The penultimate day of the Australian MLB Invitational has concluded, and we saw two high scoring games grace Lismore's Albert Park Baseball Complex as Team Balfour and Team Shipley recorded wins.
TEAM BALFOUR 11-8 TEAM NILSSON (F/7)
Both teams scored early and often in the first game of the day in Lismore, but it was Team Balfour who held on against Team Nilsson.
Team Balfour scored runs in five of the first six innings, and that consistent scoring proved the difference.
Kylan Pearce racked up four hits for Team Balfour, while Joel Hogan drove in three runs. Cody Nieass (2IP, 0H, 3K) and Nathan Howarth (1IP, 0H, 2K) were solid on the mound for Team Balfour, while Minchan Kim chimed in with two hits and an RBI.
Genevieve Beacom struck out a tournament high five batters in her 1.2 innings of work, while Gabriel Valdez roped a two-RBI triple in the bottom of the fifth.
Team Nilsson were efficient with their offence, claiming eight runs from only four hits, but consistency from Team Balfour proved the difference.
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TEAM LLOYD 12-10 TEAM SHIPLEY (F/7)
Team Shipley raced out of the blocks to hold a five run lead after three innings, but Team Lloyd pulled it all the way back to run out 12-10 winners at Albert Park.
Team Lloyd used a five run fourth inning to peg the lead back as Caleb Goodwin legged out an inside-the-park home run to give Team Lloyd their first lead of the ballgame.
Nick Bertucci became the first player to clear the fence as he mashed a fly-ball to left field to lead off the top of the fifth.
Luke Jacobs and Hayden Peoples finished with three hits apiece for Team Lloyd, while Team Shipley's hits were shared, as Liam Westdijk drove in a team-high two runs.
Stephen Courtney gave Team Shipley a solid start as he struck out three and only allowed one run, but Team Lloyd's offence clicked into gear as they claimed their third win of the invitational.
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Taylah Welch's two-run blast in the fifth sparked an offensive explosion as the Australian Emeralds defeated Puerto Rico 10-3 at the Women's World Cup.
Welch starred in the Australian offence, going 4-for-5 to lift her batting average to .577 for the tournament.
That homer sparked a four-run inning for the Emeralds, as they came home with a flurry of runs to put the result beyond doubt.
Taylah Welch HOME RUN!!!! 7th-12th Place Round #WomensBaseball #WorldCup @TeamAusBaseball pic.twitter.com/lVEJSMmtOC
The Emeralds flew out of the blocks, scoring three runs in the first frame care of RBIs from Abbey McLellan and Tahnee Lovering, but Puerto Rico fought back with two runs of their own in the second.
Despite those second inning runs, Emeralds starter Kim McMillan was strong, striking out three and only surrendering five hits in four innings of work.
Puerto Rico kept the line moving throughout as they totalled nine hits for the day, but some solid Australian defence ensured they couldn't make the most of their opportunities.
Victorian pair Bronwyn Gell and Abbey McLellan claimed two hits apiece for the Emeralds.
Australia's final game of the Women's World Cup takes place at 8am AEST on Friday 31 August against Korea, stay tuned to the Team Australia Facebook page for a broadcast link.
It’s MLB Invitational time! Baseball Victoria is thrilled to share that many of our brightest young players are taking part in the Australian MLB Invitational in Lismore, NSW this week. We are so proud that, out of all states, we have sent the second-most players with 18 representatives from Victoria, including Genevieve Beacom, the first female participant to be selected. It’s wonderful to see these players come through our development pathway and represent our state in front of international scouts at this showcase funded by the American MLB. We are committed to creating a path for this generation of kids to progress from grassroots to elite levels, and sending so many to the MLB Invitational is just one of the many opportunities we strive to offer for our ambitious junior players.
These 13 and 14 year olds are learning from both local and international coaches as they play competitive games alongside their peers from across the country. By exposing young athletes to high levels of competition and coaching on representative teams, we open new doors for their future baseball careers.
We also sent four fantastic coaches in Dan Betreen, Kelli Zabalan, David Hargreaves and Dan Bratlie, who worked hard to ensure the Australian MLB Invitational brought smiles and lifelong memories for all participants.
Good luck to all our VIC players!
