With the 2019/20 VSBL season resuming after the break next week, Sunshine Eagles Baseball Club is focused on finishing out the season strong.
Griffin Weir is excited to be part of this campaign, having supported Sunshine’s Division 1 Firsts team with valuable hitting and pitching contributions in the first half of the season.
Griffin and his fellow Eagles have enjoyed a lot of success so far this season, sitting first on the ladder at 12-4 after 17 rounds. After finishing atop the Western Conference last year with a 17-7-3 record and falling just short of a spot in the Grand Final, Sunshine looks poised to chase those big premiership dreams.
“This season I’m looking forward to hopefully going that one step better and possibly making the grand final or winning it, that’s the ultimate goal,” Griffin said.
The Sunshine pitcher pointed out that the team has been known to drift between Division 1 and Division 2, stating there’s no guarantees with any club about how they’ll fare season to season.
“I think the group of guys we’ve got this season is pretty solid, we haven’t really lost anyone. We’ve picked up a couple of players. Our import is looking good,” Griffin said. “We just play our style of baseball which is sort of scrappy but gets the job done and have some fun.”
With the same core group of pitchers who have proven they can match it with the best in the top division, the Eagles are confident they can go all the way again. Sunshine was promoted to Division 1 after taking out the Division 2 premiership in the 2016/17 season, something Griffin will never forget.
“To win the grand final out at Melbourne Ballpark was just a great memory,” Griffin said. “It is quite exciting to play in front of so many seats, whether they’d be filled or not, it’s still a great feeling. And to have a professional setup with the scoreboard and the wall and the lights is very exciting.”
Weir will hope to make a difference to his team in the New Year as he focuses on improving his game. “I’m looking to just pitch out the season, injury free, and have a few quality starts in the ones,” Griffin said. “And then, hopefully I improve my hitting a little bit this season.”
No matter what the rest of the season has in store, Griffin knows he will enjoy his time at Sunshine. After all, he believes that the entire squad plays for the benefit of improving the club and doing all in their power to bring extra success to the Eagles, with positive results both on and off the diamond.
“Everyone’s made to feel so welcome and everyone feels so included at the club,” Griffin said. “We play hard but it’s easy to play hard when you want to be there. I think that really helped last season, everyone just seemed to be really enjoying themselves and it went a long way to finishing on top.”
For Griffin, there’s always the question playing in the back of his mind on whether to continue but there’s only one answer he can come up with when it’s time to sign up again. “I can’t imagine not playing it and every time it gets to the end of the season I think ‘Oh, how long am I going to keep going?’ and then the next season comes around I’m definitely no doubts about it, I’m signing up.”
Griffin isn’t shy about encouraging others to get out on the diamond. As one of several clubs in Melbourne’s burgeoning West, Sunshine welcomes both new and experienced players with open arms. Griffin knows about this warm welcome firsthand, having looked up to his father coaching the firsts and seconds.
“We have plenty of guys just walk off the street, maybe from a cricket background or no background at all. We just chuck them in, and they always have a smile on their face and they’re fielding groundballs and taking swings,” Griffin said. “No one is going to judge them for not being an all-star MLB player. They’re here to have fun which is the same as everyone.”
Griffin and his Sunshine squad will open up 2020 with a series against Melbourne, followed by a three-game set v Essendon.
VSBL Division 4 action has wrapped up for the year and it's tight all round as teams head into the midseason break. Melbourne has had a perfect 12-0 start in the East while Footscray White is still on top of North West, even as the Bulldogs just gave up their first loss of the season.
Division Four East
St Kilda Saints 9 v Fitzroy Lions Gold 10
Fitzroy were victorious thanks to a walkoff victory in the sixth inning, impressing with a late-game surge of runs in the final two innings.
St Kilda came through with the first run of the game in the first inning as Fitzroy squared things up later in the third.
The fifth inning produced four runs to each side and the Saints added the same amount in the fifth, that being the margin.
However, the Lions had their plans laid out too and delivered the knockout blow as they won their seventh game of the season to take them to a 7-4-1 record. St Kilda are now holding a 5-7 record and have slipped from dropping the past two games.
When the season resumes next month, St Kilda plays Blackburn while Fitzroy Gold takes on Melbourne.
Blackburn Orioles 8 v Monash University Farmers 13
Monash Uni scored seven runs in a dominant display up-front that continued into the second. Blackburn scored their first runs in the second but again, the Farmers fought hard for their four at the bottom, taking a nine-run lead after that point.
The Orioles finally got on a bit of a roll in the third when they brought in five with the Farmers still pressing with two runs at the bottom until Blackburn ran in one more to end their offense, while keeping Monash Uni without a run in the fourth.
Monash Uni have entered the top four with a 5-6-2 record at the end of the year on the back of this win, being their second in a row. The Farmers host Waverley Red after the break. Blackburn have finished the year in eighth spot with a 1-12 record ahead of a meeting with St Kilda.
Malvern Braves 4 v Waverley Wildcats Red 10
Waverley had the ascendency in this contest all the way through, from the time they scored three runs in the first, adding another seven across the next four innings including another three-run effort in the fourth.
Malvern scored in the second, fifth and sixth as they tried to get back into the game but couldn't get enough in the final inning.
It's Waverley Red's third win of the year that takes them to a 3-9-1 record ahead of facing Monash Uni in the new year while Malvern are 4-8 after this round before facing Waverley Black.
Waverley Wildcats Black 7 v Melbourne Demons 14
A top-two clash resulted in a seven-run win to Melbourne. The win was helped by five runs to the Demons in the second and four in the third. Melbourne got their account underway with two in the first and a further three in the fourth too.
For the Wildcats, they evened things up in the second by scoring two and again in the third with five too however couldn't match the Demons from then on.
Melbourne's win sees them finish the year with a perfect 12-0 record that they'll look to continue in the new year when they face Fitzroy Gold, while Waverley Black face Malvern in Round 14 looking to continue their good season, currently sitting second with a 11-2 record.
Division Four North West
Mitchell Majors Yellow 15 v Mitchell Majors Black 4
Mitchell Majors Yellow's game was largely assisted by two big-scoring innings; six runs in the third and seven runs in the fifth.
Mitchell Majors Black were the first team to score, having two runners come home in the first inning but it wasn't until the fourth inning that they scored two runs again.
Yellow sit third with this win, their record being 9-3 after 12 games as they'll play Essendon Jets next up while Black are 10th with a 1-9-1 record as they'll like to get more runs in the new year, starting with a game against North Coburg Gold.
Footscray Bulldogs White 2 v Essendon Jets 3
Essendon Jets held on for victory against Footscray White as the Bulldogs just couldn't get the job done and in turn, suffered their first defeat of the season.
Footscray White scored one run in the first with the Jets scoring two at the bottom. The Jets took a bigger lead after scoring one in the fourth, while limiting the Bulldogs in their offensive outings.
Footscray White added one more run to their score in the sixth but couldn't muster up another in the seventh as the game drew to a close.
Essendon Jets have won their fourth game of the year to sit at 4-6-1 in seventh ahead of hosting Mitchell Majors Yellow in the next round. Footscray White host Essendon Bombers after the break as they look to not drop anymore games with their 9-1-1 record.
Fitzroy Lions Maroon 3 v Footscray Bulldogs Red 14
Three out of the Bulldogs' five offensive innings saw them produce four runs in each as they ran rings around Fitzroy Maroon.
The Lions scored two in the second and another in the fourth but constant scoreboard pressure from Footscray Red for Fitzroy Maroon to catch up proved too difficult.
