Baseball Victoria, Author at Baseball Victoria

As further recognition of the emerging baseball talent in this country, twenty-six promising young ball players are one step closer to chasing their big league dream, having been invited by MLB to attend Spring Training in the US later this month. With over 20 Australians currently affiliated with MLB organisations this is a great opportunity for our best talent between 15-18 years old to perform under the gaze of scouts from The Majors.

The squad of 26 was selected following wide consultation across the baseball fraternity, with over a dozen locally based scouts voting on the final list, with players also needing to meet specific criteria set out for participants by MLB as part of this initiative. The Training Camp and exhibition matches are funded by MLB, and will provide our young elite baseballers a great opportunity for exposure.

Baseball Australia's Head of High Performance Glenn Williams, was delighted to announce the initiative, which further strengthens the relationship between MLB and Australian Baseball.

“The training camps are hopefully the first of many such trips, which will allow Australia’s next generation of ball players to not only experience what Spring Training is all about, but also showcase their talent on the biggest stage,” said Williams.

“To have an opportunity to pit their skills against some of the best in the world, in this unique format, will be a great accelerator in our National High Performance program.”

Several members of the Aussie squad attending the 12-day Spring Training program in St Petersburg, Florida, have already committed to Baseball programs next autumn (Northern Hemisphere) at various Junior Colleges in the US.

The tour will also provide an opportunity for current senior members of the National Team, the Southern Thunder, to assist in the development of Australia’s next generation of baseball talent.

Luke Hughes (Manager) and Trent Oeltjen (Assistant Coach) fresh from their victory over South Africa at the World Baseball Classic Qualifier, will be joined by Sydney Blue Sox Manager Jason Pospishil (Assistant Coach), Australian Baseball Hall of Famers Graeme Lloyd (Pitching Coach) and Glenn Williams (Executive Officer) and Todd Hutcheson (Trainer) as the coaching staff for the tour. The Australian squad will come up against some of the best talent in the US, and also play in exhibition games against the European Academy and Canada.

Australian 26 Man Roster

SURNAME	FIRST NAME	STATE	POS	AGE
AMOS	Jacob	NSW	C / OF	16
BARRETT	Max	VIC	RHP	18
BEDGGOOD	Joshua	QLD	LHP	17
BOJARSKI	Ulrich	WA	C / 1B	17
CALLIL	George	VIC	SS	18
COOPER-VASSALAKIS	Brodie	ACT	RHP	15
DALE	Jarryd	VIC	SS	15
DEEBLE	Jye	QLD	LHP	18
DUNN	Oliver	VIC	RHP / INF	17
FREW	Dean	NSW	2B / SS	18
FULLERTON	Harrison	NSW	RHP / INF	17
HENDRICKSON	Joshua	WA	LHP	18
HOLDING	Mitchell	VIC	C	18
JONES	Samuel	QLD	RHP	18
MCARDLE	Jordan	SA	C	18
MCCALLUM	James	NSW	1B/ OF	18
NEUNBORN	Mitchell	WA	RHP / INF	18
O'LOUGHLIN	Jack	SA	LHP	16
PERCIVAL	James	NSW	OF	18
PICKARD	Mason	SA	OF	18
POWER	Jordan	WA	RHP	17
RAWLINSON	Joshua	WA	RHP / INF	17
ROBINS	Joshua	NSW	RHP	17
SEIGNIOR	Brody	QLD	LHP	18
TSUI	Benjamin	NSW	OF	17
VANKAN	Nathanael	QLD	OF	17

The squad will depart for the US 15 March 2016.

In a potential first step toward recognizing their dreams of playing in the Majors, five Victorians have been invited to attend Spring Training later this month.

Among the squad of 26 ages 15-18, Max Barrett, George Callil, Jarryd Dale, Oliver Dunn and Mitchell Holding will represent Victoria.

Barrett (18 years old) and Dunn (17) are right handed pitchers, Holding (18) a catcher and Dale (15) and Callil (18) shortstops. The latter is currently starring for Cheltenham in the Division 1 Grand Final.

“This initiative is a fantastic achievement for our high performance pathway in Australia,” said Damian Shanahan, Baseball Victoria’s High Performance Manager.

