Teams enjoyed another big weekend of VSBL Division 4 action as Waverley and Essendon remain undefeated after the first four rounds.
View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and read the latest recaps below.
Division 4 East
Upwey Ferntree Gully Black 1 v Waverley Black 18
The Wildcats proved too much to handle for the Tigers, scoring seven in both the first and second before a three-run third and another run in the fourth. Upwey's lone run came in the third.
Waverley Black is 3-0 while Upwey Ferntree Gully has a 1-2-1 record after this game. The Wildcats head to Monash Uni and Upwey Ferntree Gully hosts Blackburn.
Blackburn Orioles 8 v Monash University Farmers 7
The Farmers enjoyed a 5-0 lead after the second but Blackburn started fighting back, making it 7-2 in the third. Blackburn scored one in the fifth and five in the sixth to take the win.
Monash outhit Blackburn 9-3 as Judd Neilson had two hits and Jack Makeham plated two. Louis Francois-Downey and Rick Kriel had two RBIs as well.
Paul Blakeney, Neilson, and Makeham split time on the mound with Neilson striking out three in two innings and Makeham fanning seven.
Now 2-1, Blackburn takes on Upwey Ferntree Gully Black as Monash Uni has a 1-2-1 record going into a round 5 matchup at home v Waverley Black.
Malvern Braves 4 v Doncaster Dragons 12
The Dragons got their first win on the board with an eight-run advantage over Malvern, reaching double-digit runs for the first time this season.
Doncaster hosts Waverley Red and Malvern heads to Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold in round 5.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold 3 v Waverley Wildcats Red 11
The Wildcats were on a roll, scoring three in the first and four in the second before Upwey Ferntree Gully got two back. Waverley went on to scored four more while giving up just one extra run, sealing the deal on win number four.
Waverley Red looks to stay unbeaten with a game at Doncaster as the Tigers take a 1-2 record into a home game v Malvern.
Division 4 South
Chelsea Dolphins 7 v Pakenham Pumas White 26
The Pumas wasted no time getting on the board with back-to-back seven-run innings to start the game. Pakenham White scored five in the third and a final seven in the fourth while Chelsea's runs all came in the last inning.
The Pumas improved to 2-1 and play at Bonbeach White next while Chelsea hosts Sandringham.
Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 10 v Mornington Pirates Black 2
Bonbeach Blue got the better of the Pirates with a strong offensive performance, scoring two in the first and five in the third. Two more Bluejays came around in the fourth and another in the fifth while the Pirates brought one runner home in the second and the third.
3-1 Bonbeach Blue hosts Pakenham Black and 2-1 Mornington Black takes on St Kilda at home.
St Kilda Saints 19 v Mulgrave Rebels 0
The Saints racked up the runs for their largest win of the season, improving to 3-1 ahead of a game at Mornington Black.
Mulgrave heads to Mornington Red in search of a win in round 5.
Sandringham Royals 12 v Mornington Pirates Red 8
The Royals led 2-1 after the first and kept up the scoring from there, adding five in the third and another five in the fifth. Mornington Red came close with a seven-run fourth inning but ultimately fell short.
Sandringham has a 3-1 record heading into a game at Chelsea while Mornington Red is 1-3 before hosting Mulgrave.
Bonbeach Bluejays White 14 v Pakenham Pumas Black 9
The Bluejays managed to stay unbeaten, improving to a 4-0 record on the back of a consistent offensive performance, although they did have to battle back from a 4-1 deficit after the first.
By the end of the second, Bonbeach White led 7-5, and then six more runs came in the third and a final run in the fifth. Pakenham scored twice in both the fourth and fifth but fell just short of their second win.
Bonbeach White hosts Pakenham White and Pakenham Black heads to Bonbeach Blue in the next round.
Division 4 North West
Research Lower Plenty 11 v Port Melbourne Mariners 8
Research Lower Plenty fell behind 3-1 after the first but managed to get back in front with six runs in the second. The score was 7-5 to Research at the end of the second. Four more Research runs came around to score while Port Melbourne got three runs at the end of this high-scoring matchup.
Second-place Research Lower Plenty is 3-1 going into bye week while Port Melbourne heads to Melbourne Blue next.
Mitchell Majors 1 v Essendon Spitfires 8
Mitchell Majors tied it up at 1-1 in the second but Essendon managed to pull ahead with two in the third and five in the sixth. Essendon outhit Mitchell Majors 8-4 in this game, led by Patrick Richardson with two hits and an RBI, plus two hits and an RBI for both Ben Grady and Ben Rogers.
Kaiden Anderson, Riley McGowan, and Blake Coleman all took two walks as Rogers threw three innings for Essendon with seven first pitch strikes and a 1.67 WHIP. Telen Stanfield also pitched, striking out four with seven first pitch strikes and a 2.00 WHIP.
Nathon Sims struck out three for Mitchell Majors and Corey Dennehy handled four innings with eight first pitch strikes, three strikeouts, and a 2.50 WHIP.
Both sides are 2-1 as the Spitfires hosts North Western and Mitchell Majors play at Melbourne Red.
