a row now to sit at a 15-7 record while the Dragons are now on a three-game losing streak. Doncaster will begin their final series of the season at home against St Kilda while Moorabbin hosts Preston.

Port Melbourne Mariners 1 v Preston Pirates 2

Eight of the nine innings produced no scores at all as each team added runs in their respective eighth digs. 

Port Melbourne got ahead by one run at the top, however at the bottom, Preston bettered that by one to take the lead. The Pirates would keep this advatnage for the remainder of the game.

William Parsons pitched six innings for Port Melbourne, giving up two hits, zero runs and three walks along with four strikeouts. Tyson Cox-Davis recorded the loss for the Mariners as he pitched two innings for three hits and two runs.

Matt Morris and Cox-Davis each had two hits while Jock Allen had the RBI single that got Kevin Ung with the score for the Mariners.

Ben Donnell pitched a complete game for the third time in four weeks and only gave up six hits, one run and one walk in that time. He also had 11 strikeouts, his sixth 10+ strikeout count of the season.

Across just five hits for the game on the Preston side, Luke Williams had two while Cameron Deeble and Mitchell Legge each had one-hit, one-run games. 

The two sides are both 13-10 for the season now. The Mariners will host Mulgrave this weekend while the Pirates are away to Moorabbin.

Werribee Giants 12 v Williamstown Wolves 13

All three games in this series between the top two sides have been decided by one run, a testament to their dominance this season. These tight tussles will undoubtedly be a precursor to the exciting postseason that lies ahead.

Williamstown needed a big effort to win this one, bringing in 10 runs at the bottom of the seventh after being down 7-2 at the end of six.

The Wolves got on the board first at the bottom of the first before three-run digs to Werribee in the third and fifth changed things up. Both teams split a run each in the sixth.

The 10-run effort to the Wolves brought them into the lead and suddenly, the Giants were on the backfoot. Slowly looking to get back to a result they wanted, the Giants added one at the top of the eighth before scoring four in the ninth to even the scores up.

Williamstown found a way to secure one run across the plate at the bottom of the ninth for a walkoff win and reclaim top spot on the ladder.

Wesley de Jong got things started on the mound for the Giants, giving up 14 hits and eight earned runs with four strikeouts across 6.1 innings. Josh Lee gave up three hits and one run in 1.1 innings.

Oliver Box had four hits from six at-bats with two doubles and four RBIs while Justin Gil had three hits and three RBIs but scored four of his side's runs. Wade Balzer also scored four times from two hits and two walks while single runs went to Daine Gregory, Andrew Maki, Evan McPherson and Lee.

Jayde Thorne was on the mound for five innings for the Wolves as he gave up six hits and three earned runs with six strikeouts. It was Dennis Neal who picked up the win though, going the other four innings for six hits, five earned runs and seven strikeouts.

Every player in the Williamstown lineup recorded a hit as the team had 19 in total. Jason McDonald had four hits, Aaron Green and Justin Gourlay had three each. Green and Gourlay led the Wolves for runs scored with three each, the latter with three RBIs. Robert Higginson got two runs from one hit with three RBIs while Thorne had two hits that included a double and two RBIs.

Williamstown is 18-6 and up against Malvern in the final series of the season while Werribee sits at 17-6 with a few games against Bonbeach coming up next. 

Mulgrave Rebels 13 v Bonbeach Bluejays 0

Mulgrave scored in seven of the eight innings in this game, building up to a big eighth dig and shutting out Bonbeach in the process.

The Rebels accrued nine runs over the first six innings before ending their game with four in the eighth.

Jayson Arthur got the win for Mulgrave, pitching the whole eight innings. He only gave up one hit and zero runs as he accumulated a whopping 18 strikeouts. 

Mulgrave had 13 runs for the day to match their 13 runs that saw Nick Thompson and Riley O'Shea have three hits each, including a double. Thompson had two runs and an RBI while O'Shea also brought three runs in, and scored one himself. Donnie Poole had two runs off two hits that were a double and triple while Caleb Poole came around to score once off two hits with two RBIs. Anthony White though had two hits from three at bats and led runs for the Rebels with three. 

Adam Major took the loss for Bonbeach after lasting five innings for six hits, five runs and two walks.

The Bluejays were only able to get three batters on base for the entire game with just one hit to Matthew Bucci while Jim Crowe and Adam Shoppe got on via walks. 

Bonbeach has lost the past two but will look to get a win over Werribee this weekend, while Mulgrave heads to Port Melbourne. 

Division 2 Reserves - Round 18

Malvern Braves 1 v St Kilda Saints 4

Malvern didn't score until the final fifth inning, down by four runs and unable to make a comeback.

St Kilda got the scoring stated in the second, bringing three across the plate and adding one more in the fourth.

The Saints are locked into the top four, currently sitting third with a 12-6 record but could still improve with a win over Doncaster this weekend. Malvern is 9-8-1 before playing Williamstown in this next round. 

Werribee Giants 9 v Williamstown Wolves 6

Williamstown let a 5-0 lead slip in the last three innings of the game as Werribee had a flurry of three-run innings at the end of the game.

The Wolves scored five runs within the first two innings before the Giants got ahead by one during their fifth dig after scoring three there and the inning before.

The game became even again at the bottom of the sixth when Williamstown had a runner scoring before the Giants produced a three-run seventh inning. They then stopped the Wolves from entering the contest at the bottom and claiming a walkoff win.

Williamstown could've gone up to first place with a win however the draw from Moorabbin helps too. The Wolves sit second with a 13-5 record as they prepare to face Malvern this weekend. Werribee is 9-7-2 and playing Bonbeach next. 

Mulgrave Rebels 28 v Bonbeach Bluejays 1

A few innings that produced huge run totals for Mulgrave allowed them to record a comprehensive win over Bonbeach in this round 18 clash.

The Rebels started their account with nine runs in the first and were up 11-1 after two innings when the Bluejays scored their first at the bottom of two.

The third inning for Mulgrave saw them bring in six runs, adding one more in the fourth before a mammoth 10 runs ended the game.

The big win to Mulgrave sees them improve to a 8-10 record ahead of a final game v Port Melbourne while for the Bluejays host Werribee at home.

Port Melbourne Mariners 14 v Preston Pirates 7

Each team looked set in their ways and were scoring consistently however there were more Port Melbourne runners coming across home plate.

Preston held a one-run lead after the first but the Mariners came back with four runs at the top of the second. It was the same for the next digs from either team; one to the Pirates, four to Port Melbourne. 

The next runs came from the Mariners at the top of the fifth where they had their best game tally of six while at the bottom half, Preston was chasing and secured five runs to end the game.

It was the sixth win of the season for the Mariners which draws them to a 6-12 record, and they could move up a place with another win over Mulgrave this weekend. Preston is away at Moorabbin looking to close the season with a win.

Doncaster Dragons 2 v Moorabbin Panthers 2

Moorabbin was trying to get some breathing room atop the ladder but the victory eluded the Panthers as Doncaster fought hard in a pitcher's duel. 

The 13-4-1 Panthers are at home to Preston this weekend as they look to end the season on a high going into the finals whereas 10-7-1  Doncaster's takes on fellow top-four side St Kilda.

Division 2 Thirds - Round 18

Preston Pirates 4 v Port Melbourne Mariners 1

Preston scored in the first dig but the scores was tied after the second.

The Pirates grew the lead by three when they entered the batters box in the third inning, the 4-1 scoreline staying that way for the remainder of the game.

The Mariners have now lost 10 in a row as they sit ninth with a 3-15 record with a final game against Mulgrave this weekend while the Pirates, at 7-9-1, will be at home to Moorabbin.

Moorabbin Panthers 7 v Doncaster Dragons 9

The Dragons won a close one over Moorabbin to keep their season alive, bouncing back from a 6-5 loss the week before. 