“The international exposure and opportunity to work with such a fine coaching staff is a vital component of their continued development. Congratulations to all the Victorian players on their selection. It’s well-deserved and a testament to the dedication they have shown in their pursuit of excellence.”

This prestigious squad was assembled based on the recommendations of many knowledgeable baseball people in Australia, including over a dozen professional scouts stationed here.

They will play against MLB academy teams from Canada and Europe before graduating to testing their talents on rookie-league competitors from the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins.

Said Glenn Williams, Baseball Australia’s Head of High Performance:

They will be managed by Luke Hughes, with Trent Oeltjen and Jason Pospishil serving as assistant coaches, Graeme Lloyd as pitching coach and Williams as the executive officer.

The contingent will decamp for the U.S. on 15 March.

It was a tale of two half innings.

Save a throwing error by their pitcher, four time defending champion Essendon looked calm, cool and collected to begin yet another title defense.

After they held Cheltenham off the board for the first three frames, they did what they always do: make the most of their opportunities.

In his second at bat of the game, leadoff hitter Scott McIntyre walked on five pitches to start the inning and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brett Tamburrino. The Rustlers pitcher, Max Barrett, had a chance to get McIntyre at second but instead threw the ball over his shortstop’s head.

Second baseman Tom Dicker then stepped to the plate. After two unsuccessful bunt attempts, he fought off a pitch, took a close one for a ball and then singled to center, his second hit of the game.

With the bases loaded, Peter Stokes grounded into a double play (shortstop to first), scoring Scott McIntyre for the first run of the Grand Final.

An error by Cheltenham shortstop George Callil off a broken bat chopper by Tamburrino put the Bombers up two after three.

A scoreless fourth preceded the epic middle frame.

The fifth inning featured 20 plate appearances—an even 10 for each team—nine runs and three pitching changes.

When it began, Essendon led 2-0. When it finished they were on top 6-5.

Third baseman Sam Trend-Beacom started off the Rustlers rally with an infield hit on a high chopper. Jarrod Hoff then worked the count full (after being down 0-2) and reached on an error by Bombers shortstop Sam Moon.

Catcher Brad Kmet, attempting to sacrifice himself, laid down a perfect bunt for another single that didn’t reach the outfield, loading the bases.

The next batter, leadoff man Dylan Trevorah, didn’t waste any time when he took hurler Gareth Formisano’s first pitch and lined it to right, scoring Trend-Beacom and Hoff to tie the game.

That was the end of the Essendon hurler’s night as Kyle Bedford relieved him.

One of their best players all year, shortstop George Callil had a fantastic at-bat. Though he didn’t succeed on getting two bunts down, he worked the count full before being hit by a pitch.

Lanky left hander Ben Leslie then walked to score Kmet, giving their Rustlers their first lead of the game.

Bedford, who didn’t retire a batter, was then replaced by Russell Spear, who promptly gave up a two run double to left center by Paul Rutgers. The two-bagger scored Trevorah and Callil and gave Cheltenham a 5-2 advantage.

Right fielder Andrew Gribbin then walked on six pitches, loading the bases once again.

Mitch Holding then struck out swinging before Sam Trend-Beacom, in his second at bat of the inning, grounded into a nifty 4-6-3 double play on the first pitch he saw, ending the inning.

The Rustlers had all the momentum.

But there’s a reason the Bombers have won four straight championships

Already 2-for-2, Tom Dicker began the frame with an infield hit on a high chopper to shortstop.

Peter Stokes followed with a tailor-made ground ball to third, but Trend-Beacom—superb all game—rushed himself and retired no one.

After Tim Sullivan flew to center, Josh Davies crushed a two run double to right center, scoring Dicker and Stokes and cutting the deficit to one.

Head coach Adam Blackley replaced Barrett and then the wheels began to come loose on the Rustlers train.

After running a great distance to track down a foul ball down the left field line, Callil inexplicably—one has to assume his left fielder Rutgers called him off—didn’t offer at the ball and it fell to the grass untouched, but not harmlessly.

As it always seems to happen in baseball, the next pitch was crushed to right center by Liam Bedford, scoring Davies.