Footscray Red have a 10-1-1 record heading into the break and will come back to face North Coburg Maroon. Fitzroy Maroon are fifth with a 8-4 record ahead of the break but will have to wait a little longer for their next win as they have the bye.
Footscray Bulldogs Blue 15 v North Coburg Rebels Maroon 1
Six runs in the first inning to Footscray Blue provided a great stepping stone towards how this game would play out, and it continued throughout the whole game, the Bulldogs also having a seven-run third inning.
The Bulldogs held a 15-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth when North Coburg Maroon took one run back.
Rebels Maroon end the year in 11th place with a 1-11 record ahead of a meeting between the top-placed Footscray Red. Footscray Blue are sixth with a 5-7 record and will take on Fitzroy Blue next month.
North Coburg Rebels Gold 9 v Fitzroy Lions Blue 9
This matchup ended in a draw as Fitzroy Blue couldn't land any runs at the bottom of the sixth.
The Lions evened things up in the bottom of the second when they scored two to counter the Rebels one-run first and second digs. The Lions eventually lead 9-2 after a big seven run effort in the third.
The following few innings were dominated by North Coburg Gold, getting six runs through the fourth and fifth innings before the one run in the top of the sixth.
North Coburg Gold sits fourth with a 8-3-1 record while Fitzroy Blue are eighth with a 4-7-1 record. After the break, North Coburg Gold host Mitchell Majors Black while Fitzroy Blue take on Footscray Blue.
Essendon Bombers v BYE
Essendon Bombers had the bye to end the year but they'll be back in Round 14 to face Footscray Bulldogs White away.
The Bombers are ninth currently with a 2-9 record, hoping to climb the ladder as the second half of the season gets underway next month.
Division Four South
Monash University Farmers 0 v Cheltenham Rustlers 0
Pakenham Pumas 0 v Ormond Glenhuntly 0
Berwick City Cougars v BYE
Berwick had the bye this weekend to cut their year short but the Cougars have managed to stay in the top three at the year's end. They hold a 7-3 record and when the competition starts up again, they'll travel to Ormond Glenhuntly's home ground.
With the final round of VSBL Division 3 before the break complete, Springvale leads in both the firsts and reserves as Ormond Glenhuntly Blue and Gold played off in some classic matchups this round. Games will continue next month as each team takes a well-earned break, ready to gear up for the second half of the season.
Division 3 Firsts
Pakenham Pumas 3 v Springvale Lions 15
Pakenham got the first three runs of the game in the second inning before Springvale took charge for the remainder of the contest.
A seven-run third inning for the Lions was just the starting point of a dominant offensive game, the Lions adding eight more across the next three innings.
The top-two matchup sees each team stay in the same positions; the Lions in first at 12-1 and the Pumas in second at 7-5-1. Pakenham take on Ormond Glenhuntly Gold next up and Springvale face Chelsea after the break.
North Western Titans 6 v Chelsea Dolphins 1
Chelsea got their game off to a good start, getting the first run of the game in the third inning before the Titans got things to go their way from then-on.
Two runs in the fourth took the lead and a further one in the fifth added to it before three runs in the seventh confirmed the result, as North Western Titans were able to shut down the Dolphins batters.
It was the Titans' third win of the season as they hold a 3-10 record going into the break, whereas Chelsea are fifth with a 5-8 record. The Titans will face Ormond Glenhuntly Blue next time while Chelsea will travel to Springvale.
Ormond GH Blue 5 v Ormond GH Gold 9
The battle of Ormond Glenhuntly, Gold got off to a hot start and never looked back, collecting five runs in their first chance at the plate.
Ormond Glenhuntly Blue cut the margin by three at the top of the third but Gold had other ideas, gathering three of their own at the bottom.
Another two runs were added to Blue's score in the fourth before the final run came to Gold in the sixth, Blue unable to get back on the scoreboard after the fourth.
Gold holds the lead over Blue on the ladder, Gold with a 6-7 record while Blue are a spot behind on 5-7-1. When the competition continues next month, Blue will play North Western Titans while Gold will play Pakenham.
Division 3 Reserves
Pakenham Pumas 2 v Springvale Lions 10
Pakenham got the first two runs of the game in the first and that's where the offence stopped for the Pumas as Springvale carried on, especially late.
The Lions only scored one in their first dig but three consecutive innings of three runs between the third and fifth innings was what they needed for the win.
Springvale hold top spot heading into the break with a 10-3 record while Pakenham are 3-8-2. The Lions face Chelsea next up while the Pumas will host Ormond Gold.
North Western Titans 3 v Chelsea Dolphins 15
Chelsea got out to a six-run lead over the first two innings before the Titans opened their account with two in the third.
However, the Dolphins took in five runs in their third dig as the lead was growing after each inning.
A one-run to four-run inning to Chelsea in the fifth was enough to steer the Dolphins to a win as they sit with a 6-7 record in fourth spot. The Titans first win has alluded them this year as they're 0-12-1 but will come out firing after the break against Ormond Blue. Chelsea meanwhile play Springvale.
Ormond GH Blue 11 v Ormond GH Gold 12
A very close game between Ormond Glenhuntly Blue and Gold, with Gold just pipping their opponents for a walkoff win in the sixth inning.
Scores were locked at two-all after the first, then Blue held a slender one-run lead after two innings, doubled in the fourth with another run and then two in the fifth.
Blue were leading 7-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth and that was when Gold evened the scores with a four-run dig.
Blue scored the same in the top of the fifth, hoping that would be enough but failing to shutout Gold who scored the required five for their 10th win of the season, taking them to a 10-3 record. Blue meanwhile sit third with a 8-4-1 record. Blue plays North Western Titans in the first game back, while Gold takes on Pakenham away.
Division Two VSBL action is completed for the year as teams go into the break, either high on momentum or ruing missed opportunities. Williamstown lead the way in the Firsts and Seconds, while Malvern have kept up an unbeaten run in the first half of the season in the Thirds.
Division Two Firsts
Moorabbin Panthers 14 v Malvern Braves 15
Malvern had a mammoth task ahead of them as they needed seven in the final inning for victory and to their absolute credit, they achieved the walkoff win!
The Braves led for the whole afternoon, after collecting three runs in the first and another 11 runs spread throughout the fourth to seventh innings, the fifth producing five runs.
However, even when the Braves scored one in the first and two in the third, the crux of their runs came throughout the finla three innings which lead to their 11th win of the season.
Rick Parton got the win for Malvern where he pitched one inning and only gave up one hit.
With the bats, Gavin Woolger went five from five as he collected three runs and an RBI while Henry Hayman went four from five with two doubles, three runs and two RBIs. Scott Ashton also made the most of his at bats, going four from six which included a run and four RBIs. Mitchell Kennedy had three runs from two hits with an RBI, Justin Burke the same, while Chris Godfrey collected two hits including a double and Geoff Holland with one hit, one run and two RBIs.
Each team now sit with an 11-5 record, Malvern in third while the Panthers are fourth, ahead of another fixture against each other when the competition comes back next month.
Mulgrave Rebels 1 v Werribee Giants 5
Werribee were already out to a five-run lead before Mulgrave crossed home for their only run of the game with the Giants displaying some great defense.
Wesley de Jong got the win for Werribee as he gave up four hits and zero earned run amongst three strikeouts in seven innings. Joshua Lee was also good on the mound, pitching two innings for one hit and two strikeouts.
