Baseball Victoria, Author at Baseball Victoria

Baseball Victoria is saddened to learn of the passing of Bubbie Buzachero, a former Melbourne Aces pitcher and player at Preston and Essendon Baseball Clubs.

Buzachero was also a Baseball Victoria staff member who led school clinics and encouraged children to take up baseball with his infectious style and knowledge of our game.

"Bubbie was a fantastic player, teammate and mentor to many in the Victorian baseball community. His energy and passion for spreading the word about baseball introduced many to our game. On behalf of the Victorian Baseball Community, our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates at this sad time," said Myles Foreman, Baseball Victoria President.

The Melbourne Aces secured their first Australian Baseball League title and Victoria's first Claxton Shield since 2010 after sweeping the Adelaide Giants in two games.

The first game of the 2020 Australian Baseball League Championship Series saw Melbourne win in a 4-3 walkoff at home on Friday, and the Aces then traveled to Adelaide and won 6-2 on Saturday night.

The Aces' thrilling victory was highlighted by home runs from MVP Shane Robinson and Delmon Young, along with a great start from Wes Helsabeck as he threw 6.2 innings with just two runs allowed on three hits, walking one and striking out seven.

Jon Kennedy, Lars Liguori and Cody Mincey combined for 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to shut the door on Adelaide and take out the title.

Robinson, Young, Nate Samson and Allan de San Miguel all recorded two hits in the game. Both de San Miguel and infielder Luke Hughes will retire from the ABL on a high note after helping Melbourne to a highly-anticipated championship victory, as the Aces will bring the Claxton Shield home to Victoria.

Congratulations to the Aces on an amazing season and a fantastic championship!

The 2020 Australian Baseball League Championship Series starts tonight, with Melbourne Aces taking on Adelaide Giants at 7pm at Melbourne Ballpark. The series will move to Adelaide for game two and game three (if necessary) on Saturday and Sunday.

The Aces are chasing their first championship title and the prestigious Claxton Shield against the No. 1 seed, a team they had an even 4-4 record with this season.

Baseball Victoria congratulates the Aces on making it to the championship and wishes them the best of luck as the 2020 ABLCS unfolds this weekend.

Click HERE to get tickets for tonight’s game or click HERE to watch the game livestream.

Ryan Othen is on a mission to wrap up the 2019/20 VSBL season in winning style.

As a pitcher and infielder for Malvern Braves Baseball Club, the 16-year-old is determined to make the most of his opportunities on the field.

He’s made some crucial contributions to Malvern’s U18 State team this season, including an inside-the-park-home-run for a huge walk off win over Geelong. The Braves sit in the top three, putting them in prime playoff position for that competition. Ryan has also made some appearances in the seniors, playing for Malvern’s Division 2 reserves and firsts. Malvern is in the running for finals in all three competitions, something Ryan looks forward to.

His journey at Malvern started when he was young and took on T-Ball at the club. He’s been hooked ever since, with his eyes on the big prize this season. “I want to win the premiership, and I also want to get better as a player in every aspect of the game,” Ryan said. “I have hot and cold hitting streaks, so I want to be more consistent.”

Ryan is committed to training and he likes to use what he learned at national tournaments to his advantage. He’s always doing drills and trying to improve his overall skills, something that helps him succeed. The great atmosphere on his team certainly helps too. “We get a long with each other really well, we always play as a team,” Ryan said. “On paper some teams are better than us but sometimes they don’t play well because they don’t play as a team.”

With some new players joining the Braves family this season, Ryan has enjoyed getting to know everyone as they work together toward a big finals run. No matter how the season ends, Ryan hopes he can encourage others to get on the field. “It’s so fun, so just give it a go,” Ryan said. “Baseball is my favourite thing.”

Wesley de Jong first picked up a baseball with the encouragement of his parents, and he never looked back.

“Footy and cricket was finished, baseball was the next best thing. Mum and dad both played baseball and softball,” Wesley said. “For some reason it just clicked, and I haven’t had a year off since I was five. Love at first sight I reckon.”

Ready to Win

The 23-year-old Werribee Giants pitcher confirms he’s in the game for the long haul and is prepared to showcase his skills every week, especially as his team makes a run for the playoffs in the 2019/20 VSBL Division 2 season.

Wesley’s VSBL success is backed up by a long history of dedication to the sport. Some of his greatest achievements include playing for Victoria and traveling with fellow Aussies to play in the U.S. But by far his most prestigious accomplishment was when he was selected to play college ball in America, an experience that taught him a lot about the game and helps him to this day.

Wesley lived in North Dakota for two years as he attended Williston State College, and he had the time of his life. “One of my friends who plays for Geelong, he was over there a year before me, so we tried to network a little bit and put in a good word. I got in contact with the coach and it led from there,” Wesley said. “I was in North Dakota which was very remote and cold so that was hard, but we had some unreal facilities.”

Taking a lot away from his college experience, Wesley is prepared for whatever happens out on the field every week. He’s supported his beloved Giants as they’ve put together a stellar season campaign so far, securing a 15-5 record to sit in second place with six games to go. Even so, it hasn’t been without some challenges as Werribee faces some new teams and players in the Division 2 mix.

“Baseball is a sport where you need to sort of switch on and off between pitches or between innings,” Wesley said. “The hard part is both meeting new people and playing against people you know really well.”

Focus on Finals

Wesley has adjusted to the competition, keeping a positive attitude out on the field, even when Werribee has faced some close calls. Six of their games have been decided by one run, with four of those turning into victories. Still, a win is a win for Werribee as Wesley and his teammates look to get back to grand final glory.