Sam Moon, intent on bunting, walked. Then the number nine hitter, Dean McIntyre, caught everyone by surprise and put down a great bunt up the first base line on a 2-1 count to load the bases.

Dean’s brother Scott then worked a full count walk, plating Bedford. Dicker, the tenth hitter in the inning, struck out with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Nearly an hour later the fifth inning finally finished.

Like great teams usually do, Essendon retook the momentum and never gave it back.

Cheltenham went 1-2-3 in the sixth and then the Bombers converted a duck snort to right, a balk, a deep fly to center, a walk, and a frozen rope to left to add an insurance marker. After another bunt single, a superb 6-4-3 double play ended the inning.

The seventh started well for the Rustlers but after getting runners on at first and second with one out, they failed to score.

The Bombers, after a ground out to short to start the inning, put together a single, an out, hit by pitch, and then three straight singles to add four more runs to their total.

After seven complete: Essendon 11, Cheltenham 5.

A scoreless eighth by the Rustlers begat another two runs in the bottom of the frame by the Bombers.

Essendon then closed them out in the ninth in order to secure a come-from-behind 13-5 win.

Game 2 of the series is at Melbourne Ballpark on Saturday afternoon.

Tonight the first pitch will be thrown in a Division 1 Grand Final without precedent. No matter who wins the best-of-three series, history will be made.

Down the third base side you have Essendon. The Bombers have won four straight Ross Straw Trophies, equalling Waverley’s feat from 1989 to 1993. A fifth consecutive title would put them in a league all of their own.

Across the diamond, upstart Cheltenham is seeking their first ever Division 1 crown. Winning two of the next three games would be the biggest upset the Victorian Summer Baseball League has seen in quite some time.

What, then, is the Rustlers recipe for success?

Led by first year club coach and player/manager Adam Blackley and pitching coach Matt Gourlay, Cheltenham is a very young team augmented by sage veteran talent.

Second year import Bryan Kloppe leads a strong starting rotation, which also features dynamic hurlers Jack Enciondo, Lochy Madden, Max Barrett and Blackley.

Anchoring their team is catcher Mitch Holding. They also feature talented young guns in both the infield (George Callil) and outfield (Sam Trend-Beacom).

Ex-professional players Ben Leslie (21 years of age) and Paul Rutgers (32) round out a dynamic starting nine.

Cheltenham plays the game hard and are renowned around Division 1 for their relentless competitiveness and never-say-die attitude.

Their opponent, Essendon, has very few apparent weaknesses.

Strong pitching rotation? Check. Led by Gareth Formisano, Dean McIntyre and featuring stalwarts Kyle Bedford, Russell Spear and Shane Lindsay, the pitching staff rivals any in the VSBL.

Solid starting nine? Yes. Extremely experienced and all tough outs, the Bombers lose little from the top to the bottom of their batting order. Brett Tamburrino, Tim Sullivan and Josh Davies are all top-flight hitters and if Peter Stokes, Liam Bedford and McIntyre are spraying the ball to all fields and getting on base consistently, Essendon is tough to beat.

They also feature Most Valuable Player candidate Tom Dicker who is enjoying a season for the ages.

Their defense is above average and their coaching—led by Peter Giles and Richard King—is top notch.

And, of course, they are battle tested. There is nary a scenario on the diamond they haven’t yet confronted individually or as a group.

While Cheltenham is going for their first ever Division 1 championship, Essendon is chasing their seventh. Already second since the current structure began in 1973, a best-of- three series victory would bring them within five titles of Waverley.

First pitch of Game 1 is slated for 7.30 p.m. this evening at Melbourne Ballpark.

What, then, is the Rustlers recipe for success?

Led by first year club coach and player/manager Adam Blackley and pitching coach Matt Gourlay, Cheltenham is a very young team augmented by sage veteran talent.

Second year import Bryan Kloppe leads a strong starting rotation, which also features dynamic hurlers Jack Enciondo, Lochy Madden, Max Barrett and Blackley.

Anchoring their team is catcher Mitch Holding. They also feature talented young guns in both the infield (George Callil) and outfield (Sam Trend-Beacom).

Ex-professional players Ben Leslie (21 years of age) and Paul Rutgers (32) round out a dynamic starting nine.