Melbourne Demons Blue 20 v Fitzroy Lions Blue 7
The Demons are 2-1 after another big win in a similar result to their 16-8 win over Essendon Spitfires in round 3. Melbourne Blue scored seven in the first, six in the second, and a final seventh in the fourth, while Fitzroy managed a late rally with seven in the last inning.
Third-place Melbourne Blue hosts Port Melbourne and Fitzroy Blue is also 2-1 going into a home game v Essendon Jets.
Essendon Bombers 21 v North Western Titans 2
The Bombers were busy at the plate on Sunday, scoring seven in the first, one in the second, and seven more in the third. Six final runs came home in the fourth while North Western avoided the shutout with one run in both the first and the third.
Essendon had 20 hits compared to two for North Western, with Alex Liersch and Jorden Doherty leading the way at three hits apiece. Mitchell Miller had three hits and four RBIs while Anthony Stafford and Calen Porter had three RBIs each. Cody Liersen walked twice and Lachlan Smith three times as Essendon kept up the pressure at the plate.
Flynn Lysk covered three innings with 11 first pitch strikes, four strikeouts, and a 2.33 WHIP, supported by Miller with one strikeout and a 1.50 WHIP.
North Western's Dianne Tompkins threw 1.1 innings with five first pitch strikes while Kate Rigby struck out two.
The 4-0 Bombers head to Fitzroy Maroon and North Western takes on the Spitfires in round 5.
Melbourne Demons Red 10 v Fitzroy Lions Maroon 1
The Demons improved to 2-2, keeping up the momentum from their 18-1 win over Port Melbourne the week before.
Melbourne Red scored two in the first, six in the second, and two in the fifth while giving up just one run to Fitzroy in the third.
The Demons host Mitchell Majors and Fitzroy Maroon play Essendon Bombers next week.
It was another big weekend in VSBL Division 3 as Springvale, Bonbeach, Pakenham, and Footscray make up the top four with 10 rounds to go.
View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and read out recaps below.
Division 3 Firsts
North Western Titans 12 v Chelsea Dolphins 0
The Titans scored three in the first and two in the second to get the game started off right, followed by three runs in the fourth and four in the fifth.
Matt Howe wend 2-for-2 with a home run and a double, Daniel Hamilton had three singles, and Cameron Wilson singled and homered. Connor Wilson struck out four in five scoreless innings with just three hits.
Following this matchup, both teams are 2-2 as North Western plays Springvale at home and Chelsea heads to Footscray.
Bonbeach Bluejays 12 v Footscray Bulldogs 0
Bonbeach is 3-1 after a big offensive outing, securing their first shutout win of the year on the back of strong days at the plate for Cam Nubbard and Matthew Bucci.
The Bluejays scored two in the first, one in the second, and four in both the third and the fourth. One final run came around in the fifth as Bonbeach had hits up and down the lineup, including Nubbard's three RBIs on a single, a double, and a walk.
Mathew Prior had two doubles and a base hit, Bucci had three singles and two RBIs, and Jacob Bald, Dylan Brown, Jarad Curwood, and Olly Hookey-Rizzo also had RBIs.
2-2 Footscray hosts Chelsea and Bonbeach plays Pakenham at home in the next round.
Springvale Lions 6 v Geelong Baycats 1
The Lions remain undefeated after another strong offensive performance, leading 3-1 at the end of the fourth before tacking on another three in the sixth.
Lucas Anderson struck out seven and gave up four hits and a run in five innings of work while Rydge Hogan struck out three in one inning and Joel Stubbs contributed a scoreless inning as well.
Scott Baillie and Matthew Cameron both had a walk, a single, and an RBI. Steve Hughes had two singles and two RBIs, Hogan singled and tripled, and Ryan Kirby, Rowan Hall, and Stubbs singled too.
Geelong's Martin Bouma covered four innings on the mound, giving up six hits and two runs with four strikeouts. Cade White and Cooper Laurie pitched in relief as Connor Hughes doubled and singled. Will Cavanagh and Cooper Laurie had base hits too.
After this game, 4-0 Springvale heads to North Western and Geelong hosts North Coburg next.
Pakenham Pumas 15 v North Coburg Rebels 6
The Pumas led 5-0 after the second and managed four more in the middle innings, staying in front despite giving up five to North Coburg across the third and fourth. Pakenham scored six more in the top of the seventh while the Rebels got one, allowing the Pumas to take a 3-1 record moving forward.
Andy Karp pitched five innings and Craig Learmonth pitched two for North Coburg, giving up 10 hits and 10 walks to Pakenham as the Rebels had eight hits and three walks.
Pakenham's Tim Bellerby threw four innings with five runs (three unearned) on five hits and two walks, plus seven strikeouts. Max Hunter struck out four and walked one in two innings while Mitchell Lording pitched a one-run inning with three hits and a strikeout.
Karp went 2-for-2 with a single, a double, and two walks for North Coburg while Learmonth had two singles for two RBIs and Jack Pinches tripled for two RBIs.
North Coburg heads to Geelong and Pakenham visits Bonbeach in round 5.
Mulgrave, Newport, Moorabbin, and Werribee are all 3-1 in VSBL Division 2 as teams head into round 5 with just two weeks to go before the break.
View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out recaps below.