“I think we’ve made seven of the last eight finals series, but we couldn’t get that one step further,” Wesley said. “So if we could close out the year with a premiership and hopefully move onto Division 1, it will be a big step.”

Wesley is vocal about his goals for the season, and he’s determined to prove himself. “I’d love to win the league pitching award,” Wesley said. “I’ve been up there the last couple of years but can’t seem to grasp it. Josh Lee, my other teammate, he’s won it and so have a couple of the other boys, so it’ll be good to get one back on them.”

The pitcher has thrown in thirteen of Werribee’s games so far this season for a total of 70.1 innings including a couple of complete games. He has an ERA of 2.56 with six wins, one loss and a save, as well as 48 strikeouts overall. His season-best game came against Preston in round six when he pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up just four hits with 10 strikeouts.

“I think my pitching has gotten a lot better, especially from last winter. Year in, year out I think there’s been minor improvements,” Wesley said.

A Warm Werribee Welcome

It’s that slow yet steady progress that has allowed Wesley to continue his successful baseball career over the past 18 years. He says he’s thankful for the comradery around the club, as well as Werribee’s desire to see the best of their players unleashed on the diamond.

“For us, we’ve had a pretty core group of guys since we’ve all played juniors,” Wesley said. “We’ve known each other and played together for 10 years so we can bounce off each other on and off the field. There’s no cliques or anything like that so I think that really helps us win more games than we lose.”

While there’s other sports out there that he likes, nothing compares to baseball. “I thought about going back to footy and cricket just to try for something different, but I can’t seem to find a way to do it so I just jeep rocking up every week,” Wesley said. “The baseball community is unreal and full of great people which keeps you around for the long haul.”

De Jong credits the club’s welcoming members as one of the main reasons why he has stayed around for so long, and has no plans of leaving anytime soon. Besides, he also wants to support Werribee as the Division 2 firsts look to prove where they belong.

For the Giants, it’s important to build on their special team environment, which will give them an edge against highly competitive opponents, particularly if they make finals and have to face added pressure. Wesley is ready for it though. “It’s a big moment to move forward from just your regular season game and make the finals on a big ground, as there’s plenty of people watching,” Wesley said. “Some people can handle it, some people can’t. It’s just about trying to meet in the middle and have everyone execute what they need to do at the time.”

That’s the recipe Werribee will be looking to follow in the coming weeks as there’s just six regular season rounds to go. Thanks to a strong start, Werribee is in fine form heading toward the finish line, and Wesley hopes that the Giants can keep up the pace if they do make finals.

“Getting off to a good start is massive. I mean, if you win game one, you go in happy and ready to go in game two,” Wesley said. “But if you lose, you’re on the backfoot, really having to work hard to get the next two knowing that you’ve already lost one. Game one is definitely the most important I think.”

With a bright future ahead of him, regardless of what the rest of this season has in store, Wesley hopes to see more people give his favourite sport a try.

“Give it a crack. You might not know a whole lot about it, it’s a pretty intricate sport. The people, whether it be presidents of clubs or parents of kids or players, make it a really tight-knit community,” Wesley added. “I think that helps our sport grow and we’re seeing it get bigger and bigger.”

Another round of intense midweek matchups gave teams the chance to improve their records as finals get closer for VSBL Division 1. Sunshine and Geelong continue to prove their dominance on top of the ladder while there was some movement in the top four courtesy of Blackburn's win over Waverley, with six rounds to go before it's finals time.

Division 1 Firsts

Sunshine Eagles 1 v Essendon Bombers 1

These teams scored either side of the game with the Eagles kicking off proceedings at the top of the first while Essendon scored one at the bottom of the seventh and final inning.

Gareth Formisano pitched the whole seven innings for the Bombers, as he gave up five hits and one run while striking out three batters.

Ross Bament had two hits from two at bats for Essendon that included a double as Lachlan Condie had one hit which he converted into a run from a Darby Sexton single.

Sunshine's formidable offense was kept quieter in this game, with the Eagles collecting five hits in the game. Jordan Young, Jeremy Young, Allan de San Miguel, Jason Tutt and Bryce Aldridge all singled.

Despite the draw, the Eagles are preparing to finish off the season on a high note and head into finals in strong fashion. "The boys are looking forward to playing finals, its great at the moment we have a couple of games break on the next team which means we can start to share the pitching around between our four pitchers so that everyone is ready to go come finals time," Sunshine Head Coach Stuart Clayton said. "To be successful we will need everyone up and about because if we play Geelong they have great pitching and a solid hitting lineup, so we need to be at our best to beat them. We always have tight games against them."

The draw puts leaves Sunshine clear on top with a 16-4-1 record but Geelong isn't too far behind at 14-7. The Eagles play Berwick next while Essendon takes on Blackburn in a late-season push for the top four.

Sandringham Royals 1 v Fitzroy Lions 5

Sandringham opened the scoring at the top of the first but the Royals were shut down by Fitzroy for the remainder of the game.

The Lions scored three at the bottom of the first to hold some leverage but single run accounts in the second and fourth helped along the way to record a win.

Declan Croker had two hits for Sandringham as the Royals have dropped four of their last five. Croker and Sam Street shared pitching duties, with Croker covering four and Street handling two innings.

Brock Pawley was on point for Fitzroy, throwing 16 first-pitch strikes in his seven innings of work. Tim Lane, Paul Rutgers, Branden Stenhouse, Jack Wills and Zac Skinner had singles for Sandringham. Out of Fitzroy's eight hits, two doubles came off the bat of Tom Dicker while Pawley, Danny King, Tom Wilson and Riley Hill had base hits. Ethan Epifanio and Tyler Trevaskis hit for extra bases.