Genevieve Beacom
Nicholas Bertucci
Ethan Dunn
Tyler Ellis
Xander Gunn
Tyler Gwin
Ned Hargreaves
Wesley KA
Jimin Lee
Darcy Longstaff
Bronson Neave
Charlie O'Connell
Obi Olsen
Hayden Peoples
Nikau Pouaka-Grego
Ethan Scalzo
Alek Siddans
Lachlan Smith
We will be sharing more photos throughout the week. Check out the results from each day on http://baseball.com.au/News/Latest-News
All four teams played shortened games on day three at the Australian MLB Invitational, as Team Nilsson and Team Lloyd claimed wins.
TEAM NILSSON 6-3 TEAM SHIPLEY (F/4)
Team Nilsson trailed heading into the fourth and final inning, but they scored four runs to claim a 6-3 win. Gabriel Valdez, Jackson Grounds and Ned Hargreaves each claimed decisive RBIs for Team Nilsson.
Darcy Longstaff tripled in the top of the fourth for Team Nilsson, while his teammate Emile Nel claimed an inside-the-park home run in the top of the third.
Tyson Noel was efficient in his inning of work for Team Nilsson, sitting down Team Shipley's first three hitters in six pitches. Damon Orr and Liam Westdijk pitched scoreless frames for Team Shipley, while Ned Hargreaves kept Team Shipley off the scoreboard in the fourth.
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TEAM LLOYD 3-1 TEAM BALFOUR (F/4)
The second game of the day saw Team Lloyd score two late runs to overcome Team Balfour 3-1.
Jordan Hodges tripled in the top of the fifth and was scored on a groundout from Caleb Goodwin to give Team Lloyd a two-run lead, and Xander Gunn kept Team Balfour at bay in the bottom of the fourth, as Nick Bertucci and Tom Stancic turned a game-ending double play.
Hodges claimed two hits for Team Lloyd, with the quartet of Peoples, Jacobs, Lachlan Smith and Gunn combined to keep Team Balfour to three hits through four innings.
Luke Smith induced two flyouts and a groundout in a rare four-pitch inning for Team Balfour, as Kylan Pearce drove in their only run of the ballgame in the third.
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The Australian Emeralds didn't take their foot off the pedal in their second round matchup with The Netherlands, as they claimed an 18-0 win at the Women's World Cup.
The Emeralds piled on 15 hits in five innings against the Dutch defence, with Chelsea Forkin the main weapon, as she went 4-for-4 with three doubles, a triple and five RBIs to lift her tournament batting average to .643.
Western Australian duo Kaila Borgomastro and Morgan Doty combined for a five-inning shutout of The Netherlands, as the pair only surrendered two hits in a stellar performance.
Queenslander Taylah Welch finished with three hits and three RBI, while eight time World Cup representative Shae Lillywhite proved an impossible out at the top of the order, going 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI and three stolen bases.
Australia face Puerto Rico in their next game of the second round at 8am AEST on Thursday 30 August. You can watch the game live, stay tuned to the Team Australia Baseball Facebook page for a broadcast link.
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Team Lloyd claimed their first win of the Australian MLB Invitational on day two, while Team Balfour picked up their second win in as many games.
TEAM BALFOUR 11-10 TEAM SHIPLEY
Team Shipley scored four runs in the top of the sixth to take a late lead, but a two run seventh inning from Team Balfour ensured they walked away with a perfect record after two games.
Joel Hogan scored on an error while Tyler Spiteri scampered home on a wild pitch to end the ballgame.
Spiteri and Luke Smith lead Team Balfour with two hits apiece, while Peter Bae picked up three RBI on a bases clearing double in the fifth inning.
Team Shipley put up their 10 runs in bunches with a five spot and a four spot keeping them in the game. Liam Westdijk, Damon Orr and Darcy Longstaff lead the line with two hits apiece, Longstaff drove in a team-high two RBI.
Stephen Courtney punched out all three men he faced in a perfect inning of work for Team Shipley, while Joel Hogan and Cameron Landy recorded scoreless frames for Team Balfour.
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TEAM LLOYD 8-4 TEAM NILSSON
Team Nilsson's pitching was fantastic in the early stages of the ballgame, but a big inning from Team Lloyd broke the shackles and they ended up with a four run victory.
