Baseball Victoria is saddened to learn of the passing of Richard Legge, a longstanding member of the Victorian baseball community who served on the Victorian Baseball Association Pennant Committee for many years.

Richard was a founding member of Westgarth Baseball Club, which he helped established in the 1950s. He held many committee roles and was a well-known leader at Westgarth as he promoted the sport alongside his family and friends. He played over 400 games for Westgarth, winning four premierships out of five attempts before going on to coach for many years. The trophy for the most talented emerging junior at Westgarth is called the Richard Legge Rising Star Award in his honor.

Richard published a book on the history of Westgarth Baseball Club several years ago, showcasing his tireless dedication and love for his club and the local baseball community. 

Richard was also a member of Preston Baseball Club, often attending VSBL games in support of his children and grandchildren. 

Richard is survived by his family, who continue to be active participants in the baseball community, and we pass on our condolences to his loved ones. 

Alfredton Baseball Club, a winter club in Geelong Baseball Association, has garnered the support of the City of Ballarat to grow women’s baseball in the area. 

Alfredton Baseball Club will be running a women’s only program designed to encourage more women to get on the field and give the sport a try. The new four-week Girls at Bat program, which launches on Sunday, 23 February, will incorporate a socially modified version of baseball for women ages 16 and up. The club has been eager to get more women involved in the sport, and the Girls at Bat program is the perfect opportunity to do so, especially as the program will coincide with This Girl Can week from 23 to 29 March 2020. 

Having the support of local council is crucial for community clubs like Alfredton, and the City of Ballarat is pleased to make a difference by providing resource support and promotional materials. “The City of Ballarat aims to create welcoming and inclusive sporting and active recreation places that support participation by all members of the community,” City of Ballarat Councillor Amy Johnson said. “We know twice as many Ballarat men than women participate in sport. The City of Ballarat's Active Women and Girls Strategy aims to address the imbalance. It’s vital we support the role that physical activity and groups such as Alfredton Baseball Club play towards encouraging more women to participate in sport and physical activity and that we re-shape stereotypes, support gender equity and empower participants.”

The City of Ballarat has a Participation Project Officer, Teagan Kenny, who works with local sporting clubs that wish to increase inclusive opportunities for everyone, including women and girls. Kenny has assisted Alfredton Baseball Club with resource support and promotion for programming. “Initiatives like that of Alfredton Baseball Club encourage women and girls to get active and discover great leadership opportunities, both on and off the sporting field, in leadership and governance roles within sport and recreation environments,” Cr. Johnson said. “The City of Ballarat’s Active Women and Girls Strategy has been a key driver in the shift of sport and physical activity participation and the important role in supporting gender equity, re-shaping stereotypes and empowering women and girls.”

Alfredton Baseball Club greatly appreciates the support. Robert McIntosh, Alfredton’s scorer, says the club community wanted to emphasize the social aspects of baseball and how it brings people together as friends and teammates. “What better way to boost the social aspects than have active involvement of women playing baseball? When we saw Ballarat Council wanting to promote women in sport, it was time to action the strategy,” McIntosh said. “We are hoping to achieve both an increase in numbers and commitment for our men's team, and possibly start a women's team.”

With several women’s and mixed teams in Geelong Baseball Association, Alfredton Baseball Club is hopeful that they will eventually get a women’s team, whether that be this season or next. Running some modified women’s events is also a possibility following the Girls at Bat Program. 

Alfredton Baseball Club urges other clubs to seek council support to bring their ideas to life and work together to achieve a brighter future for baseball. “There are plenty of opportunities out there for increasing the involvement of women and other groups in sport,” McIntosh said. “As long as you have your club's resolve to move in that direction, there is plenty of support if you look for it and ask for it.”

The tight-knit Alfredton Baseball Club community is looking forward to welcoming more women and girls into the fold and having a positive impact on baseball in Ballarat. “Playing baseball at Alfredton is a fun activity where everyone can have a good time. Although we like to win, winning isn't everything,” McIntosh added. “Making sure all have an enjoyable time, feel valued for whatever can be contributed, and hopefully develop physical skills, social contacts, and self-confidence is what it is all about.”

To learn more about Alfredton Baseball Club and the Girls at Bat program, please click HERE. 

Baseball clubs in Ballarat can contact the City of Ballarat’s Participation Project Officer at teagankenny@ballarat.vic.gov.au or on 5320 5500 to discuss potential support options to increase participation.

Find out more about the City of Ballarat’s Active Women and Girls Strategy HERE. 

The top four continued to make movements during the most recent round of the 2019/20 VSBL Division 2 season as Werribee and Williamstown played a closely fought-out contest that finished with the Giants taking out the victory and moving into first place. Every game counts as there's just four rounds to go before finals begin.

Division 2 Firsts

Williamstown Wolves 1 v Werribee Giants 2

Williamstown got the first run on the board in the second inning but Werribee captialised with runners on base in the third to get two across the plate. 

The Wolves made some moves during their first dig, as each point of the diamond was occupied but a deep fly ball out to centre was the final out as runners were left stranded. While the Wolves tallied five hits within the first two innings, Werribee did a great job thereafter to limit the opposition to just one more hit across the next four innings as the Giants had several three-up, three-down digs in that time.

Williamstown's run came from Kevin Desmedt who was lucky with a wild throw from a putout attempt at first that he used to get to third base. Desmedt came home thanks to a single to centre field by Aaron Green. Desmedt would be the pitcher for Williamstown too, lasting six innings for seven hits, one earned run and three strikeouts but took the loss.

While the game didn't start off well for the Giants, with the first three batters all going down in quick succession, they found form in the third when Daine Gregory got the first hit for the home team. Gregory would later be put out on a fielders choice throw to second base, but it allowed Andrew Christou to get safely on base from his at bat. 

The Giants gradually got around the bases as Justin Gil also found his way onto first but it was a big hit to centre from Wade Balzer that got both runners in, the second errored by the catcher in a close attempt at home. Werribee got the base loaded even after those runs scored however Desmedt struck out the batter for the final out of the inning.

Evan McPherson had two hits for Giants while Oliver Box, Simon Riches, Wesley de Jong, Balzer and Gregory each had one hit. Joshua Lee was on the mound for the home side and pitched six innings for six hits, zero earned runs and four strikeouts to receive the win.

The win to Werribee has seen another change at the top of the table as these teams switch places, placing some extra emphasis on the importance of this weekend's return fixture at Williamstown. Werribee is now 17-5 while Williamstown is 17-6 with four rounds left.

Williamstown got the first run on the board in the second inning but Werribee captialised with runners on base in the third to get two across the plate. 

The Wolves made some moves during their first dig, as each point of the diamond was occupied but a deep fly ball out to centre was the final out as runners were left stranded. While the Wolves tallied five hits within the first two innings, Werribee did a great job thereafter to limit the opposition to just one more hit across the next four innings as the Giants had several three-up, three-down digs in that time.

Williamstown's run came from Kevin Desmedt who was lucky with a wild throw from a putout attempt at first that he used to get to third base. Desmedt came home thanks to a single to centre field by Aaron Green. Desmedt would be the pitcher for Williamstown too, lasting six innings for seven hits, one earned run and three strikeouts but took the loss.

While the game didn't start off well for the Giants, with the first three batters all going down in quick succession, they found form in the third when Daine Gregory got the first hit for the home team. Gregory would later be put out on a fielders choice throw to second base, but it allowed Andrew Christou to get safely on base from his at bat. 

The Giants gradually got around the bases as Justin Gil also found his way onto first but it was a big hit to centre from Wade Balzer that got both runners in, the second errored by the catcher in a close attempt at home. Werribee got the base loaded even after those runs scored however Desmedt struck out the batter for the final out of the inning.

Evan McPherson had two hits for Giants while Oliver Box, Simon Riches, Wesley de Jong, Balzer and Gregory each had one hit. Joshua Lee was on the mound for the home side and pitched six innings for six hits, zero earned runs and four strikeouts to receive the win.

The win to Werribee has seen another change at the top of the table as these teams switch places, placing some extra emphasis on the importance of this weekend's return fixture at Williamstown. Werribee is now 17-5 while Williamstown is 17-6 with four rounds left.

St Kilda Saints 2 v Malvern Braves 13

The Braves scored the bulk of their runs in their last two innings, tallying four in the fourth and six in the fifth after having a 3-2 lead after the first three innings. 

Malvern has won the past three games, and the Braves enjoyed the return of several Melbourne Aces players on Thursday night, with a lineup featuring the likes of Chris Burke, Jarryd Dale and Ryan Dale. 

The Braves needed a big win like this to keep up with the fellow top four sides, sitting third with a 14-7 record, ahead of Moorabbin on runs for as Malvern has scored 157 to 139 for the Panthers. The Saints will want to end their season with a couple more wins as they're currently in ninth place with a 5-18 record.  The Braves will travel to St Kilda this weekend.

Mulgrave Rebels 6 v Bonbeach Bluejays 2

The first meeting between these two went 11-10 in favour of the Bluejays, but they couldn't quite replicate these efforts on Thursday night. Bonbeach just couldn't match Mulgrave as the Rebels scored in almost each of their innings; one run in the first, second and third before three to finish the game.