Justin Gil had two hits including a double and found his way home twice too. Andrew Christou had one run from one hit with two RBIs, Ryan Balzer had one hit for two runs and Wade Balzer got two hits.
Jayson Arthur picked up the loss for the Rebels as he threw six innings, giving up seven hits and three earned runs along with five strikeouts.
Nick Burridge had two hits Caleb Poole got a double in his only hit of the game while Grant Miller was the runscorer for Mulgrave, Michael Morgan with the RBI single.
These teams play each other in the first round of the new year as Werribee have a 12-4 record sitting second while Mulgrave hold a 5-10 record in seventh.
St Kilda Saints 3 v Williamstown Wolves 13
A strong seven-run second inning from Williamstown started proceedings as the Saints tried desperately to catch up.
The Saints managed runs in the third and sixth innings but another crucial display of hitting saw the Wolves snare five runs in the final two innings to take the game.
Dennis Neal picked up the win for Williamstown, pitching five innings for two hits, zero earned runs and 10 strikeouts.
Jayde Thorne continued his excellent season with the Wolves, picking up two hits to extend his hitting record to 14 games this season as he hit a home run, bringing home four runs throughout the game too. Scott Meager hit a double that brought home three runs. Robert Higginson went three from three at the plate with two doubles, resulting in three runs and an RBI. Kevin Desmedt had two hits for two runs including a double while Hiroshi Narasaki had two runs courtesy of the three base on balls he took.
But perhaps the pick of the bunch was Bill Millar who hit two home runs from four at bats, as his stat line read three runs, two hits and two RBIs.
Williamstown end the year in first place with a 13-3 record while St Kilda are ninth at 5-11 as they'll continue the series in the new year.
Preston Pirates 15 v Bonbeach St Chads 12
A game that went deep into extra innings, 13 to be exact!
The two sides were neck-and-neck for the entirety of the game, Preston notching up four runs in the ninth and then shutting out Bonbeach to take it to extras.
Preston got one in in the 11th but the Bluejays responded to make the scores even again until the Pirates knuckled down in the 13th to record four, a handy lead.
Bonbeach couldn't replicate that score, just one run crossing as the Pirates took the game after being behind earlier.
Bonbeach lead by six runs after three and four runs after five as the Pirates kept persisting, the leadup to the ninth being crucial especially after giving up two runs in the bottom of the eighth to hold a four-run lead again.
This game will provide just enough determination from Bonbeach to go again when these teams meet in the new year but for now as the year comes to a close, it's Preston in sixth with a 8-7 record while Bonbeach were close to claiming their first win but head into the new year with a 0-16 record.
Doncaster Dragons 11 v Port Melbourne Mariners 9
Doncaster got the win in this matchup with Port Melbourne as Simon Fitzmaurice got the win for the Dragons.
On the mound, Fitzmaurice went for three innings, giving up four hits and two runs. He was supported by Fraser Boyd and Ben Palensky, who got the save.
Palensky also was good with the bat, racking up two hits, one which was a home run as he made his way to two runs and four RBIs, his other hit being a double. Marcel D'Avoine went three from five at the plate, as he scored twice and was credited with two RBIs. Nic Unland made it two runs from two hits that included a double as Callum Lethborg also had a double and John Britton had two hits, one run and one RBI. Brian Chen had two runs as did Adam Marshall.
Ahead of their fixture in the first round of the new year, these teams will have a break as the ladder reads the Mariners being in fifth place with a 9-7 record while Doncaster sit eighth at 5-11.
Division Two Seconds
Mulgrave Rebels 5 v Werribee Giants 13
Mulgrave got the game moving with a run in the first but didn't score again until the fifth where they brought in four.
By that stage, Werribee had already got out to a 10-run lead due to five in the second and four in the fourth, before adding another two in the fifth to make it a eight-run win.
The Giants have won their fifth game of the year to sit at 5-6-2 in sixth and the Rebels are ninth with a 4-9 record as each team have the break, and come back to play each other again in the next round, this time at Mulgrave.
St Kilda Saints 5 v Williamstown Wolves 6
The walkoff victory to the Wolves capped off a nice game by them at home, especially after St Kilda were up 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth, on the back of a four-run opening dig.
Williamstown scored five in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game and it took until the bottom of the seventh for the Wolves to score once more and take the win.
The win to the Wolves locks them in top place ahead of the break at 11-2 while the Saints are etched in the top four still with a 7-6 record, left to ponder how they'll come back against the Wolves in the first round of the new year.
Preston Pirates 19 v Bonbeach St Chads 1
The game still could've been anyone's, even if the scoreline read 6-1 after four complete innings.
However, Bonbeach would've hoped it was them that the game could've favoured as Preston piled on 13 runs in a dominant fifth inning.
That, along with a two-run second dig and a four-run fourth dig was more than enough to see the Pirates victorious.
Preston finish the year in eighth spot, ending with a 4-8-1 record while Bonbeach have a 1-13 record, hoping to bounce back as the two teams face off next year.
Moorabbin Panthers 7 v Malvern Braves 5
Moorabbin won it in the final couple of innings, down by a run heading into the fifth where they then scored two to take the lead, furthering the margin by one in the final sixth inning.
Malvern looked good for the most part, but everytime their lead grew, the Panthers pounced and quickly drew things up.
The win puts Moorabbin second as the year comes to a close, at a 10-3 record while Malvern sit one place behind with a 9-3-1 record as the Braves will look to come back against the Panthers next time around.
Doncaster Dragons 9 v Port Melbourne Mariners 4
Doncaster have extended their win streak to five on the back of this victory over Port Melbourne, while the Mariners have suffered their first loss in three games.
Doncaster improve to a 7-6 record, just outside of the top four while Port Melbourne are 5-8 as the two teams will meet again soon after the break.
Division Three Thirds
Port Melbourne Mariners 7 v Doncaster Dragons 16
Doncaster won this onw quite comfortably over Port Melbourne to record their eighth win of the season and cement themselves in the top four at the year's end.
The 8-4-1 Dragons and 3-10 Mariners will do battle once again when Round 14 commences next month.
Malvern Braves 8 v Moorabbin Panthers 7
Malvern took this game from Moorabbin as the Panthers held a 7-5 lead after five complete innings.
Two runs to each side in the first was followed by one run to the Braves in the second and another two in the third. Moorabbin made light work of the Braves at the bottom, cancelling out that lead to even the scores and then take the lead after scoring two in the fifth.
The Panthers were on a three-game win streak while the Braves head into the break undefeated with a 13-0 record. Malvern will take on the second-placed 10-3 Moorabbin again when the season continues next month.
Williamstown Wolves 13 v St Kilda Saints 1
Williamstown won well away from home against St Kilda in this matchup to take their season record to 9-4, sitting third.
The Saints aren't too far behind in fifth with a 7-6 record but will want to enter the top four with a win against the Wolves in the first game back of the second half of the season.
Mulgrave Rebels 15 v Werribee Giants 0
Mulgrave brought in most of their runs in the final two innings - six in the fifth and five in the sixth after collecting four within the first four innings.
The Rebels performed the shutout on the Giants, Werribee certainly wanting some runs when these two meet again next month. The Rebels are now 3-8-2 to the Giants 4-9 record.
Bonbeach St Chads 0 v Preston Pirates 0
Division Two Fourths
Geelong Baycats 6 v Doncaster Dragons 14
Doncaster got the better of Geelong as the Dragons notched up their fifth win of the season.
Daniel Dobbe started on the hill for the Baycats but unearned runs were hurting the team all day, letting in as much as six in the third inning.