The first inning saw an astonishing nine pitches thrown in total, with Jimin Lee (five pitches) and Charlie O'Connell (four pitches), cruising through their inning of work.
Caleb Goodwin finished with three hits - including a triple - for Team Lloyd, while his teammate Thomas Jackson hit an inside-the-park home run to extend Team Lloyd's lead in the fifth.
Goodwin, local lad Cain McLelland and Xander Gunn all tripled for Team Lloyd, while Jackson Grounds legged out a three-bagger for Team Nilsson.
Bryce Flynn and Tiaan Janse van Rensburg kept Team Nilsson's offence quiet with scoreless innings, and despite two late runs, Team Nilsson was unable to pull off the comeback win.
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Team Shipley will be looking for their first win tomorrow at 9.45am AEST when they take on Team Nilsson, while Team Balfour and Team Lloyd will do battle at 1pm AEST.
A perfect day in Lismore greeted the first day of action at the MLB Invitational, as Team Balfour recorded a walkoff win, and Team Shipley and Team Lloyd played out a thrilling tie.
TEAM BALFOUR 7-6 TEAM NILSSON
Team Nilsson scored three runs in the top of the seventh to knot the ballgame at six, but a walk-off single from Team Balfour saw them take a first-up win on Diamond 1.
Tyler Ellis drove in Alek Siddans with an RBI single after Siddans walked and advanced to second via a groundout. With two strikes, Ellis roped a single to right-field and ended the game on a high note for Team Balfour.
Hits were shared for Team Balfour, as Nikau Pouaka-Grego claimed a single and two walks, while Tyler Gwin went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Jude Barker picked up two hits for Team Nilsson, while Jake Quinlivan showed power and speed, with a three-run inside the park home run in the top of the sixth.
Jye Burns, Nathan Howarth and Tyler Ellis all struck out three in their respective outings.
TEAM SHIPLEY 10-10 TEAM LLOYD
Team Shipley put up four runs in the top of the seventh inning and held on for a tie against Team Lloyd as day one concluded at the Australian MLB Invitational.
Blake Gooding's RBI single started the scoring in the seventh, and when Obi Olsen tripled, Team Shipley had pulled within one. Emile Nel drove in Olsen with an RBI single, and Damon Orr kept Team Lloyd's bats quiet in the bottom of the seventh to secure the tie.
Cain McClelland and Angus King starred for Team Lloyd as they drove four runs apiece, while Boyd Worden claimed a team-high three hits for Team Shipley.
Thomas Jackson struck out three in his inning of work for Team Lloyd.
Tomorrow's games see Team Shipley and Team Balfour go head-to-head at 9.45am (AEST), while Team Lloyd face Team Nilsson at 1pm (AEST).
All games are scored live via the Baseball Live app.
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The Australian Emeralds fell to Japan in their final Group B game at the Women’s Baseball World Cup in Florida this morning.
The 5-1 loss to Japan – combined with Hong Kong’s comeback win over Cuba – ended the Emeralds’ hopes of reaching the Super Round.
Australia fell behind in the bottom of the first before halving Japan’s advantage in the second.
Taylah Welch hit a lead-off double and scored on a double from Morgan Doty.
Japan padded its lead with a three-run third
Australia finished level with Japan on six hits.
Bronwyn Gell was responsible for two of the hits.
Reliever Kim McMillan worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings for the Emeralds.
Australia’s first consolation game will be played on Wednesday morning, with its opponent to be determined when Group A action concludes.
The Australian Emeralds have fallen short of Canada in a thrilling Group B contest at the Women’s Baseball World Cup in Florida this morning.
A four-run fourth put Australia up 6-3 before Canada scored six unanswered runs to seal a 9-6 win at USSSA Space Sports Complex.
The loss hurt the Emeralds’ hopes of reaching the Super Round with a clash against unbeaten Japan to round out the group stage tomorrow.
Australia can qualify even if they fail to end Japan’s 25-game winning streak at the World Cup but would have to rely on other results going their way.
Lead-off hitter Shae Lillywhite had two hits – including a first-inning triple – against Canada.
Catcher Tahnee Lovering was responsible for two runs scoring after walking and getting hit by a pitch.
Tomorrow’s contest against Japan starts at 8am AEST and will be broadcast live on the WBSC YouTube channel.