The 2020/21 VSBL Division 2 season is in the home stretch with the playoff picture to be confirmed after the final regular season games this weekend.
Mulgrave Rebels 2 v Port Melbourne Mariners 9
Mulgrave came out of the second with a 1-0 lead but it didn't last long as Port Melbourne scored two in the third and four in the fourth. Mulgrave got one back in the seventh but it wasn't enough as the Mariners continued scoring, tacking on three in the eighth.
Matthew Parker threw all nine innings for Port Melbourne, giving up 13 hits but just two earned runs with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Mulgrave's Ryan Phillips threw five innings, giving up six hits, four walks, two HBP, and six runs - four of them unearned. He struck out five. Caleb Poole kept things scoreless during three innings despite giving up seven hits.
Port Melbourne had three RBIs on two home runs from Darryl George, plus a 3-RBI triple from Bailey Waterman. Tyson Cox-Davies had two singles and an RBI as Adam Baker singled and Christopher Doyle had two base hits. Matthew Morris doubled, Samuel Morris singled three times, and Kevin Ung singled once.
Mulgrave's Nicholas Coy homered as Nicholas Thompson doubled and singled. Jayson Arthur, Jason Cousins, Brayden Martin, Michael Morgan, Caleb Poole, Donnie Poole, and Paul Rutgers all collected hits too.
Port Melbourne has a 6-9-1 record on 67 runs for and 94 runs against. Mulgrave is in third place with nine wins, seven losses, 97 runs for, and 94 runs against.
Port Melbourne hosts Preston and Mulgrave visits Williamstown in round 18.
Newport Rams 17 v Werribee Giants 5
The Rams were dominant at the plate, turning a 5-3 deficit into a 10-run lead after putting up 12 wins in the fifth. Newport scored a further two runs in the seventh while keeping the Giants off the board.
Newport's David Asp pitched four innings, giving up eight hits and five runs - four of them earned. He walked one and struck out three. Tyler Comben threw three scoreless innings with three hits and two strikeouts.
Jonathon Lowe and Cameron Mcnish contributed on the mound for Werribee. Newport's hits came from Mason Wray, who singled and doubled for three RBIs, and Jared Berman, who collected two singles, two walks, and an RBI. Ryan Morrison singled twice and walked, David Asp had an RBI single, and Tyler Comben singled, walked twice, and plated two runs. Dean Malthouse had an RBI double and Connor Schibeci had two walks and two singles for an RBI.
Samuel Reale and Simon Riches doubled for Werribee while Anthony Moanaroa plated two on a pair of singles. Josh Lee and Andrew Christou singled as Ryan Balzer had two singles and an RBI. Andrew Leahy singled twice for an RBI too.
14-2 Newport has scored 157 and given up 56. Werribee has eight wins, seven losses, and a draw on 84 runs for and 88 against.
Fourth-place Werribee visits Doncaster and Newport hosts St Kilda for the final round of the regular season.
Preston Pirates 2 v Doncaster Dragons 5
One big inning for Doncaster sealed the deal on win number eight, despite Preston taking an early 2-0 lead in the second.
The Dragons scored four in the third and another in the sixth as the defense held off on a bases-loaded threat late in the game. Simon Fitzmaurice was solid during eight innings, giving up eight hits on two runs with one walk and one strikeout. Angus Stals walked two and hit one for loaded bases but two strikeouts kept Preston from scoring again. Billy Findlay stepped in to maintain the scoreless inning.
Nicholas Pascuzzi pitched six innings for Preston, giving up five hits and three walks with a HBP and five runs - three of them earned. Jaycob Pascuzzi handled two scoreless innings in relief with one hit, two walks, and a HBP.
Brian Chen had a big 2-RBI double for Doncaster as Fitzmaurice singled and walked twice. Jean Alvarado had an RBI double and Derek Medlin also had an extra-base hit. Dakota Gibson and Brendan McDonald singled.