The Dragons sit fourth with a 12-5-1 record but could easily give that spot up if they don't win against St Kilda this weekend. Moorabbin's third place position at 12-5 isn't quite safe either and the Panthers will want to beat Preston this weekend. 

Mulgrave Rebels 16 v Bonbeach Bluejays 3

The Rebels scored the bulk of their runs in the final two innings of this game that was tied at three after three innings. Mulgrave scored three in the first and Bonbeach did the same in the second. 

Mulgrave scored six in the fourth and bettered that by one run in the fifth to have the margin go beyond single digits.

The Rebels improved their record to 8-8-2 with a home game against Port Melbourne to close their season while Bonbeach will hope to find their second win for the season against Werribee.

St Kilda Saints 8 v Malvern Braves 1

Malvern went down as the Braves struggled to keep up with the Saints after the first inning. 

The score was 2-1 the way of the Saints after the first innings but the Braves failed to score any further runs as St Kilda piled on five runs across the third and fourth before adding one more to ice the game in the sixth.

St Kilda needed the win to keep in touch with the top four, one win out from claiming that a third or fourth position which the Saints will hope to achieve against Doncaster this weekend. Malvern is still safe in first place despite their third loss of the season as the 13-2-1 Braves take on fellow top-two contender Williamstown.

Williamstown Wolves 20 v Werribee Giants 13

Following an 18-1 loss the week prior, Werribee was much more competitive this time around. 

Even so, in this high-scoring game, Williamstown got the edge over Werribee as a crucial second inning defensive effort from the Wolves prevented the Giants from scoring and needing to catch up further.

After two innings, Williamstown led 9-1 but Werribee was right back in it after the third, scoring five to make it a 10-6 ballgame.

The fifth was another decisive inning for Williamstown, producing six runs as Werribee responded with three. Each team scored four in the final frame as Williamstown sealed the deal, safe in the top four and currently sitting in second place with a 13-5 record before playing Malvern. Werribee is 5-13 and will look to go out on a high note against Bonbeach.

Division 2 Fourths - Round 18

Moorabbin Panthers 9 v Doncaster Dragons 10

The Dragons were able to hang on to win over Moorabbin after a 6-5 loss in round 17.

Moorabbin remains in fourth place with a 8-6-2 record, with the Panthers focusing on beating Preston this weekend while Doncaster heads to St Kilda. 

St Kilda Saints 12 v Malvern Braves 10

The Braves responded really well from the two runs St Kilda scored at the top of the first as they scored the next eight runs including six in the second inning.

St Kilda came back into the game in the fourth, scoring five. The Saints went ahead in the fifth when they brought another five runs in as the Braves scored two at the bottom, chasing, but left ruing what could've been.

After this classic top-four contest, the Braves stay in second with a 14-3 record, coming up against Williamstown this weekend while for St Kilda will carry a third place10-5-1 record into a home game v Doncaster this weekend.

Williamstown Wolves 21 v Werribee Giants 4

Another huge effort from the Wolves has cemented their place at the top of this competition, earning win number 14 against a Werribee team that has dropped the last 10 games. 

Werribee has a bye this weekend while 14-1-1 Williamstown has a huge game coming up at Malvern.

Preston Pirates 5 v Geelong Baycats 12

Preston just couldn't match Geelong's intensity and scoring abilities in this match as the Baycats scored six from their first dig and three in the third as the score was a 9-2 margin to the home team.

The Pirates added to their score with three runs across the fourth and fifth innings before Geelong had another three-run dig at the bottom of the fifth to close out the game.

The win was important to the Baycats' finals chances as they sit fifth at a 9-8-1 record and will hope to sneak into the top four with a win over Mulgrave this weekend. Preston is 5-11 for the season and will have final game at home against Moorabbin.

Mulgrave Rebels v BYE

2-14 Mulgrave had the bye this past round, with the Rebels set to play Geelong this weekend in an attempt to snap a three-game losing streak. 

Pitcher Tyler Comben is a proud player at Newport Rams Baseball Club. He’s been there since his early t-ball days, and he’s supported the club through ups-and-downs, including relegation to VSBL Division 2 a few years ago and an important 2019/20 season back up in Division 1.

Although the Rams have faced their share of challenges this season against tough competitors, Tyler has remained dedicated to his beloved team and determined to go out there every week and do his best. Regardless of how far Newport went this year, his goals for the season were clear from the start. “Personally I would just like to perform and help the ball club,” Tyler said. “I spent a couple of years away at college and saw a big improvement with those programs, which did a lot of good and helped me compete.”

Heading overseas to play college ball at Dakota College at Bottineau was a highlight of Tyler’s baseball career, and there he learned a lot about the game and how to be a leader out on the field. Holding on to many takeaways from his college experience, Tyler returned home and put his skills to good use for the Rams.

Last season was an opportunity for Newport to regroup and rebuild, with the Rams set on getting back to, and hopefully staying in, VSBL Division 1. “We got our younger kids more experience at the senior level, and hopefully that translates in a higher grade,” Tyler said. “We have good team chemistry and morale.”

That undeniable sense of teamwork makes a difference, and so does Tyler’s obvious love of the game. “I can’t get enough of it. I’d play eight days a week if I could.” At the end of the day, Tyler has big goals for Newport and the broader Victorian baseball community. “I just want baseball to get more exposure. I want baseball to get bigger and hopefully that will happen soon.”

Tyler knows that this starts with encouraging others to get on the field, something he does often. “I say do it, take a leap of faith,” Tyler said. “You never know until you try something if you like it or not. If you think you could enjoy it, try it.”

With special memories of winning premierships alongside his dad in the winter season, Tyler hopes that one day similar success can be replicated in the summer season. “We have to expect a different level of competition,” Tyler said. “There’s new players at different teams, players have moved teams and it’s always going to be a high level of competition.”

Sunshine is still on top of the ladder as Geelong stays in second place in VSBL Division 1, with the 2019/20 season moving swiftly towards finals. Blackburn and Cheltenham both secured recent wins to keep them in the top two in the reserves as they head into the last round of the season, while Blackburn and Geelong are very close at the top of the ladder in the thirds. Melbourne sits comfortably atop the fourths while the rest of the top four positions up for grabs.

Division 1 Firsts - Round 24

Berwick City Cougars 2 v Sunshine Eagles 6

After a big Berwick win in the previous round, when the Cougars upset Sunshine 5-4, the Eagles got their revenge. 

Sunshine led 2-1 after the first, and the quick and quiet game carried on, with the score remaining the same until the bottom of the fourth when the Eagles scored an additional four runs. 

The Eagles were efficient defensively, keeping Berwick off the base paths for the most part although the Cougars did score one more in the ninth. 

Matthew West took the loss for the Cougars from 2.1 innings allowing two hits, two runs and five walks. Craig Barnett pitched three innings for one hit, zero runs and four strikeouts. 

On the batting side of things for the Cougars, they tallied seven hits for the day, Mark Surtees collecting two. Aiden Willis and Cain Bumpstead each scored from their single hits. 

For the home side, Scott Barr was credited with the win, going five innings for four hits, zero earned runs and two strikeouts. Griffin Weir and Jeremy Irons each chimed in for two innings each .

The return of Allan de San Miguel proved beneficial to Sunshine as he shot the ball over the fence for a three-run home run in the sixth, one of two runs he scored for the day. Nikau Pouaka-Greco also had two runs from one hit and two base on balls while Bryce Aldridge had two RBIs from his single.

Sunshine Coach Stuart Clayton says it was a good win and what he was looking for after the previous loss. "The boys responded just the way I wanted, we were aggressive on the bases and challenged the game," Clayton said. "We made some great defensive plays too."

The Eagles have kept themselves in first place with a 17-5-1 record ahead of a home game against Fitzroy while 11-11-1 Berwick heads to Cheltenham in search of a win. 

Griffin Weir pitched well for Sunshine in the Eagles' big win. Photo: Baseball Victoria

Cheltenham Rustlers 9 v Fitzroy Lions 4

Fitzroy scored first at the bottom frame but it was all Cheltenham from then on out as the Rustlers started getting runs on the board in the second, scoring four within that time.