The Bluejays pounded some runs in in the second and fifth but couldn't string anything together at the bottom, instead taking a loss.

Mulgrave had Zeke Howie on the mound who got the win through only giving up four hits and one run along with nine strikeouts.

Tallying nine hits for the game, the Rebels found runs through Michael Morgan who had two hits, two runs and one RBI while Anthony White also had two hits. Jayson Arthur, Caleb Poole, Liam Richardson and Nick Thompson scored the Braves' other runs in the game.

The series will move to Mulgrave now as these teams continue to look to end the season with a few more wins.

Moorabbin Panthers 5 v Doncaster Dragons 3

Moorabbin won 4-1 on the weekend and the Panthers prevailed once again to remain in fourth place from the win. With solid pitching from Zach Kamerman and a strong lineup of batters, Moorabbin is trying to hold on and stay in that top four spot before finals.

Meanwhile the Dragons sit eighth with a 8-14 record after dropping the past two games.

The Panthers' 14-7 record is something they will look to improve on this weekend at home against Doncaster.

Preston Pirates 4 v Port Melbourne Mariners 6

With both teams on a 12-9 record going into this clash, Preston and Port Melbourne have switched places on the ladder. The Pirates are now sixth with Port Melbourne in fifth place, trying to catch up with Moorabbin.

After a close 6-5 ballgame on Sunday that went in favour of Preston, Port Melbourne ended up with the better ledger in the midweek matchup. Glenn Farrell and Mitch Heyward took the mound for Preston and kept the Pirates in the game, but ultimately the Mariners got the upper hand. 

The action continues in Preston on the weekend when the 12-10 Pirates hosts the 13-9 Mariners.

With both teams on a 12-9 record going into this clash, Preston and Port Melbourne have switched places on the ladder. The Pirates are now sixth with Port Melbourne in fifth place, trying to catch up with Moorabbin.

After a close 6-5 ballgame on Sunday that went in favour of Preston, Port Melbourne ended up with the better ledger in the midweek matchup. Glenn Farrell and Mitch Heyward took the mound for Preston and kept the Pirates in the game, but ultimately the Mariners got the upper hand. 

The action continues in Preston on the weekend when the 12-10 Pirates hosts the 13-9 Mariners.

There's two rounds left to go as teams look to secure a spot in finals, with Melbourne leading the way in VSBL Division 4 East with a perfect record, hanging on for a narrow one-run win. Footscray Red and Footscray White are separated by less than one percent at the top of the North West competition while Cheltenham is first in the South with two other teams in hot pursuit. 

Division 4 East

Waverley Wildcats Black 14 v St Kilda Saints 4

It was only in the last two innings of the game that the Wildcats Black got on the board, collecting seven runs in each of the third and fourth innings as they overcame the Saints who led 3-0 after two.

St Kilda managed one more onto the scoreline in the third but ultimately the Saints couldn't recover from the Waverley Black dominance through the second half of the game. Dean Ferris, Mark Flintoff, Jack Makeham and Dominic McGrath made a big difference for Waverley Black, a team that will finish in the top two with a strong 14-3 record ahead of the last two games. 

The Wildcats have a game against Fitzroy Gold this weekend while for St Kilda, the Saints travel to Waverley to take on Wildcats Red as they need a win to enter the top four, now with a 6-9-1 record. 

Fitzroy Lions Gold 10 v Monash University Farmers 14

The Farmers got out a 10-4 advantage after two innings, after a collective seven runs scored for the home team in the first.

Monash Uni extended the lead over Fitzroy by four runs at the bottom of the fourth to take a 10-run advantage into the fifth. That's when Fitzroy hit back with six, although it wasn't quite enough to turn the game around. 

Monash Uni moved up a place in the standings, swapping with St Kilda as the Farmers are now fourth with a 6-7-3 record. Monash Uni plays undefeated Melbourne next while third-place Fitzroy won't be taking Waverley Black lightly as the Lions hold a 8-7-1 record with two rounds to go. 

Blackburn Orioles 1 v Waverley Wildcats Red 14

Waverley Red's back-to-back seven-run innings in the second and third was more than enough to take this win over Blackburn, in a game where the Orioles still picked up a run, in the third inning.

The win sees Wildcats Red sitting sixth at 5-10-1 before playing St Kilda, with both sides wanting to keep in touch with the top four. Blackburn will be at home playing Malvern this weekend.

Melbourne Demons 5 v Malvern Braves 4

Malvern would be feeling unlucky at giving up this game to first place Melbourne as the Braves were in it all the way. 

Malvern drew even at 2-2 at the bottom of the fourth and then got ahead 3-4 when the final out was made in the fifth inning. 

The Demons put together a good dig at the top of the sixth where they scored two runs and performed well defensively to not allow the home side a sniff.

The Braves, who sit seventh with a 5-11 record, would've enjoyed the win here but will now need to travel to Blackburn to chase another victory. 16-0 Melbourne will host Monash Uni this weekend.

Division 4 North West

Mitchell Majors Yellow 4 v Footscray Bulldogs Red 5

Mitchell Majors Yellow found themselves behind by four runs when the first inning ended but they came back to score the bulk of their runs towards the end, in a tight, low-scoring game. 

Footscray Red was 5-1 up heading into the fourth inning when Mitchell Majors Yellow scored one, and almost forced the game to continue in the fifth when they scored two, but that wasn't enough.

A win would've been beneficial to Mitchell Majors Yellow who sit fourth with a 10-6 record ahead of a meeting with North Coburg Maroon. Footscray Red is clinging onto top spot and face fellow top-four challengers North Coburg Gold next.

Footscray Bulldogs Blue 1 v North Coburg Rebels Gold 15

Footscray Blue claimed the first run of the day to open the game but that was all for the away side as North Coburg Gold took control of the rest of the game.

The runs truly started adding up in the third inning for Rebels Gold when they scored five to go along with the three they already had. They added two more in the fourth and another five in the fifth to end the game.

North Coburg Gold's win has them staying in third spot with a 9-5-1 record but they're not safe yet as they travel to Footscray to take on Bulldogs Red. Footscray Blue is in the middle of the table at 6-9 and travels to Fitzroy this weekend.

Mitchell Majors Black 3 v Essendon Bombers 2

Mitchell Majors Black held on for a one-run win against Essendon despite their runs coming in the very first dig of the game, and a spirited fightback from the Bombers towards the end.

Even though Mitchell Majors Black conceded two runs at the bottom of the fifth, the offence from them at the bottom of the decisive sixth inning saved them from defeat in a game where the defense were on fire from both sides.

The Bombers would've liked their fourth win of the season but remain in 10th place while Mitchell Majors Black sits one spot above them in ninth, tied with a 5-9-1 record with Fitzroy Blue. Mitchell Majors Black has the bye this weekend while the Bombers play the Jets.

Essendon Jets 10 v Fitzroy Lions Maroon 1

The Jets had a nice win over Fitzroy Maroon, set up by a six-run effort at the top of the first.

While Lions Maroon picked up a run at the bottom in reply, it was their only score for the game. 

Essendon Jets scored three in the fifth and another one in the sixth before shutting out Fitzroy Maroon at the bottom, like they had for most of the game. 

The 6-8-1 Jets have moved up a spot to sixth on the back of this result while Fitzroy Maroon slid out of the top four due to the loss. The Lions have a chance to re-enter the top four with a game against Footscray Blue this weekend whereas Essendon Jets take on the Bombers.

North Coburg Rebels Maroon 2 v Footscray Bulldogs White 23

Three seven-run innings from Footscray White with a two-run third inning in between was the basis of a huge win over North Coburg Maroon. 

The Rebels did get on the scoreboard through two one-run digs in the third and fourth but couldn't muster up as much offense as their opponents.

Footscray White sits second with a 13-1-1 record, less than one percent away from first place which they'll be hoping to take over when they play Fitzroy Blue. North Coburg Maroon has a 1-15 and will play Mitchell Majors Yellow this weekend.

Fitzroy Lions Blue v BYE

Fitzroy Lions Blue had the bye but are out of finals contention as they sit eighth with a 5-9-1 record ahead of a clash with Footscray White at home this weekend.

Division 4 South

Melbourne Demons 6 v Cheltenham Rustlers 12

The Rustlers have kept first place with as their win column entered double digits, now at 10-1-1 heading into a matchup with Berwick next weekend.

Cheltenham led 4-3 after the first inning, and by the end of the second it was a 7-4 ballgame. Melbourne wold go on to score just two more runs compared to five for Cheltenham.

The Demons have now lost three in a row which sees them exit the top four, so 5-7 Melbourne will be hoping to re-enter that position after a meeting with Monash Uni. Cheltenham hosts Berwick this weekend. 

Monash University Farmers 12 v Ormond Glenhuntly 5

Monash Uni jumped out to a quick lead after scoring the first run of the game in the first inning before doubling that tally in their third dig.

Ormond Glenhuntly shot away to a two-run lead for themselves at the bottom of the third after scoring four runs, but in the very next dig, the Farmers had the scores even again.