Preston's Vinnie Sayegh had two singles, a walk, and an RBI. Darcy Byrne-Connell singled twice while Pascuzzi, Logan O'Brien, and Hebert Rodriguez had the team's other singles.
The Dragons sit sixth with an 8-8 record on 109 runs for and 110 against. Round 18 has Doncaster at home v Werribee and Preston on the road to Port Melbourne.
St Kilda Saints 0 v Moorabbin Panthers 10
The Panthers added late runs for a dominant shutout victory on Sunday. The first two innings were scoreless before Moorabbin took a 1-0 lead in the third.
The Panthers did the most damage in the sixth with six runs, followed by one more in the sixth and two final runs in the seventh.
Christopher Nielsen threw seven solid innings for Moorabbin, striking out 14 with just three hits and no walks. On St Kilda's side, Daniel Hogg threw 4.66 innings with eight hits, six walks, two HBP, seven earned runs, and a strikeout. Millar Kuhl gave up a hit, five walks, and a HBP for three runs in 1.66 innings.
Stewart Mathieson doubled and plated four of Moorabbin's runs while Neil Johnson had a single and a triple for 3 RBIs. Matt Hardie singled, doubled, walked twice, and plated a run while Adam Harris, Kieran Lewis, Nick Bertucci, Angelo Reale Rontos, and Andrei Smith had one hit each.
St Kilda's three singles of the day came off the bats of Mariano Favia, Joshua Smart, and Thomas Snowden.
Moorabbin is the top side with a 14-2 record on 120 runs for and only 35 against. St Kilda has a 2-13-1 record and plays Newport next while the Panthers host Ormond Glenhuntly.
Williamstown Wolves 4 v Ormond Glenhuntly 1
The Wolves got their eighth win of the year thanks to a strong start from Dennis Neal. He struck out 12 in nine innings with five hits, five walks, and one run.
Williamstown scored two in the first, one in the eighth and one in the ninth, while only giving up that one run to Ormond Glenhuntly in the fifth. The winning offense included Justin Gourlay's 2-RBI double and RBI hits from Daniel Chircop and Robert Higginson. Hiroshi Narasaki and Curtix Cox had singles. Aaron Green took two walks as Mitchell Collins and Jason McDonald took one.
8-8 Williamstown has scored 97 runs and given up 49 with the last game a home matchup v Mulgrave. Ormond Glenhuntly has a 7-8-1 record with 81 runs for and 89 runs against. The Hunters play Moorabbin on Saturday.
The 2020/21 VSBL season is almost over for Division 1, with several teams battling hard to get into finals. The last games are this weekend before the playoff picture is finalised.
Melbourne Demons 3 v Geelong Baycats 13
The first three innings were scoreless with both sides having strong pitching, although the Demons got one on in the fourth. Geelong followed up with four runs and another in the fifth. By the end of the sixth it was a 8-3 ballgame, and Geelong went on to score a further three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth.
Melbourne's Hayden Godbold threw five innings with 13 first pitch strikes and two strikeouts. He gave up six hits, two walks, and five runs - four of them earned. Mitchell Bowen pitched 1.66 innings, giving up four earned runs and two unearned runs on three hits and four walks with a pair of strikeouts. Two earned runs scored during Kye Stehr's time on the mound with two hits and two walks.
Geelong's Rudy Jaramillo had another fantastic outing on the mound, hurling 21 first pitch strikes across seven innings with 10 strikeouts and 0.86 WHIP. He gave up four hits, two walks and three runs. Hayden Peoples handled an inning in relief with one walk and two strikeouts.
The winning offense included 11 hits with Tyler-Luther Wilson knocking in four runs on a double and a home run. Jaramillo had a 2-RBI single and Sam Moon doubled and walked to bring home two runs. Josh Davies had two singles and two RBIs while Ryan Darcy and People also recorded RBIs. Kelli Zablan and Jordan Baumann both singled and doubled.