The Lions are 8-13 for the season while the Royals have slipped to 9-13 for the season as the two sides are 10th and ninth respectively. Next time these sides take to the diamond, the Lions will travel to Cheltenham while the Royals face Melbourne.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 4 v Cheltenham Rustlers 17

A few massive innings from the Rustlers allowed them to overpower their opponents as they comfortably won by 13 runs.

While the Tigers were the first team to score, managing one in the second, their lead was short-lived as the Rustlers scored seven at the bottom. Cheltenham's third inning followed with another five runs, adding one in the fifth as well.

The sixth inning saw lots of offensive action from both teams, the Tigers claiming three but it was Cheltenham again at the bottom who scored four to end the game.

Sean Meldrum picked up the loss for the Tigers, going 1.2 innings for eight hits and seven runs while Harvey Chinn went 3.1 innings for nine hits and six runs.

Offensively for Upwey Ferntree Gully, Jordan Elliot and Donovan Hendricks each had two hits, a single and a double while Michael Oxworth also picked up and RBI double which he converted into a run. Elliot, Nicholas Rice and Riley Light were their other runscorers.

Cheltenham had a massive 21 hits in the game, with Lars Liguori going 4-for-5 including two home runs, a double and a single. Conor Myles went 3-for-3 with a double and two singles and a perfect on base percentage. Mac Turley had two doubles while Michael Leslie and Andrew Gribbin also had two hits. Many others in the lineup got on base as well, with Dylan Trevorah, Jack Enciondo, Sam Michael, Ben Fierenzi, Michael Rizzi, Andrew Campbell and Blake Holding all recording hits on the night as well.

Liguori threw five innings, giving up five hits, one walk and one earned run with five strikeouts. Cheltenham coach Bryan Kloppe says Liguori makes a big difference to the team. "The pitching of Lars Liguori and Jack Enciondo will be the keys for our success this season," Kloppe said. "We have our sights set on making finals and winning our first premiership in Division 1 summer baseball since our club's amalgamation with Prahran in 1972."

Cheltenham will keep working towards that goal with a series v Fitzroy, while Upwey Ferntree Gully plays Newport. The Rustlers are just shy of the top four with a 12-9-1 record while Upwey has slipped slightly to 8-9-2.

Melbourne Demons 1 v Berwick City Cougars 6

Melbourne held a 1-0 lead after one and a half innings but from there it was all Berwick, who got the runs while also preventing the Demons from getting any more runners home.

The Cougars scored four in the second and two in the sixth and final inning as they claimed their 10th win of the season, overtaking Essendon to now sit sixth.

Berwick's impressive pitching staff gave up just six hits on the day, including a Jarryd Rogers home run and two singles to Matthew Kent. Mitch Ellis, Harvey Mitchelhill and Bronson Neave also singled for Melbourne although they weren't brought around to score.

While this game was much quieter than Sunday's massive 16-3 Berwick victory, the Cougars will be confident going into the next matchup as they've won the past four.

Melbourne hosts Sandringham hoping to win in front of home fans next weekend while the Cougars will host Sunshine, keen to keep the win streak alive.

Blackburn Orioles 6 v Waverley Wildcats 1

Waverley led by a run after a runner crossed the plate in the second inning but Blackburn took control from then on.

Scoring three in the third, the Orioles were out to a three run lead after their fourth dig came to an end until finally scoring two more runs in the sixth and final inning.

The Wildcats were beaten defensively throughout the rest of the night as the Orioles ensured they and Waverley switched positions on the ladder, although each still remain in the top four.

Andrew Jones was on the mound for Blackburn, pitching six innings and giving up four hits, one run and two strikeouts as he took the win.

With the bats for the Orioles, Jacob Evans and Nick Rossell had two hits each including home runs, with Evans bringing in three runs. Liam Hopkins had a double which he came home on while Ben Leslie scored twice.

Andrew Russell took the loss for Waverley, going four innings and giving up six hits, four runs and five base on balls.

Jordan Ley made it to second on his one hit of the game. Russell was the lone scorer of the Wildcats as Damon Hill hit and single to get him safe at home.

Blackburn will host Essendon in the next round while Waverley hosts Geelong in huge series that could determine the finals picture.

Newport Rams 2 v Geelong Baycats 8

Newport continues to put up a fight but it was no match for the might of Geelong as the Baycats showed why they're in the top two of the competition.

The game was scoreless through the opening two innings before Geelong took a 4-0 lead in the third, thanks in large part to a three-run homer from Troy Snarey, his first of the season. The Baycats' lead just kept growing, with two more in the fourth and two additional runs in the later innings.

Newport had David Asp on the mound who took the loss across three innings as he gave up nine hits and four runs. Tyler Comben also pitched three innings, allowing five hits, four runs and three base on balls.

Keenan Spence had two RBIs for the Rams while it was David Land and Jarod Berman who were the runscorers.

Next time around, the Rams will travel to Upwey Ferntree Gully while Geelong heads to Waverley.

Melbourne continues to light up the competition and keep opponents at bay in VSBL Division 4 East as the season draws nearer to the end, winning a 15th straight game. Footscray Red and White are battling it out for top spot honours in the North West while Cheltenham has kept in first place despite a bye and big wins to Monash Uni and Berwick.

Division 4 East

St Kilda Saints 2 v Malvern Braves 8

Malvern took care of business early, getting out to an eight run lead within two innings before the Saints scored their first runs at the top of the fifth.