Division 2 Firsts
Preston Pirates 1 v Doncaster Dragons 9
The Dragons got their first win on the board with a solid outing at home, led by Angus Stals and Brian Chen on the mound.
Stals struck out four and gave up two hits and two walks in four scoreless innings while Chen only gave up a walk during two innings with five strikeouts. Preston scored an unearned run during Simon Fitzmaurice's one inning on the mound as he gave up a hit and struck out two.
Shane Waters struck out five during four innings for Preston while Gabriel Valderrama and Logan O'Brien also put in pitching work.
Doncaster's Jimin Lee hit a three-run homer as Dakota Gibson singled twice and tripled once for two RBIs. Nic Unland, Jean Alvarado, Fitzmaurice, and Chen brought runners home while Derek Medlin and Brendan McDonald had base hits.
Valderrama had an RBI single for Preston and Jaycob Pascuzzi had a pair of base hits.
Both teams will hope for their second win of the season as Preston hosts Port Melbourne and Doncaster plays Werribee at home in round 5.
Newport Rams 6 v Ormond Glenhuntly 0
The Rams improved to 3-1 after jumping out to an early lead over the Hunters thanks to a three-run first and two-run second. They scored one more in the sixth and kept the Hunters off the scoreboard, giving up just one hit in the entire game.
David Asp was impressive on the mound, allowing one hit and no walks in five scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Tyler Comben struck out four in two innings of work.
Newport's RBIs came off the bats of Jared Berman, Zachary Gorman, Matthew Lawman, Dean Malthouse, and Aaron Robson. Connor Schibeci had two singles and Ben Howard had one.
The Rams head to St Kilda for round 5 as Ormond Glenhuntly also hits the road for a round 5 matchup at Moorabbin.
Williamstown Wolves 7 v Port Melbourne Mariners 1
It was a clean sweep for Williamstown seniors on Sunday as the Wolves got started early, keeping all of the run scoring to the first inning.
The Wolves led 7-0 after the first and only gave up one run to the Mariners in the bottom of the second. Williamstown had four hits on the day - two for Aaron Green and one apiece from Scott Meager and Cooper
Carrison. Green, Meager, and Zachary Breen had one RBI each.
Meanwhile Rhys Otter had one hit for Port Melbourne as he shared time on the mound with teammates Matthew Parker and Toby Gleeson-Payne. Overall Port Melbourne struck out eight Williamstown batters and walked three.
Williamstown awarded pitcher Dennis Neal the Stam Camov Medal as the player of the match after he threw four awesome innings, striking out 10 with no hits, walks, or runs.
Tobimaru Yamamoto handled the other three innings, giving up two hits, three walks, and a run with seven strikeouts to keep the game under control.
Williamstown is now 2-1-1 with the chance for three in a row at home v Mulgrave as Port Melbourne heads to Preston, both teams looking to improve on 1-3 records.
Moorabbin Panthers 4 v St Kilda Saints 0
The Panthers are now 3-1 after earning their first shutout win of the year, thanks to a two-run first and additional runs in the third and seventh.
Nicholas Bertucci had a smooth six inning pitching performance with just two hits and five strikeouts, backed up by Mitch Sheldon-Collins in relief.
Travis Finney doubled and Mitch Barr, Tom Brookes, and Stewart Mathieson singled.
Deilyn Guzman threw all seven innings for St Kilda with seven hits, two walks, two HBP, four runs (two unearned), and nine strikeouts. Guzman and Rolando Curiel had the Saints' only singles of the day.
Moorabbin hosts Ormond Glenhuntly and St Kilda plays Newport at home in round 5
Mulgrave Rebels 8 v Werribee Giants 2
The Rebels are enjoying their spot atop the ladder after a big win at Werribee, bouncing back from a 15-5 loss to Newport the week before.
The first two innings were quiet before Mulgrave scored one in the third and another in the fourth. Werribee went on to score two but Mulgrave kept going with six runs scattered across the later innings, giving them a comfortable lead.
Mulgrave outhit Werribee 12 to 3 as the Giants struck out five times and the Rebels four.
Wesley de Jong and Trent Pantalleresco shared pitching duties for Werribee while Harry Garrett doubled and Ryan Balzer singled.
Both sides take a 3-1 record into the next round with Werribee heading to Doncaster and Mulgrave playing at Williamstown.
Geelong and Essendon remain undefeated in VSBL Division 1 while Malvern, Fitzroy, Sandringham, and Sunshine also got big wins on the board with just a few weeks to go before the summer break.
View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out recaps below.
Division 1 Firsts
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 0 v Geelong Baycats 8
Geelong takes a 4-0 record into the next round following a shutout victory over Upwey Ferntree Gully on Saturday afternoon.
Hayden Peoples earned the win for Geelong, throwing six shutout innings while striking out six. Brock Wells, Tyler Luther-Wilson, and Keli’i Zablan had three hits apiece while Rudy Jaramillo and Lewis Weldon had RBIs.
Harvey Chinn had Upwey's lone single of the game as the Tigers are now 1-2-1 with their next game on the road at Sunshine. Geelong hosts Berwick City next.
