VSBL Division 2 teams are racing towards finals with Newport, Moorabbin, Mulgrave, Doncaster, and Werribee rounding out the top five after 15 rounds.

Read full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out the latest recaps below.

Division 2 Firsts

Mulgrave Rebels 2 v Newport Rams 0

Two quick runs off the bat of Nicholas Thompson in the first inning proved to be the deciding factor in this game as the Rebels earned their tenth win of the year.

Thompson had Mulgrave's only extra-base hit of the day while Paul Rutgers had a pair of base hits as Jayson Arthur, Riley O'Shea, and Caleb Poole also singled. Poole threw the whole game, striking out four and keeping things scoreless even with eight hits.

Newport's Tyler Comben also pitched the full game, settling in after those two early runs with six hits and eight strikeouts. The Rams' efforts to break through at the plate were led by Aaron Robson with three singles, as well as base hits for Nathan Smith, Connor Schibeci, Cameron Lyons, David Gregurke, and Jared Berman.

Now 10-4, Mulgrave visits St Kilda next while ladder leaders Newport look to improve on a 12-3 record with an away game at Doncaster.

Moorabbin Panthers 5 v Doncaster Dragons 7

Doncaster got the better of second-place Moorabbin, coming back with three runs in the third and four in the eighth to keep up the pressure. The game was 7-4 going into the top of the ninth, and although Moorabbin got one back, they were stopped there.

Angus Stals threw five innings for the Dragons with six hits, five walks, four runs, and four strikeouts. Simon Fitzmaurice and Marcel Davoine both contributed two solid innings in relief.

Doncaster's Billy Findlay had two RBIs on three singles as Brian Chen, Nicolaas Unland, and Davoine had RBI singles, too. Luke Utting doubled while Brendan McDonald and Marc Sandy had base hits.

Nicholas Veale threw five innings for Moorabbin with seven hits, two walks, three runs (one unearned), and five strikeouts. Mitch Sheldon-Collins handled three innings with two hits, five walks, four runs, and three strikeouts.

Felix Brunner and Ben Laux both had RBI doubles for Moorabbin while Veale had a pair of RBIs with three singles. Nick Bertucci, Matt Hardie, and Angelo Reale Rontos also had hits.

Moorabbin is 11-4 just behind Newport at 12-3 as Doncaster sits fourth at 9-5-1. The Panthers host Preston and the Dragons play Newport at home next.

Williamstown Wolves 6 v Preston Pirates 7

Preston came back to win after a flurry of five runs in the seventh. Williamstown pulled in front with three runs across the first four innings, followed by three runs in the fifth for a 6-0 lead.

The Pirates stirred things up in the sixth, scoring one before bringing home five in the next frame. A final run in the bottom of the ninth sealed the deal on Preston's fifth win while Williamstown is now 8-6-1.

Logan O'Brien got the win on the mound with two strong scoreless innings, striking out four in relief of Gabriel Valderrama, who led the team offensively with two RBIs on a big double.

Luke Williams, Jaycob Pascuzzi, and Darcy Byrne-Connell also knocked in runs for Preston while Adrian Fittock and O'Brien both had doubles. Glenn Farrell, Ryan Golledge, and Mitch Legge also made it on base.

Williamstown had Dennis Neal on the mound for five scoreless innings. He gave up just two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts before Aaron Green took over.

Cooper Carrison had two singles and an RBI while Justin Gourlay also knocked in a run with two singles and a double. Hiroshi Narasaki and Jason McDonald batted runs in too.

After this intense back-and-forth competition, round 16 has Preston heading to Moorabbin and Williamstown hosting Werribee.

Ormond Glenhuntly 1 v Werribee Giants 4

The Hunters and the Giants were locked in a tight battle, with both sides scoring one run in the fourth. It wasn't until the bottom of the eighth that Werribee broke through with three runs, which proved enough to win the game as they got the final three outs in the ninth.

Ormond Glenhuntly managed five hits off Wesley de Jong who kept things under control to get the win, walking three and striking out nine throughout the entire game.

The winning side had three hits on the day, including a single and a double for Wade Balzer and a base hit for Trent Pantalleresco.

9-6 Werribee heads to Williamstown for a midweek game while Ormond Glenhuntly plays Port Melbourne at home in hopes of securing win number five.

St Kilda Saints 13 v Port Melbourne Mariners 2

The Saints and Mariners had a 1-1 tie going into the second inning, but St Kilda took the wheel from there, scoring six in the second, two in the third, one in the fifth, and three in the sixth. This flurry of runs went unanswered until the bottom of the sixth when Port Melbourne got one back, but that was it as the Saints got their fourth win of the season.

Adam Schoppe got the win on the mound, giving up three hits and two runs with three strikeouts in seven innings.

