The Bombers came away with the trophy after close games across the four VSBL Division 1 teams, but the main focus was on Julie and Leanne, who have dedicated decades of service to their beloved clubs. Julie, a Baseball Victoria and Essendon life member, has been club secretary since 1999, and Leanne has spent over 20 years as Geelong's club secretary, going above and beyond to score games, serve at the club canteen, and more.

In the VSBL Division 1 Firsts matchup at Essendon's Boeing Reserve, the Bombers won 10-5 in an action-packed game, while Essendon won 4-3 in the Seconds and there were 5-5 draws in both the Thirds and the Fourths.

Congratulations to Julie and Leanne on their outstanding club contributions and a great day for two long-standing Victorian baseball clubs!

Read more about the story behind the Secretary's Cup HERE.

 

Women's baseball is back in full swing as the 2021/22 VSBL season continues, with round 9 featuring huge offensive performances and solid shutout wins.

Check out recaps below and view season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE.

Women's Division 1 & 2

Doncaster Dragons B 2 v Essendon Jets 13

The Jets had the upper hand in this matchup with strong pitching from Victoria Brown and Roslyn Gowty. Brown struck out six in three innings with one hit and two unearned runs while Gowty threw two scoreless innings with just one hit and three strikeouts.

Essendon's Michelle Blacklock singled as Brown and Jaimee Cockerell had 2 RBIs each while Gowty, Sarah Haouchar, Megan Kelly, and Aislinn Taiaroa knocked in one run each.

Eight unearned runs hurt Doncaster as Keeley Harrison and Hannah Sowden combined to give up just four hits. Lilly Simpson and Michelle Love had hits for Doncaster while Harrison and Chelsea Hare recorded RBIs.

This marked the Jets' second win of the season as they play Newport next while Doncaster is also on the road to Footscray.

Springvale Lions 12 v Springvale Lions B 0

The battle of the Lions featured a flurry of runs in the final frame as Hannah Jackson had 4 RBIs with big base hits and Siobhan Stephenson had 3 RBIs.

A single and a double for Maddy Patrick brought two runs home while Shae Lillywhite, Emily Devine, Shirlie Bull, and Gabby Bevan got on base too.

Lily Bell-Tanner and Rebecca Heenan managed hits off Simone Wearne, who threw struck out 10 in five innings.

7-0 Springvale hosts Essendon and 6-2 Springvale B plays Doncaster at home in round 10.

Doncaster Dragons 24 v Geelong Baycats 0

Doncaster got the job done with a comprehensive no-hit performance over Geelong, led by strong pitching and big hits for Belinda Cannington, who singled three times for 6 RBIs.

Maddi Weller had two base hits and 4 RBIs, Brooklyn Hutton brought in three runs, and Jessica Johnson, Amy McCann, and Chelsea Stewart all had 2 RBIs each.

Bronwyn Gell had Doncaster's only double of the day, joining Jamie Bastian, Erin Collins, and Ursula Howard with 1 RBI apiece.

Doncaster is 7-0 and plays Springvale B next while Geelong has a bye.

Footscray Bulldogs 0 v Essendon Bombers 28

It was a game of sevens for the Bombers, who scored the same number of runs in all four innings on their way to a comprehensive shutout victory, their second-largest margin of the season.

Alanna Kappler threw 12 first pitch strikes Caitlin Hoy had Footscray's lone single of the day while double-digit unearned runs hurt the Bulldogs' chances.  Essendon's Emma French threw two scoreless innings with no hits, just two walks and a strikeout.

Abbey Kelly struck out five in three innings with one hit and a walk, not to mention hitting for the cycle with a huge 5-RBI day at the plate. Victoria Brown also had 5 RBIs on four singles, while Aislinn Taiaroa and Courtney Foura knocked in three runs.

Essendon's offense didn't stop there, with Megan Kelly recording two singles, two walks, and two RBIs and French plated two. Sam Deeble, Jaimee Cockerell, and Kayla Adams also brought runners home.