The Lions brought the margin back by one run in their second dig but a further three runs through the third and fourth innings for the Rustlers allowed their lead to grow. Each team scored two more in the remaining innings.

Jack Enciondo picked up the win for Cheltenham, pitching five innings, giving up two hits and one earned run with five strikeouts. He was supported by Lars Ligouri who pitched four innings for four hits, two runs and six strikeouts for the save.

Mac Turley had four hits from five at bats for Cheltenham with two RBIs while Conor Myles had three hits including a home run and a double as he scored twice and had four RBIs. Ben Fierenzi and Michael Leslie each had two hit, one run games.

Brock Pawley recorded the loss for the Lions as he went through six innings, giving up eight hits, three earned runs and three strikeouts. Riley Hill pitched the remaining three innings for four hits, two runs and four walks.

Five of Fitzroy's six hits were doubles as Tom Wilson brought himself halfway around twice, coming round to home on one occasion and another runner in the process as well. Danny King was also a two-hit player as he scored twice while Tom Dicker scored two RBIs from his double shot. 

Cheltenham hasn't lost a game for eight weeks now as the Rustlers have made a miraculous climb up the ladder to sit fourth with a 14-9-1 record. They take on Berwick at home this weekend while Fitzroy plays the ladder leaders at Sunshine.

Melbourne Demons 3 v Sandringham Royals 9

Four runs at the bottom of the first to the Royals set the tone for the home side that was in need of a win as they went on to record a victory over Melbourne.

The two sides traded single-run innings throughout the middle innings as each team kept battling away offensively. From the seventh onward, the Royals scored three more runs as their eighth came to an end. Melbourne was able to secure just one more run jas the Demons dropped their 15th game of the season. 

Paul Rutgers had four RBIs from three hits for the day while Branden Stenhouse also collected three hits for the Royals. 

Cody Anderson pitched seven innings in front of home support and ended the day with six strikeouts, his ability to get the first pitch right being effective with 20 first-pitch strikes. 

Melbourne changed their pitchers around a bit as Kurtis Smith pitched 2.2 innings with help from Liam Devine and Mitchell Ellis.

Jarryd Rogers picked up the most hits for Melbourne with two, recording two RBIs along the way. 

A new series awaits these two sides as the season starts to wrap up. Melbourne is home v Blackburn while Sandringham welcomes Newport at home. 

Blackburn Orioles 5 v Essendon Bombers 3

This game had it all as the Bombers tied things up in the bottom of the ninth to take the battle to extra innings - 12 to be exact.

Essendon held a two-run lead after the third, but Blackburn came back in the fifth to score three. From there it was a tight tussle with the defense needing to be on their game, however the Orioles let one slip in the ninth that sent the game beyond the normal amount of innings. 

The Orioles got two runners home at the top of the 12th and managed to shut down the Bombers bats at the bottom to record a win to keep within the top four, while for Essendon, this result squashes finals chances. 

Andrew Jones pitched six innings for the Orioles, giving up five hits and two runs with five strikeouts. Blake Hodgson got the win though, going through six innings with four hits, zero earned runs and five strikeouts.

Tallying nine hits for the day, Jacob Evans and Cooper Goodman had two each. Nick Rossell led the way with two RBIs as he came home from his one hit, as did Ben Leslie, David Dicker and Luke Hughes with Charlie Collins the other Orioles player to score.

Gareth Formisano pitched eight innings for the Bombers. He gave up four hits and two earned runs along with five strikeouts. Russell Spear picked up the loss though as he pitched 0.2 innings, giving up four hits and two runs among five batters.

Cody Rodwell and Scott McIntyre each had .500 batting averages for the game, two from four and three from six respectively. McIntryre also led the way with two RBIs as he got to second on one of his hits. Michael Formisano had a double that he got home on while Darby Sexton had one run from one hit too. 

With a 10-13-1 record, the Bombers are now out of contention for the postseason unfortunately but they'll be looking to continue a fine season at home against Geelong this weekend. 14-8-1 Blackburn plays Melbourne next as the Orioles look to hold on to their attractive third-place position, with the chance to catch up to second-place Geelong in the final three games. 

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 8 v Newport Rams 5

The 12th-placed Newport gave the sixth-placed Upwey Ferntree Gully an almighty scare in this contest, with the Rams up 5-0 after three innings, shutting out the Tigers for the first five innings of the game.

While the Tigers scored three in the sixth, they were still behind but sensing that they needed this win to keep their season alive, they fought hard and found a way to record five more runs to their score in the seventh. 

The score would stay 8-5 in neither team scored again, with the Tigers improving to a 10-9-2 record. 

Jarrod Turner pitched five innings for the Tigers and gave up six hits, five runs and four strikeouts but it was Donovan Hendricks got the win with two hits, zero runs and two strikeouts across four innings. 

Joshua Hendricks had three of the Tigers' 14 hits for the game, two of his allowing him to get to second base and getting to home once. Hendricks and Justin Swanton had two hits each, with two and one RBI respectively. Harvey Chinn also had two hits as he made his way home for a run, but also drove in three. Peter Schroders and Jordan Elliot each had one hit, two runs and an RBI. 

Jarod Berman got the loss for the Rams going for six hits, three runs and three strikeouts from three innings. David Asp pitched five innings for five hits, zero runs and one strikeout.

Of the eight Newport hits on the day, Keenan Spence and Connor Schibeci had two hits each, Spence also adding two RBIs as he hit a double. Berman had one hit for two runs as Scott Hillier had scored once on a hit with an RBI. After coming awfully close to their fifth win of the year, the Rams will be confident heading into a series against Sandringham while Upwey Ferntree Gully plays Waverley at home. 

Waverley Wildcats 6 v Geelong Baycats 3

The Wildcats scored a run in the first and another in the fifth as they prevented Geelong from scoring until the seventh inning.

In that frame, the Baycats took the lead after scoring three runs, however it was quickly nulled the next dig when the Wildcats scored four, which was the score taken through he end of the game.

Andrew Russell picked up the win from the game, giving up eight hits and three runs with three strikeouts across seven innings. Jamie Papanicolau pitched the last two innings to earn the save, giving up just two hits for zero runs with two strikeouts. 

Jordan Ley and Damon Hill had two hits each, Ley collecting two RBIs in the process. Jacob Sheldon-Collins got two runs while Reece Longstaff and Mitchell Homfray each had one run from one hit. 

He had a solid performance on the night, but Sam Gibbons took the loss for Geelong, going for five innings and giving up two hits and one earned run with five strikeouts. 

Ryan Darcy had three hits from four at bats while Lewis Weldon hit a two-run homer to give the Baycats a boost. Josh Davies and Kelli Zablan each had two hits and one run, one of those hits allowing them to make second base.

Waverley coach Adam Bright says teamwork made this victory possible. "The win was a result of every player doing their part both defensively and offensively," Bright said. 

Knowing that anything is possible going forward, Bright will still need his team to be on their A-game as they look to extend their season beyond the regular rounds. "The win over at Geelong was one of our best games of the year especially at such a crucial time, keeping our finals hopes alive," Bright said. "We really need to sweep Upwey the last three game series for a chance to play finals and hope other results go our way during the Cheltenham and Berwick series."

Despite dropping this game, Geelong stays in second place with a 15-8 record, just a game off from Blackburn and Cheltenham. The Baycats travel to Essendon this weekend to try and stay in front while hopes of re-entering the top four. 

Division 1 Reserves - Round 18

Cheltenham Rustlers 6 v Fitzroy Lions 3

The Rustlers got half of their runs early, scoring in the first dig of the game as they eventually grew to a 6-0 lead after their fifth inning. 

At the bottom of the fifth the Lions would score their three runs but couldn't do the same in the sixth inning before the game was over.