Cheltenham Rustlers 7 v Fitzroy Lions 11
Fitzroy racked up 11 runs in the bottom of the second after Cheltenham scored five in the top half. Only two more Rustlers runs came round to score as Joshua Tribe had three RBIs and Jack Dunn had two hits including a home run.
The Lions made the most of their scoring opportunities, putting up five earned runs and six unearned runs with doubles from Tom Dicker and Riley Hill, plus RBI singles by Patrick Wyatt, Danny King, and Ethan Epifanio.
Damian Preston shared pitching duties with Hill and King, who got the win on three hits and two runs in three innings.
Cheltenham's Russell Ferguson struck out six in four innings with just one hit.
Now 1-1-1, Fitzroy plays Waverley at home and Cheltenham heads to Essendon next.
Waverley Wildcats 1 v Malvern Braves 2
A walk-off double led Malvern past Waverley 2-1 in this tight matchup. The game was tied at one with the Braves batting in the bottom of the seventh when James Squire doubled on a 1-0 count, scoring one run.
The pitching was strong on both sides as Malvern pitchers struck out seven and Waverley pitchers sat down three.
Malvern got things started in the first inning, scoring on an error, although Waverley evened things up at one in the top of the fifth when Mitch Kennedy's wild pitch allowed a run to score.
Mitch Kennedy led the Braves to victory on the mound, going three innings, allowing one run on zero hits, striking out three, and walking zero. John Kennedy started the game, allowing one hit and zero runs over four innings, striking out four and walking one.
Luke Papanicolaou started the game for Waverley, giving up one run on five hits over three innings, striking out two. Jamie Papanicolaou took the loss, lasting three and two-thirds innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out one and walking one.
Squire, Kennedy, Gavin Woolger, Tyler Dale, Jarryd Dale, Justin Burke, Ryan Dale, and Mark Richards all had one hit for Malvern while Mitch Homfray went 1-for-3 at the plate to lead Waverley in hits.
After getting their first win on the board, the Braves host Melbourne in round 5 as 1-2 Waverley heads to Fitzroy.
Essendon Bombers 7 v Melbourne Demons 2
Melbourne fired up the offense in the first inning, when Rhys De Highden hit a solo homer, but eventually Essendon pulled away with five runs in the fourth.
The Bomber's big offense came alive when Darby Sexton singled on a 3-2 count, scoring one run, Lachlan Condie singled on a 2-2 count, scoring two runs, and Jack Giles doubled on a 3-2 count, scoring two runs.
Gareth Formisano got the win for Essendon, giving up just two runs on six hits over five innings, striking out six and walking one. Luke Abels and Sam Street entered the game out of the bullpen.
Hayden Godbold started the game for Melbourne, throwing three scoreless with two hits, a walk, and a strikeout. Kurtis Smith took the loss after allowing five runs on three hits.
Kynan Jones went 2-for-3 to lead Melbourne while Sexton had a 2-for-4 day for Essendon. Now the 3-0 Bombers host Cheltenham and the Demons head to Malvern.
Berwick City Cougars 6 v Sandringham Royals 9
Sandringham took the lead late in the game in a 9-6 victory over Berwick on Saturday. The game was tied at six with the Royals batting in the bottom of the fifth when Charlie Pierson's sac fly scored one run for Sandringham.
Berwick scored four runs in the first inning, but Sandringham still managed to pull out the victory. Cain Bumpstead and Aaron Ouwehand all contributed in the big inning with RBIs, while an error also scored a run for Berwick.
Sandringham evened things up at six in the bottom of the fourth inning. Declan Ferguson homered on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring three runs.
Genevieve Beacom started the game for Sandringham and covered two and a third innings, allowing four hits and six runs while striking out two. Riley Trad was the winning pitcher after giving up no hits or runs over four and two-thirds innings, striking out three.
Mike McGillivray got the start for Berwick. The righty allowed four hits and three runs over three innings, striking out three. Bumpstead took the loss for Berwick, giving up three runs on three hits over two innings.
Josh Meyer went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Sandringham in hits while Ouwehand led Berwick with two hits in four at-bats. The Cougars didn't commit a single error in the field as Nick O'Shea had the most chances with seven.
Now 2-2, Sandringham heads to Blackburn for a round 5 matchup and Berwick looks to improve on a 3-1 record at Geelong on Saturday.
Blackburn Orioles 3 v Sunshine Eagles 4
Sunshine took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second and managed to hang on for the win, despite giving up two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth.
The Eagles took an early lead on an RBI single by Adam Irons before Nikau Pouaka-Grego hit a bases clearing double.
The Orioles capitalised on a pair of wild pitches in the fourth and Steven Bookluck's bases-loaded walk in the fifth.
Irons got the win on the mound with 2.66 scoreless innings with two hits, a walk, and four strikeouts. Griffin Weir covered four innings with three hits and two runs.
Blackburn's Sam Bucello threw 19 first pitch strikes and struck out two in six innings of work with six hits, a walk, and four runs.
Ryan Berg, Jacob Evans, Liam Hopkins, Thomas Kerr-Chapman, Keal Kingston, and Mitchell Whiting had singles for Blackburn.