Throughout the fifth and sixth innings, the Farmers performed well, collecting four runs in each of their offensive opportunities to Ormond Glenhuntly's one addition to their score in the fifth.

A win would have been the fifth of the season and second in a row for Ormond Glenhuntly, but it wasn't to be. They'll hope to bounce back against St Kilda this weekend while for the Farmers, they take on Melbourne in a crucial clash that will determine more clearly where they'll finish come the end of the season.

12-2-1 Monash Uni is feeling confident ahead of finals. "Our team strengths are hitting consistency and bench atmosphere," Monash Uni Manager Michael Hibbert said. "Heading into finals, we just need to keep applying consistent scoring pressure from the start of the game."

Berwick City Cougars 10 v Pakenham Pumas 3

The Pumas held a two-run lead after their three-run reply to Berwick's one run in the second inning and carried a lead into the fourth inning, even when the Cougars scored another in the third.

Unfortunately for the Pumas, that three-run effort was all they could manage for their score as Berwick ended the final two innings of the game with three in the fourth and five in the fifth.

For the Pumas, they're 1-16 but won't have a chance to change that this weekend as they have the week off while for Berwick, they're right in the mix for a top-two finish, sitting third with a 12-3 record ahead of a fixture at Cheltenham.

St Kilda Saints v BYE

St Kilda had managed to stay in the top four despite the week off as their 6-6 record remains. 

The Saints will take on Ormond Glenhuntly as they look to confirm their spot in the postseason. 

It's still anyone's game for a few top four spots as Springvale continues to lead VSBL Division 3, followed by Pakenham and Ormond Glenhuntly Gold. Things aren't quite settled in the reserves either, although Springvale is on top with both Ormond Glenhuntly teams in playoff position. There's just two games to go before finals begin, with teams 

Division 3 Firsts

North Western Titans 6 v Pakenham Pumas 10

The Pumas shot out of the blocks early in this game with three runs at the bottom of the first but the Titans put themselves back into the contest with two runs at the top of the third.

The next four runs belonged to the Pumas as they grew to a five-run lead before each team scored two in their respective seventh digs. The Titans outscored the Pumas two runs to one in the eighth inning but the away side couldn't get enough runs on the board in the ninth to keep the game going.

Pakenham has switched places with Ormond Glenhuntly Gold, taking second place with a 9-7-1 record that gives the reigning premiers some momentum moving forward. Pakenham plays Springvale next while the 3-13 Titans will have some positive takeaways from this game, hoping to replicate it and go better against Chelsea this weekend.

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 12 v Chelsea Dolphins 9

This game was a flurry of offence, as Chelsea had a four-run first inning before the Hunters got back three in the top of the second. 

Chelsea scored once more in the bottom of the second, but quickly fell behind after Ormond Glenhuntly Blue's third inning produced six runs.

The following three innings were tight from both teams before Ormond Blue added three more in the seventh to hold a 12-5 lead going into the bottom frame.

Back-to-back two-run innings were all the Dolphins could muster as they let the game slip and surrendered their fourth place position to Ormond Blue.

Adam Burton was the pick of the pitchers for Chelsea, going two innings and giving up one hit, one run with two strikeouts.

On the bats for the Dolphins, Kyle Burton and Cameron Hubbard each had two hits including a double as Hubbard converted his two into runs. Adam Burton went four from four, a feat that included three doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs. Scott Kerr had one run from one hit with two RBIs, Matthew Burton had two hits and one run as Trent Wilford had one hit and drove in two runs. 

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue's offense was helped by an RBI from Jarrad Barrow, two singles and two RBIs from Lucas Bull and a pair of hits by Andrew Clark as well. Brad Dolan also had two hits while Lachlan Eddington contributed with three hits in his at-bats.

It'll be a race to the finish for these two teams as the season draws nearer to the end, with Ormond Glenhuntly Blue sitting in fourth at 6-9-1 ahead of a game at Ormond Glenhuntly Gold. Chelsea is now 6-11 in fifth place before taking on top side Springvale.

Springvale Lions 3 v Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 2

Despite a few scoring chances, fantastic defensive displays on both sides made this game a quiet one to start. There was no change to scoreboard throughout the first six innings but it was the Lions who broke through first, their one run in the seventh giving them the first sign of life in the game.

However, Springvale's flame was quickly extinguished as Ormond Glenhuntly Gold also got in on the action, going one better and scoring two at the bottom.

The eighth didn't produce anything from either side but at the top of the ninth, the Lions took the lead once more, collecting two runs, and then did the job of shutting out Ormond Glenhuntly Gold in the final dig of the game.

Springvale relied on three pitchers to keep them in the game against Ormond Glenhuntly Gold's Kyung Jeon. The Lions had four hits while the Hunters had five, but two of Springvale's were extra bases that changed the tone of the game. 

Rydge Hogan started on the mound for Springvale, throwing three innings with one hit and three walks given up. Lucas Anderson came in for the fourth to relieve him, giving up a single on a full count to the first batter he faced, but he fought back hard to strike out six across the next four innings. There were two hits and two unearned runs when Anderson was on the mound. 

Mark Richards ended the game on a high note with a game-winning home run for Springvale. Scott Baillie recorded the final outs for Springvale as the team enjoyed a hard-fought victory in which all three runs scored from homers. Hogan had a single and a home run while Anderson doubled and Chris Davies singled in the final inning. 

After a great game, Springvale Head Coach Tim Hanson says the Lions are ready for finals. "We are approaching finals with the full expectation that our competition will be keen to see us fall over. We have had a good season and Ormond Gold are playing great baseball at the right time of the year," Hanson said. "I think should we meet them again, we will trust our hitting game and rely on our pitching rotations to minimise their run scoring ability."

Springvale is counting on the competitors bringing their A-game for the rest of the season. "They are a clever team and play a traditional style of baseball that we have to stay on top off if we are to win again," Hanson said. "The schedule suggests we would only play them again in a grand final if we are both lucky enough to reach it, so we are looking forward to it should that occur."

Springvale keeps a fantastic season intact with a 16-1 record ahead of a game against Chelsea while the Hunters proved they belong in the finals but will still need to reman competitive for the rest of the season, starting with a game against Ormond Blue.

Division 3 Reserves

North Western Titans 8 v Pakenham Pumas 24

The Titans would've been pleased to get the first run of the game at the top of the first but all that quickly waned as the Pumas put everything into their first-inning dig, tallying 18 runs.

The Titans didn't back down though and while they weren't able to recreate the heights of their opponents, still kept hitting away as they scored four and three in the second and third respectively. The Pumas scored a duo of three runs in that time too as the game ended after three innings were complete.

There were strong offensive contributions up and down the lineup, with Jarrad Bell, Matthew Clements and Scott Dale among the difference-makers for Pakenham. 

Pakenham is a lot safer in the top four now after this win, sitting fourth with a 7-8-2 record ahead of a meeting with Springvale next week. For the Titans, they'll face Chelsea in a bottom-two fixture, looking to get their first win of the season.

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 16 v Chelsea Dolphins 4

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue was leading 6-1 after back-to-back three-run digs to start the game. 

It was the third inning that Ormond Blue unleashed, bringing in 10 runs in a dominant offensive display. Ben Bull, Dylan Cohen and Michael Sullivan gave Ormond Glenhuntly Blue a boost with strong contributions. 

The Dolphins scored three more over the course of the last two innings but couldn't replicate their opponents' burst of scoring runs.

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue is safely in the finals with a 10-6-1 record but the Hunters still want to keep up the form against Ormond Glenhuntly Gold. Chelsea is in fifth place with a 6-11 record ahead of a game at North Western Titans this weekend.

Springvale Lions 11 v Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 2

The Lions have their place at the top of the ladder after downing Ormond Glenhuntly Gold in a battle that was between the top two teams.

Ormond Glenhuntly Gold didn't score until the very last dig at the bottom of the sixth as Springvale gradually worked out to an 11-0 lead that started in the third inning when the Lions scored three. The Lions finished their digs with three in the fifth and four in the sixth.

14-3 Springvale takes on Chelsea next whereas Ormond Glenhuntly Gold carries a 12-5 record into a game v Ormond Glenhuntly Blue, hoping to make up this gap they lost between them and top spot in round 18.

The gap has closed at the top of the ladder as Werribee beat Williamstown in a huge matchup, with the Giants oh-so-close to overtaking the Wolves but still just slightly behind. It will be a tight race to the finish in the 2019/20 VSBL Division 1 season, with just a few rounds to go before finals begin.

Division 2 Firsts - Round 22

St Kilda Saints 1 v Malvern Braves 6

The Saints scored their lone run towards the end of the game in the eighth inning as Malvern had all the glory early on, getting out to a 4-0 lead after three innings and adding two more in the fifth, all the while shutting out the Saints for most of the contest.

This result gave Malvern a boost as the race for the top four is tighter than ever, and the Braves had dropped a series with Mulgrave coming into this game. "For the future we are basing our success on tighter defense and good pitching," Malvern coach Phil Dale said. "The inclusion of Aces players back to our roster should help this."