Geelong managed a couple of runs early on to keep the game level going into the second, although that’s about where it stayed for the rest of the day for the Baycats as Doncaster ran riot.
Doncaster now hold a 5-6 record for fifth place while Geelong are sixth with a 5-7-1 record as the Dragons will travel to Geelong in the new year for the first fixture.
Williamstown Wolves 8 v St Kilda Saints 9
St Kilda won a nailbiter against Williamstown, seeing the Wolves knocked down for the first time this season.
The Wolves will hope that this is just a small bump in the road as they are still first with a 12-1 record, whereas the 8-3 Saints will look to win once more against the top team when they meet first up in the next round.
Malvern Braves 14 v Moorabbin Panthers 6
Malvern looked good from the beginning when they collected three runs in the first dig, however Moorabbin steadied things and took two runs themselves.
The third inning was a similar story with the Braves tallying five runs to the Panthers four until the away side got on a roll and added four in the fourth and two in the fifth to take the game.
Malvern sit in second place with a 9-2 record while Moorabbin are still in the top four with a 6-4-1 record as each team will take a break and come back next year when they play each other in Round 14.
Mulgrave Rebels 18 v Werribee Giants 1
Mulgrave had a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third when Werribee scored their lone run of the game.
But after that point, the Giants inflicted more pain on the Rebels, accruing 13 runs in the fourth inning, leading to a huge margin Mulgrave couldn't recover.
It was just the Rebels' second win of the season (and their first since Round 4) as they now sit at 2-11 for the season while Werribee are a spot above in eighth with a 3-10 record as each team will face each other again in the new year.
Preston Pirates v BYE
Preston started their break early and will have another bye as Round 14 rolls around but so far this season, they've had five wins and seven losses to sit seventh.
There's been plenty of movement and upsets in VSBL Division One action as the Eagles end the Firsts on top of the ladder while in the Thirds, the top four teams are tied with the same record. In the Seconds, Newport found their first win of the season as they, and many other teams will take plenty of momentum into the well-earned break.
Division 1 Firsts
Sunshine Eagles 2 v Waverley Wildcats 0
Defence was the name of the game here as each team went six innings without a run being scored.
Sunshine finally got a runner across the plate in the seventh and again in the eighth, while continuing to shut out the Wildcats batters although Waverley did hold the edge over the Eagles in hits, leading nine to four but couldn't round the bases.
Sunshine's pitchers were on fire, with Scott Barr earning the win and Jeremy Young credited with the save as they gave up nine hits and seven strikeouts between them as they were lethal from the mound.
Nikau Pouaka-Greco got a run in off his hit while Allister Lovelock was the other Eagle to score from a hit. Russell Letts and Rory Meddick were the other Eagles to record a hit, Meddick also with an RBI.
Jamie Papanicoloau got the loss for the Wildcats as he went three innings, letting up three hits and one earned run. Andrew Russell pitched five innings giving up one hit and three base on balls but had four strikeouts.
Mohi Kahui, Ben Anslett and Reece Longstaff got two hits on the day while Mitchell Homfray made it to second on his one hit.
The win improves the Eagles record to 12-4 as they end the year on top of the division while Waverley are still in the mix, sitting third with an 11-6 record.
When these teams return after the break, Waverley travels to Essendon and Sunshine host Melbourne.
Sandringham Royals 1 v Upwey FTG Tigers 3
In a tight game all the way to the end, Upwey FTG claimed their seventh win of the year and has seen them enter the top four as the break begins.
Jarrod Turner was again leading from the front for the Tigers as he pitched nine complete innings with just one unearned run against him.
Nick Rice had two hits and scored every one of the Tigers runs . Harvey Chinn also came up big with an RBI single and a sacrifice bunt.
Cody Anderson earned the loss for the Royals as he went eight innings, giving up six hits and one earned run with four base on balls. But as we've seen from Anderson all season, his ability to strike batters out is immense; he had 10 on the day.
With the bats, Jack Wills was Sandringham's lone runscorer as he tallied three hits for the day including a double. Declan Ferguson managed two hits, as did Harrison Wills.
Upwey FTG are 7-6-1 to end the year and will play Geelong next round while Sandringham are 8-9 as they'll come back from the break to play Cheltenham.
Geelong Baycats 1 v Cheltenham Rustlers 6
A strong few innings from the Rustlers saw them upset the Baycats and take this game against Geelong.
Two-run digs in the third, fourth and sixth were enough to overpower the Baycats who scored their only run of the ballgame in the sixth.
Lars Liqouri got the win for Cheltenham as he lasted nine innings, giving up four hits and one run along with seven strikeouts.
On the offensive end, Liquori also contributed with the bat, recording three hits with two doubles, collecting a run of his own and an RBI while Mac Turley got three hits, one run and an RBI too. Conor Myles continued a strong year with two hits and two runs. Dante Caruso tallied two hits while Andrew Gribben and Ben Fierenzi were the other runscorers for the Rustlers.
Geelong, despite the loss, still sit second with an 11-6 record as they face Upwey FTG first up next month whereas Cheltenham will play Sandringham.
Essendon Bombers 9 v Melbourne Demons 10
Melbourne just pipped Essendon in this close matchup which sees the Demons close out the year with a 7-9 record while the Bombers sit sixth with a 9-8 record as the away side slumped to a third straight loss.
When the competition resumes next month, Melbourne will be travelling to Sunshine while Essendon hosts Waverley.
Newport Rams 2 v Berwick City Cougars 10
Newport got the first run of the game in the very first dig until Berwick tied things up in their second inning. It was largely Berwick from there as they added two in the third and another one in each of the fifth and sixth innings before the Rams scored their second in the seventh.
The Cougars knuckled down and extended their lead by four at the bottom, adding another in the eighth while keeping the Newport batters in the box, and in the dugout.
John King got the win for the Cougars as he pitched 1.1 innings, facing four batters and earning two strikeouts as a third of his pitches were strikes.
Jordan Bradley went three from four at the plate, including a double as he helped a run get in while running home twice himself. Aiden Willis had three runs from his three at bats, his one hit allowing him to make it to third. Cain Bumpstead collected one hit for the game, a double as he scored himself too and was responsible for three RBIs. Craig Barnett had two hits, Mark Surtees managed two hits and one run and Nick O'Shea came home twice also.
Aaron Ouwehand had one hit for the game but that hit was a solo home run, his second home run in four games!
Berwick have won their sixth game of the year and hold a 6-9-1 record ahead of a matchup with Fitzroy next year and the Rams are 4-12 as they look to continue their campaign against Blackburn.
Fitzroy Lions 6 v Blackburn Orioles 7
The teams couldn't be separated as the first inning drew to a close, the score tied at one-all.
Fitzroy added three in the third to Blackburn's one however the Orioles kept prodding along to eventually take the lead after the sixth when they scored two after a run in each of the innings prior.
In the eighth, Fitzroy brought home their fifth run of the game while at the bottom, Blackburn penciled in their seventh, the job set out for the Lions heading into the ninth.
Unfortunately for the Lions, they could only muster one run as the Orioles took the victory, their ninth of the season as the Lions came close to winning their sixth of the year.
Brock Pawley picked up the loss for the Lions as he went eight innings for 14 hits and seven runs with three base on balls and four strikeouts.
On the batting side of things for Fitzroy, Tom Dicker had a double which turned into a run, with an RBI. Gavin Juchnevicius got two hits with an RBI while Tom Wilson also collected two hits and a run, the same for Damien Preston. Daniel Huryn, Danny King and Jordan Walker turned their hits into a run, King and Walker also gathering an RBI.