The Orioles are 1-3 with their last win coming in round two while Sunshine sits at 3-1. Blackburn plays Sandringham at home and Sunshine hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully next.
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Baseball Victoria is pleased to announce ‘Fun in the Sun’ baseball camps for U12 and U14 age groups over the January holidays.
Led by coach Keli’i (Zee) Zablan, these camps will help players develop their baseball skills as they take part in fun games and activities.
"We're looking forward to an awesome week of school holiday fun and can't wait to work with young baseballers to boost their skills and make new memories on the field," Zee said. "It will be an action-packed week at Melbourne Ballpark so we hope to see lots of players getting involved in the baseball fun with their friends and teammates."
Camp 1 - U12: Monday 24 January & Tuesday 25 January 2022
Camp 2 - U14: Thursday 27 January & Friday 28 January 2022
Venue: Melbourne Ballpark
Time: 9am – 2pm across all days
Learn more and click HERE to register today.
The 2021/22 VSBL Women's competitions are heating up with four rounds in the books and plenty more to come as summer baseball continues.
Several teams remain undefeated, including Springvale, Doncaster, Preston, Waverley, South East, Sunshine, and North Western. See full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out recaps below.
Women's Division 1 & 2
Essendon Bombers 29 v Doncaster Dragons B 0
The Bombers racked up the runs in this matchup for their second win of the season, giving up just one run the whole game to Sherryn Medlicott.
Emma French struck out six in three innings without a hit while Courtney Foura gave up just that one hit in two innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Every player knocked in at least one run for Essendon as French had an RBI single and Foura singled twice and doubled once to bring home four.
Abbey Kelly had two singles and a walk for two RBIs, Tayla Weldon had a big two-RBI base hit, and Megan Kelly plated four with a pair of singles. Sam Deeble doubled, walked, and was hit by pitch with three RBIs and Allie Bebbere had three singles and a double for two RBIs.
Jasmine Bentley plated three with two singles and Emma Davenport nearly hit for the cycle, just missing out on a home run as she recorded a team-high seven RBIs. She had two singles, a double, and a triple.
2-2 Essendon hosts Geelong and 1-2 Doncaster B hosts Springvale next.
Springvale Lions B 9 v Newport Rams 6
The Lions won their fourth straight game with a late flurry of runs, denying the Rams their first win despite a great effort.
The first few innings were scoreless before Newport put together a four-run third. The Rams held the lead through the top of the fifth when Springvale tied it up before scoring another four in the sixth. The game finished with the Lions scoring one more and Newport tacking on two.
Leslie Anglin pitched five solid innings, giving up four runs - two of them unearned - with seven hits, a walk, and nine strikeouts. Claire Costa and Mackenzie Prentice-Evans pitched one inning each against a determined Springvale.
Ruby Dale had a two-RBI double and Kira Jansen, Costa, and Anglin had two hits apiece.
Springvale B remains at the top of the ladder with a 4-0 record going into a bye weekend while Newport has an away game at Essendon Jets.
Footscray Bulldogs 0 v Springvale Lions 11
Two pitchers worked together to record Springvale's second shutout of the season, a dominant result after a close 8-7 victory in round 3.
Springvale collected 10 hits and gave up just one, with three runs in the first, five in the third, and another three in the fourth.
Shae Lillywhite had four hits and three RBIs while Lili Cavanagh had two hits and three RBIs. Emily Devine recorded two hits while Hannah Jackson had an RBI. The Lions were patient at the plate too, taking seven walks overall with two walks to Hanami Campitelli.
Footscray's Caitlin Hoy and Lisa McLellan contributed on the mound while Amanda Napier had the team's lone hit of the game with a single.
Now 3-0, Springvale visits Doncaster B in round 5 while 1-2 Footscray heads to Doncaster.
Essendon Jets 0 v Doncaster Dragons 10
The Dragons are 3-0 after their first shutout win of the year, led by Jamie Bastian and Chelsea Stewart on the mound.
Bastian threw four innings with three hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts, while Stewart walked one and gave up two hits in an inning but got the outs when it counted, keeping the game scoreless.
Doncaster's offense was led by Jessica Johnson with three RBIs on two doubles, plus Amy McCann's single and two RBIs and Maddison Weller's RBI base hit. Brooklyn Hutton, Ursula Howard, Erin Collins, and Bastian each had one single.
The Dragons will look to continue their winning streak at home v Footscray in round 5 while the Jets host Newport.
Women's Division 3 North East
Malvern Braves 10 v Melbourne Demons 11
Melbourne narrowly lost 11-10 to the Warriors last week, but the Demons got back in the win column with a similar result at home v Malvern.
The Braves led 4-3 after the first and took an 8-4 lead into the third, scoring two more runs in the top of the inning. Melbourne managed a late rally, scoring four in the third and three in the fourth to secure a come-from-behind win.
Melbourne sits fourth with a 2-1 record going into the bye, while Malvern looks for a win on the road at Research Lower Plenty.
Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly 6 v Waverley Wildcats 26
The Wildcats were on a roll at the plate, earning a 3-0 record after their strongest offensive performance yet, surpassing 20 runs for the first time this season.
Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly had some solid at-bats too, scoring one in the first and third and four in the fourth. Waverley's offense included two six-run innings and seven runs in both the third and the fourth.
Second-place Waverley heads to Preston for a battle of the unbeaten teams in round 5 while Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly has a 1-2 record before facing the Warriors, who had a bye this week.
Upwey Ferntree Gully 6 v Preston Pirates 14
The Pirates improved to 3-0 with a big win over Upwey Ferntree Gully, made possible by a seven-run first inning.
Preston led 7-1 after the first and 9-1 after the second, although the Tigers did get two back in the third and another three in the fourth. The Pirates tacked on three in the third and two in the fourth to finish off the game.
Preston has a chance to go 4-0 at home v Waverley this weekend and Upwey Ferntree Gully plays Pakenham at home as the Tigers look for their second win.
Pakenham Pumas (forfeit) v Research Lower Plenty
After this forfeit, Research Lower Plenty has a 1-2 record going into a round 5 matchup at home v Malvern.
Women's Division 3 South
Springvale Lions 7 v Sandringham Royals 15
Sandringham lost a 9-8 heartbreaker to Moorabbin last round, but the Royals bounced back with a big win over Springvale.
The game was tied 2-2 after the first but Sandringham soon pulled in front with a six-run second inning. Springvale got four back in the top of the third and another in the fourth, but seven more Sandringham runs across the final frames sealed the deal.
2-2 Sandringham plays Berwick at home while Springvale hosts Moorabbin in search of a win.
Pakenham Pumas 10 v Berwick Cougars 7
The Pumas improved to 2-2 in a back-and-forth battle at Berwick, following up on a 10-8 win over Springvale the week before.
Pakenham started strong, scoring seven in the first and three in the second. While Berwick kept at it, scoring one in the first, three in the second, and two in the fourth, the Cougars fell just short. Their rally in the final frame was left to one run as Pakenham finished three in front.
Both teams have two wins and two losses with Berwick just in front of Pakenham on runs scored. Berwick heads to Sandringham next as Pakenham hits the road to take on Bonbeach.
Bonbeach Bluejays 15 v Moorabbin Panthers 2
Bonbeach snapped Moorabbin's three-game win streak with their highest run tally so far, scoring five in the first, four in the second, and six in the third.
The Panthers were quieter offensively than in previous games, managing just two runs in the final frame. Despite the loss, Moorabbin still sets at the top of the ladder with a 3-1 record going into an away game at Springvale.
Now 2-2, Bonbeach will go for back-to-back wins at home v Pakenham.
Women's Division 3 West
Essendon Bombers 9 v Fitzroy Doncaster 14
Fitzroy Doncaster managed to stay in front of the Bombers in a high-scoring game, finishing with a solid lead to earn their first victory of the year.
Now 1-2, Fitzroy Doncaster hosts North Western Orange in round 5 while Essendon has a bye before playing Port Melbourne in round 6.
Sunshine Eagles 15 v North Western Titans Orange 8
The Eagles led 4-3 after the first and 8-6 after the second, staying just in front of the Titans as both teams added two in the third.
A final flurry of five runs gave Sunshine a comfortable lead as the Eagles won their third straight game.
Julia Klieve had three walks and pitched four innings for North Western while Belinda Guiney singled and walked and two players got on base in their debut, Emma Elmore and Erica Walther.
Sunshine goes into the next round 3-0 with an away game at Werribee and North Western Orange plays at Fitzroy Doncaster in hopes of improving on a 2-1 record.
Geelong Baycats 2 v North Western Titans Black 9
The Titans scored five runs across the first two innings before Geelong got two back. North Western added four more in the fourth to seal the deal on their second victory of the season.
Anna Radnay threw four innings for North Western, giving up two runs and striking out three. Deb Said went 2-for-3 with a single and a double as Di Tompkins and Charmaine St John had two base hits each.
Jen Mason threw three solid innings for Geelong with five hits, five runs (three unearned), three walks, and two strikeouts. Lucinda Hateley covered the last two innings on the mound, giving up two hits, four runs, and three walks with a pair of strikeouts and a 10-pitch, 3-out final inning.
Sarah Upton had two of Geelong's eight singles while Magda Boros, Mickayla McDonald, Michelle Searle, Ella Wilson, Mason, and Hateley all had one each.
2-0 North Western Black heads to Port Melbourne and 2-1 Geelong plays at Newport in round 5.
Port Melbourne Mariners (forfeit) v Newport Rams
After this forfeit, Newport has a 1-2 record going into a round 5 matchup at home v Geelong.
Following Baseball Australia's announcement on the 2022 Australian Women's Championship (15-21 April in West Beach), Baseball Victoria is pleased to open tryout registration.
Tryouts will be held on:
Saturday, February 5, 2022 @ Doncaster Baseball Club: 9am – 11am
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 @ Melbourne Ballpark: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
A team comprising of 16 players will be finalised on Friday February 11 2022.
Please click HERE to register for tryouts.
Baseball Australia on Wednesday announced the Women’s Championship would be held for the first time since 2019 at West Beach, Adelaide from 15-21 April 2022.
The Youth Women's Invitational will return to the home of South Australian baseball for a second-straight year and take place from 16-20 April.