Mariano Favia, George Polley, and Millar Kuhl all batted in three runs for St Kilda as Fernando Figueroa had two doubles for a pair of RBIs. Rolando Curiel took two walks and smashed a double and Robby Lewis record three base hits.

On the bright side for Port Melbourne, Darryl George homered twice while Beau Graham connected on a hard-hit single.

For the next round, St Kilda hosts Mulgrave and Port Melbourne heads to Ormond Glenhuntly.

Berwick City, Geelong, Upwey Ferntree Gully, Fitzroy, Sunshine, and Waverley enjoyed big wins over the weekend in VSBL Division 1 with just a few weeks to go before finals.

Read full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out the latest recaps below.

Division 1 Firsts

Cheltenham Rustlers 2 v Berwick City Cougars 4

The Cougars took care of business in a tight matchup, improving to a 9-5-1 record to stay within the top four. Cheltenham broke a scoreless deadlock in the sixth but the Cougars fought back, making it a 3-1 ballgame in the seventh.

Both sides got one last run in the eighth as Berwick stayed in front 4-2. Starter Craig Barnett allowed one earned run and struck out nine in eight innings while second baseman Aaron Ouwehand smashed a go-ahead double to centre for two runs.

Dante Caruso and Jack Daniels had two hits for Cheltenham while Blake Holding knocked in a run and Josh Tribe pitched with 10 first pitch strikes and four strikeouts.

Berwick heads to Melbourne next as Cheltenham plays at Upwey Ferntree Gully.

Sandringham Royals 5 v Geelong Baycats 12

Seven early runs sealed the deal for Geelong's 12-5 win over Sandringham, marking the Baycats' tenth win of the season.

Harper Rickard went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and Keli’i Zablan went deep with a two-run shot to start the scoring.

Sandringham also got in on the home run fun as Declan Ferguson had a two-run homer.

Third place Geelong has a 10-4-1 record and hosts Malvern this week while 6-9 Sandringham hosts Fitzroy.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 11 v Blackburn Orioles 3

Blackburn watched the game slip away early and couldn't recover in an 11-3 loss to Upwey Ferntree Gully.

The Tigers started scoring in the first with singles by Harvey Chinn, Donovan Hendriks, and Josh Hendriks. They added four runs in the third with RBIs from Hendriks, Peter Schroeders, and Wade McConnon.

Jarrod Turner led things off on the mound for Upwey Ferntree Gully, throwing six innings with four hits, two runs, and seven strikeouts.

Blackburn starter Sam Bucello gave up seven runs on seven hits over three innings, striking out two. Rowan Johnstone threw six innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Nick Rossell, Evan Maury, and Steven Bookluck all had two hits for Blackburn including Rossell's home run while Upwey Ferntree Gully totaled 11 hits.

The Tigers are now 6-7-2 going into a home game v Cheltenham while 5-10 Blackburn plays Waverley on the road.

Fitzroy Lions 7 v Essendon Bombers 3

Even though Essendon collected ten hits to Fitzroy's nine, the Bombers still fell 7-3 on Sunday.

Essendon opened scoring in the first when Ross Bament tripled on a 1-0 count, but Fitzroy managed to pull in front with a two-run fourth thanks to RBIs from Damian Preston and Darcy King.

Another three Lions runs came in the ninth on a single by Tyler Trevaskis and a fielder's choice by Riley Hill.

Jordan Hill led things off on the pitcher's mound for Fitzroy. The ace lasted four innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out two.

Gareth Formisano started the game for Essendon, allowing four hits and two runs over five innings, striking out four. Michael Formisano and Luke Abels entered the game from the bullpen, throwing two innings each.

Essendon had ten hits total as Declan Speirs went 4-for-4 and McLeod Sell, Bament, and Darby Sexton had multiple hits too. Trevaskis went 3-for-5 at the plate to lead Fitzroy in hits.

The Lions play Sandringham next while Essendon takes on Sunshine in a battle of the ladder leaders.

Sunshine Eagles 6 v Malvern Braves 2

Malvern fell behind early and couldn't come back in a 6-2 loss to Sunshine as the Eagles took the lead on a Cam Deeble single in the third inning.

Jeremy Young led Sunshine to victory on the mound, throwing nine innings, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out nine and walking one.

Ryan Othen took the loss for Malvern, allowing eight hits and four runs over five innings, striking out six. The Braves racked up five hits in the game including two apiece for Justin Burke and Gavin Woolger.

Sunshine collected nine hits on the day with Allister Lovelock and Deeble leading the way.

11-3-1 Sunshine plays Essendon next while 7-7-1 Malvern heads to Geelong.

Waverley Wildcats 11 v Melbourne Demons 4

Sunday's game against Waverley was a heartbreaker for Melbourne, as they lost the lead late in an 11-4 defeat. The game was tied at one with Waverley batting in the top of the sixth when an error scored two runs for the Wildcats.