After this big win, Essendon heads into a game at Springvale with a 5-3 record, while Footscray looks for win number three at home v Doncaster.

Women's Division 3 North East

Research Lower Plenty 1 v Preston Pirates 12

The Pirates scored four runs in the first, second, and fourth to seal the deal on win number five, with a lone run allowed to Research in the top of the fourth.

This win helped Preston snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 5-3, hanging on to fourth place, while Research keeps working hard in search of their second win.

Round 10 has Preston on the road to Upwey Ferntree Gully and Research Lower Plenty at home v Malvern.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 5 v Waverley Wildcats 8

Waverley got on the board first with a run in the second and kept going from there, scoring five in the third before the Tigers put up two in the fourth. Waverley scored twice more while Upwey Ferntree Gully added three before the game finished with Waverley on top for the seventh time this season.

Waverley's only loss so far came back in round 6 against Melbourne, while Upwey Ferntree Gully is looking for win number three. The Wildcats play Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly at home and the Tigers host Preston next.

Melbourne Demons 21 v Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly 3

The Demons delivered at the plate with consistent contributions up and down the lineup resulting in a five-run first and a seven-run second. Two more Melbourne runs came in the third while Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly got on the board with three of their own, but a final seven runs for the Demons finished off the game in the fourth.

Melbourne is 7-1 holding onto the top spot with their only loss coming in round 3 v the Warriors, the team they are hosting in the next round for a rematch.

Meanwhile, Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly has a 2-6 record and visits Waverley next.

South East Warriors 16 v Malvern Braves 3

The Warriors kept the momentum going with a double-digit win over the Braves. Stacey Kuilboer drove in two of the three runs in the first while seven more runs came in the third.

Eva Gottschling pitched well with no hits over two innings before Penny Donnelly finished on the mound, keeping the Braves relatively under control despite three runs with solid at-bats. The Warriors scored six more runs in the final dig for a big victory ahead of their matchup with Melbourne this weekend.

The Warriors are 6-1 and Malvern is 3-5 going into the next round at Research Lower Plenty.

Women's Division 3 South

Moorabbin Panthers 3 v Bonbeach Bluejays 14

This contest was tight to start with 1-1 tie after the first, but the Bluejays soon pulled ahead with two in the second and three in the third. Moorabbin's final two runs came in the third while Bonbeach scored once in the fifth leading into a seven-run sixth.

The Bluejays are now 6-3 with a game coming up at Pakenham while Moorabbin has the same record at the top of the ladder and hosts Springvale next.

Pakenham Pumas 11 v Sandringham Royals 12

The Royals narrowly came away with the win after a hot contest, which came down to the final inning when Sandringham scored the go-ahead run after giving up four runs to Pakenham in the top half.

Sandringham led 6-2 after the first and 11-5 after the second, but six runs for Pakenham in the next two innings kept things interesting. Ultimately Sandringham secured win number five ahead of a game at Berwick while Pakenham hosts Bonbeach next.

Berwick City Cougars 21 v Springvale Lions 8

The Cougars got the job done with seven runs in three of the four innings. Springvale did get one in the first and seven in the fourth, but it wasn't enough as Berwick cruised to victory, their fifth of the year.

Next up for the Cougars is a home game v Sandringham while Springvale looks for win number three at Moorabbin.

Women's Division 3 West

Werribee Giants 22 v Fitzroy Doncaster 23

In the highest-scoring matchup of the year, Fitzroy Doncaster came out on top by one run, improving to 4-3 in the process. They play North Western Black at home next while Werribee plays North Western Orange at home after coming so close to a huge first win.

Newport Rams 7 v North Western Black 14

The Titans gave up six early runs to Newport but quickly settled in, making things happen at the plate with seven runs of their own.

The second inning saw the Rams get one more while North Western added seven, sealing the deal on a 14-7 victory.

4-3 North Western Black visits Fitzroy Doncaster next while Newport has a bye.