While the teams are similar, it was just the Braves fourth win of the season and they have come up from seventh place to sixth spot on the ladder while the Saints are still fourth with a 6-8-1 record.

With three rounds to go, St Kilda will aim to get back onto the winner's list against Waverley Black while Malvern would surely like to keep the wins coming, especially against Melbourne.

Monash University Farmers 3 v Waverley Wildcats Black 8

Waverley Black struck first but fell quickly behind as the teams went into the bottom of the third. Monash Uni scored three runs across the second and third inning to lead 3-1.

Waverley Black evened the score when the fourth inning concluded and found the lead with another one-run dig in the fifth before going all out in the six to score four runs.

The Wildcats Black side has locked up a top-two finish as they sit second with a 13-3 record ahead of a meeting against St Kilda while for the Farmers, they're just outside the top four, but on the same winning percentage as fourth-placed St Kilda. The Farmers will hosts Fitzroy Gold next weekend.

Blackburn Orioles 7 v Fitzroy Lions Gold 6

In Fitzroy, Lions Gold were set the task of scoring two runs at the bottom of the seventh for the win but couldn't manage a run after Blackburn came from behind to secure the lead, and eventual win.

The Orioles scored all seven of their runs in the final two innings - two in the sixth and five in the second - as they fought back against a 6-0 deficit where Fitzroy started the game with three runs in the first.

A clutch single from Johnny McBride scored three runs and put Blackburn in front for good.

It was a bitter blow for the Lions Gold as the Orioles recorded their second win of the season but first proper win which is set to give them a wealth of confidence after being on a 12-game losing streak.

The Orioles will take this momentum with them when they play Waverley Red next week while for Fitzroy Gold, they come up against Monash Uni.

Melbourne Demons 8 v Waverley Wildcats Red 2

Melbourne tasked Waverley Red with getting nine runs in the seventh and final inning of the game after building up an 8-0 lead and keeping the Wildcats scoreless.

The Demons highlights were when they scored three runs in the fourth before contributing two more in each of the sixth and seventh innings. Waverley Red scored two at the bottom of the seventh.

The win to Melbourne keeps their streak going, sitting first at 15-0 and looking forward now to Malvern while for the Wildcats Red side, they'll feel a good chance against Blackburn.

Division 4 North West

North Coburg Rebels Gold 4 v Footscray Bulldogs White 8

North Coburg Gold looked right in this game despite giving up the first two runs to Footscray White in the second innings.

The Rebels were able to cut the margin in half in their third dig but the Bulldogs fought back in a big way, scoring five runs at the bottom, adding one in the fourth, it seeming like a big task ahead for the Rebels.

North Coburg Gold knew the situation and scored three runs in the top of the fifth before the final out was made.

Footscray White is less than a percent away from top spot and faces North Coburg Maroon this weekend while North Coburg Gold will take on Footscray Blue in a good mid-table matchup.

Fitzroy Lions Blue 0 v Mitchell Majors Black 10

It wasn't until late in this game that Mitchell Majors Black scored their runs, starting with one run in the fourth before six in the fifth and a further three in the sixth.

Until the fourth inning, it was largely a pitcher's duel as Fitzroy Blue and Mitchell Majors Black as the home team kept letting their defence talk.

Michael Bourke, Coen Fitzgerald and William Gurnett were all instrumental for Mitchell Majors Black, as the team secured win number four of the season while Fitzroy Blue is just one win ahead of them on the ladder. Mitchell Majors Black will travel to Essendon this weekend while Fitzroy Blue will have the bye to ponder the remainder of the season.

Essendon Jets 17 v North Coburg Rebels Maroon 1

Essendon got the first runs of the game in the second when they scored four while North Coburg Maroon got their one and only run at the bottom.

After that, the Jets scored a further 13 runs, helped by five in the third and seven in the fifth as the score ballooned out. Blake Coleman, Ben Jansen and Jacob Kline helped Essendon's cause as there were hits up and down the lineup.

The Jets are still behind a few other mid-table teams but will be playing Fitzroy Maroon next up while North Coburg Maroon will search for another win as it'll be tough over Footscray White.

Essendon Bombers 6 v Footscray Bulldogs Red 10

Essendon scored either side of their box score with two to start things off in the first inning but after that point, Footscray Red were 2-7 up after four innings.

The fifth and final inning saw the Bombers start with four runs, which brought the margin to one run. But the Bulldogs had other ideas as they kept going at it, scoring three runs to complete the win.

Footscray Red would be happy with the win as they stay in first place with a 13-1-1 record ahead of a matchup with Mitchell Majors Yellow while the Bombers are 3-11 and take on Mitchell Majors Black next time around.

Fitzroy Lions Maroon 8 v Mitchell Majors Yellow 4

Fitzroy Maroon were up 4-0 after their third turn at bat as Mitchell Majors Yellow scored their first at the bottom.

Fitzroy Maroon scored one more in the fourth before Mitchell Majors Yellow took two more to their score in the fourth.

With a 5-3 scoreline, the game could've gone anywhere but the Lions seemed to put that to bed at the top of the fifth when they scored three runs to which Mitchell Majors Yellow could just muster one in the bottom in reply and in search of a great comeback.

Fitzroy Maroon moved into the top four on the back of this win and will play Essendon Jets next while Mitchell Majors Yellow sit third ad will play fellow top-four competitor Footscray Red.

Footscray Bulldogs Blue v BYE

Footscray Bulldogs Blue sit sixth at the completion of the round with a 6-8 record but with three games to go. The Bulldogs will need a win this week over North Coburg Gold to keep in touch with their opposition.