It will be the first time Adelaide has hosted the open women’s tournament since it began and also marks the return of the event after COVID-19 wiped out the past two years.
Baseball South Australia general manager Sarah Kelly said it was great news for the state to secure both events after the disappointment of this year’s Women’s Championship being called off.
“We were really looking forward to hosting the event this year so we’re thrilled to have that chance in 2022, along with hosting the country’s up-and-coming girls once again,” Kelly said.
“So much work has been put into the women’s program in SA and the opportunity to compete on home soil is a great reward as we look to improve on our 2019 bronze medal. We can’t wait to welcome our rival states to West Beach, along with the Youth Invitational participants, and showcase our fantastic facility and city.”
Baseball Australia chief executive Glenn Williams said the events would be a key step in baseball’s return to a pre-COVID normal.
“It’s been a tough couple of years for the sport and the women’s program has not avoided the impact of this pandemic,” he said. "April’s events will form a key part of the bounce back to a normal baseball calendar. It will be exciting to hold a state against state competition once again, and West Beach is a fitting venue to host a great national championship.”
The #AWC2022 schedule will be released closer to the event.
Expressions of interest for players and coaches for the Youth Invitational open today and will close at 11.59pm AEDT on 3 January 2022.
Players can express interest in attending by clicking here and coaches here.
West Beach has also been announced as host of the 2022 Australian Junior League Championship from 30 May to 3 June.
The 2021/22 VSBL Division 4 season is heating up as Waverley, Bonbeach, Mornington, Essendon, Mitchell Majors, and Fitzroy all remain undefeated after three weeks.
View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and read the latest recaps below.
Division 4 East
Blackburn Orioles 4 v Waverley Wildcats Black 15
The Wildcats are proving to be tough competitors once again this season, racking up their first double-digit tally of the season.
Waverley scored seven in the first, six in the second, and two in the fourth while only giving up four to Blackburn to finish up the game.
2-0 Waverley Black hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully Black next while Blackburn goes into an away game at Monash with a 1-1 record.
Monash Uni Farmers 7 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Black 7
The Farmers and the Tigers couldn't break the tie as the game ended in a draw, the first in the competition this season.
The Tigers led 1-0 after the first and 4-0 after the second, but the Farmers turned the game around with seven runs in the top of the third. From there, Upwey Ferntree Gully was forced to play catch-up, scoring one in the third and two in the fourth to level the scores.
Although the Tigers couldn't quite pull ahead for the victory, they have another chance to get their second win of the season at Waverley Black this weekend.
Monash hosts Blackburn in hopes of building on a 1-1-1 record.
Waverley Wildcats Red 19 v Malvern Braves 6
Waverley Red improved to 3-0 thanks to another big day at the plate, scoring in four out of the five innings. The Wildcats started with four runs in the first before a seven-run second and another run in the third.
A final seven Waverley runs came around in the fourth as Malvern put together two three-run frames but it wasn't enough to erase the deficit.
The ladder-leading Wildcats play Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold at home while Malvern looks for a win at Doncaster.
Doncaster Dragons 3 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold 18
Upwey Ferntree Gully was determined to put a win on the board and it showed, with 15 hits up and down the lineup and aggressive base running.
Mitch Thomson covered several innings on the mound before handing the ball over to Aaron Moffit for two shutout innings.
The Tigers are 1-1 and play at Waverley Red in round 4 while Doncaster hosts Malvern.
Division 4 South
Mulgrave Rebels 0 v Mornington Pirates Black 19
Two Mornington pitchers rallied to shutout Mulgrave and give the team a 2-0 start to the season.
The Pirates started strong with seven runs in the first and four in the second, followed by another seven-run inning in the third. Mornington wrapped up with six more runs across the final frames for another dominant double-digit victory.
Trev Stumbles threw 10 first pitch strikes in four scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and a 1.00 WHIP.
Tom White led Mornington's offense with four hits and six RBIs while AJ Hill had four hits and five RBIs and David Gucci recorded three hits.
Mulgrave's Pat Guimbeau, Benn Winkler, and Ryan Walsh got on base with walks while Theo Rutgers threw 21 first pitch strikes in three innings with three strikeouts. Lorenzo Bucci also appeared on the mound for Mulgrave.
Now 2-0, Mornington Black plays Bonbeach Blue at home in round 4 and Mulgrave hosts St Kilda.
Pakenham Pumas Black 5 v Sandringham Royals 12
The Royals are 2-1 after a successful Sunday outing, helping them bounce back from a 10-5 loss to Bonbeach White the week before.
Sandringham led 3-0 after the first and added two more runs across the second and the third before the Pumas brought two home in the fourth. The Royals weren't fazed, scoring seven in the fourth for a comfortable lead. Pakenham scored three in the fifth and kept Sandringham off the board in the final inning.
Sandringham plays at Mornington Red and Pakenham Black hosts Bonbeach White in search of win number two.
Bonbeach Bluejays White 14 v Chelsea Dolphins 6
The Bluejays improved to 3-0 after another big day at the plate, their third double-digit run tally of the season.