Cheltenham plays the game hard and are renowned around Division 1 for their relentless competitiveness and never-say-die attitude.

Their opponent, Essendon, has very few apparent weaknesses.

Strong pitching rotation? Check. Led by Gareth Formisano, Dean McIntyre and featuring stalwarts Kyle Bedford, Russell Spear and Shane Lindsay, the pitching staff rivals any in the VSBL.

They also feature Most Valuable Player candidate Tom Dicker who is enjoying a season for the ages.

Their defense is above average and their coaching—led by Peter Giles and Richard King—is top notch.

And, of course, they are battle tested. There is nary a scenario on the diamond they haven’t yet confronted individually or as a group.

First pitch of Game 1 is slated for 7.30 p.m. this evening at Melbourne Ballpark.

Baseball Australia will be showcasing Women’s Baseball around the country during March and April, with events planned for Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth in an exciting new approach to the Women’s game.

Recently reappointed for a second term, after winning Bronze at the 2014 World Cup in Miyazaki, Japan, Emeralds Manager, Simone Wearne, says this is the start of more pathway opportunities for female baseball players in Australia.

“We held a forum about the future of women’s baseball at Nationals, and one of the key outcomes was for more pathway opportunities to be available. This National Roadshow will provide that, by giving players access to elite training, testing and real game experience against some tough teams, which is exactly what our girls need”.

The National Roadshow, will be the opportunity for Wearne to scout the nation for players to compete at the upcoming 2016 VIII WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup, to be held in Gijang City, South Korea, September 3-11.

The Roadshow is open to all players aged 15+, who aspire to one day wear the green and gold and play for their country.

" I am hoping to see all of the players from our Bronze Medal Phoenix Cup team participate in the roadshows, and I would encourage all girls who played at Nationals to register too. I was able to see where many players were at in January, however I didn’t get to see every player, and those I did see, were not necessarily in the positions they would play on the national team, so I would incite anyone who is interested to register”, said Wearne.

And in a surprise move, Baseball Australia is also encouraging non-baseballers to register.

"We are keen to look outside the box, and will be encouraging all female athletes to attend the planned roadshows, whether they are baseball lifers, a seasoned softballer looking for a new opportunity or even a cricketer with a 'million dollar arm'." said Wearne

"Essentially we are looking for players who will display the attributes Australian's are known for, team players who play hard but fair. We want to instil a mental toughness in this team, and we want athletes that can put it all on the line. If we can do that we will be well on the road to success",

Australian Women's Baseball National Roadshow Details

· Attendance at one of the roadshow events is strongly encouraged for any player looking at selection for the 2016 Emeralds Squad for the 2016 Women’s Baseball World Cup

· Players that cannot attend for legitimate reasons and with prior notice to the coaching staff may still be considered, however attendance is strongly encouraged

· There is no charge for participating in the Roadshow

· Players should arrive early enough to ensure they are ready to go at 9am

· Previous national team representatives are requested not to wear representative apparel

· Players should bring their own lunch and snacks (some venues may have food available, this will be advised by email post registration)

· Pre-registration is essential and can be completed via the links below

· Spectators are welcomed and encouraged

Event format

· The day will run from 9am-4pm

· Morning session: training/testing

· Afternoon session: game play

· Players should wear baseball pants, shirt and hat

Exciting games were the norm as all six contests were hard fought and dramatic in the latest iteration of the Under 14s contingent in the Little League Charter & Junior League Charter Academy.

Geelong Baycats 6, Eastern Athletics (Green) 3

Excellent pitching from the Geelong triumvirate of Kobe Greenhalgh, Connor Hickey and Jarrod Wood buoyed the Baycats to a big win. The trio shut down the A’s on just 88 pitches. Tom Renouf caught the entire game for Geelong.

The Baycats scored once in the first, added another in the second and three in the third before tacking on an insurance marker in the sixth to greatly improve their chances of victory.

The A’s, who scored twice in the second and once in the fifth, played a sterling game with Riley Licht (40 pitches), Josh Battles (30) and Charlie Collins (52) taking the mound. Damon Hill and Kye Stehr split the catching duties.