Division 4 South

St Kilda Saints 3 v Berwick City Cougars 22

Berwick had two maxed-out seven-run innings in the second and third as they were at a 3-19 lead after three, five more runs came from their first dig.

St Kilda scored a run in the second and two in the third as the Cougars finalised their score in the fifth with three more.

The Cougars have stayed in third spot on the ladder with an 11-3 record ahead of a game against Pakenham while St Kilda is clinging onto a top four spot but will be eagerly waiting on the results this weekend as the Saints have a bye.

Pakenham Pumas 2 v Monash University Farmers 11

Monash Uni started the game off with a bang, collecting seven runs in the first inning and it was a 0-10 scoreline to the Farmers after two complete innings.

The Pumas fought back started in the fifth with two runs to their score while Monash Uni finished the game by scoring one at the bottom.

Monash Uni is 11-2-1 but the Farmers aren't safe in the top two just yet as they prepare to face Ormond Glenhuntly. The Pumas are 1-15 and will face Berwick in their next game.

Ormond Glenhuntly 9 v Melbourne Demons 5

Melbourne had a chance to win in the bottom of the fourth inning but just managed three, after being down 9-2.

Ormond Glenhuntly scored three at the first dig of the game before the Demons came within one. Ormond Glenhuntly scored a further three in the second and fourth inning too.

It was Ormond Glenhuntly's fourth win of the season before they play Monash Uni while Melbourne sits 5-6 and wants to win against Cheltenham next time around.

Cheltenham Rustlers v BYE

Cheltenham, despite the bye, has stayed in top spot with a 9-1-1 record but won't want to slow down against Melbourne in the upcoming round.

Springvale is still far in front of the standings in the firsts, with a six-game buffer separating the Lions and Ormond Glenhuntly Gold as the two top teams prepare to do battle this weekend. In the reserves, Springvale and Ormond Glenhuntly Gold are fighting for a first place finish, with just one win between them.

Division 3 Firsts

Chelsea Dolphins 0 v Ormond GH Gold 3

Ormond Glenhuntly Gold kept the Dolphins scoreless in this nine-inning game that had the home team scoring one in the fifth and two in the seventh.

Sungwoo Back, Manager of Ormond Glenhuntly Gold, was pleased with his team's performance although he thinks they can improve in their offensive production. "Changho Choi and Kyungsoo Jeon had amazing performances in the batter's box. Changho Choi had four hits on the game and Kyungsoo Jeon had a home run," Back said. "We are really concentrating on great results to go to the finals."

The Hunters gave up just one hit on the day, and that was a single to Matthew Burton. Adam Burton walked twice while Scott Kerr and Rhys Tippett also took base on balls, but that was it for the Dolphins offensively.

Brendan Robinson gave up one hit in 1.1 innings of work as Trent Wilford covered 6.2 innings, giving up three runs - two of them earned - on eight hits, one walk and one hit-b-pitch batter with four strikeouts along the way.

The win allows Ormond Gold to stay in second place while Chelsea need some wins going for them in the next few games to keep inside the top four with three rounds to play.

The Dolphins will now host Ormond Glenhuntly Blue this weekend while Ormond Gold will host Springvale in a top-two matchup.

North Western Titans 0 v Springvale Lions 11

Springvale kept the Titans scoreless in this game as they kept creeping forward in their run tally.

It was 2-0 in favour of the Lions after the second, and their lead grew by three in the fourth. Six runs in the sixth put a further dent in the game.

Matt Cameron, Tim Hanson and Scott Baillie all had two hits, with Cameron going extra bases on a double. Rydge Hogan homered for the second time this season, his first coming in the opening game. Lucas Anderson, Myles Barnden, Lucas Price and Chris Davies singled too.

Baillie was in control on the mound through five innings, giving up just two hits and striking out seven in another scoreless outing. Anderson threw two innings, striking out three while allowing just two runners on - one with a hit and another with a walk.

Springvale is 15-1 this season while the Titans are 3-12 with the Lions taking on fellow top-team Ormond Gold this weekend while the Titans face Pakenham away.

Ormond GH Blue 9 v Pakenham Pumas 10

A late flurry of runs through the last five innings from the Pumas saw them take the walkoff win over Ormond Glenhuntly Blue.

Ormond Blue led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth before Pakenham had tied the scores as the sixth inning came to an end.

Despite Ormond Blue netting four runs in the ninth and leading by one run at that stage, the consistent run scoring capabilities from Pakenham made a big difference. The Pumas scored two runs in each of the seventh to ninth innings to their eighth win of the season.

Michael Sullivan was credited with the loss for the away side, giving up 15 hits and six earned runs with three base on balls and four strikeouts.

On the bats for Ormond Blue, Geoff MacDonald had three hits from five at bats with two runs and three RBIs. Trifon Stafilis recorded three hits and one run while Jason Maxwell had two hits including a double. Ashley Fisher had two RBIs from one hit and two sacrifice flys.

Ormond Blue still has a chance to make the top four and will come up against Chelsea next while Pakenham will have high hopes against North Western Titans.

Division 3 Reserves

Chelsea Dolphins 7 v Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 11

A big set of runs either side of Ormond Glenhuntly Gold's game saw them come away with the win over Chelsea on the weekend.

Sending four runs home in the bottom of the first in reply to Chelsea's one run started things off however the Dolphins evened the score in the second before going ahead in the third and fourth to lead by three runs.