Port Melbourne Mariners 12 v Geelong Baycats 4

The Mariners racked up the runs with four in the first, one in the second, and seven in the fourth. Geelong scored once in the first and third and twice in the second but it wasn't enough as the Mariners managed to get their fourth win of the season.

4-3 Port Melbourne hosts Sunshine and 4-4 Geelong heads to Essendon next.

Essendon Bombers 16 v Sunshine Eagles 11

The Bombers were challenged by the Eagles at time but still came out on top thanks to a late charge.

Sunshine led 7-2 after the first, and by the end of the second, it was a 10-6 ballgame. The Bombers put up a big third inning with seven runs to take the lead, and an extra three runs in the fourth sweetened the deal.

Sunshine got just one back in the third as Essendon improved to a 4-3-1 record, handing the Eagles their first loss. Round 10 sees Essendon at home v Geelong and Sunshine on the road to Port Melbourne.

Essendon and Geelong Baseball Clubs have teamed up to recognise their long-time secretaries with a touching trophy and tribute.

The Bombers and Baycats will face off at Essendon’s Boeing Reserve on Sunday 6 February for the inaugural Secretary’s Cup in honour of Julie Jones and Leanne Gibbons. Both dedicated secretaries are well-known and much-loved not just at their home clubs but around the wider baseball community, which is why Essendon and Geelong came up with the idea for a special round. The winner of the cup will be decided by who wins the four VSBL Division 1 teams (Firsts through Fourths).

This isn’t the first time these two have been recognised, as they were named joint winners of the BV Volunteer of the Year Award in 2012/13. Julie is a Baseball Victoria and Essendon life member who has served as club secretary since 1999, while Leanne has been secretary of Geelong for over 20 years and is often seen scoring or serving customers at the club canteen.

As two hardworking secretaries, scorers, and cherished club volunteers, Julie and Leanne are known  for going above and beyond to support their clubs and Victorian baseball as a whole, whether it be at a VSBL matchup or winter tournaments.

Essendon President Tony Cornish holds his club’s stalwart in the highest esteem. “Julie is an amazing contributor to EBC. She makes us look good and ensures all the i's are dotted and the t’s are crossed,” Cornish said. “Her heart is always in the right place and if we ever disagree, she usually wins! She is strong, competitive, and passionate about all things baseball and understands how to make it all work.”

“There is no doubt in my mind that EBC would not be the club it is without her. It’s never about her, EBC is always first, second and third for Julie Jones.”

EBC Club Coach Peter Giles added his support for the Gibbons-Jones Cup. “Both Leanne and Julie are not only incredible contributors to their respective clubs, in many ways they are the backbone of baseball in the state. Their loyalty and passion transcend their roles – they mean everything to their clubs,” Giles said.

“Introducing this cup to honour Julie and Leanne was a no-brainer. Both clubs are very close on and off the field and this type of initiative is not the first time we have collaborated on something a little different, having previously played a regular season game against each other in Julie’s hometown of Bendigo a few years ago.”

Geelong President Adam Renouf shares the sentiment, explaining how the Baycats were more than happy to support the idea. “Leanne is the epitome of the club – she’s a volunteer, life member, hot dog cooker, scorer…she means everything to the club.”

“We are lucky to have such two powerful women to name this trophy after. I think it’s fantastic that in 40, 50, 60 years’ time, they will be remembered for everything they did when baseball wasn’t an overly popular sport in Victoria.”

While both Julie and Leanne are humble about their accomplishments, they are honoured to be recognised by the clubs they love so much. Julie says she doesn’t see what she does as anything special, explaining “EBC is like a family and everyone does their 1/9th to make it work, not just one person. Although the fact that it is also honouring Leanne Gibbons is fantastic, as she has been a huge part of Geelong and how they have progressed since she has been secretary. We seem to have some fun together, whether it's scoring or catching up at meetings.”

Julie notes that the club means a lot to her family, as her husband and sons joined Essendon over 30 years ago. “We were welcomed and supported right from the start and that has continued to this day.  I am so grateful that all those years ago, EBC Hall of Famer Russell Edwards suggested that EBC would be a great club for us to be involved, as I am not that we would have fitted in as well anywhere else!”