Ethan Scalzo had two of Melbourne's four hits with two RBIs, while Slade Squire plated the other run and Tim Sullivan and Kurtis Smith had singles.
Melbourne has a 2-11 record and Geelong has a 7-6 record with 101 runs scored and 55 given up. The two sides play this weekend too.
Berwick City Cougars 0 v Waverley Wildcats 4
The Wildcats had two runs in the second and two more in the sixth to seal the deal on their win.
Luke Papanicolaou threw 5.33 innings for Waverley, picking up the win with five hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. Jamie Papanicolaou handled 2.66 innings with three hits, a walk, and four strikeouts, while Andrew Russell had a three-up, three-down inning.
Berwick's Craig Barnett pitched seven innings with eight hits, two walks, four runs, and four strikeouts. Aaron Ouwehand gave up one hit but kept things scoreless in one inning of pitching work.
Jordan Ley and Damon Hill both had two RBIs on two base hits while Finn Weichard, Mohi Kahui, and Ben Aslett had one single each.
Matthew Homfray had three base hits, while Marcus Graham and Cain Bumpstead both had two. Ouwehand singled as well.
After this shutout victory, the Wildcats are 11-2 at the top of the ladder with 90 runs scored and 45 given up. They play Sandringham next while 5-8 Berwick has one more game to go against Blackburn, looking to improve on 74 runs scored for and 67 against.
Cheltenham Rustlers 5 v Sunshine Eagles 6
Sunshine scored one in the second and had a 4-0 lead going into the fifth before Cheltenham got two back. Sunshine regained a four-run lead in the seventh but the Rustlers weren't going down without a fight, scoring three in the ninth to put Sunshine on edge.
Sunshine had Billy Parsons on the mound for six innings to get the win. He gave up one earned and one unearned run on nine hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. Jeremy Young got the save in three innings of work, giving up three runs on five hits with a walk, a HBP, and a strikeout.
Russell Ferguson covered four innings for Cheltenham, giving up 10 hits, walking one, and striking out one. Four runs, one of them unearned, scored during his time on the mound. Andrew Campbell threw three innings with two runs given up on five hits and a walk, plus two strikeouts. Jack Enciondo threw one scoreless inning with two hits allowed.
Sunshine had RBIs from Cam Deeble, Bryce Aldridge, Nathan Gatt, Jordan Young, and Parsons. The winning pitcher collected three singles while Deeble doubled and singled twice. Aldridge and Allan de San Miguel had two base hits and Jordan Young had three. Allister Lovelock doubled as Josh Byrne and Jeremy Young singled.
Cheltenham's Jack Dunn plated two with a pair of singles and a double, while Conor Myles walked and doubled for an RBI and Michael Leslie had an RBI single. Leslie, Sam Michael, and Dante Caruso had two base hits each as Josh Ashen, Ben Fierenzi, Mack Turley, and Andrew Gribbin had one.
The Eagles have an 8-4-1 record on 76 runs for and 51 runs against. Cheltenham sits at 8-5 with 87 runs for and 67 runs against. Sunshine plays Essendon and Cheltenham plays Upwey Ferntree Gully next.
Malvern Braves 6 v Blackburn Orioles 3
The Braves got the job done with two runs in the third, three in the fourth, and a final run in the eighth. Blackburn scored two in the fifth and one in the ninth but it wasn't enough to catchup.
Tyler Dale threw five innings, giving up six hits, two walks, and two runs with three strikeouts to get the win. Mitch Kennedy gave up one run in two innings with two hits, two walks, two strikeouts, and a HBP. Nicholas Parton handled two innings as well, keeping things scoreless with no hits, just three walks and a strikeout.
Blake Hodgson threw four innings for Blackburn, giving up eight hits and five runs - four of them earned - with a HBP and a strikeout. Sam Bucello covered three scoreless innings with just one hit, a HBP, and two strikeouts. Scott Mitchinson had four hits, one run, and three strikeouts in two innings on the mound.