The Rustlers have kept up with the top two places, sitting second with a 15-3 record ahead of a home game against Berwick. The Lions are 4-13-1 but can still move up the ladder and improve their standing as they travel to Sunshine this weekend.

Melbourne Demons 5 v Sandringham Royals 3

The Demons scored in every one of their digs in this five-inning game while Sandringham scored on either side, and in the middle, as neither team scored more than one run in any dig. 

Melbourne stays in fifth place, outside the top four with a 10-6-1 record before playing Blackburn this weekend as the Demons look to end the year on a positive note. 

Sandringham hasn't seen a win since round 11 and with a game against Newport to finish the season, the Royals will want that to change.

Blackburn Orioles 9 v Essendon Bombers 1

The Bombers scored their lone run of the game at the bottom of the sixth as Blackburn had alreadyachieved a 9-0 lead, largely due to a build up of runs early and then a three-run effort in the fifth.

Mitch Whiting led things off for Blackburn with a first pitch single and by the second pitch, Thomas Kerr-Chapman doubled to put them up 1-0. Blackburn kept chipping away, capitalising on socring chances, including Luke Cartwright's ground-rule double in the sixth that was oh-so-close to a home run. 

Blackburn pitcher Sam Bucello had a great outing, throwing three innings with six strikeouts while Rowan Johnstone and Pat White also pitched for the Orioles. 

Mitch Whiting led things off for Blackburn with a first pitch single and by the second pitch, Thomas Kerr-Chapman doubled to put them up 1-0. Blackburn kept chipping away, capitalising on socring chances, including Luke Cartwright's ground-rule double in the sixth that was oh-so-close to a home run. 

Blackburn pitcher Sam Bucello had a great outing, throwing three innings with six strikeouts while Rowan Johnstone and Pat White also pitched for the Orioles. 

The Orioles have kept their spot at the top with a 15-2 record, although Cheltenham isn't far behind at 15-3. Blackburn plays Melbourne next while Essendon sits sixth at 8-9-1 ahead of a meeting with Geelong at home.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 16 v Newport Rams 1

Upwey Ferntree Gully had a huge win over Newport on the weekend, highlighted by a 10-run dig in the second inning. 

The score was 2-1 to the Tigers after the first but the second inning is where it unraveled for the Rams as they couldn't get another score.

The Tigers scored two more in each of the fifth and sixth innings to close the game and cement their spot in the top four. 

Upwey Ferntree Gully sits third with a 12-3-1 record before facing Waverley in the final regular game of the season. Newport plays Sandringham next and the Royals home ground. 

Waverley Wildcats 3 v Geelong Baycats 2

Waverley kicked things off in the first with a run but by the time the second inning came to a close, Geelong had evened the score. 

The Wildcats went ahead again in the third, scoring one before doubling that lead in their sixth inning.

The Baycats scored one more for themselves at the bottom of the sixth but couldn't get anymore runs as the game ended after eight innings. 

Waverley is locked into the top four, sitting fourth with an 11-4-2 record ahead of a small drive to Upwey Ferntree Gully this weekend. Geelong is 5-9-3 for the season and will be away to Essendon this weekend. 

Berwick City Cougars v Sunshine Eagles - WASHOUT

It was a washout to end Berwick and Sunshine's series but the action won't stop for these teams.

Berwick and Sunshine are out of the finals race but will want to end the season on a high as the 5-11 Eagles host Fitzroy and the 7-8-1 Cougars travel to Cheltenham.

Division 1 Thirds - Round 18

Blackburn Orioles 1 v Essendon Bombers 1

Blackburn and Essendon played a classic top-four game that ended at one-all as the Bombers had a chance to win it at the bottom of the seventh.

The Orioles hit the first run of the game in in the fifth inning as they kept Essendon accountable and scoreless going into the final dig of the game.

The Bombers fought hard, bringing in one run but falling just short to secure another for the win. 

Blackburn sits first at 12-2-3 but it all hangs in the balance against Melbourne this weekend, as 10-3-5 Essendon plays second place Geelong this weekend.

Fitzroy Lions 13 v Cheltenham Rustlers 5

The Rustlers held a lead for most of the afternoon as they first scored two runs at the bottom of the first, with Fitzroy bouncing back for one in the next inning. 

The Rustlers took another two runs in the fourth before the Lions evened the score with three runs in the fifth, but by the end of the inning, Cheltenham were back in the lead, albeit barely, by one run.

Fitzroy came out firing in the sixth inning, tallying a whopping nine runs in that dig, a feat that Cheltenham couldn't recover from.

It was Fitzroy's sixth win of the season and second in a row as the Lions look to end the season with a three-game win streak against Sunshine this weekend. Cheltenham is 7-9-2 for the season and travels to Berwick this weekend.

Sandringham Royals 9 v Melbourne Demons 6

Heading into this contest, both teams were on eight wins but Sandringham overpowered Melbourne this time around.

Coming out of the game, the Royals have improved their record to an even 9-9 ahead of a final home game against Newport while Melbourne is 8-8-1 and visiting Blackburn for the next round. 

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 15 v Newport Rams 4

The Tigers scored the bulk of their runs through the fifth to sixth innings, collecting 12 in this time including a six-run fifth inning to complement the three runs they started with in the second.

Newport scored single runs in the third, fourth, sixth and seventh but could never match the power the Tigers had.

Upwey Ferntree Gully sits fifth before the final round of the season with a 9-6-1 record, with the Tigers playing Waverley this weekend. Newport has a 2-14 record and takes on Sandringham next. 

Sunshine Eagles 4 v Berwick City Cougars 8

The Cougars got the start they were after with two runs in the first but the Eagles went ahead in the third innings when they scored four.

Berwick matched this in the fourth with four of their own before ending the game with two more single-run innings.

Sunshine is now 2-13-1 for the season and comes up against Fitzroy this week while the Cougars are 6-11 before hosting Cheltenham.

Waverley Wildcats 1 v Geelong Baycats 11

The first runs for this game came in the bottom of the fourth, with Geelong putting together a huge nine-run inning. 

Waverley scored a lone run at the top of the fifth while the Baycats continued scoring in the sixth as the margin went into double-digits. 

Duane Davenport started for Geelong, throwing four scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and a strikeout too. He threw 36 strikes out of 50 pitches. Next up on the mound was Martin Bouma, who covered one inning with two hits, a run and a strikeout. Daniel Anson came on in the sixth for a quick inning, giving Geelong the chance to close out the game once and for all.

In a solid performance overall for Geelong, there was plenty of offense on display. Brody Stokoe had three hits - a double and two singles - while Adam Jirik knocked in two runs on a pair of base hits. William Fitzgerald had an RBI double and Daniel Stott contributed two RBIs as well. Lachlan Stott and Jake Warren had RBI singles and James Lappin brought in two runners on a big single. Matthew Sage got on base with a hit too. 

Geelong sits second at 11-2-3 and plays Essendon this weekend while for the fourth-placed Wildcats, their spot seems secure with a 9-3-5 record, but they will still want to win over Upwey Ferntree Gully this weekend.

Division 1 Fourths - Round 18

Blackburn Orioles 6 v Essendon Bombers 12

Blackburn tied the game at two-all in at the top of the fourth in reply to Essendon's first two innings producing a run each, but the Bombers powered ahead at the bottom to lead by five.

Staying in the game, the Orioles brought four runs across but from there, it was largely all Essendon as the Bombers nullified that earlier Blackburn tally with four of their own at the bottom, then ended the game with one in the sixth.

Essendon is safe and locked into the top four, but could finish second or third still with a 13-5 record currently and a final game at home against Geelong. Blackburn is also chasing a top-two spot as the Orioles hold a 12-5 record ahead of hosting Melbourne this weekend.

Fitzroy Lions 6 v Cheltenham Rustlers 7

A walkoff win in the seventh for Cheltenham gave the Rustlers' their fourth win in a row but they're just behind the crop of teams at the top, unable to make the postseason. 