“The trip down the Calder Highway from Bendigo every week has improved over the years, we have become very familiar with it and know just about every pothole and where it is important to be make sure that you adhere to the speed limit.  Being a part of EBC is just a way of life for us really. I have loved watching the players progress through the juniors to seniors, to grow and develop into strong and responsible adults and then for the next generation of players to come along.”

Julie hopes Essendon continues to be family-oriented with strong junior and senior programs and dedicated volunteers. “It really is a family club for us as my daughter Sally-Anne is Junior Secretary and now our grandchildren are playing at the club, which gives us an added reason to be a part of EBC for some time to come."

Down the road at Geelong, Leanne has the same loyal commitment to her club. “I don’t do it for accolades or awards or any reason other than wanting to do it. The club is my family and its my happy place to be. I hope we can just to keep growing juniors and be one of the strong clubs."

Leanne has plenty of wonderful memories with Julie, too.

“I love catching up with Julie when we score together and always look forward to it as we’ve scored many years together. It’s never a chore, it’s just we do what we do because we love doing it, and we just hope to make a difference in people’s lives, creating a happy place for people to come.”

Join Essendon and Geelong for the first annual Gibbons-Jones Cup on Sunday afternoon, with the VSBL Division 1 Seconds starting at 1pm followed by the Firsts at 3:30pm at Essendon. The Thirds and Fourths will play at Geelong with games starting at 1:30pm and 4:00pm.

St Kilda Baseball Club crowned the first-ever Rake by the Lake Home Run Derby Champion last Wednesday, with Melbourne Aces star Jack Barrie taking out the title.

Despite the hot conditions, Barrie smashed 37 home runs on the day, which saw a total of 109 home runs sail over the fence at Tom O'Halloran Field.

After Barrie cruised through qualifying as the #2 seed and overcame Williamstown's Daniel Chircop in the quarters, things really started heating up. Barrie and fellow Melbourne Aces alum Darryl George went head to head in the semi-final, as Barrie set the pace with 14 home runs and George followed with six in the first minute, eventually falling just short with 12 bombs of his own.

Williamstown's Justin Gourlay faced off against Barrie in the final, recording four quick dingers to start before finishing with a total of eight home runs, a few shy of Barrie's cracking 14 home runs in the last round.

"All competitors did an awesome job in intense heat and intense competition," St Kilda Secretary Simon Leicht said. "St Kilda Baseball Club couldn't have been prouder of these 14 competitors to be on our first-ever Rake by the Lake field - hopefully we see them back next year! Thank you to our sponsors Ausport and Sleeping Duck for their support, and all the spectators, kids, and supporters who came down and braved the heat to cheer everyone on."

Melbourne, Malvern, Sandringham, and Waverley enjoyed midweek wins in VSBL Division 1 as the summer season continued with a month and a half to go before finals.

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

Division 1 Firsts

Melbourne Demons 7 v Berwick City Cougars 3

Berwick fell 7-3 to Melbourne on Tuesday night despite out-hitting them ten to eight.

John King grounded out to score Berwick's first run, but a five-run fifth put Melbourne in front. Both teams scored two more over the last few innings with Melbourne hanging on to the lead.

Daniel McGrath got the win on the mound with seven solid innings. He gave up two runs on seven hits, striking out ten and walking zero. Hayden Godbold threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.

Mike McGillivray took the loss for Berwick. The pitcher went five innings, allowing five runs on six hits with three strikeouts.

Berwick scattered ten hits in the game, including three for Aidan Willis and two for Cain Bumpstead.

Ethan Scalzo, Kynan Jones, and Harvey Mitchelhill had two hits each as Melbourne collected eight total. Charlie O’Connell made the most plays with 12 in an error-free game.

Melbourne is the home team in the next matchup.

Waverley Wildcats 17 v Blackburn Orioles 5

Blackburn fell behind early and couldn't come back in a 17-5 loss to Waverley as the Wildcats opened up scoring in the first.