Melbourne fired up the offense in the first inning when Oliver McMahon grounded out, scoring one run. Finn Weichard's sac fly scored one run for Waverley to tie it up in the fourth.

Waverley pulled away for good with eight runs in the sixth inning on an error and RBIs from Lochlan O’Connor, Mitch Homfray, and Jacob Sheldon-Collins.

Melbourne did get three back in the eighth on a single by McMahon and a double by Kynan Jones.

Luke Papanicolaou got the win for Waverley, throwing eight innings with four runs on six hits, plus one walk and three strikeouts. Weichard threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.

Mitch Bowen took the loss for Melbourne, giving up seven hits and eight runs over one and one-third innings with a strikeout. Hayden Godbold started the game, allowing two hits and one run over three and two-thirds innings, striking out one and walking one.

Melbourne tallied six hits with two apiece for Jones and Harvey Mitchelhill, while Waverley's 16 hits came off the bats of Jordy Ley, Homfray, Weichard, and Shakore Bragg-Taylor.

Waverley has an 8-5-1 record while Melbourne is 5-8-1 going into home matchups vs Blackburn and Berwick, respectively.

The Victorian Government’s Get Active Kids Voucher Program has provided more than 33,000 vouchers in the first three rounds, helping eligible families cover the costs of getting involved in local sport, including membership and registration fees, sports equipment and uniforms.

Applications for the fourth round of vouchers will open next month as the program transitions from a reimbursement model to a traditional voucher model, reducing the upfront costs of membership and registration fees.

Victorian baseball clubs are encouraged to register to become a Get Active Kids Activity Provider and help kids get involved in sport and active recreation. Registered clubs will be able to accept vouchers of up to $200 to support families facing financial barriers to participation.

This program is a great way to both attract more participants and support existing members. Register your club HERE and learn more about the program HERE.

Baseball Victoria is now accepting applications for head coach, assistant coach, and executive officer positions for the 2022 Australian U-16 Youth Championship.

The tournament will take place at Redcliffe Baseball Centre, Queensland at the start of July during school holidays as announced by Baseball Australia earlier this week.

Training will run from the end of April to the end of June.

Baseball Victoria will be sending one team to the U-16 national tournament. The team's staff will consist of one head coach, two assistant coaches, and one executive officer.

All coaches are required to have current coaching accreditation and must comply with all child protection legislation requirements.

Please click HERE to view position descriptions and click HERE to submit your application via SurveyMonkey. You can also return a PDF version to kellie.thomas@baseballvictoria.com.au if you prefer.

Applications close Friday 11 March 2022.

The Baseball Victoria Individual Member Survey is now open, offering an opportunity for members to have their say and provide feedback for the strategic planning process.

This survey is part of the Baseball Victoria Board’s efforts to better understand the wants and needs of the Victorian baseball community, and it’s open to all BV members, including players, coaches, scorers, umpires and administrators.

Robust feedback from clubs, associations, staff, and general members will help establish the top priorities for a new strategic plan, which will be further developed by the new CEO.

Please click HERE to complete the survey, which closes on Wednesday 23 February 2022.

Baseball Victoria is excited to announce dates and venues for the 2022 State Winter Championships as the beloved winter tradition returns after COVID cancellations the past two years.

• Seniors: 11-14 June at Geelong
• Under 18: 25-26 June at Mildura
• Under 14: 2-3 July at Bendigo
• Under 12: 16-17 July at Werribee
• Under 16: 23-24 July at Morwell

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months as winter teams prepare for action-packed weekend tournaments across Victoria.

 

Following tryouts earlier this month, Baseball Victoria is excited to announce the list of players selected to the Victorian Women’s team for the 2022 Australian Women’s Championship.

Congratulations to the dedicated players who will represent Victoria at the AWC in West Beach, Adelaide from 15-21 April 2022.

• Abbey Kelly
• Abbey McLellan
• Allie Bebbere
• Belinda Cannington
• Bronwyn Gell
• Emily Devine
• Emma Davenport
• Gabby Bevan
• Hannah Jackson
• Jamie Bastian
• Jasmine Bentley
• Jessica Johnson
• Leslie Anglin
• Maddy Patrick
• Morgan Doty
• Shae Lillywhite

Ruby Dale and Lily Bell-Tanner have been invited to train on as development players/emergencies.

April’s event marks the return of the national women’s tournament for the first time since 2019 after two straight years of COVID cancellations.

Samantha Hamilton (head coach), Duane Davenport (assistant coach), Stephen Black (pitching coach), Ursula Howard (stats/EO), and Leah Trebilcock (non-travelling development coach) will lead the Victorian Women’s team in preparation for a successful tournament over the next two months.