The Rustlers pounced first with a run in the opening frame before back-to-back three-run innings to Fitzroy in the third and fourth saw the Lions shoot out to a big lead. 

Not backing away from the contest, Cheltenham clawed back with three in the fifth. Needing three runs for the win in the final dig of the game, Cheltenham got the job done before Fitzroy could get all three outs.

The win would've lifted the spirits of the 3-12-3 Lions but they'll hope to beat Sunshine at home this weekend while Cheltenham will travel to Berwick and look to end the season on a five-game win streak, improving on a 10-8 record. 

Sandringham Royals 0 v Melbourne Demons 15

The Demons are showing no signs of slowing down in this competition. Already well established at the top, they shut the Royals out in a dominant display. 

This marks back-to-back shutout losses and the Royals' third loss in a row, bringing the team to a 6-10-1 record in eighth place. 

With a sensational 17-1 record, Melbourne is firmly in first place and will end the regular season against Blackburn while Sandringham hosts Newport.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 21 v Newport Rams 3

Upwey Ferntree Gully got the ball rolling right from the outset, tallying five runs in a dominant first dig. 

Newport responded with two runs at the bottom but the Tigers would score two more over the next two innings, to the Rams one.

The decisive inning for the game was the fourth when the Tigers put up 11 runs before three more in the fifth.

The huge win sees the Tigers go up one place on the ladder to ninth with a 5-11-1 record before playing Waverley. Newport heads to Sandringham this weekend. 

Sunshine Eagles 4 v Berwick City Cougars 12

Sunshine got ahead in the second, leading 2-1 after Berwick's one run scored in the first.

At the bottom of the third, the Cougars added three to take a lead but the Eagles would tie the game once more in the next dig.

From there, Berwick added back-to-back innings that produced four runs each, ending the game as Sunshine wasn't able to add any more runs.

Berwick has won three of the past four games but will just miss out on finals, now sitting fifth with a 9-6-2 record before hosting Cheltenham this weekend. Sunshine is 4-12 with a game against Fitzroy to come.

Waverley Wildcats 5 v Geelong Baycats 9

Geelong added at least one run in every inning, leading 9-0 after five. 

Waverley made a late push, putting nine up in the top of the sixth but it wasn't enough to turn the game around. 

Despite the loss, Waverley is still safe in the top four with a 11-6 record before hosting Upwey Ferntree Gully to end the regular season. The Baycats are 9-7-1 and travel to Essendon to end their season on a high note. 

Werribee Giants pitcher Josh Lee has not only enjoyed a strong 2019/20 VSBL season, but also a long and decorated baseball career.

“I’ve played baseball for 26 years,” Josh said. “Some days it feels like I just started playing and I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. Other days, it feels like I’ve played for 100 years.”

Starting his baseball journey with Bacchus Marsh Baseball Club, Josh was inexperienced but quickly got more comfortable with the sport. He spent his junior years there, where he flourished on the field and developed an undeniable passion for baseball. Josh went on to become a key figure at Werribee Baseball Club, strengthening the team’s pitching roster and helping to keep the Giants competitive year in and year out.

Playing in both the summer and winter seasons, Josh sometimes questions whether he should continue to play on, but ultimately the answer always remains the same. “After a big pitching outing or something like that, I roll over and can’t feel my arm. I ask myself ‘Why do I do this?’ but it’s just pure enjoyment,” Josh said.

The sense of comradery he gets from playing with his mates keeps Josh’s spirits up, even on bad days and after tough outings. Josh knows that every season can bring its challenges, but also its own bit of fun and his triumphs are a true reflection of how much he loves the sport.

Josh credits achievements like making the Victorian Under 18 state team and throwing a perfect game against Bonbeach - where he struck out 14 out of 15 batters - as crucial memories in his baseball career. It was moments like these that drove his dedication to hone his craft on and off the field.

“I always take something out of every season,” Josh said. “It doesn’t matter what club I’ve played for or where I’ve played or how cold or how hot it is, I always take something from that season and that just keeps me coming back.”

Playing away from Werribee in the winter, Josh looks forward to reconnecting with his teammates in every summer season. That friendship has been important as the team continues to chase grand final glory in hopes of working their way back into the top tier of the Victorian Summer Baseball League.

“Werribee is in Division Two is, so we’re up there. I think we missed one year of finals in the last four years, so we’re working hard,” Josh said. “To be a part of those guys, we’ve all got the same goal. We might have our own little separate goals as well but as a team our goal is to get back to Division One. I definitely want to be a part of that.”

Josh and his fellow Giants know that in order to reach their goal, the team needs to stay on the same level across the season. They had a terrific first half, finishing with a 12-4 record before the break to put them in second place behind Williamstown. That's where they are now, sitting at a 17-6 record with three games to go as they keep pace with the Wolves. Now, the plan for the rest of the season is to create success by letting their game plan flow, without overthinking and getting too caught up in the technicalities.

“The Werribee guys, we definitely succeed when we’re having fun. When we overthink and get too technical or too fine with the way we’re playing and just stop having fun, we don’t win,” Josh said. “When we’re laughing and joking around, we win baseball games, so we’ve just got stay with having fun.”

Of course, every player has individual goals and achievements they wish to work toward, and Josh isn’t any different. Last season, he saw improvements in his pitching abilities, and he came into this season with a focus on keeping his ERA down.

“I missed out on the pitching title by 1.3 ERA and I’m like ‘What else do I have to do?’ so for myself I want to get better again,” Josh said. “I want that pitching title this year.”

Josh has had some stellar performances so far this season, striking out a total of 56 batters and proving to be one of Werribee’s most reliable starters. He’s made 15 appearances so far with a 3.59 ERA, something he will look to improve on this year as the final stretch of the season arrives.

“I want to get better for myself,” Josh shared. “I hold myself at a pretty high standard, so I don’t want to fall away from that. I had a pretty good summer last year and I just want to build on that with the ball and the bat cause I’m one of the rare guys who can hit as well.”

No matter what the final outcome is this season, Josh remains excited about the upcoming opportunities at Werribee Baseball Club, as the club places an emphasis on junior baseball.

“With Werribee Baseball Club, we’re expanding out,” Josh said. “We’re starting to get a couple little satellite clubs to go back into Werribee for a summer club so the amount of people that are around baseball in Werribee is growing and why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that? There’s just so many new people to meet, different ethnicities, it’s fantastic.”

Ultimately, Josh is prepared to work hard in Division Two but understands that there are often difficulties each season as the division is never the same year on year.

“Every year you never know what you’re going to get. Teams get different imports in and stuff like that,” Josh said. “In the landscape of Melbourne baseball, there’s so many different clubs so close together. You never know what you’re going to walk into especially with the best of three series. You don’t know how many pitchers a team has and what they can do, so that’s a hurdle in and of itself, the unexpected.”

That’s part of the fun though, Josh admits, as going out there and playing competitive baseball every weekend is very rewarding. The Giants need to make sure their players are easily able to adapt to different competitors if they are to push into division one. “I think we’re in a pretty good spot,” Josh said. “We just have to work a little bit harder.”

Josh is looking forward to the remainder of the season and making more memories with the Giants. “We’ve got the goal of getting back to Division One, bringing the club back to where it should be,” Josh said. “But we try to have a lot of fun too because baseball in its purest form is supposed to be fun.”

The 2019/20 VSBL Women's Division 1, 2 and 3 seasons are heading toward finals, with every team giving it their all week in and week out. In Women's Division 1 Springvale leads the way, while Doncaster is at the top of Women's Division 2. Melbourne has a handle on Women's Division 3 East, Bonbeach Blue and Cheltenham are very close in Women's Division 3 South and Sunshine is nearly unstoppable in Women's Division 3 West. 

Women's Division 1 - Round 18 (Midweek Games - Wednesday, 12 February)

Essendon Bombers 1 v Springvale Lions 4

Springvale won a tight contest against Essendon to stay on top of the ladder in front of Doncaster. Essendon had five hits for the game compared to Springvale's seven but the Bombers struggled a bit on the mound, giving the Lions the chance to advance. 