The win put the Baycats at 7-2 heading into their second tilt; the A’s (Green) side fell back to .500 with a 3-3-2 mark.

Southern Mariners (A) 3, Northern Diamondbacks (Red) 2

Slow and steady . . . the Southern Mariners followed that mantra to a T. In the second, third and fourth inning they scored one run, allowing them to withstand the D’Backs two-run third and win a nailbiter.

Jai Cebular (47 pitches) and Cam Zimmerman (31) were excellent on the hill and Malcolm Elliot caught the entire game.

Across the diamond, Adam Tsadakis did the same behind the dish with Bailey Marcola (65) and Julius Crino (14) handling the pitching duties.

The win gets the A team back up to .500 with a 3-3 mark while the D’Backs Red team falls to 0-5-1.

Southern Mariners (B) 4, Northern Diamondbacks (Blue) 3

One big inning was all the Southern Mariners B side needed to come away with a huge win.

Down 1-0 after a half-inning and 2-0 heading to bat in the third, the Mariners exploded for four runs in their half of the inning to take the lead for good. Though they ceded a single marker in the fifth, the four runs were enough for the victory.

Jacob Bald started and pitched well, hurling 68 pitches for the Mariners. Max McLaughlan (five) and Marcus Graham (21) closed the win out. Mack Turley caught the entire game.

For the D’Backs it was Nick Pascutti (61) and Mason Lundi (14) on the bump and Phareel Peni behind the plate.

The D’Backs Blue (0-7-1) are still looking for their first win while the Mariners victory ups their mark to 4-2.

Eastern Athletics (Gold) 8, Geelong Baycats 2

More than any other so far this campaign, this game showed why this A’s squad is the gold standard for the Junior League Charter Academy. They scored early and often, plating three in the first and four in the second to take to take a commanding 7-0 lead.

And their pitching was stellar. Starter Henry Hayman threw 4.1 innings, allowing only four hits and two earned runs while striking out three on 64 pitches. Dan Anderson (12 pitches) closed the game out with a strong two-thirds of an inning when he struck out one. Harvey Mitchell Hill caught the entire game for the A’s.

At the dish, Zachary Busch paced Eastern with two hits while leadoff hitter James Keam and Reece Longstaff added one apiece.

The defense was stellar too with a 4-3 double play on a line drive ended the Baycats fourth-inning rally.

In a losing effort, many Baycats hit the ball well. Travis Duxson, Tom Renouf, Nick Hau and Max Shaw-Vaalepu all had knocks. And all-everything Jarryd Wood supplied all his team’s runs with a two run homer in the fourth.

Connor Hughes (75) started the game and threw three innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits and three walks. He also struck out a trio of batters. Angus McNee (24) finished the game, walking two and allowing a run in one inning of work.

Eugene Gay and Shaw-Vaalepu split the catching duties.

Now 7-1, the Gold team is alone atop the ladder. Geelong falls to 7-3 with the loss.

Southern Mariners (B) 8, Northern Diamondbacks (Red) 4

All four Southern Mariners squads (both the Under 12 and Under 14s) have shown a remarkable amount of resilience this season.

This game was a masterclass based on that thesis.

Down 1-0 after a half-inning and 4-2 after the top of the second, the Mariners came back with five runs in the last of the third before shutting down the D’Backs in the top of the fourth to secure the victory.

Mariners Joel Ausen (43 pitches), Shelby Roberts (15) and Matt West (two) did well on the mound and Cade Johnson performed admirably behind the plate.

For the D’Backs, Oscar Tashradort (52) and Nathan Smith (34) took the hill and Warun Peljah caught the entire game.

The win gave them a weekend sweep of the D’Backs and improved their record to 5-2 on the year while the opposing Red squad remained winless at 0-6-1.

Northern Diamondbacks (Blue) 6, Southern Mariners (A) 5

What a game! Desperate for their first victory of the season, the D’Backs scratched and clawed—and then held on for dear life—before finally claiming a 6-5 triumph.

The D’Backs got off to a great start, scoring a run in the top of the first. The Mariners A team, however, answered right back. After a scoreless second, the Blue squad plated two in the third, only to see the Mariners once again answer back with a single run.

