Victoria Belles improved to 4-1 at the Australian Little League Girls Championship with a 13-8 win over NSW White on Saturday morning.
One of the biggest highlights of the game was the world's first home run in a national Little League girls championship, which belongs to Audrey Cheung of the Belles. This was her first-ever home run, a two-run shot in a six-run inning that helped Belles recover from a 6-2 deficit and flip the game on its head.
Audrey was thrilled to send the ball deep to centre field.
“All my coaches have always told me to focus on hitting a line drive and if you’re early you will hit it over the fences,” she said. “I was thinking line drive, line drive and try to hit it right centre to score the run from second and then it went over.”
Audrey says the experience at this national championship has been unforgettable.
“This is the biggest tournament I’ve ever had in my life to play baseball. I’m meeting so many people like girls from New South Wales, South Australia and other states that I’m definitely going to see if I want to play up on women’s teams and hope to see them as professionals one day too,” she added.
Belles and NSW Blue will play for gold at 9am on Sunday -make sure to watch it on Baseball+
Check out the official baseball.com.au event hub for more details and follow along on BV Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates.
Photos by Studio Honsa/Baseball.com.au
Victoria Aces are 2-0 at the 2024 Australian Women's Baseball Showcase after an 11-7 victory over Brisbane on Day 2.
With much better weather on Friday afternoon compared to the rain and fog on night one, Aces put their best defensive foot forward and hit a few home runs, too!
Victoria scored all 11 runs in the first three innings with back-to-back homers by Morgan Doty and Abbey McLellan.
Both Doty and McLellan led the team with two hits, and Doty also showcased her defensive prowess in centre field, including an incredible inning-ending sliding catch in the fourth.
Lili Cavanagh also demonstrated her show-stopping skill at shortstop with numerous web gems, capped off with a diving catch to get the out at second, nearly turning it into a double play.
In the end, all nine Victorian starters scored runs and seven had RBIs.
Aces have a doubleheader on Saturday, playing Adelaide Giants at 3:30pm and Brisbane again at 6pm. The gold medal game is scheduled for 5pm Sunday between Victoria and Brisbane.
Check out the official ABL event hub for more details and follow along on BV Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates. Watch all the action on Baseball+
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Photos by Studio Honsa/Baseball.com.au
Victoria Belles are having a blast at the Australian Little League Girls Championship!
Belles made it three in a row on Day 3 thanks to back-to-back victories, starting with a 7-1 win over Brisbane Rebels. Impressive pitching and strong defense made all the difference.
Lucy Gale was dominant on the hill for the Belles, as the righty rang up ten strikeouts while conceding just four hits and one run in four innings of work.
Emily Mills followed up her yesterday's walk-off by logging two hits today.
Belles had a narrow 2-1 lead before pulling away with two runs in the third and three in the fourth.
Next up, Belles took on West Coast Rays and withstood a late charge to win 16-9 and officially clinch a Top 2 spot in the group stages.
After giving up the first run, Belles settled in to score eleven unanswered runs for an 11-1 lead. The Rays made it 11-7 with a big fourth inning, but the Belles battled back to seal the deal and secure a spot in the gold medal game.
Check out the official baseball.com.au event hub for more details and stay tuned as the Belles continue their journey.
Follow along on BV Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more updates.
Baseball Victoria will be sending two teams of youth girls (aged 13-16) to the third annual Barclay Cup from 29 September to 5 October 2024. The event will be held at Blacktown International Sportspark in Sydney.
Expressions of interest are now open for the following positions:
- Manager (Head Coach)
- Assistant Coach
- Pitching Coach
- Executive Officer
Applicants are required to meet the following criteria to apply:
- Minimum Level 3 Coaching Accreditation (Level 4 may also apply) in the “old” coaching accreditation system, until this expires.
- Minimum Level C Certification in the “new” USA Coach Certification system (manager/head coaches)
- Minimum Level B Certification in the “new” USA Coach Certification system (assistant and pitching coaches)
- Hold a current Working with Children Check
- Demonstrate knowledge of current best practice models and strategy
- Work within the Baseball Victoria Performance Pathway programs & philosophies
The commitment period for these teams includes a trial period in July followed by a two-day per week commitment from August through to the Barclay Cup starting at the end of September.