Springvale capitalised on a series of wild pitches and passed balls from Essendon's pitcher Emma French, with the Lions players on third running hard to get home for a series of runs in the four-run second inning. 

Essendon jumped on the board in the fourth inning when Georgia Page got on top of a pitch and hit it out to left field for her second base hit of the night as Abbey Kelly's bases loaded walk brought the run in.

Emily Devine had three hits from three at bats for Springvale, each of her connections heading to left field, the first hit being a double but she unfortunately couldn't find a way home on either occassion.

Maddy Patrick started on the mound for the Lions and through five innings, she had five hits, one run and four strikeouts. Gabby Bevan came in as relief for the final two innings.

French started on the mound for the Bombers, giving up five hits, zero earned runs with two base on balls before Abbey Kelly came on to pitch giving up two hits, zero runs with two strikeouts. 

Footscray Bulldogs FORFEIT v Doncaster Dragons

With this forfeit from Footscray, Doncaster improves to 11-3-3 and stays firmly in the top two.

Women's Division 1 - Round 19 (Saturday, 15 February)

Essendon Bombers 4 v Doncaster Dragons 15

The Dragons did what they needed to do to keep pace with the top-placed team, currently sitting second and one win away from overtaking Springvale on the ladder. Both of these sides had wins over the weekend as the regular season gets down to the last round this upcoming Saturday. It will be an exciting one as Springvale and Doncaster face off against each other in round 20. 

For the Dragons the round 19 matchup with Essendon was about more than just celebrating a win, as it was a special occasion marking Amy McCann's 300th game in the yellow and green. 

As head coach of the Doncaster Women's Division 1 team, this was an exciting moment for McCann and her teammates. 

"Considering we didn't think we would get a game in with all the rain, it was great to get out there and get the win," McCann said. "Not for me but for the team and the players, it was good to get such great intent from all players in what were pretty tough conditions."

This day also marked the 20th anniversary of Doncaster's women's program, which has seen a lot of success over the years. "It was so great to see so many of our former players and friends come back to the club to watch the game and reminisce," McCann added.

McCann highlighted some crucial players that all played a part in defense and offence. Jess Johnson was solid on the mound while Ursula Howard and Jamie Bastian were great with the bats, displaying the Dragons' hitting depth in the middle of the order with superb situational hitting. On a day when the team collected eight hits total, Howard had three and Bastian had two. Bronwyn Gell also had two doubles and Erin Collins got on base with a hit too. 

"We saw a strong performance from Jess Johnson on the hill who had a nice mix of her best, and when Essendon challenged her, Jess showed great grit in a couple of tricky situations," McCann said. "It was a good test ahead of finals."

Doncaster will look to overpower Springvale in the last regular season round, which promises a matchup where both sides will be fighting hard. McCann knows that the Dragons consistency across the season should hold them in good stead going forward, and they need to trust in their processes, decisions and teammates. "We have one game of the regular season left and fittingly it is Doncaster versus Springvale," McCann said. "We are two wins, two losses and two draws against each other so this will be an interesting game, a real teaser ahead of our first final just one week later."

Springvale Lions 12 v Footscray Bulldogs 1

The Lions improved their excellent season with a win over Footscray on the weekend.

Springvale brought in 10 runs brought in across the second, third and fourth innings, with solo scores in the first and fifth. The Bulldogs scored their one and only run in the fourth.

Morgan Doty took the loss for the Bulldogs as she went through two innings, giving up five hits and two walks for three earned runs. She was supported by Brittney Cedelland and Abbey McLellan.

Cedelland was the pick of the offence for the Bulldogs too, collecting two doubles as she made her way to home for her side's only run of the game, thanks to a Doty RBI single.

Springvale collected 14 hits on the day, with Hanami Campitelli leading the way with a double and two singles. Emily Devine had two doubles while Sinead Flanigan had one and so did Shae Lillywhite. Kellie Manzie, Siobhan Stephenson, Lili Cavanagh and Ayumi Ikeyama also got hits on the day. 

Gabby Bevan threw five innings for Springvale, giving up three hits and one unearned run with four strikeouts. 

Next up for these teams, 13-3-2 Springvale takes on 12-3-3 Doncaster in a top-two battle while the Bulldogs hope to win for the first time this season in their game against Essendon.

Women's Division 2 - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Essendon Bombers 2 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 8

Wheelers Hill that took full advantage of scoring opportunities in this game, tacking three on in the bottom of the first after the Bombers brought one home in the opening frame. 

The second inning started the same way with Essendon claiming a run to bring the margin back to one but the Warriors stayed strong and bettered their score by five as the game was called.

The 8-6 Warriors will finish in third place but still have a game against Springvale to look forward to this weekend while for the Bombers,  their 2-13 season could be better with a win against Footscray.

Doncaster Dragons 26 v Footscray Bulldogs 0

Doncaster completely dominated this game, not giving Footscray much of a chance to make a break for it and get on the board. 

With this result, the Dragons pulled further ahead from lower placed teams, now with a 13-1 record. Doncaster is two games ahead of second place Springvale.

This game exemplified how the Dragons won't be slowing down as finals approaches, so Fitzroy will have to watch out this weekend. For the 5-8-1 Bulldogs, their regular season will end at Essendon on Saturday. 

Springvale Lions v Fitzroy Lions - WASHOUT

Springvale is 11-2, just shy of Doncaster in first place. 

There's still one more round to go and the Lions will host Wheelers Hill while Fitzroy hosts Doncaster.

Women's Division 3 East - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Springvale Lions 2 v Melbourne Demons 14

The Demons were building towards a fitting finale in this game, first collecting four runs in the first inning and three in the second before finishing with a flurry of seven runs in the third and final inning. 

Jade Devlin, Tori Elliot and Melanie Keks were big parts of Melbourne's winning performance. 

Springvale managed one run in each of the second and third digs but dropped loss number eight of the season and the third in a row. 

Springvale has a 4-8 record right now and will end the regular season at home v Mulgrave while first place Melbourne has a bye, ending the regular season with a strong 10-2 record ahead of 9-3 Moorabbin. 

Moorabbin Panthers 13 v Mulgrave Rebels 0

The Panthers handed Mulgrave a big shutout loss, winning their ninth game of the season and fifth in a row.

Moorabbin's 9-3 record sees them sit second ahead of a clash with Doncaster in the final round while for Mulgrave will hope for a win against Springvale this weekend.

Doncaster Dragons v BYE

The Dragons are fresh off a bye as they look to play Moorabbin at home this weekend, keen to improve upon their 7-5 record, although their third place position won't change with one game left. 

Women's Division 3 South - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Sandringham Royals 7 v Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 10

The Royals came back really well in this contest as they were down by eight runs as the fourth inning rolled around, largely due to the Bluejays' seven runs they scored in their first dig with an extra run coming from the second inning.

The comeback was good but it just wasn't enough for the Royals as Bonbeach added two more at the bottom of the fourth as the game came to an end.

The Bluejays kept up their good season, stretching their record to 11-1 as they're in first place ahead of a meeting with 11-2 Cheltenham this weekend. For the third place Royals, they have an 8-5 record with the bye in the final round. 

Pakenham Pumas Black 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 20

The Pumas got the jump early as they scored the first two runs of the game in the very first dig but from there, it was all Cheltenham.

The Rustlers had back-to-back innings of seven runs and then came close to claiming another seven in the third but came up short by one as they didn't allow the Pumas another sniff.

Cheltenham sits second at 11-2 with a round to go v Bonbeach Blue, while Pakenham Black will try to break onto the win board against Berwick on the road this weekend.

Berwick City Cougars v Bonbeach Bluejays White - FORFEIT

The Cougars will end the year with a home game against Pakenham Black, a game they'll need to win to keep fourth place as they're one of two teams with a 5-6 record. 