Malvern's winning offense included three RBIs to Jarryd Dale on a single and two doubles, plus two RBIs to Geoff Holland with a single and a double. Henry Hayman had three singles and a double, Jack Hanger collected two base hits, and Justin Burke and Ryan Othen also got on base with singles.
The Braves recorded their third win, now with 66 runs scored total and 100 given up. The reigning premiers slipped to 6-6-1 with 70 runs scored and 71 allowed. Blackburn hosts Berwick and Malvern hosts Fitzroy in round 16.
Upwey-Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Essendon Bombers 0
This close matchup between the Tigers and the Bombers came down to runs scored in the sixth and the ninth. Jarrod Turner got the win on the mound, giving up just one hit to Jack Giles with two walks and five strikeouts.
Essendon's Sam Street did well on the mound too, giving up 11 hits but keeping the Tigers to just two runs, with two walks and four strikeouts. Gareth Formisano maintained the shutout in under an inning on the mound.
Peter Schroeders had two singles, a walk, and an RBI while Staci Rogers plated the other run on a pair of singles. Jordan Elliot singled and doubled twice as Donavon Hendricks, Riley Light, Wade McConnon, and Ashley Winton had one single each.
Upwey Ferntree Gully has a 10-3 record in second place with 84 runs scored and 50 runs conceded. Essendon has a 7-6 record with 54 runs for and 45 against. The Tigers play Cheltenham and the Bombers play Sunshine in the last round.
Sandringham Royals 16 v Fitzroy Lions 6
The Royals were a force to be reckoned with at the plate, scoring double-digits for the first time since a 14-5 win over Sunshine in round 10.
Fitzroy was first on the board with one to start the game, but Sandringham soon followed up with four in the second and two more in both the third and the fourth. The Lions powered back with five in the fifth but the Royals calmed down to stop them from scoring again, meanwhile putting up three of their own in the sixth and four in the seventh. A final run came around in the eighth.
Declan Croker threw five innings, giving up seven hits, four walks, and six runs - one of them unearned - with a strikeout. Grant Irving handled the other three innings, keeping things scoreless with just two hits and a walk.
Fitzroy's Ryan Mitchell threw four innings, giving up 10 hits and eight runs - one of them unearned - with three strikeouts and no walks. Warwick Purchase also handled four innings, conceding eight runs on seven hits and three HBP with a strikeout.
For Sandringham, Will Tucker and Zak Skinner had four RBIs apiece, including a home run and two singles for Tucker and a single and a home run for Skinner. Brandon Stenhouse singled twice, doubled, and walked for three RBIs while Tim Lane singled and tripled for two RBIs. Sam Skinner collected two base hits, a walk, and two RBIs. Irving doubled, Harrison Wills singled, and Declan Ferguson had an RBI and two base hits.
Jordan Hill singled twice and doubled once for two RBIs, while Ryan Mitchell, Damian Preston, Tyler Trevaskis, and Purchase all plated one, the last three with singles. Gideon Van Twest Smith doubled as Gavin Juchnevicius and Ethan Epifanio had base hits.
Sandringham has an 8-4-1 record on 90 runs for and 59 against. The Lions head to Malvern and the Royals host Waverley on Saturday.
The stage is set for VSBL Women's finals after a strong end to the regular season. Well done to all players on a great season and good luck in the finals!
Women's Division 1
Essendon Bombers 3 v Doncaster Dragons 8
This matchup was close to start with both defenses tough in the first, but Doncaster got on the board with three in the second. The third and fourth were scoreless again before Essendon tied it at three in the fifth. Doncaster scored a final five runs in the sixth to seal the deal on win number five.
Essendon's Abbey Kelly pitched 5.66 innings, giving up eight hits, two walks, and two HBP. Only one of the eight runs scored during her time on the mound was earned. She struck out two. Courtney Foura had a scoreless pitching appearance for under an inning.