Mitchell Wilhite walked, Damon Hill doubled, and Finn Weichard homered in the first inning as Waverley led 6-0.

The Wildcats added another six in the second off the bats of Hill, Weichard, Shakore Bragg-Taylor, Mitch Homfray, and Jacob Sheldon-Collins.

Blackburn did get five back with RBIs from Nick Rossell, Liam Hopkins, and Tom Kerr-Chapman, but Waverley scored three in the third and two more in the fourth to put the game even further out of reach.

Darcy Longstaff got the start for Waverley, throwing three innings with five runs on five hits. Jordan Ley, Weichard, Hill, Bragg-Taylor, and Lochlan O’Connor all racked up multiple hits as the team had 17 hits total.

4-3 Waverley visits Blackburn this weekend as they try to crack the top 4.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2

Both sides pitched well as Cheltenham jumped out to an early 1-0 lead before Upwey FTG came back to score two in the fifth. The Rustlers went on to score one more in the sixth for their second draw of the season.

Max Barrett threw five innings for Cheltenham with four hits, four walks, two unearned runs, and four strikeouts. Josh Ashen struck out two and gave up one hit in a scoreless relief appearance while also hitting a home run and a single.

Andrew Gribbin hit an RBI double as Owen de Vries, Jarrod Hall and Dylan Trevorah all singled.

The Rustlers and Tigers meet again this weekend at Cheltenham.

Essendon Bombers 2 v Sunshine Eagles 2

Essendon scored first but Sunshine led 2-1 by the end of the first. It wasn't until the fifth that the Bombers tied it up, and the scores remained level through the last two innings for a draw.

This was the first draw of the season for both teams as strong pitching dominated. Despite giving up 10 hits over the course of the whole game, Sunshine starter Jeremy Young only gave up two runs - one unearned.

Young struck out seven and had no walks, plus two singles during his turn at the plate. Allan de San Miguel doubled while Joshua Byrne, Cam Deeble, and Adam Irons singled.

After Geelong's loss, Essendon moves into the top spot with six wins and a draw, while Sunshine is just out of the top five with a 4-3-1 record.

Sunshine hosts Essendon for round 9.

Geelong Baycats 0 v Malvern Braves 11

The Braves were on fire at the plate, collecting 12 hits with a seven-run first inning, plus one run in the third and three more in the fifth.

Mitch and Jon Kennedy shared pitching duties, handling three innings each for a combined no-hitter with 11 strikeouts and just two walks.

Seven unearned runs hurt the Baycats while Chris Burke was also a threat, knocking in four runs with two singles and a huge home run. Ryan Dale had a single and a double for two RBIs while Tyler Dale had three base hits. Mark Richards and James Squire also had RBIs.

Gelong hosts the next game after this midweek no-hitter as the Baycats are 7-1 and the Braves are 5-2-1.

Sandringham Royals 6 v Fitzroy Lions 2

The Royals bounced back from a 5-2 loss to Essendon over the weekend with a solid performance on Tuesday night, led by Charlie Pierson with four no-hit innings and five strikeouts. Riley Trad and Lachlan Smith backed him up as Sandringham stayed busy with the bats, collecting eight hits total.

Sandringham led 1-0 through the fourth before adding three more in the middle innings and a final two in the last frame. Fitzroy's runs came in the fourth and the seventh off the bat of Alec Smith. Danny King had the Lions' lone single of the game and also pitched five innings, giving up four runs with five hits, three walks, and five strikeouts.

Declan Ferguson, Nicholas Coy, Balin O'Callaghan, Lachlan Smith, and Will Tucker had RBIs while Joshua Meyer smashed two doubles and Sam Skinner had one.

The 4-4 Royals meet the Lions for another meeting this weekend.

Baseball Victoria is excited to announce that Waverley Baseball Club will host Women’s Super Saturday on 26 March 2022 for the VSBL Women’s Grand Finals.

There will be five final games across two diamonds for Women’s Division 1, 2, and 3 as we finish off the 2021/22 season on a high note.