The Bluejays are 2-9 for the season, having won one game in their past seven, but it still shouldn't stop them from playing their hearts out against Pakenham White this weekend.

Pakenham Pumas White v BYE

The Pumas had the week off and it makes things harder for them now as they're one of two teams on a 5-6 record, but they are just shy of the top four meaning a win this weekend against Bonbeach White is crucial.

Women's Division 3 West - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Sunshine Eagles 18 v North Western Titans 4

The Eagles started strong and finished stronger as they scored seven runs from the outset in the first inning, followed up by five and six in the second and third respectively.

Sunshine looked good defensively as well, getting a key double play as the Eagles kept the Titans at bay. North Western did score two runs in each inning either side of the game, but it wasn't enough as the team fell to a 5-6-1 record for the season. 

North Western plays Geelong White this weekend, while top-spot Sunshine has a bye and will finish the regular season with a 12-1 record, that lone loss coming way back in round four. 

Geelong Baycats Blue 19 v Geelong Baycats White 7

In a battle against the Geelong sides, Baycats Blue prevailed over Baycats White.

The game started pretty evenly for both teams, a 2-2 result after the first inning but the next 10 runs went the way of Blue, including six in the second. 

Baycats White scored three at the bottom of the third but once again, a strong offensive showing from Baycats Blue to pencil in seven runs in the fourth was too much. The White team managed an extra two at the bottom but that was it. 

Baycats White are sitting at 0-12-1 and looking for a win against North Western Titans this weekend, while Baycats Blue sit second with a 7-5 record and will play Fitzroy in an exciting matchup. 

Fitzroy Lions v BYE

The Lions go into round 17 with a 5-5-1 record in third place. Their next game is at home v Geelong Baycats Blue, a team that's 7-5-1. These two sides had a 12-12 draw last time they met, with Geelong winning 18-10 all the way back in round two.

Women's Division 1 - Round 19 (Saturday, 15 February)

Essendon Bombers 4 v Doncaster Dragons 15

The Dragons did what they needed to do to keep pace with the top-placed team, currently sitting second and one win away from overtaking Springvale on the ladder. Both of these sides had wins over the weekend as the regular season gets down to the last round this upcoming Saturday. It will be an exciting one as Springvale and Doncaster face off against each other in round 20. 

For the Dragons the round 19 matchup with Essendon was about more than just celebrating a win, as it was a special occasion marking Amy McCann's 300th game in the yellow and green. 

As head coach of the Doncaster Women's Division 1 team, this was an exciting moment for McCann and her teammates. 

"Considering we didn't think we would get a game in with all the rain, it was great to get out there and get the win," McCann said. "Not for me but for the team and the players, it was good to get such great intent from all players in what were pretty tough conditions."

This day also marked the 20th anniversary of Doncaster's women's program, which has seen a lot of success over the years. "It was so great to see so many of our former players and friends come back to the club to watch the game and reminisce," McCann added.

McCann highlighted some crucial players that all played a part in defense and offence. Jess Johnson was solid on the mound while Ursula Howard and Jamie Bastian were great with the bats, displaying the Dragons' hitting depth in the middle of the order with superb situational hitting. On a day when the team collected eight hits total, Howard had three and Bastian had two. Bronwyn Gell also had two doubles and Erin Collins got on base with a hit too. 

"We saw a strong performance from Jess Johnson on the hill who had a nice mix of her best, and when Essendon challenged her, Jess showed great grit in a couple of tricky situations," McCann said. "It was a good test ahead of finals."

Doncaster will look to overpower Springvale in the last regular season round, which promises a matchup where both sides will be fighting hard. McCann knows that the Dragons consistency across the season should hold them in good stead going forward, and they need to trust in their processes, decisions and teammates. "We have one game of the regular season left and fittingly it is Doncaster versus Springvale," McCann said. "We are two wins, two losses and two draws against each other so this will be an interesting game, a real teaser ahead of our first final just one week later."

Springvale Lions 12 v Footscray Bulldogs 1

The Lions improved their excellent season with a win over Footscray on the weekend.

Springvale brought in 10 runs brought in across the second, third and fourth innings, with solo scores in the first and fifth. The Bulldogs scored their one and only run in the fourth.

Morgan Doty took the loss for the Bulldogs as she went through two innings, giving up five hits and two walks for three earned runs. She was supported by Brittney Cedelland and Abbey McLellan.

Cedelland was the pick of the offence for the Bulldogs too, collecting two doubles as she made her way to home for her side's only run of the game, thanks to a Doty RBI single.

Springvale collected 14 hits on the day, with Hanami Campitelli leading the way with a double and two singles. Emily Devine had two doubles while Sinead Flanigan had one and so did Shae Lillywhite. Kellie Manzie, Siobhan Stephenson, Lili Cavanagh and Ayumi Ikeyama also got hits on the day. 

Gabby Bevan threw five innings for Springvale, giving up three hits and one unearned run with four strikeouts. 

Next up for these teams, 13-3-2 Springvale takes on 12-3-3 Doncaster in a top-two battle while the Bulldogs hope to win for the first time this season in their game against Essendon.

Women's Division 2 - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Essendon Bombers 2 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 8

Wheelers Hill that took full advantage of scoring opportunities in this game, tacking three on in the bottom of the first after the Bombers brought one home in the opening frame. 

The second inning started the same way with Essendon claiming a run to bring the margin back to one but the Warriors stayed strong and bettered their score by five as the game was called.

The 8-6 Warriors will finish in third place but still have a game against Springvale to look forward to this weekend while for the Bombers,  their 2-13 season could be better with a win against Footscray.

Doncaster Dragons 26 v Footscray Bulldogs 0

Doncaster completely dominated this game, not giving Footscray much of a chance to make a break for it and get on the board. 

With this result, the Dragons pulled further ahead from lower placed teams, now with a 13-1 record. Doncaster is two games ahead of second place Springvale.

This game exemplified how the Dragons won't be slowing down as finals approaches, so Fitzroy will have to watch out this weekend. For the 5-8-1 Bulldogs, their regular season will end at Essendon on Saturday. 

Springvale Lions v Fitzroy Lions - WASHOUT

Springvale is 11-2, just shy of Doncaster in first place. 

There's still one more round to go and the Lions will host Wheelers Hill while Fitzroy hosts Doncaster.

Women's Division 3 East - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Springvale Lions 2 v Melbourne Demons 14

The Demons were building towards a fitting finale in this game, first collecting four runs in the first inning and three in the second before finishing with a flurry of seven runs in the third and final inning. 

Jade Devlin, Tori Elliot and Melanie Keks were big parts of Melbourne's winning performance. 

Springvale managed one run in each of the second and third digs but dropped loss number eight of the season and the third in a row. 

Springvale has a 4-8 record right now and will end the regular season at home v Mulgrave while first place Melbourne has a bye, ending the regular season with a strong 10-2 record ahead of 9-3 Moorabbin. 

Moorabbin Panthers 13 v Mulgrave Rebels 0

The Panthers handed Mulgrave a big shutout loss, winning their ninth game of the season and fifth in a row.

Moorabbin's 9-3 record sees them sit second ahead of a clash with Doncaster in the final round while for Mulgrave will hope for a win against Springvale this weekend.

Doncaster Dragons v BYE

The Dragons are fresh off a bye as they look to play Moorabbin at home this weekend, keen to improve upon their 7-5 record, although their third place position won't change with one game left. 

Women's Division 3 South - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Sandringham Royals 7 v Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 10

The Royals came back really well in this contest as they were down by eight runs as the fourth inning rolled around, largely due to the Bluejays' seven runs they scored in their first dig with an extra run coming from the second inning.

The comeback was good but it just wasn't enough for the Royals as Bonbeach added two more at the bottom of the fourth as the game came to an end.

The Bluejays kept up their good season, stretching their record to 11-1 as they're in first place ahead of a meeting with 11-2 Cheltenham this weekend. For the third place Royals, they have an 8-5 record with the bye in the final round. 