Doncaster's Jessica Johnson gave up just two earned runs in four innings with two hits, two walks, a HBP, and two strikeouts. Belinda Cannington handled 1.33 innings with four hits, an earned run, and a strikeout. Jamie Bastian threw 1.66 scoreless innings with one hit, two walks, and two strikeouts.
The winning offense included Cannington's big double and four RBIs, Bastian's two RBIs on a pair of singles and a triple, and Rebecca Wright's two RBIs. Keeley Harrison singled twice while Erin Collins and Chelsea Stewart also had base hits.
Foura and Megan Kelly had one RBI, one single, and one walk each for Essendon, while Emma Davenport and Kayla Adams doubled and Jasmine Bentley, Sam Deeble, and Emma French singled.
8-2 Essendon finishes in first place with 101 runs scored and 53 given up. Doncaster is third with a 5-5 record and 77 runs for v 67 against. Essendon plays Springvale and Doncaster plays Newport in the semi-finals.
Newport Rams 4 v Springvale Lions 6
The Rams gave it a good effort late in the game but ultimately Springvale squashed the rally. The Lions scored two in the first, one in the third, and three in the fifth while keeping Newport off the board until the final inning.
Morgan Doty pitched for Newport, striking out five during her time on the mound, while Gabby Bevan handled 5.66 innings with eight hits, two walks, one HBP, four unearned runs, and one strikeout.
Springvale's RBIs came from Hanami Campitelli, Shae Lillywhite, Emily Devine, and Siobhan Stephenson. Lili Cavanagh, Hannah Jackson, and Simone Wearne had singles on the day.
Doty singled and doubled for two RBIs while Kira Jansen had three base hits and an RBI for Newport. Bronwyn Gell, Georgia Page, and Danni Teasdale singled.
Newport finished 1-9 and plays 5-5 Doncaster again in the semi-finals.
Women's Division 2
Essendon Bombers 15 v Preston Pirates 3
The Bombers cruised to their fourth victory of the year, scoring six in the first inning and another two in both the second and the third. Three runs in the fourth and another two in the fifth got Essendon into the double-digits.
Preston scored twice in the first and once in the third, rounding out the team's first season. Essendon goes into the semi-finals with a 4-4 record on 88 runs for and 80 against. The third-place side plays Geelong after the 2-5 Baycats had a bye this round.
Footscray Bulldogs 13 v Springvale Lions 4
The Bulldogs scored five runs in the first to start things off, and by the end of the second it was a 6-2 ballgame. Six more Footscray runs came in the third and another in the fifth, while Springvale scored two to end the game.
First place Footscray has seven wins and one loss with 80 runs for and 36 against. Springvale finished second with seven wins and two losses on 116 runs for and 36 against. These two teams meet again in the semi-finals.
Women's Division 3 East
Wheelers Hill Warriors 8 v Moorabbin Panthers 11
The Panthers prevailed to protect their undefeated record and finish on top of the ladder. The first inning was scoreless but it wasn't long before both teams got on the board, Wheelers Hill with seven in the second and Moorabbin with two. The Panthers added another two in the third but won the game with seven in the fourth, all while Wheelers Hill got just one more.
The 10-0 Panthers have scored 156 runs and given up 57 with the first finals game at home v Sandringham. Wheelers Hill finished third with a 6-2-1 record on 111 runs scored and 70 given up. The Warriors play Berwick in the semi-finals.
Bonbeach Bluejays 10 v Pakenham Pumas Black 11
The Pumas ended the season on a high note with a seven-run comeback. Bonbeach led 2-1 after the first but Pakenham was ahead 4-3 at the end of the second. Both sides scored seven in the third as the close game continued through the last inning.
This result put Bonbeach in sixth place to end the season with three wins, five losses, and one draw on 91 runs for and 83 against.
Pakenham Black finished 2-7 with 48 runs for and 132 runs against. Pakenham White had the bye and finished 1-7 on 59 runs for and 121 runs against.