Chelsea still held a lead up until the bottom of the sixth when Ormond Gold scored six, and then the home team were able to shut out the Dolphins from coming back.

Ormond Gold is still holding onto a slight chance of snatching first place and could do so this weekend against Springvale, the team that sits first currently. Chelsea will like to see some wins going forward, starting with Ormond Glenhuntly Blue.

North Western Titans 0 v Springvale Lions 40

Scoring 10 runs in the first inning may sound like a lot however Springvale doubled that in the second as the Lions took a 0-30 lead after the second inning.

From there the scoring slowed, allowing six and four runs to score in the third and fourth respectively as they gave the Titans batters and runner limited chances to score.

North Western Titans will travel to Pakenham while first-placed Springvale is set for a massive showdown against Ormond Glenhuntly Gold.

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 8 v Pakenham Pumas 11

A high-scoring first inning ended with the Pumas up 4-8, as the margin at the end of the second had the Pumas with an even greater lead of 5-11.

To the Hunters' credit, they were able to stop Pakenham from growing their score further while trying to get some more runs themselves however the only time Ormond Blue could get runs in was at the fifth inning when they scored three.

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue will take on Chelsea in the next set of games while Pakenham hosts North Western Titans.

Division 3 Firsts

Chelsea Dolphins 0 v Ormond GH Gold 3

Ormond Glenhuntly Gold kept the Dolphins scoreless in this nine-inning game that had the home team scoring one in the fifth and two in the seventh.

The win allows Ormond Gold to stay in second place while Chelsea need some wins going for them in the next few games to keep inside the top four with three rounds to play.

The Dolphins will now host Ormond Glenhuntly Blue this weekend while Ormond Gold will host Springvale in a top-two matchup.

North Western Titans 0 v Springvale Lions 11

Springvale kept the Titans scoreless in this game as they kept creeping forward in their run tally.

It was 2-0 in favour of the Lions after the second, and their lead grew by three in the fourth. Six runs in the sixth put a further dent in the game.

Springvale is 15-1 this season while the Titans are 3-12 with the Lions taking on fellow top-team Ormond Gold this weekend while the Titans face Pakenham away.

Ormond GH Blue 9 v Pakenham Pumas 10

A late flurry of runs through the last five innings from the Pumas saw them take the walkoff win over Ormond Glenhuntly Blue.

Ormond Blue led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth before Pakenham had tied the scores as the sixth inning came to an end.

Michael Sullivan was credited with the loss for the away side, giving up 15 hits and six earned runs with three base on balls and four strikeouts.

Ormond Blue still has a chance to make the top four and will come up against Chelsea next while Pakenham will have high hopes against North Western Titans.

Division 3 Reserves

Chelsea Dolphins 7 v Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 11

A big set of runs either side of Ormond Glenhuntly Gold's game saw them come away with the win over Chelsea on the weekend.

Chelsea still held a lead up until the bottom of the sixth when Ormond Gold scored six, and then the home team were able to shut out the Dolphins from coming back.

North Western Titans 0 v Springvale Lions 40

Scoring 10 runs in the first inning may sound like a lot however Springvale doubled that in the second as the Lions took a 0-30 lead after the second inning.

From there the scoring slowed, allowing six and four runs to score in the third and fourth respectively as they gave the Titans batters and runner limited chances to score.

North Western Titans will travel to Pakenham while first-placed Springvale is set for a massive showdown against Ormond Glenhuntly Gold.

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 8 v Pakenham Pumas 11

A high-scoring first inning ended with the Pumas up 4-8, as the margin at the end of the second had the Pumas with an even greater lead of 5-11.

Ormond Glenhuntly Blue will take on Chelsea in the next set of games while Pakenham hosts North Western Titans.

Williamstown is still on top with Werribee not far behind as the 2019/20 VSBL Division 2 season continues ahead of finals. The Wolves also hold first place in the reserves with Moorabbin a game away, while Malvern sits two games ahead of three teams with the same number of wins in the thirds. Despite the bye, Williamstown has still held onto first place in the fourths.

Division 2 Firsts - Round 21

Preston Pirates 0 v Doncaster Dragons 10

Doncaster got a shutout win over Preston in a surprising result that repeated itself from the midweek too when the Dragons recorded a 13-run win over the Pirates.

Ben Palensky got the win for the Dragons, going five innings for four hits, zero runs and three strikeouts. John Britton got the save as he pitched three innings for three hits and zero runs.

On the bats for the home team, Brendan McDonald was a star, managing two hits with a run and three RBIs. Palensky went three from five as he picked up two runs and an RBI. Brian Chen had four hits from five at bats, translating into three RBIs while Marcel D'Avoine scored three runs in total.

Ben Donnell was credited with the loss for Preston. He went seven innings and gave up 10 hits and four runs along with six strikeouts.

Offensively for the Pirates, they only tallied seven hits overall of which Cameron Deeble had three that included a triple. Jaycob Pascuzzi and Matt Fordham had two hits each.

The Dragons have won four of the past five games as they time their run at the right time and prepare to face Moorabbin while the Pirates hope to come back against Port Melbourne. Doncaster is 8-12 and Preston is 11-9.

Mulgrave Rebels 3 v Malvern Braves 6

It was an even 3-3 game going into the bottom of the eighth but that was when the Braves doubled their score and took that lead as the game concluded.

Mulgrave's Jayson Arthur took the loss after going three innings, allowing five hits, three runs and three base on balls.

Nick Thompson had two hits and one run for Mulgrave and Riley O'Shea had an RBI double but it was Arthur who was the standout with two hits from three at bats, converting each of them and getting an RBI in the process.