“Thank you to Waverley Baseball Club for stepping up to host VSBL Women’s Grand Finals,” VSBL Manager Danny Haymes said. “We are looking forward to exciting championships and can’t wait to spend an awesome day out at Waverley celebrating women’s baseball.”

The Women’s Super Saturday schedule will be confirmed following preliminary finals the week before.

Stay tuned for more VSBL Finals updates in the coming weeks and click HERE to view current VSBL standings, results, and fixtures.

Division 1 Firsts

Geelong Baycats 11 v Sunshine Eagles 1

Geelong Baycats went 7-0 on Saturday after overpowering Sunshine Eagles 11-1. The Baycats led 2-0 after the first and were ahead 5-1 by the end of the fifth, with six more runs coming around in the final innings.

Gibbons threw seven innings for Geelong, allowing just one run while striking out 10.Six batters had multi-hit games for the Baycats with Lewis Weldon leading the way with a 4-for-5 day and four RBIs. Josh Davies, Rudy Jaramillo, and Sam Gibbons all had extra-base hits too.

Sunshine is a few spots behind Geelong as the Eagles play Essendon next and Geelong takes on Malvern.

Sandringham Royals 2 v Essendon Bombers 5

Gareth Formisano threw six shutout innings in Essendon's 5-2 win over Sandringham as all the runs came in the last three innings. Essendon scored one in the seventh and four in the eighth while Sandringham added two in the ninth as the Bombers held off the rally for the win.

Formisano struck out seven in six innings of work while Jarryd Rogers homered twice and batted in four of the team's five runs. Christian Caminiti and Jared Cruz had two singles each as well.

Grant Irving covered eight innings for Sandringham with seven hits and 12 strikeouts as Harrison Wills knocked in a pair of runs and Tahj Rousell had the biggest hit of the day with a double.

Sandringham's next games are against Fitzroy while Essendon plays Sunshine.

Blackburn Orioles 2 v Berwick City Cougars 3

Berwick claimed the lead late for a 3-2 victory over Blackburn. It was tied at two apiece with Berwick batting in the bottom of the eighth when Marcus Graham singled on a 2-0 count, scoring one run.

The pitching was strong on both sides as Berwick pitchers struck out 11 and Blackburn pitchers sat down five.

Craig Barnett started the game for Berwick, giving up five hits in six scoreless innings, striking out nine and walking one. Cain Bumpstead got the win after one and two-thirds innings with two strikeouts and no hits, walks, or runs.

Gerard Kingston took the loss for Blackburn, allowing one hit and one run over two innings, striking out one.

Blackburn's starter Sam Bucello went six innings, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Teammate Hayden Dingle went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the way in hits.

Berwick enjoyed an error-free day of fielding as Brad Kmet had the most chances with 12. Graham went 3-for-3 to power the offense.

Berwick takes on Melbourne next and Blackburn faces Waverley.

Melbourne Demons 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 5

The Rustlers earned their first win of the season with a 5-2 victory over Melbourne, powered by a four-run seventh to break the tie.

Jack Daniels went 3-for-4 with an RBI while Sam Michael and Dylan Trevorah also had hits.

Russell Ferguson threw the first six with two hits, two strikeouts, and a run. Reliever Josh Tribe got the win with his solid three innings.

Melbourne's Oliver McMahon and Charlie O'Connell had RBIs while Bronson Neave doubled and Nathan Aron, Ethan Scalzo, and Harvey Mitchelhill singled.

Mitchell Bowen struck out four and gave up three hits in four innings of one-run baseball. Cheltenham's four runs to pull infront were all unearned during Kurtis Smith's time on the mound.

Melbourne is up against Berwick next while Cheltenham plays Upwey Ferntree Gully.

Fitzroy Lions 0 v Malvern Braves 10

Two pitchers combined for a shutout as Malvern defeated Fitzroy 10-0. Ryan Othen struck out Allie Bebbere to finish off the game.