Bonbeach scored two runs in both the first and second and by the end of the third, the Bluejays were in front 7-3. Bonbeach got two more in the top of the fourth as Chelsea added three, and a final five runs to the Bluejays settled the final score.
Next up for Bonbeach White is a road game at Pakenham Black. Chelsea is also away playing Pakenham White.
Bonbeach Bluejays Blue 7 v Mornington Pirates Red 13
The Pirates got their first win on the board with a strong 13-run performance as they were determined at the plate, tying the game twice before getting in front for good.
Bonbeach led 2-0 going into the bottom of the first but the Pirates tied it up. The Bluejays scored three in the top of the second but Mornington was right there, scoring seven of their own for a larger advantage.
Both teams scored twice in the fourth as the game finished with Mornington in front. Josh Simpson had three hits and four RBIs while Damien Deefholts and Andrew Jones had two RBIs each and Myles Dowsett walked twice.
Pat Smith had two hits for Bonbeach while Dave Brodie had one and Paul Sutton got on base with two walks.
Reyes Sanchez threw two innings for Mornington with a 2.50 WHIP while Steve Crawley threw seven first pitch strikes with a strikeout in two innings.
Bonbeach had Aiden Rusden on the mound for two innings with seven first pitch strikes, two strikeouts, and a 2.00 WHIP. Andy McLaughlan got ahead in the count with six batters he faced.
Mornington Red will look for a second win at home v Sandringham while 2-1 Bonbeach Blue takes on Mornington Black.
Pakenham Pumas White 6 v St Kilda Saints 4
The Pumas recorded their first win with a solid offensive performance, leading 2-1 after the second before adding another run in the fourth. Both teams scored three in the fifth before a quiet final inning ensured Pakenham stayed in front.
Pakenham White is 1-1 and plays Chelsea at home this weekend as 2-1 St Kilda heads to Mulgrave to take on the Rebels.
Division 4 North East
North Western Titans 3 v Fitzroy Lions Blue 10
The Lions led 3-1 after the first and kept it up for the rest of the game, improving to a 7-3 lead by the end of the third. One run in the fourth and another two in the fifth kept Fitzroy comfortably in front for their second win of the season.
Lachlann McDowell hit a home run to help Fitzroy jump three spots up the ladder. The Lions sit third and play Melbourne Blue at home on the weekend while North Western hosts Essendon Bombers.
Port Melbourne Mariners 1 v Melbourne Demons Red 18
The Demons were a force to be reckoned with, quickly squashing Port Melbourne's 1-0 lead after the top of the first.
Melbourne scored four in the first, six in the second, and two in the third before tacking on another six runs in the final frame.
This marked Melbourne Red's first win of the season as the team prepares for an away game at Fitzroy Maroon. Port Melbourne hosts Research Lower Plenty for round 4.
Essendon Jets 7 v Mitchell Majors 8
Riley McGowan's walk-off sealed the victory for Mitchell Majors, their second win so far this year. McGowan had three RBIs while Ben Harkom had two.
Essendon had the early advantage, leading 4-1 after the first. The second inning was quiet before both sides scored two in the third and one in the fourth.
Down by three, Mitchell Majors staged a terrific comeback in the final frame, racking up four runs to secure the win.
Gianni Musetti handled 2.2 innings for Mitchell Majors with 11 first pitch strikes, three strikeouts, and a 2.25 WHIP. Corey Dennehy threw eight first pitch strikes with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings.
Ben Harkom and Musetti led Mitchell Majors with two hits apiece, facing off against Troy Grady who threw 4.2 innings for Essendon, including 17 first pitch strikes, nine strikeouts, and a 2.36 WHIP.
Essendon's Shaun Smith had two hits while Kane Lorimer had three quality at-bats with three walks. Ben Grady and Jordan Doherty both walked twice as Harish Chhabria knocked in a run with three great at-bats too.
After a narrow one-run victory, Mitchell Majors plays Essendon Spitfires on the road while the 1-1 Jets have a bye.
Melbourne Blue 16 v Essendon Spitfires 8
Trent Ryan pitched well for Melbourne Blue as Scott Briggs, Lachie Clayton, and Henry Ryan had hits to help get the team's first win.
It was a busy day on the base paths as Melbourne took an early 1-0 lead that was quickly wiped away with Essendon's two runs in the first. The second was quiet before the Demons went in front by one in the third, only for Essendon to level the scores.
It was neck and neck through the fourth as both sides battled hard, with Melbourne holding on for a narrow 8-7 lead. It wasn't until the fifth when things opened up for the Demons, as they scored three runs before a final fifth in the sixth. Essendon got one back in their last at-bats but the team was still handed their first loss of the season.
Both sides are now 1-1 with Melbourne Blue playing at Fitzroy Blue next and Essendon hosting Mitchell Majors.
Essendon Bombers 7 v Research Lower Plenty 6
The Bombers held off a late Research rally to protect their undefeated record.
It was 1-0 Essendon after the first but Research tied it up in the second, only to give up four more runs to the Bombers in the third. Essendon scored two in the fourth but allowed five Research runs to make it a much closer ballgame.
Neither side scored in the fifth as Essendon held on for the win, going 3-0 ahead of a road game at North Western. Research is 2-1 and plays at Port Melbourne next.