Tyler Dale picked up the win for Malvern with two hits and one run in three innings. Sean Cruz handled six innings as he gave up five hits and one earned run while striking out nine.

Offensively for the Braves, Mitchell Kennedy had two hits from two at bats with a run and an RBI, Jack Hanger had two hits from three at bats with one run and an RBI while Tyler Dale had three hits from five at bats on his way to a run and RBI. Lachlan Fuda had two hits and one run and Henry Hayman had two singles that both brought in runs.

The Braves have gone up a spot to third place on the ladder with a 12-7 record while the Rebels have gone down one spot to eighth with a 7-12 record. Malvern takes on St Kilda next up while Mulgrave will face Bonbeach.

St Kilda Saints 3 v Port Melbourne Mariners 4

Port Melbourne won a nailbiter against St Kilda to make it three in a row while the Saints fell to their sixth consecutive loss.

As the Mariners hosted their inaugural Pink Sports Day on Sunday in support of Breast Cancer Network Australia, the Saints took an early 1-0 lead and kept it going that way through the top of the sixth. Port Melbourne tied things up in the bottom frame and tacked on the other three in the seventh.

St Kilda scored two late runs but still fell just shy of tying things up and staying in it. Franco Caramia took the loss for St Kilda after allowing four runs from seven hits across seven innings.

St Kilda's Antonio Torres had one hit and two RBIs while Eduardo Escalona had two hits from three at bats with one run.

Port Melbourne's Head Coach Ben Burke says it was an entertaining game of baseball. "St Kilda really showed up to play, making some solid plays in the field," Burke said. "Aaron Petri got through another seven innings in a good showing, and promising for us with some crucial games to come. Billy Parsons got through the last two innings to get the save."

There were some other players that showed potential too. "It was very pleasing to see Kevin Ung come up and play in the firsts this week, and he was pivotal in sparking us in the sixth, and then coming up clutch in the seventh with an RBI single," Burke said. "Chris Doyle was solid again going 3-for-4, and Matt Morris 2-for-3, who also was a standout at first base in the field."

After a strong series Port Melbourne will need to do it all over again heading into a matchup with Preston. "Moving forward to this week provides another challenge for us, we were errorless through the St Kilda series, and this will be another big focus for us," Burke added. "Preston has been fairly consistent of late, with their import Ben Donnell doing a large chunk of throwing, and doing it well. Our approach at the plate has been good, and we look to keep that moving in the same direction."

The Mariners are fifth with a 12-8 record ahead of a match against Preston while St Kilda has slipped recently to 5-16 as the Saints prepare to play away to Malvern.

Moorabbin Panthers 2 v Werribee Giants 5

Although Moorabbin struck first in the first dig of the game, it was the Giants who had the greater dig as they scored three at the bottom.

The Panthers got one more added to their score in the fourth before single runs in the fifth and seventh to the Giants, as well as shutting out the Panthers, secured them the win.

Wesley de Jong got the win for the Giants as he pitched the whole game, giving up just six hits and two runs with eight strikeouts.

Justin Gil had a double for his one hit of the game as he recorded two runs. Wade Balzer had an RBI single that he converted into a run, the same for Oliver Box though he recorded three RBIs due to a home run. Evan McPherson had two hits as did Ryan Balzer who had a run as well.

Moorabbin tallied six hits on the day, with Stewart Mathieson, Nick Veale, Neil Johnston, Nick Bertucci, Travis Finney and Zach Kamerman all had hits on the day, with Johnston the only player to go for extra bases.

Mathieson covered three innings on the mound, giving up two hits and one earned run, while Nick Veale threw five with seven hits, four walks and four earned runs given up along with six strikeouts to bring his season total to 33.

The Giants have kept within the top two with a 15-5 record and on a five-game winning streak will want that to continue against Williamstown. Moorabbin is away to Doncaster as the Panthers want to cement a spot in the top four.

Williamstown Wolves 9 v Bonbeach Bluejays 2

While Bonbeach got the first run in the opening inning, the Wolves took a 4-1 lead at the middle of the fourth before the Bluejays got their next run.

Williamstown scored five more runs throughout the sixth to ninth innings as Bonbeach wasn't able to score any further runs.

Jayde Thorne recorded the win for the Wolves as he had one hit and zero earned runs with six strikeouts in six innings. Dennis Neal got he save after three innings with two hits, zero runs and eight strikeouts.

Hiroshi Narasaki had one hit but managed two runs, while Daniel Chircop had two hits that included a double along with two runs and an RBI.

The win to the Wolves keeps them on top slightly with a 16-4 record before taking on Werribee this weekend while Bonbeach will host Mulgrave as the Bluejays search for a second win of the season.

Division 2 Reserves - Round 16

Preston Pirates 8 v Doncaster Dragons 9

Doncaster won a tight one against Preston on the weekend , a win that allowed them to enter the top four on the back of an eight-game win streak.

Preston has lost the last two and sits eighth with a 5-10-1 record will want to see the season out with a few wins, starting with Port Melbourne this weekend.

The Dragons take on Moorabbin as they can keep going up the ladder and making an impact on this competition.

Moorabbin Panthers 4 v Werribee Giants 5

Werribee won in a walkoff in the sixth inning but it wasn't without an initial fightback from Moorabbin.

The Giants were out to a 4-0 lead after three innings but within the next two, the Panthers evened up the game.

Sitting in second place, Moorabbin has had an up-and-down past few games with a 12-4 record before facing Doncaster. Werribee's next game will be hosting Williamstown next as the Giants are 7-7-2 for the season.