For Blackburn, Harrison Smith started on the mound for 2.1 innings, recording four strikeouts amongst six hits and three earned runs. Blake Hodgson kept the Orioles in the game across his 4.2 innings out of the bullpen to earn the win, allowing just three hits coupled with five strikeouts. Sam Bucello and Jacob Evans managed to close out the final two innings, Evans earning the save.
Evans and Ben Leslie contributed six of Blackburn's 14 hits on the day (three each) as well as five RBIs between them - Leslie's three hits were all doubles.Charlie Collins (one triple) Mitch Whiting and Ryan Berg got two hits each, Berg hitting the fence twice as the power was on show, finding himself with two runs for the afternoon as did Whiting.
Fitzroy are 11th on the ladder with a 5-11 record ahead of the break but will come back to play Berwick whereas Blackburn are just outside the top four in fifth place with a 9-8 record and look to travel to Newport when games resume.
Division 1 Reserves
Sunshine Eagles 1 v Waverley Wildcats 9
Sunshine tied things up in their second dig as Waverley got the first run of the game in their first offensive inning but from the second onwards, it was all Waverley.
The grunt of the runs for the Wildcats came in the fourth and seventh with three runs apiece.
Sunshine have lost seven on the trot while Waverley haven't lost in that time either. The Eagles finish the year in 11th with a 2-10 record while the Wildcats are sitting well in third with a 10-2-1 record. Next round, Waverley travel to Essendon while Sunshine host Melbourne.
Sandringham Royals 2 v Upwey FTG Tigers 3
Sean Meldrum was outstanding on the mound for the Tigers over 6.2 innings getting the win from his start with Richard Kiel coming in for relief and closing the game out.
Important bunts by Mark Jones and Riley Light were crucial in advancing runners in a tight game as Mitch John hit a sacrifice fly, coupled with a few important hits by various players on the lineup helping Upwey FTG claim the victory.
The Tigers finish the year in second place with a 9-2 record while Sandringham are ninth at 3-8-1. Upwey FTG host Geelong first up next year while the Royals host Cheltenham.
Geelong Baycats 0 v Cheltenham Rustlers 8
Cheltenham claimed the shutout win over Geelong thanks to a Rhys Fairweather pitching masterclass.
Fairweather went for 5.2 innings, allowing zero runs and was one out away from pitching the whole game, while on the offensive side, the Rustlers were steady in getting runs in, highlighted by three in the third.
Cooper Rickard started for Geelong and threw three innings and allowing three hits. Lachlan Hockey relieved by also throwing three innings, allowing four hits.
Geelong never managed to get baserunners on when they had less than two outs however Dion Kirschner hit the ball hard all day, as did Connor Hughes who picked up double and a couple of walks.
On the other side of the break, Cheltenham, who have solidified themselves in the top four with a 10-3 record face Sandringham while the 4-7-1 Baycats make the long drive to Upwey FTG.
Essendon Bombers 3 v Melbourne Demons 4
Melbourne have beaten Essendon by the smallest of margins to close out the year after being on a two-game losing streak.
With both teams coming into this game with six wins, the Demons now improve their record to 7-5 and sit fifth while the Bombers aren't too far behind in sixth at 6-6-1. When Round 14 comes around, Essendon will host Waverley while Melbourne take on Sunshine.
Newport Rams 4 v Berwick City Cougars 1
Berwick got their run early on in the game and held the lead throughout the third inning but from the fourth onwards, Newport had the ascendency, beginning with two runs in the fourth.
The Rams added two more throughout the sixth and seventh to take the win, breaking the Cougars' three-game unbeaten run while snatching their own 11-game losing streak to end the year on a high.
Newport will be hoping to now take that momentum with them in the second half of the season and improve on their 1-11 record as they prepare for Blackburn while Berwick are 5-6-1 to end the year and will face Fitzroy in the first game back.
Fitzroy Lions 3 v Blackburn Orioles 10
Blackburn got the win over Fitzroy as they finish the year atop the division ladder.
Rowan Johnstone got the start for the Orioles and delivered four no-hit innings whilst working around a few walks and errors. Pat White was solid in relief but gave up the lone Fitzroy hit across two innngs.
Cal Vance was promoted into the three spot and rewarded his team with a few hits as did David Dicker in the leadoff spot, collecting three hits. Owen de Vries got a couple of hits in to finish off the year strongly.
Blackburn end the year with an 11-2 record ahead of a game against Newport when the competition resumes next month while Fitzroy who are 10th and 3-9-1 will take on Berwick.
Division 1 Thirds
Sandringham Royals 12 v Upwey FTG Tigers 0
Upwey FTG were handed a heavy defeat at the hands of Sandringham, as the Tigers couldn't silence the Royals bats, with theirs being too silent.
Will Richardson started well for the Tigers but the defence couldn't match up against tough opposition.
The Royals have jumped up from eighth to sixth with the win, their record showing 6-7 as they will face Cheltenham in the next fixture. The Tigers have reamined fifth with a 7-4 record before taking on Geelong next year.
Geelong Baycats 4 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2
Geelong managed to get a few runs in late in the game to take the win away from Cheltenham and head into the new year full of momentum.
Hayden Peoples made his return to the Baycats lineup after a number of weeks off and looked sloid from the start, the Rustlers bats just going for one run over the four innings he was in charge on the mound.
Martin Bouma came on in the fifth and closed the door on the Rustlers chances as the defence backed him up nicely.
Each of the Baycats players contributed with the bat, Bouma collecting a double with an RBI with singles to Adam Jirik, Chris Rickard, Jackson Viney and Brody Stokoe also.
Geelong end the year in first with a 9-2-2 record, ahead on runs for and will look to continue that next year against Upwey FTG. Chetlenham are 5-6-2 and take on Sandringham when the fixtures return next year.
Blackburn Orioles 2 v Fitzroy Lions 5
With it being a tight game defensively, no runs were scored as the fourth inning was completed.
Fitzroy gave up two runs to Blackburn in the fifth as Blackburn held the Lions to another scoreless inning at the bottom.
With the Lions needing three to win, they did just that when five runs crossed the plate as the Lions celebrated an end-of-year victory.
Fitzroy end the year with a 4-8-1 record, with Blackburn slumping to their second loss of the season to be 9-2-2 as they've given up top spot. Fitzroy will face Berwick in Round 14 while the Orioles take on Newport.
Waverley Wildcats 12 v Sunshine Eagles 2
Sunshine got the first two runs of the game but that's where it stopped for the Eagles as Waverley ran riot over the rest of the game, starting softly with one run in the second until back-to-back three-run digs over the third and fourth.
The Wildcats added another five for the remainder of the game to take the win and with it, end the year in third with a 9-2-2 record that's shared by each of the top four.
Waverley will look to get ahead when tasked with travelling to Essendon while Sunshine who are 1-10-1 travel to Melbourne.
Newport Rams 9 v Berwick City Cougars 15
Newport got off to a good start and the scores were tied at six-all after the second inning but it was largely Berwick from then on, as they claimed another three runs in the third and four in the fourth before ending with two in the fifth.
The Rams could only manage another three runs in total, spread across the fourth and sixth innings.
Berwick have ended the season on a high as they're 3-9 and on a two-game winning streak before facing Fitzroy in the next round while Newport take on Blackburn in the first game of the new year as they're 2-10.