The lineup was strong on Sunday, with Justin Burke, Tyler Dale, Lachlan Fuda and Henry Hayman getting the job done. St Kilda's pitchers gave up 11 hits on the day to Malvern, with Tom Snowden filling in with a scoreless appearance in relief of Franco Caramia. Three of Malvern's runs in the first five innings were unearned. 

Roland Curiel had an RBI single for St Kilda while Daniel Hogg went 3-for-4 with a double and two singles. 

The win to the Braves sees them still in third place with a 13-7 record which they hold with fourth-place Moorabbin. The Saints are ninth at 5-17 but still have time to get a few more wins to their record after a tough losing streak. The series will continue at Malvern this weekend.

Williamstown Wolves 7 v Werribee Giants 8

In a brilliant battle of the top two teams, Werribee pulled off a miraculous four-run effort at the bottom of the ninth to clinch a big victory over ladder-leaders Williamstown on the weekend.

The Wolves got on the board first when they scored two runs in the second but the Giants were ahead by one when the third inning was done and dusted. 

The next three innings didn't produce any runs for either side until Williamstown pulled away with three in the seventh. The Wolves furthered their lead by one after their eighth dig which Werribee matched in the bottom.

A one-run inning to finish off the Wolves' game and see them control a handy 7-4 lead was brought undone at the bottom as Werribee knuckled down and worked their magic.

Jayde Thorne took the loss for the Wolves, going 1.2 innings for one hit and five earned runs while Dennis Neal lasted seven innings for two hits, zero earned runs and five base on balls. 

Hiroshi Narasaki collected two hits for a season-high three runs and an RBI. Justin Gourlay had three hits for the Wolves that included a double, a run and an RBI as Aaron Green also had three hits with a run and an RBI. Robert Higginson had two hits for two RBIs while Kevin Desmedt also had two hits with one run.

These two sides proved why they're the top two teams in the division as the Giants look to steal top spot when the sides meet in Williamstown this weekend. The Wolves are 17-5 and the Giants are 16-5 with five games left. 

Moorabbin Panthers 4 v Doncaster Dragons 1

Doncaster has had a decent run of late, winning three of the last four games, but the Dragons seemed to run out of steam in this game against fourth place Moorabbin.

Zach Kamerman got the win for the Panthers, going eight innings for three hits and one run with five strikeouts. This was a much-needed victory for Moorabbin as the Panthers have dropped two of their last four and fallen from top spot since a 9-0 start this season.

Mitch Barr, Nick Veale and Adam Harris each had two hits, Barr adding a run to his stat line. Kamerman had three hits from four at bats which he came home on one of them while Kieran Lewis had one run from one hit and drove in two RBIs. 

The Panthers are tied on a 13-7 record with Malvern but are behind on runs for, something they'll look to get closer to as they travel to 8-13 Doncaster once more this weekend. 

Zach Kamerman of Moorabbin Panthers. Photo: Baseball Victoria.

Bonbeach Bluejays 11 v Mulgrave Rebels 10

The Rebels couldn't get the job done as they gave up a 10-5 lead within the final two innings of a game that was very back-and-forth. 

Bonbeach got on the board first, bringing three runners in at the top of the second but by the time the third inning was complete, Mulgrave had drawn even.

In the fifth, the Bluejays again gained the lead, collecting two runs but the Rebels continued to come at their opponents. Mulgrave scored three in the bottom of the fifth and one in the sixth before adding three more in the seventh to lead by five runs.

Bonbeach got the margin down to four runs in the eighth before unleashing in the ninth and scoring a go-ahead run, doing the job of shutting down the Rebels at the bottom.

Matthew Bucci got the win for the Bluejays. He went for three innings and gave up five hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts. Tomoki Tokubo got the save as he gave up one hit to five batters across one inning.

Tokubo was also the pick of the batters for Bonbeach, He had five hits from six at bats with three runs and four RBIs. Bucci had two hits with an RBI, as did Jim Crowe who added a run to his stat line. Adam Major hit a double which he scored from while Dylan Eldridge had two runs from two hits with an RBI. 

Donnie Poole took the loss for the Rebels after giving up two hits and one run when he faced three batters. Caleb Poole faced five batters and gave up one hit but four runs.

Jayson Arthur tallied three hits including two doubles on his way to one run and four RBIs. Anthony White tallied three hits, all of which he converted while recording an RBI in the process. Zeke Howie had two hits for two runs, Nick Thompson had two hits for a run and an RBI, and Riley O'Shea collected two hits including a double. Michael Morgan also got connected twice for base hits, coming home once as Nick Coy and Caleb Poole each had one hit and run.

It was a memorable win for the Bluejays, as it was just their second win of the season after the first in round 19, capping off a better back-half of the season. Bonbeach hosts the 7-13 Rebels this weekend. 

Preston Pirates 6 v Port Melbourne Mariners 5

Port Melbourne led by one run after six innings but slipped in the following innings as Preston increased the score, evening things up in the seventh before going ahead in the ninth and eventually blocking out any chances the Mariners created,

The Mariners got on the board in the second when they scored one but Preston took a one-run lead themselves in the third before Port Melbourne took greater control and drove in three runs at the bottom. 

Another two-run inning to the Pirates in the sixth brought the score even and set up what would be a tight finish to the game, even after the Mariners scored their fifth run at the bottom of the sixth.

Ben Donnell recorded the win for the Pirates as he lasted the whole nine innings and gave up nine hits with one earned run and 14 strikeouts.

Jaycob Pascuzzi and Oscar Hargreaves each had one run from one hit while Jean Alvarado had two hits for the game. Taisuke Sakaguchi got two hits including a double that included a hit and two RBIs. 

Aaron Petri was credited with the loss for the Mariners, going for three innings and having two hits and zero earned runs against him.

Kevin Ung had two hits that included a run around to third base as he scored a run himself, and brought a fellow runner in. William Parsons had a double that he scored on too and Tyson Cox-Davis had two hits and one run.

The result sees Preston and Port Melbourne both with 12-9 records heading into the next round where they'll do battle again. Both teams are still in finals contention. 

Division 2 Reserves - Round 17

Bonbeach Bluejays 4 v Mulgrave Rebels 14

The Rebels had more of an offensive response in this game as the lineup kept chipping away to get a big lead. 

Bonbeach started the scoring at the top of the first with two runs, but Mulgrave doubled that score at the bottom. 

Bonbeach scored one in the fourth to keep them in the game but Mulgrave had other ideas as they piled on seven runs at the bottom before adding three more to the score in the fifth. The Bluejays managed just one more in the sixth as the game finished up.

Mulgrave still sits seventh on the ladder with a 7-10 record ahead of this weekend's game at Bonbeach as the Bluejays will search for a second win to end their season on the right note at home.

Williamstown Wolves 1 v Werribee Giants 8

The Giants were out to an eight run lead after three innings as they kept the Wolves quiet throughout the game, until Williamstown managed to sneak a run in during the sixth inning.

This was a bit of a shock loss for the Wolves, as they still sit in first place but Moorabbin is hot on their heels. Both teams are 13-4 but Williamstown has scored 145 runs compared to 111 for Moorabbin. The Wolves last loss before this game was back in round 14, and they won't want to drop another one in round 18. 

For the Giants, it was just one more crucial win on their quest for finals, but they will need to win their next two games, starting with this weekend at Williamstown while the Wolves won't want to give up top spot.

Moorabbin Panthers 8 v Doncaster Dragons 0

Moorabbin enjoyed a solid shutout victory, an important result for Moorabbin as the Panthers look to stay in hot pursuit of Williamstown. 

With 111 runs scored on the season compared to just 55 given up, Moorabbin is in good shape heading towards finals. The Dragons are in the top four too, taking a 10-7 record into the second-to-last regular season game. Moorabbin hosts this weekend. 

St Kilda Saints 7 v Malvern Braves 4

This game was tight through the first three innings before the Saints put a lone run on the board in the fourth. St Kilda really opened things up with five runs in the fifth, although Malvern responded with four to keep things interesting. 

St Kilda put one more run on in the sixth for the three-run victory. The Saints are 11-6 and have won the past four, a streak they will look to continue at home this weekend against Malvern as the Braves sit in fifth place with a 9-7-1 record. 

Preston Pirates 14 v Port Melbourne Mariners 8

The Pirates got a huge victory on the board despite the Mariners' best efforts to stay in the game. Preston wasted no time getting on the board with a massive first inning in which 11 runners came around to score. 

Port Melbourne scored just one in the bottom of the first but the Mariners managed to keep the Pirates quiet in the second inning. Four Port Melbourne runners came home in the second as each team scored three times in the third. 

Preston improved to 6-10-1 while Port Melbourne is 5-12 ahead of Sunday's game at Preston. 

Division 2 Thirds - Round 17

Doncaster Dragons 5 v Moorabbin Panthers 6

Moorabbin is keeping pace with the competition, winning back-to-back games to take a 12-4 record into the last two weeks. 

Doncaster is two spots behind Moorabbin in fourth place with a 11-5-1 record. The Dragons host this weekend. 