Fitzroy started with a single by Tom Wilson in the first but only got one more hit throughout the game, a single to Damian Preston.

Malvern's big five-run fourth included doubles from Taran Rose and Chris Burke and a sacrifice fly by Ryan Dale.

Othen was credited with the victory for Malvern, throwing three scoreless innings with no hits and six strikeouts. Mark Richards started the game, covering four scoreless innings with two hits, six strikeouts, and no walks.

Tyler Trevaskis took the loss for Fitzroy, going four innings with four hits and six runs while striking out six and walking one.

Malvern launched two home runs on the day as Nick Parton homered in the fifth and Dale put one out in the sixth. The Braves had 10 hits total including two apiece for Dale, Rose, Parton, and Burke.

Malvern's next games are against Geelong as Fitzroy plays Sandringham.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Waverley Wildcats 3

Waverley Wildcats held off Upwey Ferntree Gully for win number three, thanks to impressive pitching from Jamie and Luke Papanicolaou who held the Tigers to just four hits in the game.

Waverley made the most of five Upwey FTG errors for a 3-0 lead at the end of the fourth, but the Tigers broke through in the eighth on an error and Ian Geduld’s sacrifice fly. They added another run in the ninth following a hit batter and a wild pitch but couldn't close the gap.

Jarrod Turner gave up seven hits and struck out four in five innings for the Tigers while Donavon Hendricks handled the rest, with two hits and a strikeout in three innings.

Upwey Ferntree Gully takes on Cheltenham and Waverley plays Blackburn.

Women's baseball is back as the 2021/22 VSBL season resumed with exciting matchups, including a few high-scoring games.

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

Women's Division 1 & 2

Doncaster Dragons B 0 v Footscray Bulldogs 13

Footscray outhit Doncaster 9-1 in this shutout victory, with the Bulldogs scoring two in the first, six in the second, three in the third, and a final two in the fourth.

Alanna Kappler was the driving force on the mound, striking out five with just one hit and two walks in five innings.

Teammates Caitlin Hoy, Kelly Jewers, Abbey McLellan, Olivia Medland, and Tiffaney Shawcross all had RBIs, with Medland knocking in three runs on two big hits. McLellan, Kappler, and Shawcross had extra-base hits on the day.

After their second win of the season, the Bulldogs have an away game at Essendon Jets while the Dragons head to Newport.

Essendon Bombers 5 v Springvale Lions B 6

The Lions narrowly got the edge over the Bombers after a late flourish, helping them stay undefeated.

The game was tied 2-2 after the first and Essendon was in front 5-4 after the third, but two more Springvale runs in the fourth and fifth sealed the deal on a close win.

Shae Lillywhite got the win on the mound, giving up two hits and striking out four in four scoreless innings. Five runs scored during Gabby Bevan's three innings on the mound, but four of them were unearned. Bevan had three hits and three strikeouts.

Essendon's Abbey Kelly handled three innings with five hits, two walks, and four runs (two unearned) plus four strikeouts. Victoria Brown struck out one and Jasmine Bentley recorded five K's too.

Baylin Rousell had two singles, a double, and two RBIs for Springvale while Lily Pedder, Emily Devine, and Rebecca Heenan also knocked in runs. Lillywhite and Emma Jenkinson had hits as well.

Essendon's offense included one single each for Allie Bebbere, Emma Davenport, Paige Farrell, Courtney Foura, and Tayla Weldon.

6-0 Springvale plays Doncaster and 4-3 Essendon has a bye in round 8.

Newport Rams 14 v Geelong Baycats 1

The Rams earned their third win of the season with three runs in the first, four in the second, and seven in the fourth, all while keeping Geelong scoreless up until the final inning.

Newport's Mackenzie Prentice-Evans threw 3.33 innings with no hits and six strikeouts while Leslie Anglin struck out five and gave up three hits during a relief appearance.

Geelong's Lily Kevelham and Jennifer Mason combined for five strikeouts on the mound while teammates Emma Hill and Magda Boros had singles.