Essendon Bombers 5 v Melbourne Demons 4
Melbourne were steady in their approach to this game, collecting single runs throughout the first four innings but couldn't manage anymore in the final two.
Meanwhile, Essendon were helped along by a big four-run third inning that the Demons needed to catch up from.
The Bomber's win sees them in the top four with a 9-2-2 record along with three other teams ahead of a fixture against Waverely the first week back from the break. Melbourne host Sunshine as they look to get their 5-7-1 season back on track.
Division 1 Fourths
Sandringham Royals 8 v Upwey FTG Tigers 7
In Upwey FTG, the Royals proved victorious in a close game that the Tigers just fell short in coming back from.
The deficit was five to the Tigers but couldn't get over the line as Ewan John and James Wilkinson both pitched well.
Sandringham have finished the year in eighth place with a 5-6-1 record ahead of next year's first fixture against Cheltenham while Upwey FTG are 10th with a 3-8-1 record as they turn their sights to the break, and then Geelong.
Geelong Baycats 10 v Cheltenham Rustlers 9
A six-run second dig may have proved the difference in this one as Cheltenham were forced to recover, and almost did.
However, that dig and the following three-run third inning was where the Rustlers let go a little but almost managed to make it up in the fifth when they scored five after getting the first two runs of the game and getting a few in between.
Adam Jiriki started on the mound and did a great effort over six innings with Jackson Viney and Alex Hockey closing the game out.
Jake Elderfield and Martin Bouma got two hits with each batter recording a double. Alex Stokoe and Brody Stokoe also added to the hit total with everyone else contributing to the offense.
Geelong end the season with a three-game win streak and a 5-6-1 record in seventh while Cheltenham are on spot above with a 6-7 record. The Baycats play Upwey FTG next time around while the Rustlers play Sandringham.
Blackburn Orioles 12 v Fitzroy Lions 4
Two five-run digs from Blackburn in the first and fourth were enough to steer the result in their favour against Fitzroy, adding two more in the third.
The Lions were able to get on the board in the second and fourth where they scored two runs in each but have ended the season with a 2-9-2 record whereas the Orioles sit second with a 10-3 record.
Blackburn will continue their campaign next year against Newport while Fitzroy travel to take on Berwick.
Waverley Wildcats 7 v Sunshine Eagles 3
Waverley got out to a three-run lead early until Sunshine caught up at the end of the third.
Sensing a strong need for runs, the Wildcats managed to pull together three in the fourth and added to that in the fifth by one, which would be the final score.
Waverley end the year in the top three on a five-game win streak with a 9-4 record while Sunshine are 4-7-1 in ninth on a eight-game winless run. Waverley travels to Essendon in Round 14 while the Eagles travel to take on the Demons.
Newport Rams 1 v Berwick City Cougars 11
Berwick got things going at the bottom of the first scoring one but the Rams quickly responded with one of their own at the top of the second.
Unfortunately for the Rams, that was where their runs ceased as the Cougars had a hold of the game, especially after their third inning that produced nine runs.
Berwick have won three of the last four games to take a 6-5-1 record into the break while Newport are 0-11-1 ahead of a fixture against Blackburn next year, the Cougars will be facing Fitzroy.
Melbourne Demons 5 v Essendon Bombers 8
Melbourne had the lead briefly as the game moved into the bottom of the first, their two-run lead quickly going the other way as Essendon had three cross the plate, while another two came home in the second.
The Demons managed two in the fifth which cut the lead to just one but the Bombers saw this and had another three-run innings as Melbourne found it difficult to muster up more than one run in the final dig.
This was Melbourne's first loss of the season but they've remained first with a 12-1 record ahead of a series against Sunshine in the new year. Essendon are fourth with a 9-4 record ahead of playing host to Waverley.
There were some powerful hitting displays across VSBL Women's Division 1, 2 and 3 this weekend as teams now have a well-deserved break. In Division 1, the top teams couldn't be split as Springvale has the edge over their competition while in Division 2, Doncaster kept an unbeaten streak alive, extending the Dragons' winning run to 11 straight games!
Women's Division 1 - Round 14
Footscray Bulldogs 1 v Essendon Bombers 11
Essendon won comprehensively against Footscray in this matchup, Abbey Kelly needing a single to enforce the mercy rule. However, Kelly went plenty better and hit an in-the-park grand slam to get her team across the line.
Essendon ends the year with a 6-6-2 record sitting third while Footscray will be hungrier next year as going into the break in fourth place with a 0-13-1 record. In the first games back for these teams, the Bombers host Springvale while the Bulldogs host Doncaster.
Springvale Lions 8 v Doncaster Dragons 8
The battle of the top-two in this division certainly lived up to expectations! Springvale and Doncaster couldn't be separated as the game finished at eight-all.
The Lions finish the year in first place with a 10-2-2 record whereas second-placed Doncaster hold a 8-3-3 record. In the first round back next year, Springvale will travel to Essendon while the Dragons take on Footscray.
Women's Division 2 - Round 12
Fitzroy Lions 5 v Doncaster Dragons 14
Doncaster keep going from strength to strength and have rounded up the year with a big win over Fitzroy.
The win to the Dragons sees them take an 11-0 record into the break and will come back to face Wheelers Hill when games resume next month. Fitzroy have ended the year in fifth with a 2-10 record but will be preparing well for a clash with Footscray in Round 13.
Springvale Lions 3 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 4
A three-run first inning score to Wheelers Hill was what set these teams apart in the end as the Lions kept pressing, hoping to turn the tables and take a lead.
Springvale's only lead came when their first dig was complete where they scored one run.
After the second inning when the Warriors scored a run, the margin was three. Springvale managed to get more runs added but couldn't turn it into something bigger, netting singles in the fourth and sixth innings.
The Wheelers Hill win sees them in third with a 7-4 record while Springvale sit second at 9-2, those two losses coming within the last three weeks. Springvale play Essendon when the competition resumes whereas the Warriors will travel to Doncaster.
Footscray Bulldogs 7 v Essendon Bombers 6
A great spectacle from each of these teams as Footscray claimed their fourth win of the season.
In a tight contest, the Bombers were assisted well by Gee Bolt hitting an in-the-park home run and Robyn Fraser rounding to third for one of the team's hits on the day.
Essendon finish the year in sixth with a 1-11 record while the Bulldogs are fourth at 4-7. After the break, Footscray take on Fitzroy and the Bombers host Springvale.
Women's Division 3 East - Round 12
Doncaster Dragons 2 v Moorabbin Panthers 15
Moorabbin have breezed through this game with the Dragons on their way to their sixth win of the year.
Each team were 5-3 heading into the matchup however now the Panthers have a little breathing room, sitting second with Doncaster in third. Doncaster hosts Melbourne next up while Moorabbin host Springvale.
Mulgrave Rebels 1 v Springvale Lions 22
A huge win to Springvale as they took care of Mulgrave to end the year on a high after going down in their two games prior.
The Lions now sit fourth with a 4-5 record ahead of a matchup with Moorabbin while the 1-7 Rebels will have an extended break as they have a bye.
Melbourne Demons v BYE
Melbourne had the bye in the final round of the year but will be returning to take on Doncaster in Round 13.
The Demons have held onto first place since the start of the season, their 8-1 record a showing of their capabilities, that one loss coming in Round 7 against Doncaster which was a one-run margin.
Women's Division 3 South - Round 12
Pakenham Pumas White 4 v Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 25
Constant big run-scoring innings from Bonbeach Blue were the highlight of this game as back-to-back seven-run digs to open their game already gave them a sizeable lead before a further five and six runs in the third and fourth innings respectively drew the margin out.