Three runs in the fourth gave the D’Backs a 6-2 advantage—and they would need every last run as the never-say-die Mariners scored three in the bottom of the fourth to nearly even the contest.

The winning D’Backs staff was anchored by Harvey Hadlon (25 pitches) and also featured hurlers Jonah Hope (21), Trenell Hutchins (20) and closer Yoshiki Sutherland (21). Zach Kallis and Julius Crinc performed the catching duties.

For the Mariners, Rhys Fairweather (70) and Blake Holding (34) did the pitching and Chris Neilson caught the whole contest.

The split of games on the weekend leave the Southern Mariners (A) team a game below .500 with a 3-4 mark while the D’Backs (Blue) are now 1-7-1 on the season.

Here is how the comp stands after the fifth round: https://sportsdesq.imgstg.com/portal/index.cfm?fuseaction=competition&competitionID=10392&OrgID=16724&clubOrganisationId=0#ladder. Next week the Under 12s are back in action. Check back here for a full report of all six games.

Geelong Baycats 6, Eastern Athletics (Green) 3

The Baycats scored once in the first, added another in the second and three in the third before tacking on an insurance marker in the sixth to greatly improve their chances of victory.

The win put the Baycats at 7-2 heading into their second tilt; the A’s (Green) side fell back to .500 with a 3-3-2 mark.

Southern Mariners (A) 3, Northern Diamondbacks (Red) 2

Jai Cebular (47 pitches) and Cam Zimmerman (31) were excellent on the hill and Malcolm Elliot caught the entire game.

Across the diamond, Adam Tsadakis did the same behind the dish with Bailey Marcola (65) and Julius Crino (14) handling the pitching duties.

The win gets the A team back up to .500 with a 3-3 mark while the D’Backs Red team falls to 0-5-1.

Southern Mariners (B) 4, Northern Diamondbacks (Blue) 3

One big inning was all the Southern Mariners B side needed to come away with a huge win.

Jacob Bald started and pitched well, hurling 68 pitches for the Mariners. Max McLaughlan (five) and Marcus Graham (21) closed the win out. Mack Turley caught the entire game.

For the D’Backs it was Nick Pascutti (61) and Mason Lundi (14) on the bump and Phareel Peni behind the plate.

The D’Backs Blue (0-7-1) are still looking for their first win while the Mariners victory ups their mark to 4-2.

Eastern Athletics (Gold) 8, Geelong Baycats 2

At the dish, Zachary Busch paced Eastern with two hits while leadoff hitter James Keam and Reece Longstaff added one apiece.

The defense was stellar too with a 4-3 double play on a line drive ended the Baycats fourth-inning rally.

Eugene Gay and Shaw-Vaalepu split the catching duties.

Now 7-1, the Gold team is alone atop the ladder. Geelong falls to 7-3 with the loss.

Southern Mariners (B) 8, Northern Diamondbacks (Red) 4

All four Southern Mariners squads (both the Under 12 and Under 14s) have shown a remarkable amount of resilience this season.

This game was a masterclass based on that thesis.

Mariners Joel Ausen (43 pitches), Shelby Roberts (15) and Matt West (two) did well on the mound and Cade Johnson performed admirably behind the plate.

For the D’Backs, Oscar Tashradort (52) and Nathan Smith (34) took the hill and Warun Peljah caught the entire game.

The win gave them a weekend sweep of the D’Backs and improved their record to 5-2 on the year while the opposing Red squad remained winless at 0-6-1.

Northern Diamondbacks (Blue) 6, Southern Mariners (A) 5

What a game! Desperate for their first victory of the season, the D’Backs scratched and clawed—and then held on for dear life—before finally claiming a 6-5 triumph.

Three runs in the fourth gave the D’Backs a 6-2 advantage—and they would need every last run as the never-say-die Mariners scored three in the bottom of the fourth to nearly even the contest.

For the Mariners, Rhys Fairweather (70) and Blake Holding (34) did the pitching and Chris Neilson caught the whole contest.

The split of games on the weekend leave the Southern Mariners (A) team a game below .500 with a 3-4 mark while the D’Backs (Blue) are now 1-7-1 on the season.