Bonbeach Bluejays 6 v Mulgrave Rebels 12

Mulgrave has won the past six games as the Rebels keep up the momentum after a lacklustre start to the season. 

Now the Rebels are 7-8-2 in sixth place while the Bluejays will search for their second victory at home on Sunday.

Port Melbourne Mariners 4 v Preston Pirates 9

The offensive action got started right away as Preston took a 2-1 lead after the first. Port Melbourne quickly tied it up and held a 3-2 lead momentarily heading into the bottom of the third. 

Preston tacked on seven more runs across the middle innings while the Mariners got just one more. Preston has a 6-9-1 record and Port Melbourne sits at 3-14 ahead of this weekend's game at the Mariners home ground.

Werribee Giants 1 v Williamstown Wolves 18

Williamstown just didn't let up in this game, continuously scoring against a struggling Werribee side. 

Caine Bergin, Shane Dunn and Craig Evans helped Williamstown keep up the momentum as the Wolves scored five runs in each of the first two innings. Werribee got one run in the third but Williamstown added seven in that frame and one more in the fourth to reach quite an impressive run tally. 

Williamstown has scored 163 total runs this season while giving up only 64. Now the Wolves have a 12-5 record in fifth place while the numbers are reversed for Werribee with five losses. Werribee hosts the round 18 game. 

Malvern Braves 2 v St Kilda Saints 2

This game ended in a draw after Malvern gave up an early lead and let St Kilda back in the game. 

Both sides had great pitching, with Malvern scoring one in the top of the first and another in the fourth before St Kilda responded with runs in the fourth and the fifth. 

Malvern couldn't manage to recapture the lead as the game finished in a draw. The Braves are still at the top of the ladder with a 13-2-1 record and St Kilda still has a finals chance, sitting in fifth place with a 10-5-1 record. 

Division 2 Fourths - Round 17

Doncaster Dragons 5 v Moorabbin Panthers 6

This was a tight contest but ultimately Moorabbin hung on for a huge victory to stay in fourth place with just two games to go. 

The Panthers are 8-5-2 and the Dragons are 7-9 in sixth place. Doncaster will look for a third win in four games as the Dragons try to bounce back from this narrow loss at home this weekend.

Malvern Braves 9 v St Kilda Saints 7

Malvern dominated this game from the get-go, and it wasn't until the later stages that St Kilda got back into it. 

A four-spot in the first set the tone for Malvern as the Braves had a 6-0 lead going into the fifth. St Kilda took things up a notch, breaking onto the board with two runs in the fifth and five in the sixth. Three more runs for Malvern made the difference as the Braves stay in second place, now with a 14-2 record. St Kilda is in third place with a 9-5-1 record going into round 18.

Geelong Baycats 12 v Preston Pirates 4

The Baycats needed to win this game to have a shot at finals, and they went out and got the job done. Preston scored early but eventually the game turned in favour of Geelong. 

Darren Turner made good contact and Callum Dewar hit an inside-the-park home run to boost the Baycats while Daniel Dobbie and Ethan Weakley pitched Geelong to victory. 

Geelong is 8-8-1 in fifth place behind Moorabbin while Preston is 5-9 before this weekend's trip to Geelong. 

Werribee Giants - FORFEIT v Williamstown Wolves 

Williamstown has a 13-1-1 record atop the division with just two games left against Werribee and Malvern. 

Mulgrave Rebels v BYE

Mulgrave is 2-14 and will play Geelong in the final game of the season in round 19.

With just four games left in the regular season,  Sunshine is holding on to top spot but Geelong is quickly catching up in VSBL Division 1. Blackburn and Cheltenham had strong wins that keep them at the top of the reserves, while the Orioles are two games ahead of second place in the thirds as the rest of the top four are within six percent of each other. Melbourne sits four games ahead of second place in the fourths but Blackburn and Essendon are battling hard which may change top four positions. 

Division 1 Firsts - Round 23

Sunshine Eagles 4 v Berwick City Cougars 5

Sunshine had a 1-1 draw against Essendon in the midweeks, and on the weekend the Eagles have dropped a big game as their grip on top spot seems under threat, now holding on by one game with Geelong in one pursuit. Meanwhile, the Cougars have won five in a row as they aim to make a late break into the top four.

Jeremy Young took just his second loss this season. The Sunshine pitcher went through five innings, giving up four hits, five runs and three base on balls. Scott Barr was in for three innings, giving up just two hits but zero runs.

On the bats for the Eagles, Jordan Young went 3-for-4 as Allister Lovelock's game was impressive too with three hits that included a double and a run. Jason Tutt had three singles, while teammates Russell Letts and Joshua Byrne were the other players to cross the plate.

Offensively for Berwick, John King scored twice from one hit as well getting an RBI. Aiden Willis and Mark Surtees each had one hit for one run while Aaron Ouwehand had one hit which brought in two runs. His two-run double with two outs boosted Berwick significantly. 

Berwick coach Shaun Surtees says the Cougars performed well in an extremely competitive game against the top-of-the-ladder team. "We were coming off a crucial series win over Melbourne and running hot so we knew we were going to compete," Surtees said. "To score early was huge and then our pitching staff held their nerve, behind our ace Craig Barnett to get the save."

Offensively for Berwick, John King scored twice from one hit as well getting an RBI. Aiden Willis and Mark Surtees each had one hit for one run while Aaron Ouwehand had one hit which brought in two runs. His two-run double with two outs boosted Berwick significantly. 

Berwick coach Shaun Surtees says the Cougars performed well in an extremely competitive game against the top-of-the-ladder team. "We were coming off a crucial series win over Melbourne and running hot so we knew we were going to compete," Surtees said. "To score early was huge and then our pitching staff held their nerve, behind our ace Craig Barnett to get the save."

Jordan Bradley got the win for Berwick, lasting two innings for four hits and two runs. Matthew West was on the mound for four innings for the home side, giving up one run on six hits. Craig Barnett got the save for the Cougars, pitching three innings for four hits with zero earned runs and three strikeouts. 

With four games to go, Berwick is ready for the challenges ahead. "We’re going to compete as hard as we can as we push towards playing finals baseball," Surtees added. "Our rotation is healthy and we're excited for the return of our own Melbourne Aces champion, Cameron Gibbens, back into the squad. One game at a time and we'll remain focused on being competitive every inning we play for the remainder of the season."

With four games to go, Berwick is ready for the challenges ahead. "We’re going to compete as hard as we can as we push towards playing finals baseball," Surtees added. "Our rotation is healthy and we're excited for the return of our own Melbourne Aces champion, Cameron Gibbens, back into the squad. One game at a time and we'll remain focused on being competitive every inning we play for the remainder of the season."

The two teams will now travel to Sunshine as the series continues with the Cougars sensing their momentum can take them further, whereas Sunshine won't want to let another game slip. The Eagles are 16-5-1 and the Cougars are still in with a chance thanks to a 11-10-1 record.

Newport Rams 1 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 8

The Tigers have kept in touch with their other mid-table opponents with a win over Newport on the weekend.

The Tigers got themselves out to a 5-0 lead after three innings and kept the Rams scoreless until the seventh inning when the away side got one on the board. 

The Tigers, wanting to put this game to bed for good, came back in the bottom and scored three more runs as each team ended well defensively.

Jason Jarvis pitched 6.1 innings for the Rams, taking the loss for the 10 hits and five earned runs he let up, although he did impress with eight strikeouts.

Newport had six hits for the game with David Land and Keenan Spence collecting two each. Spence was the sole run scorer for the Rams too, capitalising on his double as Nathan Smith got the RBI.

Jarrod Turner pitched a complete game, giving up six hits and one run in one of his best performances of the season, his ERA currently sitting at 1.76.

Harvey Chinn had a single and two walks with an RBI, while Jordan Elliot had an RBI base hit. Riley Light also had a good day at the plate, hitting a triple and a single and knocking in two runs in the process. Wade McConnon and Travis Murphy both singled, while Nicholas Rice doubled and singled for three RBIs. Peter Schroeders got on base twice with singles as Justin Swanton knocked in a run for the Tigers. 

The series continues at Newport as the 9-9-2 Tigers look to keep up with their winning ways while for the Rams, they'll want to impress in front of home support in search of win number five. 

Essendon Bombers 2 v Blackburn Orioles 9

Essendon led 2-0 after four innings however Blackburn provided some great defensive work for the remainder of the game to keep the Bombers from scoring any more.

In that time too, the Orioles collected nine runs, assisted greatly by six runners coming home in the fifth.

Michael Formisano took the loss for the Bombers, going 4.1 innings and giving up eight hits, five earned runs and four strikeouts. Luke Abels pitched two innings with five hits and three runs allowed.

On the bats for the Bombers, McLeod Sell hit two from three with a double and an RBI while Peter Stokes and Formisano were the two to score. 

Blake Hodgson got the win on the mound for the Orioles. He went 5.1 innings for just one hit and zero runs while striking out six Newport batters. 

Every player on the Blackburn lineup got a hit and all but one scored a run with Liam Hopkins and Nick Rossell each tallying three hits while Ryan Berg, David Dicker and Ben Leslie all had two. Dicker and Leslie hit doubles, Dicker credited with three RBIs while Berg had two RBIs. Thomas Kerr-Chapman hit a double as part of his two hits as he scored twice.