For the Rams, Anglin had three RBIs and Erin Collis, Claire Costa, Kira Jansen, Ildi Klein, and Prentice-Evans had one each.

3-4 Newport hosts Doncaster B next as Geelong heads to Springvale.

Essendon Jets (forfeit) v Springvale Lions

After this forfeit, Springvale is 5-0 and plays Geelong next while the Jets host Footscray.

Women's Division 3 North East

Research Lower Plenty 10 v Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly 13

Research LP was first on the board with three runs, but Malvern OGH responded with four in the bottom of the first.

The Braves/Hunters got five more in the second and four in the third, holding off Research despite giving up seven runs.

Malvern OGH is 2-4 with an upcoming game v South East Warriors while Research hosts Waverley.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 3 v South East Warriors 9

The Warriors got two early runs but it wasn't long before the Tigers tied it up at two apiece. Upwey FTG got one more in the top of the third to make it a 3-2 ballgame, but the Warriors came together for a seven-run inning to win the game.

Ashleigh Cranston pitched well for the Warriors and had two RBIs with a big hit past second base. Stacey Kuilboer and Lori Lygris also had hits for the winning team.

Next up, the 4-1 Warriors play Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly at home while Upwey FTG heads to Melbourne.

Preston Pirates 7 v Waverley Wildcats 10

The Wildcats came from behind to win their fifth game of the season. Waverley led 1-0 after the first but Preston scored seven in the second to switch things up.

Waverley put together five in the third and four in the fourth to seal the deal. Now, the 5-1 Wildcats look to stay atop the ladder with a game at Research Lower Plenty, while 4-2 Preston hosts Malvern.

Women's Division 3 South

Berwick Cougars 2 v Bonbeach Bluejays 16

Jess Brown had an in-the-park home run as the Bluejays scored three in the first, six in the second, and seven in the third. Berwick's two runs came in the last inning.

Bonbeach is now 5-2 with an away game at Sandringham coming up while 4-3 Berwick heads to Moorabbin.

Sandringham Royals 1 v Springvale Lions 10

The Lions got their first win on the board with a successful outing against Sandringham.

The first two innings were scoreless before Sandringham scored the first run in the third, but Springvale answered with four of their own. The Lions added six runs in the final frame for a big win, giving them extra momentum going into a round 8 matchup at Pakenham.

3-4 Sandringham hosts Bonbeach next.

Moorabbin Panthers 17 v Pakenham Pumas 4

The Panthers led 3-1 after the first and proceeded to score seven in both the second and third, putting the game out of reach for the Pumas although they managed three in the final frame.

This was Moorabbin's fifth win of the season as the ladder leaders host Berwick next and Pakenham plays Springvale at home.

Women's Division 3 West

North Western Titans Black 9 v Essendon Bombers 13

Both sides had strong days at the plate, but ultimately it was Essendon's game thanks to a seven-run first and six-run second.

NW Black scored four in the first, three in the second, and two in the third but their rally fell short as the Bombers came away with their third win of the year.

Essendon heads to Werribee next and NW Black takes a 3-2 record into a home game v Sunshine.

North Western Titans Orange 14 v Newport Rams 7

The Titans took a 6-0 lead in the first and never looked back, scoring four more in both the second and the third. However, Newport wasn't going down without a fight, managing four in the second and three in the third to stay in the game.

NW Orange is now 3-3 going into a home game v Geelong, while Newport plays Fitzroy Doncaster next.

Geelong Baycats 12 v Werribee Giants 10

Geelong started off strong with five runs in the first, but Werribee was right there to tie it up. The Giants briefly took a one-run lead in the second, but the Baycats pulled ahead with seven runs in the third, thanks in part to a stand up triple from Sarah Upton.

The Baycats had contributions up and down the lineup with timely hits from Michelle Searle, Andrea Huggins, and Lucy Hateley.

This marked Geelong's fourth win of the season as the Baycats sit second with an upcoming game at North Western. Werribee hosts Essendon in round 8.

Fitzroy Doncaster (forfeit) v Port Melbourne Mariners

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