Pakenham Pumas Black 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 20

The Pumas got the jump early as they scored the first two runs of the game in the very first dig but from there, it was all Cheltenham.

The Rustlers had back-to-back innings of seven runs and then came close to claiming another seven in the third but came up short by one as they didn't allow the Pumas another sniff.

Cheltenham sits second at 11-2 with a round to go v Bonbeach Blue, while Pakenham Black will try to break onto the win board against Berwick on the road this weekend.

Berwick City Cougars v Bonbeach Bluejays White - FORFEIT

The Cougars will end the year with a home game against Pakenham Black, a game they'll need to win to keep fourth place as they're one of two teams with a 5-6 record. 

The Bluejays are 2-9 for the season, having won one game in their past seven, but it still shouldn't stop them from playing their hearts out against Pakenham White this weekend.

Pakenham Pumas White v BYE

The Pumas had the week off and it makes things harder for them now as they're one of two teams on a 5-6 record, but they are just shy of the top four meaning a win this weekend against Bonbeach White is crucial.

Women's Division 3 West - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Sunshine Eagles 18 v North Western Titans 4

The Eagles started strong and finished stronger as they scored seven runs from the outset in the first inning, followed up by five and six in the second and third respectively.

Sunshine looked good defensively as well, getting a key double play as the Eagles kept the Titans at bay. North Western did score two runs in each inning either side of the game, but it wasn't enough as the team fell to a 5-6-1 record for the season. 

North Western plays Geelong White this weekend, while top-spot Sunshine has a bye and will finish the regular season with a 12-1 record, that lone loss coming way back in round four. 

Geelong Baycats Blue 19 v Geelong Baycats White 7

In a battle against the Geelong sides, Baycats Blue prevailed over Baycats White.

The game started pretty evenly for both teams, a 2-2 result after the first inning but the next 10 runs went the way of Blue, including six in the second. 

Baycats White scored three at the bottom of the third but once again, a strong offensive showing from Baycats Blue to pencil in seven runs in the fourth was too much. The White team managed an extra two at the bottom but that was it. 

Baycats White are sitting at 0-12-1 and looking for a win against North Western Titans this weekend, while Baycats Blue sit second with a 7-5 record and will play Fitzroy in an exciting matchup. 

Fitzroy Lions v BYE

The Lions go into round 17 with a 5-5-1 record in third place. Their next game is at home v Geelong Baycats Blue, a team that's 7-5-1. These two sides had a 12-12 draw last time they met, with Geelong winning 18-10 all the way back in round two.

Essendon Bombers 2 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 8

Wheelers Hill that took full advantage of scoring opportunities in this game, tacking three on in the bottom of the first after the Bombers brought one home in the opening frame. 

The second inning started the same way with Essendon claiming a run to bring the margin back to one but the Warriors stayed strong and bettered their score by five as the game was called.

The 8-6 Warriors will finish in third place but still have a game against Springvale to look forward to this weekend while for the Bombers,  their 2-13 season could be better with a win against Footscray.

Doncaster Dragons 26 v Footscray Bulldogs 0

Doncaster completely dominated this game, not giving Footscray much of a chance to make a break for it and get on the board. 

With this result, the Dragons pulled further ahead from lower placed teams, now with a 13-1 record. Doncaster is two games ahead of second place Springvale.

This game exemplified how the Dragons won't be slowing down as finals approaches, so Fitzroy will have to watch out this weekend. For the 5-8-1 Bulldogs, their regular season will end at Essendon on Saturday. 

Springvale Lions v Fitzroy Lions - WASHOUT

Springvale is 11-2, just shy of Doncaster in first place. 

There's still one more round to go and the Lions will host Wheelers Hill while Fitzroy hosts Doncaster.

Women's Division 3 East - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Springvale Lions 2 v Melbourne Demons 14

The Demons were building towards a fitting finale in this game, first collecting four runs in the first inning and three in the second before finishing with a flurry of seven runs in the third and final inning. 

Jade Devlin, Tori Elliot and Melanie Keks were big parts of Melbourne's winning performance. 

Springvale managed one run in each of the second and third digs but dropped loss number eight of the season and the third in a row. 

Springvale has a 4-8 record right now and will end the regular season at home v Mulgrave while first place Melbourne has a bye, ending the regular season with a strong 10-2 record ahead of 9-3 Moorabbin. 

Moorabbin Panthers 13 v Mulgrave Rebels 0

The Panthers handed Mulgrave a big shutout loss, winning their ninth game of the season and fifth in a row.

Moorabbin's 9-3 record sees them sit second ahead of a clash with Doncaster in the final round while for Mulgrave will hope for a win against Springvale this weekend.

Doncaster Dragons v BYE

The Dragons are fresh off a bye as they look to play Moorabbin at home this weekend, keen to improve upon their 7-5 record, although their third place position won't change with one game left. 

Women's Division 3 South - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Sandringham Royals 7 v Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 10

The Royals came back really well in this contest as they were down by eight runs as the fourth inning rolled around, largely due to the Bluejays' seven runs they scored in their first dig with an extra run coming from the second inning.

The comeback was good but it just wasn't enough for the Royals as Bonbeach added two more at the bottom of the fourth as the game came to an end.

The Bluejays kept up their good season, stretching their record to 11-1 as they're in first place ahead of a meeting with 11-2 Cheltenham this weekend. For the third place Royals, they have an 8-5 record with the bye in the final round. 

Pakenham Pumas Black 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 20

The Pumas got the jump early as they scored the first two runs of the game in the very first dig but from there, it was all Cheltenham.

The Rustlers had back-to-back innings of seven runs and then came close to claiming another seven in the third but came up short by one as they didn't allow the Pumas another sniff.

Cheltenham sits second at 11-2 with a round to go v Bonbeach Blue, while Pakenham Black will try to break onto the win board against Berwick on the road this weekend.

Berwick City Cougars v Bonbeach Bluejays White - FORFEIT

The Cougars will end the year with a home game against Pakenham Black, a game they'll need to win to keep fourth place as they're one of two teams with a 5-6 record. 

The Bluejays are 2-9 for the season, having won one game in their past seven, but it still shouldn't stop them from playing their hearts out against Pakenham White this weekend.

Pakenham Pumas White v BYE

The Pumas had the week off and it makes things harder for them now as they're one of two teams on a 5-6 record, but they are just shy of the top four meaning a win this weekend against Bonbeach White is crucial.

Women's Division 3 West - Round 16 (Saturday, 15 February)

Sunshine Eagles 18 v North Western Titans 4

The Eagles started strong and finished stronger as they scored seven runs from the outset in the first inning, followed up by five and six in the second and third respectively.

Sunshine looked good defensively as well, getting a key double play as the Eagles kept the Titans at bay. North Western did score two runs in each inning either side of the game, but it wasn't enough as the team fell to a 5-6-1 record for the season. 

North Western plays Geelong White this weekend, while top-spot Sunshine has a bye and will finish the regular season with a 12-1 record, that lone loss coming way back in round four. 

Geelong Baycats Blue 19 v Geelong Baycats White 7

In a battle against the Geelong sides, Baycats Blue prevailed over Baycats White.

The game started pretty evenly for both teams, a 2-2 result after the first inning but the next 10 runs went the way of Blue, including six in the second. 

Baycats White scored three at the bottom of the third but once again, a strong offensive showing from Baycats Blue to pencil in seven runs in the fourth was too much. The White team managed an extra two at the bottom but that was it. 

Baycats White are sitting at 0-12-1 and looking for a win against North Western Titans this weekend, while Baycats Blue sit second with a 7-5 record and will play Fitzroy in an exciting matchup. 

Fitzroy Lions v BYE

The Lions go into round 17 with a 5-5-1 record in third place. Their next game is at home v Geelong Baycats Blue, a team that's 7-5-1. These two sides had a 12-12 draw last time they met, with Geelong winning 18-10 all the way back in round two.