The loss is a bitter blow to the 10-12-1 Bombers who have slipped in recent weeks and are now behind a couple of other teams in the middle of the table, whereas Blackburn sits third with a 13-8-1 record. Next time around, Essendon will host Blackburn.

Fitzroy Lions 0 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2

The Rustlers scored first in their first dig and then not again until the sixth as the rest of the game was a defensive display from both sides. 

Jack Enciondo pitched a complete game, giving up just six hits in the shutout. He struck out 10 to bring his total to 63 on the season. Offensively for Cheltenham, Jack Daniels singled while Ben Fierenzi knocked in one of the two runs. Andrew Gribbin brought in the other run for Cheltenham as Michael Leslie doubled and Sam Michael singled. Conor Myles had a pair of base hits, with Dylan Trevorah recording a single too. 

Ethan Epifanio and Riley Hill singled as Fitzroy's starting pitcher Brock Pawley smashed a double. Pawley gave up seven hits and struck out four in his eight innings of work on the mound, allowing just those two runs that ended up deciding the game. 

The win sees the Rustlers continue their good form in their first season back up in Division 1, scooting into fourth place after the Waverley loss with a 13-9-1 record. 

For the Lions, their 8-14 season has seen some good results as of late, however as the series moves to the Lions home ground this weekend, both sides will want to seek a win. 

Sandringham Royals 6 v Melbourne Demons 7

With five tough losses to start 2020, Melbourne finally got a win on the board, improving to a 8-14 record on the back of this victory over a Sandringham side that's now 9-14. 

Cody Anderson pitched eight innings, taking the loss as he gave up nine hits and seven runs. He did however continue his excellent form with strikeouts, tallying 12, his sixtth 10+ tally within the past seven weeks. 27 of his first pitches were strikes too.

There were 12 hits across the board for the Royals with Declan Croker leading the way with four but while he wasn't able to score himself, he did drive in two runners. Branden Stenhouse had three hits from four at bats and he was able to convert each of those hits into runs. Paul Rutgers had two hits for one run and two RBIs. 

Nathan Aaron collected three hits for Melbourne while Aaron joined Oliver McMahon and Tim Sullivan with big RBI hits on the day.

Sandringham's Jack Wills took three walks while Melbourne's Jarryd Rogers took two and had four quality at-bats. 

Liam Davine and Adam Pahos pitched for Melbourne, keeping the Demons in the game as they ultimately got the win. 

The Demons will now travel to Sandringham this weekend as the series continues.

Geelong Baycats 9 v Waverley Wildcats 4

Waverley was behind 5-0 after Geelong finished the fifth dig but the Wildcats brought themselves back into the game with a four-run fifth inning. 

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, that was the only inning in which they managed to score some runs as the Baycats came back with three in their sixth inning, adding one more in the eighth.

Sam Gibbons got the win for the Baycats through 4.1 innings, giving up zero hits or runs while striking out seven batters. Rudy Jaramillo was in the middle for three innings and gave up one hit for zero runs with four strikeouts.

Geelong had eight hits on the day and it was James Wood who lead with three hits along with two runs and an RBI. Tyler Luther-Wilson had two hits including a three-run home run to give the Baycats a big boost. Kelli Zablan also impressed with one hit, two runs and two RBIs.

Tyler Luther-Wilson hit his first home run of the year for Geelong. Photo: Baseball Victoria

Jamie Papanicoloau took the loss for the Wildcats as he went five innings for six hits, four earned runs and three strikeouts. 

With five hits for the game, Reece Longstaff led the Wildcats in that category with two as he also collected one run and an RBI. Jacob Sheldon-Collins, Jordan Ley and Mitchell Homfray were the other runscorers.

The Baycats improved their record to 15-7 after the round while sitting second behind Sunshine. Waverley has just slipped out of the top four with a 12-10 record as the action will continue at Geelong this weekend.

Division 1 Reserves - Round 17

Newport Rams 6 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 12

Two big innings from Upwey Ferntree Gully including seven to finish the game took them a long way in this contest against Newport.

The Rams looked set in the first inning as they scored four runs until the Tigers gained the lead after three innings when they had seven runners come home. 

Newport evened the score in the fourth and then took the lead once again in the fifth with one-run digs however the might of Upwey Ferntree Gully proved too strong for the last-placed Rams. 

The Tigers sit third with an 11-3-1 record ahead of a return fixture at Newport this weekend.

Sunshine Eagles 10 v Berwick City Cougars 4

The Eagles scored four runs in the second inning to extend their lead to 5-0 after that point as the Cougars tried to fight back, however not as quickly or forcefully as they would've liked.

The Cougars got their first run on the board in the third before the Eagles again came out strong with another two at the top of the fourth to Berwick's one at the bottom.

The sixth inning produced more runs for both teams with Sunshine scoring three at the top, Berwick needing eight to win. The home side managed two as they fell below a 50 percent winning percentage with a 7-8-1 record. 

For Sunshine, it's win number five of the season and the third victory within the last month as the Eagles look to continue their good run of form at home to the Cougars this weekend. 

Essendon Bombers 5 v Blackburn Orioles 9

Essendon scored early on in this contest when two runs crossed the plate in the first but the Orioles were quick to reply, evening the score in the second and going ahead by one run in the third.

The fourth inning for Blackburn was where things really picked up when six runs were added to their score. 

In the following two innings, the Bombers tried to get ahead once more but fell short after scoring two and one in the fifth and sixth respectively.

Charlie Collins made his first start on the mound for Blackburn and he completed three solid innings, getting into his groove nicely.

Offensively, the Orioles came back from the slow start with some great team hitting, ultilising the bunt to perfection at crucial moments - Julian Vance and Jorey Hubble highlighting this. Riley Hodgson had two hits with Mitch Whiting, Owen de Vries, Pat White and Hubble all having singles on the day. 

Blackburn's prowess continues on top of the ladder after this win with a 14-2 record whereas the Bombers sit sixth at 8-8-1 as the action moves to Essendon this weekend.

Fitzroy Lions 3 v Cheltenham Rustlers 11

The Rustlers got off to a great start in the first inning when six runs crossed the plate, their other runs coming through in the fourth and fifth with two and three, respectively. 

The Rustlers were able to withhold the Fitzroy offense until the seventh inning where the Lions put three on the board. 

Cheltenham is keeping up at the top, sitting second with a 14-3 record while for Fitzroy, there's another chance to improve on a 4-12-1 record this weekend at home against Cheltenham.

Sandringham Royals 4 v Melbourne Demons 4

This draw was the first of the year for Melbourne and the second one for Sandringham. The Demons are chasing a spot in the top four, sitting in fifth place at 9-6-1. 

Sandringham is 3-11-2 and looking forward to a home game this weekend as both sides would like a win. 

Geelong Baycats 3 v Waverley Wildcats 3

The Baycats were unlucky to have the final result finish in a draw after leading for much of the day.

Emerson Rickard was on the hill and did an impressive job throwing 6.1 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run as his strike percentage remained high. 

The Baycats were helped on offence from Will Brennan who hit the ball hard all day as he tallied two hits, as well as Lachlan Hockey who smacked a long ball over the centrefield fence. 

The teams will be hoping to get a better result when they face each other at Geelong next round. 

Division 1 Thirds - Round 17

Newport Rams 5 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 7

Despite Newport scoring three runs at the top of the first, it was outdone by the four runs Upwey Ferntree Gully scored at the bottom, which the Tigers added to with three more in the third.

The Tigers didn't score any further after that while the Rams attempted a comeback with one run in each of the fifth and sixth innings. 

The Tigers are still behind the top four after a breaking a three-game losing streak, now with a 8-6-1 record in fifth place,  while Newport will want a win this weekend at home against the Tigers to get themselves off the bottom of the ladder.

Berwick City Cougars 8 v Sunshine Eagles 15 

Surrendering the lead during the third inning, Sunshine piled on 10 runs in the fourth to rocket past Berwick.

Sunshine ended the first inning with a three-run lead but Berwick got even at the top of the second. The Eagles got their lead back at the bottom with two more to their score. The lead was again changed when the Cougars brought four home in the third.

The Eagles had been on the bottom of the ladder since round 12 however, this win has put them up a spot on the ladder ahead of Newport. The Eagles broke their 13-game winless streak as their last victory came in round three when they also scored 15 runs.

The series now heads to Berwick where both teams will want to win.

Essendon Bombers 4 v Blackburn Orioles 11

Essendon scored one at the top of the first but Blackburn quickly got on top of their opponent, starting with three runs at the bottom of the first and a further two across the following two innings.

It was a six-run Orioles effort in the fourth confirmed the result as the Bombers could manage just three more for the game.

The battle between the top-four teams has seen the 10-3-4 Bombers go down a place to fourth while 12-2-2 Blackburn stays in top spot as the series moves to Essendon.

Cheltenham Rustlers 10 v Fitzroy Lions 11

It was a walkoff win in the fifth for Fitzroy after both teams left it all out on the field in the latter stages of the game.