Williamstown Wolves 17 v Bonbeach Bluejays 2

This was a huge win for Williamstown, helped by big scores in the third and fifth where they scored five and nine respectively with one run in between those in the fourth.

The Wolves scored their first two runs in the first, as did Bonbeach as the score remained even until the third inning.

The win keeps Williamstown in first place with a 13-3 record while Bonbeach is at the bottom of the ladder with one win for the season. The Wolves take on Werribee next up while the Bluejays will be searching for a win over Mulgrave.

Mulgrave Rebels 6 v Malvern Braves 3

The Rebels scored their six runs during their first two digs with four runs to start off the game, highlighting a good defensive shift from the Braves for the rest of the game.

Malvern scored single runs in the second, fourth and fifth but for the Rebels, it was just their sixth win of the season as they upset the Braves chances of making the top four after this round.

Malvern is fifth with a 9-6-1 record ahead of hosting St Kilda while Mulgrave will travel to Bonbeach in this upcoming round.

St Kilda Saints 15 v Port Melbourne Mariners 0

St Kilda managed a shutout victory that also saw them end up with 15 runs in a truly dominating game by the Saints.

St Kilda is third with a 10-6 record, ahead of Doncaster on runs for which this result certainly helps.

Port Melbourne is languishing in ninth with a 5-11 record but will feel confident against Preston as the Saints travel to Malvern.

Division 2 Thirds - Round 16

Port Melbourne Mariners 4 v St Kilda Saints 13

St Kilda won easily over the Mariners to keep just outside of the top four while the away team is 3-13 and sitting ninth.

Port Melbourne scored two early runs but St Kilda answered with four before working things out to a 7-2 lead going into the third. By the time that inning wrapped up the Saints were ahead 10-4, eventually piling on three more in the fifth.

Port Melbourne will hope to stop an eight-game skid against Preston while St Kilda are looking forward to hosting Malvern.

Werribee Giants 3 v Moorabbin Panthers 12

The scores were tied at three apiece after the first innings and stayed that way until the bottom of the fourth when Moorabbin scored seven to enter double figures in the runs tally.

The Panthers managed another two runs in the sixth as the Giants couldn't score anymore.

Moorabbin is one of three teams on 11 wins but the Panthers are sitting second as they now look ahead to Doncaster while Werribee is 5-11 and plays Williamstown this week.

Malvern Braves 4 v Mulgrave Rebels 10

Two big innings from Mulgrave was plenty for the Rebels to hold a good win - four in the third and five in the fifth.

Malvern was the team to score first as the Braves hit two runs in in the third with singles in the fourth and sixth for their extra runs.

The loss for the Braves was just their third for the season, their one before coming last week against Mulgrave as they dropped the past two after being 13-0. Mulgrave will feel confident of keeping the wins coming when faced with a game against Bonbeach. Malvern will look for a better result on the road at St Kilda.

Bonbeach Bluejays 2 v Williamstown Wolves 14

Williamstown dominated in this game against Bonbeach. The Wolves were aided by a cracking catch on the fly at centrefield by Ryan Popinksi and an in-the-park homerun by Aiden Sadler.

The Wolves sit fourth with an 11-5 record but won't want to remain too calm when they face Werribee while Bonbeach will take on Mulgrave as the Bluejays search for win number two for the season.

Doncaster Dragons 10 v Preston Pirates 5

Doncaster beat Preston in this battle that improves the Dragons' record to 11-4-1 as they're sitting in third place while Preston is seventh with a 6-9-1 record.

The Dragons will travel to Moorabbin this weekend on an eight-game win streak while the Pirates will prepare to host Port Melbourne.

Division 2 Fourths - Round 16

Werribee Giants 6 v Moorabbin Panthers 21

Moorabbin comprehensively beat the Giants in a big matchup as the Panthers hang onto fourth place with a 7-5-2 record but for the Giants, it's a 3-11-1 record.

Next up for these teams, Werribee will travel to Williamstown while the Panthers are at home to Doncaster.

Malvern Braves 12 v Mulgrave Rebels 3

The scores were relatively even after four innings with the Braves leading 4-3 after starting the game off with two runs in the first.

It wasn't until the fifth inning when the Braves scored the majority of their runs, eight runs crossing home plate.

The Braves sit second with an 13-2 record ahead of a match against St Kilda this weekend while the Rebels sit ninth and have the bye.

Doncaster Dragons 8 v Preston Pirates 5

In this face-off between two mid-table teams, the Dragons brought themselves further away from the Pirates with this win, their second in a row.

The Dragons face Moorabbin next up while Preston hosts Geelong in the next round.

Geelong Baycats 11 v St Kilda Saints 8

Geelong caused an upset over St Kilda as they look to keep in touch with the top four with a 8-8-1 record.

The first inning was messy on both sides as the Baycats scored nine and the Saints scored six. St Kilda came within one run in the third but the Baycats buffed up their lead with an additional two runs.

Daniel Dobbie pitched for the Baycats, while Jordan Sinnamon was great defensively and Jennifer Mason handled things at first base. Nick Allen, Harry Sim and Steve Kelly made some big catches to put Geelong in prime position for a big victory ahead of finals.

For the Saints though, the loss sees them lose touch with the top two, now three wins behind Malvern although the Saints won't want to drop anymore games, starting with a fixture over that particular team, the Braves. The Baycats take on Preston next time around.

Williamstown Wolves v BYE

Williamstown has a bye as the Wolves keep in second place with a 12-1-1 record before being back to play against Werribee this weekend.