Pakenham White were able to get runs on the board too but not to the degree that the Bluejays had, the Pumas leading briefly as their first dig came to a close, up 2-0.
Single runs to Pakenham White in the second and third doubled their first inning score but the Pumas just couldn't contain the consistent batting power from Bonbeach Blue.
Bonbeach Blue sits second with a 8-1 record, that one loss from Round 3 and will stay in that position even after the first set of games back as they have the bye. Pakenham White are 4-5 and fifth and take on Cheltenham when the competition comes back.
Berwick City Cougars 7 v Cheltenham Rustlers 19
Some big hitting was on display as both teams displayed run-scoring capabilities. When each side got starts, it transitioned into plenty of runs for their respective digs.
Cheltenham held the edge for majority of the game, notching up 13 runs across the first two innings while being able to shut out the Cougars.
Berwick managed seven runs in a complete fourth innings for them however Cheltenham did what they had done previously and added another six to their score at the bottom.
Cheltenham are proving the team to beat, sitting first with a 9-1 record ahead of Pakenham White next round. Berwick meanwhile are third at 5-4 and will travel to Sandringham in the first round back from the break.
Sandringham Royals 20 v Bonbeach Bluejays White 5
Domination from Sandringham over Bonbeach White, at least six runs in each of their digs overpowering the Bluejays.
Seven, six and seven runs across the Royals three innings were more than enough as they restricted the Bluejays offense. Bonbeach White were able to get five runs on the board - two in the second and three in the third.
Sandringham are in the top four with a 5-4 record ahead of a meeting with Berwick when the break finishes whereas Bonbeach White hold a 1-8 record as they'll take on Pakenham Black first up next year.
Pakenham Pumas Black v BYE
Pakenham Black had the bye to end the year but will be coming to back to face Bonbeach White.
The Pumas are yet to win a game this season, sitting seventh with a 0-9 record but are hoping for a better second half of the season as they look to get their season on track.
Women's Division 3 West - Round 12
Geelong Baycats White 3 v North Western Titans 13
North Western Titans have handed Geelong White their eighth loss in a row as the Baycats finish the year in fifth place with a 0-9-1 record.
The Titans however have enjoyed some wins this season so far and sit third with a 4-4-1 record.
North Western Titans will begin the new year with a bye while Geelong White hosts Fitzroy.
Fitzroy Lions 12 v Geelong Baycats Blue 12
Geelong Blue had a chance to walk it off but fell short, promoting the game to end in a tie.
The Lions got off to a hot start, collecting five runs in their first dig as the Baycats managed one. Fitzroy added two more in the next inning, Geelong Blue closing the gap considerably after scoring four in their second dig.
In the third inning, the two sides couldn't be separated, each team adding one to their score.
At the top of the fourth, Fitzroy felt confident when they had a six-run lead, on the back of four in that dig however Geelong Blue came out with bats in hand, knowing the seven they needed for victory was achievable.
Unfortunately for the Baycats, they came up one run shy of the target and had to settle for a draw.
Baycats Blue are second with a 6-3-1 record heading into the break and will play Sunshine next up, while the Lions are 3-4-1 in fourth place and will travel to Geelong to take on Baycats White in the first round of the new year.
Sunshine Eagles v BYE
Sunshine had the bye to end the year but will be looking to improve on their 8-1 start to the season when they take on Baycats Blue in a top-two clash to begin the second half of the season.
Victoria Blue will open its U18 title defence against Queensland on day one of the 2020 Australian Youth Championships in Geelong.
The full schedule for the U16 and U18 events was released today, with games split across Geelong Baseball Centre, Melbourne Ballpark and Ballarat from 10-15 January 2020.
FULL SCHEDULE: Click HERE
Geelong Baseball Centre will be the primary host with 12 games at Melbourne Ballpark and eight at Ballarat’s Prince of Wales Park.
The 2019 U18 gold medal game rematch between Victoria Blue and New South Wales is slated for 4.30pm on Sunday 12 January on the main diamond at Geelong. They will square off in their U-16 rematch on diamond one at 9am on Saturday 11 January. U16 Vic White begins the tournament playing NSW while U16 Vic Blue takes on South Australia.
Every team in both age brackets will play each other once in the opening round. The top two teams will play for gold on January 15, with third and fourth battling for bronze.
All games across the last two days will be at Geelong Baseball Centre. This is s the first time since 2013 Geelong has hosted the Australian Youth Championship.
Baseball Victoria wishes all four Victorian teams the best of luck at #AYC2020 as they aim for amazing uccess at the championships.
Chris Owen has spent the last few years playing for Werribee Giants Baseball Club, and he’s excited about the club’s potential looking ahead to the rest of this VSBL season.
A regular in the Division 2 Fourths competition, Chris is a valuable contributor to his team, even earning Werribee’s first ‘The Park’ player of the round for the opening weekend as he went 4-for-4 with three RBI’s and two runs in Werribee’s 13-4 win over Malvern. This wasn’t the first time Chris earned recognition from his beloved club, as he has previously received MVP honors in Werribee’s winter season.
The third baseman has continued his strong form since, putting in the effort week-in and week-out as Werribee looks to achieve a winning record. Regardless of what the final results are, Chris is just happy to be playing and making memories with the Giants.
After moving from the northern suburbs to Werribee several years ago, Chris has found a new baseball home with the Giants – a friendly family club that makes him and fellow new players feel welcome. “What keeps me coming back is the mates and the good feeling around the club you get on a Thursday night when you have a dinner and do selections,” Chris said. “Even on a Sunday when you wake up, you go out and your mates are there. You’re having a throw and just having fun, and that’s what it’s all about.”
There’s plenty of fun for Chris to look forward to in the second half of the season, as his team shows plenty of potential to keep improving in the coming weeks and months. “We want to go out and we want to do well,” Chris said. “We want to perform for the supporters and the fans that come down and watch us every week, do it for the club and get our name out there. It’s all we can really do, go out and try.”
Chris is committed to doing his best in every game while encouraging his teammates to do the same. While their end goal is a premiership flag, Chris knows they will have fun no matter what. “I’m most looking forward to being with mates, giving it a crack and just seeing how we go and where the season takes us,” Chris said.
Chris prides himself on being a team player who tries to make a difference on his team. “What helps any club is probably what you can do as a player – pick your teammates up when they’re down and just go out and try every at-bat to get on base,” Chris said. “It’s like clockwork. It goes round and round. You just do the little things and nine times out of ten it works.”
After picking up the sport seven years ago, Chris understands that it can be a challenge, but he think it’s so worthwhile. “It’s not easy trying to hit a small ball with a bat, but it’s so fun and enjoyable.”
It certainly helps that Werribee warmly welcomes new players, as Chris experienced himself a few years ago. “We’ve got great facilities, great atmosphere and great people,” Chris said. “It’s definitely a club you want to be at.”
Chris has so many fond memories, from huge victories with Werribee to taking a superman-style catch in the infield when he first started playing. He’s hoping to make many more in the future as Werribee looks to succeed in VSBL Division 2, both against familiar faces and new opponents.
VSBL Division 4 East, North West and South continue to impress with strong team performances week in and week out. There's still a handful of teams holding onto undefeated records as the final round of 2019 rapidly approaches before the break.
Division 4 East
Melbourne Demons 8 v St Kilda Saints 1
Of the five innings played, Melbourne scored in four of them, collecting two hits in each besides the third. St Kilda though did score in the third inning, their one run coming across.