Fitzroy was up 3-1 after three innings as the lead changed every inning from then on. 

Cheltenham scored five at the top of the fifth before the Lions hit back with four. The Rustlers took four more runs in the fifth to give themselves a chance until Fitzroy claimed the addition to their win column. 

It was Fitzroy's fifth win of the season as the Lions put an end to a four-game losing streak, while Cheltenham narrowly missed out on the chance to go three games in a row. The Rustlers are at home this weekend against Fitzroy.

Melbourne Demons 8 v Sandringham Royals 1

The Royals' lead by a lone run from the first inning was short-lived as they failed to score for the rest of the game as Melbourne took control.

Starting off by scoring two in the second to capture the advantage, the Demons kept going with six more spread across the next three innings to close out the game.

The win to Melbourne sees them tied on games won with Sandringham, each now having eight for the season where this week both teams will look to add to that at Melbourne. 

Geelong Baycats 7 v Waverley Wildcats 7

Waverely scored the first three runs of the game before reigning premiers Geelong scored seven at the top of the second for a comfortable lead. 

However, the Wildcats were able to shut the Baycats down for the remainder of the game and come awfully close to claiming the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth as they'd scored three in the fourth beforehand.

Duane Davenport started for Geelong, finishing with 32 strikes out of his 54 pitches as he settled in to the zone. Cooper Rickard came in for relief and kept the Baycats in the game despite giving up three runs. Daniel Anson threw two innings too. Anson had a single and an RBI, while Matthew Sage had two base hits and knocked a run in. Jake Warren doubled for three RBIs and Brody Stokoe singled too. 

Despite the draw, and helped along by Essendon's loss, Waverley moves into third place on the ladder with a 9-2-5 record while 10-2-3 Geelong is just one spot ahead in second as these teams look set to face off in another close encounter at Geelong this weekend.

Division 1 Fourths - Round 17

Newport Rams 3 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 6

Newport got ahead early, scoring two runs at the top of the second before Upwey Ferntree Gully scored the same number of runs at the bottom and from there, it was mostly going the way of the Tigers.

The Tigers scored four more runs over the third and fourth innings, with three runners coming home in the fourth as the Rams responded with one more to their tally in the fifth.

For the Tigers, it was just their fourth win of the season as Newport's winless streak continues at a 0-15-1 record. Newport hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully this weekend. 

Geelong Baycats 9 v Waverley Wildcats 10

Geelong gave up a 9-0 lead as Waverley fought long and hard for a walkoff win in the sixth inning.

The Baycats got off to a great start when they scored six in the first and added another three in the third but that's where it stopped for the away side as the Wildcats then got on top by shutting the Baycats out and collecting runs themselves.

The Wildcats opened their run scoring with four at the bottom of the third, adding one more in the fourth, It was the same scores across the fifth and six as that one in the sixth was what they were so desperately chasing.

Waverley sits in fourth place at 11-5 while Geelong slips from fifth place to sixth at 8-7-1 ahead of this weekend's home game. 

Essendon Bombers 3 v Blackburn Orioles 1

In this close game, Essendon had a 2-0 lead after three innings before Blackburn cut the margin in half as the fourth came to an end.

The Bombers got that run back in the fifth and that's where the score stayed as the rest of the game was taken over by defense. 

The win for the Bombers puts them in third with a 12-5 record, edging closer to second place Blackburn who have a 12-4 record. The two teams will meet at Essendon this weekend where positions could swap after the round.

Cheltenham Rustlers 11 v Fitzroy Lions 5

Cheltenham found the lead early and never gave it up, even after a 4-3 first inning against Fitzroy. 

The Rustlers got six runs in the third to see the margin become 11-3 while the Lions managed to find two more runs in their fifth, and final, dig of the game.

The Rustlers sit seventh with a 9-8 record while the Lions are 3-11-3, both teams still searching for wins to close out the season as the next round kicks off at Cheltenham.

Melbourne Demons 19 v Sandringham Royals 0

A complete shutout from the Demons has confirmed their dominance in the competition, improving their record to 16-1.

After scoring three in the first, the tallies kept growing as five came through in each of the second and third digs before ending with a bang, six runs in the fifth.

The Royals go into the next round with a 6-9-1 record but will still try their hardest to try and topple the ladderleaders in Melbourne.

Berwick City Cougars 8 v Sunshine Eagles 6

Berwick managed to overpower Sunshine for a big win that makes for a 8-6-2 record. 

The Cougars will still hope to continue their good form from the season against Sunshine at home this weekend while the Eagles loss puts them at 4-11-1, ahead of Upwey Ferntree Gully n the ladder, but they'll be looking for more wins.

Bryan Kloppe is proud of his hardworking players at Cheltenham Baseball Club.

As club coach and manager of the firsts, Bryan has a big impact on the Rustlers, using his own playing experience as a pitcher to help him succeed as a coach and a team leader.

Bryan was at the helm of the Rustlers as they won the 2018/19 VSBL Division 2 premiership, and this season they’re in the running for back-to-back championships, although this time in Division 1.

Now in his sixth season with Cheltenham, the Phoenix, Arizona native is determined to finish the year on a high note. After 23 rounds Cheltenham has catapulted into the top four, holding a 13-9-1 record ahead of Waverley. The Rustlers are enjoying a seven-game undefeated streak, and they will use the last two series against Fitzroy and Berwick City to try and stay in finals contention.

Heading into this season, Bryan was excited about the club’s promotion to Division 1 and the abundance of young, talented players. Cheltenham’s players haven’t let him down, impressing week in and week out as a strong sense of teamwork and comradery makes a big difference. “Our team succeeds just through chemistry,” Bryan said. “We love each other, we’ve been playing together for a long time and everybody trusts each other and comes to training and works hard together. It’s fun to play together on the weekend.”

Bryan says building from the ground up after relegation to Division 2 in the 2018/19 season has given the Rustlers a deep drive to succeed and a desire to stay where they belong in Division 1. “We’re prepared to make an impact,” Bryan said. “I like to run trainings so that our players can get better every day and just lead the club with a bright future.”

Cheltenham welcomed Bryan with open arms in his first season, and he’s found it hard to stay away, always returning after coaching stints abroad. He’s played in college and independent professional leagues, and spent last winter coaching the Westside Woolly Mammoths in Michigan as part of the United Shore Professional Baseball League. No matter where he goes, the Rustlers are never far from his mind. “I keep coaching and playing at Cheltenham because of the people,” Bryan said. “I have had such great friendships, and a lot of my best friends were made through the club. I love being around people at the club.”

Bryan’s memorable baseball career has been filled with fantastic moments, including attending game seven of the 2001 World Series when his hometown team the Arizona Diamondbacks came back to win over the New York Yankees. But through it all winning championships with his beloved teams is as good as it gets. “When Cheltenham made it to the Grand Final against Essendon, that’s one of my best memories,” Bryan said.

Baseball has given Bryan so many opportunities, and he’s forever grateful for his baseball family at Cheltenham. “We have a great family environment, from t-ball up and we have a really strong focus on juniors,” Bryan said. “We’ve got lots of young players at Cheltenham like Conor Myles, Ben Fierenzi, Dante Caruso and Mac Turley, and there’s a whole other wave that’s making an impact for the firsts this year.” 

Bryan and the rest of the Rustlers are ready to capture the club’s first VSBL Division 1 premiership since the club’s amalgamation with Prahran in 1972. While winning would be amazing, just encouraging others to get out on the field and try baseball is fulfilling for Bryan. “The best players in the world fail 70 percent of the time and they make millions of dollars a year, so don’t be afraid to fail, just go out and give it a try,” Bryan said. “You’ll make lots of good friends.”

Bryan and the rest of the Rustlers are ready to capture the club’s first VSBL Division 1 premiership since the club’s amalgamation with Prahran in 1972. While winning would be amazing, just encouraging others to get out on the field and try baseball is fulfilling for Bryan. “The best players in the world fail 70 percent of the time and they make millions of dollars a year, so don’t be afraid to fail, just go out and give it a try,” Bryan said. “You’ll make lots of good friends.”

There will be some close competitions in the final few rounds of the 2019/20 VSBL Women's Division 1, 2 and 3 seasons. Springvale and Doncaster are separated by just one game in Women's Division 1 and 2, while in Women's Division 3 East, the top two teams fought it out but it was Moorabbin who prevailed with a big margin over Melbourne. Bonbeach Blue and Cheltenham both have 10 wins in the South conference but the top four could still change dramatically, while in the West Sunshine remains clear on top, especially after a huge win over Geelong White.

Women's Division 1 - Round 17

Essendon Bombers 11 v Footscray Bulldogs 1

A huge nine-run fourth inning was the catalyst for the Bombers big win over Footscray on the weekend, the final result also reflecting the exact same score the last time these teams met in round 14.

The fourth inning saw the margin stretch to 10-0 for the away side, as Essendon's first run coming in the opening dig. 

The Bulldogs scored one run at the bottom of the fourth for their only score of the game, however the Bombers took that back the very next dig and Footscray was unable to respond at the bottom.