Doncaster 4, Footscray 3

In a great game worthy of the postseason, the Dragons eked past the Bulldogs, 4-3, to advance to Saturday’s preliminary final against the Bombers.

Footscray’s season ends with a 4-12 mark while Doncaster improves their record to 9-8 with the win.

Springvale 16, Essendon 6

All year long the Lions have dominated, winning 14 of their 15 regular season games.

Saturday was no different.

They scored twice in the first and traded runs in the third before the Bombers exploded for four runs in the fourth, putting them ahead of the Bombers, 6-4. Undaunted, the Lions roared back, plating one in the fourth, another eight in the fifth and three more in the sixth to finish off the game.

With the victory, Springvale (15-1) will host the Grand Final on Saturday 5 March. It will be either a rematch with Essendon (9-7) or a clash with resurgent Doncaster.

The Bombers host the Dragons this coming Saturday at noon in the preliminary final.

In a great game worthy of the postseason, the Dragons eked past the Bulldogs, 4-3, to advance to Saturday’s preliminary final against the Bombers.

Footscray’s season ends with a 4-12 mark while Doncaster improves their record to 9-8 with the win.

Springvale 16, Essendon 6

All year long the Lions have dominated, winning 14 of their 15 regular season games.

Saturday was no different.

With the victory, Springvale (15-1) will host the Grand Final on Saturday 5 March. It will be either a rematch with Essendon (9-7) or a clash with resurgent Doncaster.

The Bombers host the Dragons this coming Saturday at noon in the preliminary final.

Research 11, Ormond Glenhuntly 2

Hitting, hitting, hitting. If the Roadrunners had a team philosophy, that adage would undoubtedly figure prominently. And in their semifinal tilt on Sunday, hit is exactly what they did.

Research scored once in the first, three in the second, five in the fourth, once in the fifth and a cherry-on-top marker in the eighth to provide the final margin.

The Hunters got their single runs in the third and fifth frames.

Ormond Glenhuntly’s season ends with an 8-12 record while Research (8-9) continues on their quest for a premiership when they travel to Mulgrave to compete in the preliminary final on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Pakenham 11, Mulgrave 8

Three games. Three Pakenham losses. All by an average of eight runs and no games were closer than four.

But that is why they play the game.

Despite being down 3-0 after five, the Pumas pounced in the sixth, scoring three runs before adding four more in the seventh, three in the eighth and an insurance marker in the ninth.

The Rebels parried Pakenham’s thrust by scoring three in the sixth to go back up 6-3 but couldn’t muster any runs in the seventh and only single markers in the eighth and ninth innings while the Pumas continued to pummel the baseball.

The loss was the first of the year for Mulgrave (their near-perfect 16-0-1 record’s only blemish a tie to St Kilda), but it does not end their season.

While Pakenham is now poised to host the Grand Final on Sunday 6 March, Mulgrave heads home to host the white-hot Roadrunners from Research. First pitch is this coming Sunday at 2 p.m.

Hitting, hitting, hitting. If the Roadrunners had a team philosophy, that adage would undoubtedly figure prominently. And in their semifinal tilt on Sunday, hit is exactly what they did.

Research scored once in the first, three in the second, five in the fourth, once in the fifth and a cherry-on-top marker in the eighth to provide the final margin.

The Hunters got their single runs in the third and fifth frames.

Pakenham 11, Mulgrave 8

Three games. Three Pakenham losses. All by an average of eight runs and no games were closer than four.

But that is why they play the game.

Despite being down 3-0 after five, the Pumas pounced in the sixth, scoring three runs before adding four more in the seventh, three in the eighth and an insurance marker in the ninth.

The loss was the first of the year for Mulgrave (their near-perfect 16-0-1 record’s only blemish a tie to St Kilda), but it does not end their season.

While Pakenham is now poised to host the Grand Final on Sunday 6 March, Mulgrave heads home to host the white-hot Roadrunners from Research. First pitch is this coming Sunday at 2 p.m.

Ballarat 11, Port Melbourne 8

A big six-run fourth was the difference in a very exciting tilt between two teams who had higher hopes when the season began.

The Brewers scored twice in the second before getting those six runs in the fourth. After the Mariners tallied five times in the fifth, Ballarat came right back with two in the bottom half to cushion their lead.