Adam Hayman, Liam Jackson and Luke Painter contributed to Melbourne's success on the day as the team remained undefeated through yet another round with an exceptional 127 runs scored on the season compared to just 19 runs allowed.
The Demons hold a handy 11-0 record going into the final round where they play Waverley Wildcats Black while the Saints are in fourth at 5-6, setting themselves up for a big clash with Fitzroy Lions Gold this weekend.
Waverley Wildcats Red 5 v Fitzroy Lions Gold 13
The first inning produced many runs for both sides, both Waverley Black and Fitzroy Gold scoring four runs each however the Lions added on a further seven in the second to take a sizeable lead.
One run to each team in the third was followed by another run to Fitzroy Gold in the fourth until the final two innings saw a defensive display from both the Wildcats and Lions.
Henry Formosa-Doyle, Sam Clancy and Carlos Ciccia supported Fitzroy at the plate.
It's the Wildcats' second loss in a row as they won't want that streak continuing into the new year as they prepare to take on Malvern. Fitzroy is comfortable in third but has an upcoming top-four clash with St Kilda.
Blackburn Orioles 0 v Waverley Wildcats Black 19
A big win to Waverley Black over Blackburn was started by a six-run first dig and followed by a seven-run effort in the third.
A Waverley Black lineup featuring the likes of Ethan Chiarotto, Vaughn Evans and Dean Ferris proved too much for Blackburn.
The shut-out win to Waverley Black was the Wildcats' 11th win of the year as next week's salivating matchup between Melbourne awaits. The Orioles however will hope to end the year with a second win over Monash Uni.
Monash University Farmers 12 v Malvern Braves 3
Both teams got a run in their first digs but it was the Farmers who took a nine-run lead over the next two innings, highlighted by six in the third.
The Braves took two runs back in the fourth, but that was cancelled out by Monash Uni in the fifth as the Farmers ended the game with a nine-run win.
Ashley Aylen, Paul Blakeney and Josh Duff helped the Farmers' cause as they take on Blackburn in the final round of the year while Malvern will travel to Waverley to play Wildcats Black.
Division Four North West
Fitzroy Lions Blue 2 v Mitchell Majors Yellow 21
Mitchell Majors Yellow scored five runs in the first and never held back, scoring another seven in the second and nine more across the third and fourth innings.
Nick Attard, Joel Burton and Coen Fitzgerald all had great games for Mitchell Majors as the reigning premiers left their mark on the Lions.
Fitzroy Blue managed to snare two runs in the fourth but were already far behind as Mitchell Majors Yellow won their eighth game of the season and fifth in a row.
The streak will hope to continue when they face Mitchell Majors Black in the last round. The Lions Blue will host North Coburg Gold.
North Coburg Rebels Maroon 3 v North Coburg Rebels Gold 22
In the battle of North Coburg, Gold prevailed to confirm their top-four standing while Maroon remains stranded on the bottom with one win.
Maroon got the first run of the game at the top of the first but two consecutive seven-run digs from Gold saw a lead start to mount and only get bigger as they piled on another eight runs across the next two innings, six in the fourth.
North Coburg Maroon found another two runs but couldn't put enough of a dent in the deficit. Rebels Maroon will hope that one win can turn to two after a matchup with Footscray Blue while Rebels Gold take on Fitzroy Blue.
Fitzroy Lions Maroon 12 v Essendon Bombers 8
Essendon had the early jump on Fitzroy Maroon, getting to a seven run lead after a dominating second dig however it was the third inning where the Lions started really pressing, gaining two runs.
The Bombers saw another run score in the bottom, with the Lions again improving, this time celebrating four runners stepping on home plate, the Bombers lead cut to two runs.
In a powerful display, Fitzroy Maroon were able to hold the Bombers to no further runs as they themselves scored six to take themselves to victory. Aidan Cresser, Morgan Evans and Kevin Hendler helped Fitzroy achieve a crucial victory in this close game.
A testament to the hardwork of Fitzroy Maroon after going down narrowly last week, they now sit fifth ahead of a matchup with Footscray Red. Essendon would have liked to have gone into the new year with three wins however, the Bombers are 2-9 and have the bye this weekend so they will be refreshed for the second half of the season.
Footscray Bulldogs Red 11 v Footscray Bulldogs Blue 5
In the battle for bragging rights at Footscray, Red prevailed over Blue but it wasn't always going in Red's favour.
Blue received the first three runs of the game in the first and had a 5-1 lead after two complete innings. Red tied the scores shortly after with a four-run burst at the top of the third.
Red were able to restrict Blue from using the bats too much more in the following three digs as they added six to their total to take the game.
It's Footscray Blue's third loss in a row but haven't moved from their sixth position in that time either but with wanting to take no chances, will want to perform well over North Coburg Maroon this weekend. Footscray Red are 9-1-1 and play Fitzroy Maroon.
Mitchell Majors Black v Footscray Bulldogs White - FORFEIT
Essendon Jets v BYE
Essendon had the bye in Round 12 but will come back for Round 13 to take on Footscray White.
The Jets have had two of their three wins in the last six weeks as well as a draw to sit eighth whereas Footscray White are enjoying a good season, not yet receiving a loss at 9-0-1.
Division Four South
Pakenham Pumas 4 v Melbourne Demons 10
Melbourne was on a two-game losing streak but a few displays of offensive helped power the Demons to victory over Pakenham in this matchup.
The Demons started their offense with three runs and added another three in the second in response to the Pumas one.
Pakenham cut the lead again in the third but just by two and Melbourne pressed again to score four throughout the third and fourth innings.
The result not beyond them, the Pumas couldn't muster enough runners on base in the final hitout of their offensive innings, managing one run.
Scott Briggs, Josh Chrisholm and Lachlan Clayton got the job done for Melbourne on Sunday. The Demons have evened their record to sit fifth at 4-4 before ending the year with a game against St Kilda while the Pumas have the one win from 12 games ahead of Ormond Glenhuntly.
St Kilda Saints 14 v Cheltenham Rustlers 9
It was a real hitting game in this one as many players found their way on base.
St Kilda put up three runs in the top of the first where Cheltenham responded with two of their own, sensing this could be a close game between two top-four sides.
However, what happened next was what the Rustlers wouldn't have wanted which was the Saints finding 10 runs over the second and third digs.
In the third however, Cheltenham went one better and ran in seven runs as they stayed in the mix and in the fourth, only saw one St Kilda runner come home, the ability to steal defeat in the bottom.
The Rustlers though weren't able to produce the magic they did in the inning prior as they failed to drive in any runs, losing their first game of the season.
The Rustlers are now 6-1-1 and second ahead of a clash with Monash Uni while St Kilda is on a four-game win streak and takes on Melbourne in a top-four clash.
Berwick City Cougars 11 v Monash University Farmers 3
Monash Uni suffered their first loss of the season as they just couldn't find the bats when they needed to as Berwick utilised every chance they could to record a win.
Starting with two runs in the first and another in the second, the Cougars were out to a 3-1 lead as the Farmers hit one in at the bottom of the first.
The damage came in the third though when Berwick scored five and another two in the fourth, all the while keeping Monash Uni's hitters accountable.
The Farmers did however find two runs in the fifth, and the Cougars one in the sixth as the game ended with each team not letting up another score.
The Farmers won't let this game and the loss defy them as they'll bounce back against Chetlenham. Berwick will take great confidence into the new year after providing the Farmers with their first loss as they're 8-3 and have an extended break.
Ormond Glenhuntly v BYE