Essendon's reliable pitchers gave up only five hits, all singles, on the day, with Footscray's Morgan Doty and Abbey McLellan collecting three and two hits respectively. 

The loss to the Bulldogs sees them sitting fourth at 0-15-1 before playing Doncaster while the Bombers are away to Springvale for a midweek game, currently sitting third at 7-7-2.

Doncaster Dragons 4 v Springvale Lions 1

Doncaster upset first place Springvale in a low-scoring game that has brought the Dragons within a game of overtaking the Lions.

The Dragons hadn't secured a proper win since round 10 but they are happy to improve to a 10-3 record while Springvale sits at 11-3-2. 

Amy McCann, head coach of the Women's Division 1 team at Doncaster, was pleased with her team's performance. "Another stellar outing on the mound for Bronwyn Gell who went the full distance of 7 innings, only gave up six hits and struck out four," McCann said. "Bronwyn is one of the best middle infielders in the world, and now is showing what she can do on the hill. It is amazing to watch."

Doncaster produced enough offense to back up Gell's great pitching against a strong competitor. "With the bat, we were solid from top to bottom with Samantha Hamilton and Jamie Bastian leading the way, and Rebecca Wright is revelling in the 1s since her call up before Christmas," McCann said. "We didn't go into the game thinking we were playing 'the top team.' We knew coming in that it has been pretty tight overall between Doncaster and Springvale this season having had drawn two, lost two and won one against them. And I think both clubs have a lot of respect for each other.  You know that you have to bring your A+ game to take the win."

The Dragons are looking ahead to finals with the end of the season not far off, and they will continue to work hard as a team in the coming weeks.  "We have our own team processes, both mentally and physically, that we use during the week and on game day and this is focused on our team. The girls really executed." McCann added. "To think we are now 2W-2L-2D against each other, with one regular season to go against them and then finals. It is exciting!"

McCann hopes this determination could help Doncaster go far in finals. "We are feeling great and are really enjoying our baseball! The girls amaze me with their intensity every week as it has been a long season, with repetitious rounds, but they have never lost focus and now with finals in sight, they are really amping it up across every area of their trainings, overall preparations, and game days."

This game marked Springvale's second loss of the season and the Lions will do everything to keep top spot when they come up against a red-hot Essendon this Wednesday night while Doncaster takes on Footscray in hopes of continuing a successful season.  

Women's Division 2 - Round 15

Wheelers Hill Warriors 10 v Footscray Bulldogs 11

Footscray walked it off in the sixth inning to take this game after falling behind at the top of the sixth.

The Bulldogs got out to a 9-2 lead after three inning, thanks to three in the first and six in the third, compared to one for the Warriors in both the first and the third.

However, Wheelers Hill would quickly claim the lead as the team scored the next eight runs of the game, helped by a five-run effort in the sixth that allowed them to take a one-run lead.

Unfortunately for the away side, they couldn't hang on as Footscray scored two. 

It was the Bulldog's fifth win of the season and confirms their spot in the top four now with a look ahead to Doncaster coming up. For the Warriors, they're still sitting third and will face Essendon this week. 

Doncaster Dragons 3 v Springvale Lions 6

Springvale is now within a game of first place Doncaster with a good win on the weekend. 

Jessica Adkins-Barber, Mandi Avent and Lillian Bell-Tanner helped Springvale's efforts as the Lions got a crucial win. 

Springvale's last loss came back in round 12 against Wheelers Hill, and the Lions will look to continue their winning ways and try to claim top spot in this weekend's game at Fitzroy, while the Dragons will want to get back onto the winner's list against Footscray after losing their first game of the season. 

Essendon Bombers 19 v Fitzroy Lions 15

This was a high-scoring contest where both sides scored in each section of the box score ended as Essendon just edged Fitzroy.

Back-to-back seven-run digs from the Bombers was what they needed to get things going at the start as the Lions scored five and three in the same time. 

Essendon added five runs onto the score in the third inning before the Lions made a small comeback but ended their account with seven runs.

This result was Essendon's second win of the season, the first one coming in round 10 meaning the team has now broken a four-game losing streak which puts them tied on wins with Fitzroy.

The Lions continue their seven-game losing streak and face tough opposition this weekend in Springvale while for the Bombers, they take on Wheelers Hill, looking to get off the bottom of the ladder with a win.

Women's Division 3 East - Round 15

Moorabbin Panthers 18 v Melbourne Demons 2

Back-to-back seven-run digs across the fifth and sixth innings for Moorabbin broke the game open as the scoreline ballooned out to a big win.

The Panthers led 4-1 after three innings until they started going all out, with the Demons scoring just one more in the fifth.

The Demons took just their second loss of the season, the last coming in round eight as they had a six-game win streak snapped with this game. Moorabbin has won the past four, scoring double-digit runs in each of those games, to sit within a game of Melbourne on the ladder.

Melbourne is 9-2 now and Moorabbin is 8-3 ahead of this weekend, when the Panthers face Mulgrave and the Demons play Springvale. 

Back-to-back seven-run digs across the fifth and sixth innings for Moorabbin broke the game open as the scoreline ballooned out to a big win.

The Panthers led 4-1 after three innings until they started going all out, with the Demons scoring just one more in the fifth.

The Demons took just their second loss of the season, the last coming in round eight as they had a six-game win streak snapped with this game. Moorabbin has won the past four, scoring double-digit runs in each of those games, to sit within a game of Melbourne on the ladder.

Melbourne is 9-2 now and Moorabbin is 8-3 ahead of this weekend, when the Panthers face Mulgrave and the Demons play Springvale. 

Doncaster Dragons 17 v Mulgrave Rebels 5

Doncaster had a huge win for back-to-back victories, taking care of the Rebels on the weekend.

The Dragons improved their record to 7-5 while the Rebels slipped to 1-8. Doncaster has a bye this weekend while Mulgrave plays Moorabbin.

Springvale Lions v BYE

Springvale is safe in the top four with two rounds to go, thanks to a 4-7 record in fourth place. Next up for Springvale is a road game at Melbourne. 

Women's Division 3 South - Round 15

Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 16 v Berwick City Cougars 1

Bonbeach Blue has kept top spot with a big win over Berwick.

The Cougars are clinging onto fourth place, only ahead of Pakenham White on runs for. Both sides are 5-6, while Bonbeach Blue is enjoying a 10-1 record ahead of Cheltenham, the team they play in the last regular season game of the season. But first the Bluejays are prepping for Sandringham, while 

Bonbeach Blue will play Sandringham this weekend while Berwick plays the other Bonbeach team, Bluejays White.

Sandringham Royals 5 v Cheltenham Rustlers 4

In a tight game, the home side just couldn't get past the Royals in the final inning as they scored one in the sixth, ultimately falling short by a run.

The first inning ended with an even 2-2 scoreline but Sandringham got out to a 5-2 lead after bringing three runs in in the third to the Rustlers' one at the bottom. 

The next game for second place Cheltenham will be Pakenham Black as the Rustlers look to build on their 10-2 record while for 8-4 Sandringham, there's a big game ahead against Bonbeach Blue.

Pakenham Pumas White 21 v Pakenham Pumas Black 15

A high-scoring contest between the two Pakenham sides resulted in White edging ahead due to three innings with seven runs apiece.

Pakenham Black kept the pace for majority of the game with seven and six in the first two innings but fell away in the third when they scored only two runs.

Megan Bell, Johanna Boyle and Jessica Moulding helped the White team's efforts, while Melissa Atkins, Megan Barth and Annie Carter aided Pakenham Black. 

Pakenham White almost did enough to overtake Berwick and sneak into fourth place but they are behind on runs, something they won't have a chance to change this weekend as they have the bye. Pakenham Black play Cheltenham next.

Bonbeach Bluejays White v BYE

Bonbeach White has a 2-9 record with two rounds to play.

The Bluejays will take on Berwick at home in the upcoming fixture as they look to end the season on a high.

Women's Division 3 West - Round 15

North Western Titans 9 v Fitzroy Lions 10

Fitzroy won a close one against North Western Titans as the result sees the two sides equal with a 5-5-1 record meaning each of their positions within the top four could change. Currently, the Titans are ahead on runs for, having scored 145 compared to 118 runs for Fitzroy. 

Michelle Anderson, Amy Burnham, Bridget Byrne made a difference for Fitzroy.

The Lions have the bye next week which will work in the Titans favour however, they take on the might of Sunshine. 

Geelong Baycats White 0 v Sunshine Eagles 21

Sunshine was in full control, proving once again why the Eagles at the top of the standings in this division.

The Eagles scored seven runs in each of their seven digs, all the while shutting Geelong White out of the contest. Pitcher Andrea McKenner pitched a perfect game for Sunshine, helping to improve the team's record to 11-1. 

The two sides will play North Western Titans and Geelong Blue this weekend, respectively.

Geelong Baycats Blue v BYE

Geelong Blue had the bye but their standing prior to the round hasn't changed as they remain in second place with a look towards a game against fellow Geelong side, Baycats White in the next round. At 6-5-1, Geelong will look to keep up the winning momentum.