Position descriptions for coaches and officials can be found HERE.
Applications close Friday 7 June 2024 at midday and can be submitted via SurveyMonkey HERE.
Baseball Victoria is pleased to provide a Save The Date for the 2024 AGM, which will be held on Wednesday 30 October from 7-9pm at a location TBD.
AGM documentation and requirements will be provided closer to the date. Thank you and looking forward to another great year of baseball!
Photos by Studio Honsa/Baseball.com.au
The first-ever Australian Little League Girls Championship continued in Lismore, NSW on Thursday with Victoria Belles enjoying an epic day on the diamond.
Belles scored four runs in the top of the final inning to defeat Adelaide Seahorses 11-10 and pick up their first tournament victory in walk-off style.
Belles battled back from an early 6-0 deficit and scored all three of their final runs with two outs in the bottom of the last inning.
12-year-old Emily Mills, who started playing baseball just nine months ago, delivered the walk-off winning hit on a ground ball up the middle.
I realised when the last few runners came in that we were tied. Then Tay got a walk and I realised ‘Wow, it’s up to me to get a hit,” Mills said. “I was both nervous and excited.”
It’s the first walk-off hit of Emily’s young career after she spent the summer season with Research Lower Plenty Baseball Club.
“The comeback was really fun because we are all here to support each other and make sure we are all okay and have the best time ever,” she added.
Head coach Leah Trebilcock was thrilled to see the team's great spirit and comeback effort. Audrey Cheung led with 3 RBI, two hits, and a walk, although it was truly a team effort with 10 players reaching base.
Belles are now 1-1 headed into a busy Friday with a morning matchup v Brisbane followed by West Coast Rays.
Check out the official baseball.com.au event hub for more details and stay tuned as the Belles continue their journey.
Follow along on BV Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more updates.
Photos by Studio Honsa/Baseball.com.au
On a rainy, foggy evening in Lismore, Victoria Aces racked up 27 runs to take a crucial first-game victory at the 2024 Australian Women's Baseball Showcase.
The final score was 27-5 as the Aces overpowered Adelaide Giants who gave up 18 walks compared to a single walk conceded by Victoria.
Aces put together a 10-run inning in the fifth to put the game firmly out of reach.
Number nine batter Kira Kuwamoto led the way for the Aces, going 3-for-4 with a double and a walk for a team-high 4 RBIs.
Leadoff batter Abbey Kelly added 3 RBIs, going 2-for-4 at the plate with two walks.
Abbey Kelly makes it a 6-0 ballgame for the Aces in the first! 🤯🤯🤯
📺: https://t.co/uPNxsHOKh5 pic.twitter.com/Lwx0F238XY
— Australian Baseball League (@ABL) May 9, 2024
Japanese national team player Erika Nakae of the Aces was perfect from the plate, going 2-for-2 and two walks for an RBI.
United States national team member Anna Kimbrell led the team in runs with five off of a hit and three walks.
Victoria Aces and Brisbane Bandits lead the standings 1-0 after Day 1. The two will face off at 3:30pm on the second day of the showcase.
Check out the official ABL event hub for more details and follow along on BV Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates.
Photos by Studio Honsa/Baseball.com.au
Congratulations to Victoria Belles and all the amazing girls who made history today as part of the inaugural Australian Little League Girls Championship, the first-ever event of its kind.
Belles played NSW Blue in the first official game of this groundbreaking tournament on a national level just for girls. NSW Blue came away with a 15-6 victory, but not before Belles staged a five-run comeback in their last two innings.
Emily Perks struck out four and allowed 0ER in 1.1 innings.
Check out the official baseball.com.au event hub for more details and stay tuned as the Belles continue their inspiring journey.
Follow along on BV Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more updates.
The BV Umpiring Working Group will hold Behind The Mask Community Umpiring Training at Brookdale Reserve, Point Cook this month.
There will be two sessions: classroom theory on Tuesday 14 May and fieldwork on Tuesday 21 May, both from 6-8pm.
Please click HERE to register and learn more about BV Behind The Mask HERE.