Port Melbourne scored once in seventh and another in the eighth to pull within two. On this day, though, the Brewers would not be denied a victory. They scored one final time in the eighth and shut them out in the ninth to earn the well-fought win.

The Mariners were led at the plate by all-everything Will Musson who went 2-3 with a run and an RBI. Seven other players contributed one single apiece and Justin Lake paced the team with two RBI. Aaron Petri crossed the place twice for Port Melbourne.

Across the diamond the hitting parade was led by Leigh Ashmore and Hamish Burrows, who both contributed three singles. George Davidson, Ethan Etheridge, David Haehl and Ricky Howell each had two hits, including Davidson’s two doubles. Howell had a three-bagger and Davidson and Ashmore both knocked in three runs.

The win upped Ballarat’s mark to 12-14-1 on the season while the loss dropped Port Melbourne to last place with a 6-20 record.

Bonbeach 8, Williamstown 3

Another six-run inning proved crucial in a Division 2 tilt when the Bluejays had that many players cross the plate in the second home frame.

The Wolves roared back with three in the fifth but Bonbeach was too much after that, scoring two insurance runs in the seventh and keeping Williamstown off the scoreboard the rest of the game.

The Bluejays were led by Mitchell Sheldon-Collins (2-3 with two runs and an RBI) and Andrew Webber (2-4 with a run and a double). Adam Major also had a two-bagger and drove in one and Brendan Kelly had two RBI.

The Wolves had four players record two hits each (all singles) and Scott Meager and Kile Rogers had the two runs batted in.

Bonbeach finished the year in a tie for seventh with Berwick City, both with identical 10-17 records. Williamstown was fifth with a 13-14 mark.

Malvern 6, Berwick City 3

Needing a win and a Port Melbourne loss to stay out of the cellar, the Braves played a fantastic game and downed a determined Cougars side, 6-3.

Down 1-0 after half an inning, they tallied three times in the first only to see Berwick City score twice in the third to tie the game. There it stayed until the Braves erupted for three in the seventh to finish the scoring.

Scott Ashton, Geoffrey Holland and Simon Willox each had two hits for the victors. Geoffrey Holland had a triple and two RBI to lead the team.

Malvern (7-20) finished a half-game ahead of Port Melbourne for second-to-last and Berwick City (10-17) tied with Bonbeach for seventh.

Moorabbin 11, Upwey Ferntree Gully 2

In an intriguing tilt between two finals-bound teams, the top-of-the-table Panthers used a formidable five-inning surge to down a proud Tigers team, 11-2.

Moorabbin scored three times in the third, once in the fourth, twice each in fifth and sixth and added three runs in the seventh to bury Upwey. The Tigers only managed single markers in the sixth and eighth innings.

Nicholas Rice and Jarrod Turner had the lone RBI for Upwey with Turner the only Tiger to have more than one hit.

Across the diamond, three players—Nick O’Shea, Ben Laux and Andrew Katz—had more than one knock with Laux and Brendan Wilson registering doubles. Ricky Wheeler had three runs batted in and Laux had four.

The win, Moorabbin’s 23^rd of the season in just 26 games, gives them plenty of momentum as they ready to face fourth place Upwey (15-12) in a best-of-three series beginning tomorrow night at Melbourne Ballpark. First pitch is 7.30 p.m.

Werribee 2, Fitzroy 0

A scheduling quirk also facilitated a preview of the other semifinal matchup on the season’s final day.

Though there was little to play for save the purity of the game, this remarkable contest went 12 innings before a run crossed the plate.

In the top of the final frame, Reece Haywood came through with the team’s lone RBI. He had one of the Giants six hits, scattered throughout the dozen innings. Matthew Howe and Jonathon Lowe scored the team’s runs.

For the side that fell just short in this scintillating game, Danny King and Brock Pawley both had two hits and Luke McLean added a double.

John Muchan paced the Lions with two sacrifice bunts.

First pitch is scheduled for 7.30 tomorrow night at Preston Ballpark as Werribee (21-5-1) and Fitzroy (15-10-1) go toe-to-toe in a best-of-three series.