Berwick City Cougars 10 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2
The Cougars finished fourth to score a spot in the finals as they climbed up the ladder in recent weeks. Berwick jumped out to a 3-0 lead and kept on rolling, giving up just one run to Cheltenham in the second and another in the sixth. Berwick had three runs in the fifth and four in the sixth.
The Cougars finished with a 3-4-2 record on 90 runs for and 97 against. Cheltenham finished in seventh place with a 2-5-1 record. Berwick plays Wheelers Hill in the semi-finals.
Sandringham Royals 13 v Springvale Lions 8
The Royals had the upper hand in this matchup with four runs scored in each of the first three innings. A final Sandy run came in the fourth while Springvale scored three in the first and five in the third.
Sandringham wraps up the regular season in second place with seven wins and two losses on 92 runs for and 58 against. Springvale finished fifth with a 3-5-1 record. The Royals play Moorabbin in the semi-finals.
Women's Division 3 West
Fitzroy Lions 7 v Doncaster Dragons 14
The Dragons led 6-1 after the first and followed up with another seven in the second. Fitzroy held Doncaster to just one more in the third, and although the Lions put up six in the fourth, it wasn't enough to make up the deficit.
Doncaster finished second with eight wins and two losses on 128 runs for and 71 runs against. The Lions are fourth at 4-6 with 112 runs scored and 116 given up. Fitzroy plays at North Western and Doncaster visits Melbourne in the semi-finals.
Newport Rams 12 v Geelong Baycats 8
Newport jumped out to an early 7-1 lead and didn't stop there, scoring another five in the second. Geelong got back in the game by holding Newport from scoring in the third and fourth, plating seven of their own in the third.
Hannah Lindsey struck out two in her first inning on the mound, although a few Geelong errors made it a tough frame. Jen Mason covered the remaining three innings, recording 2 K's as Michelle Searle kept things under control behind the plate.
Sarah doubled and tripled before coming home on an error for an unofficial inside-the-park home run with two RBIs on the day. Lindsey singled twice, Jen Renouf plated two with a big single, and Bri Telford and Magda Boros singled.
Newport finished fifth and Geelong finished sixth with great seasons featuring both new and returning players.
Melbourne Demons 11 v North Western Titans 0
The Demons wrapped up the regular rounds with a shutout victory, thanks to runs scored in four out of five innings. Melbourne put four on in the first, followed by three in the second and another in the fourth. Their final three runs came in the fifth inning.
Melbourne finished atop the ladder with nine wins and one loss on 139 runs for and just 50 runs against. The Demons host Doncaster for the semi-finals on Saturday 13 March at 1:00pm.
Baseball Victoria is pleased to confirm that the 2021 Little League State Championships will be held as follows:
- Friday 9, Saturday 10, and Sunday 11 April 2021
Little League, Little League Major, Development and 6-A-Side Competition
- Friday 16, Saturday 17, and Sunday 18 April 2021
Junior League, Intermediate League and Senior League
The events locations are to be determined as soon as possible, but this confirmation of dates allows charter committees to select players and confirm a training schedule leading up to the event, while we continue to play baseball through to the conclusion of the Victorian Summer Baseball League.
The introduction of the 6-A-Side competition will allow Victorian clubs to enter teams via their charters (see contact details below). Club-based teams will be able to enter and participate in the state event.
COVID continues to influence the Victorian sporting landscape, so in contrast to previous years, the event will not supply lunches to participants. There may be also be alternations to the start times for some schedules to ensure safe access to and from fields for all participants and spectators.
Uniforms will be provided to all participants in Little League, Junior League, Intermediate League, and Senior League, and the process for ordering uniforms will be confirmed in the coming weeks via your charter programs.
The cost to participants this year will be approximately $390 per player (Little League, Junior League, Intermediate League and Senior League) with the costs for Little League Development at $40 per player and 6-A-Side at $10.00 per player. Upon confirmation of team selection, payment will be collected via Team App from Wednesday, 10 March 2021.
Currently, Baseball Victoria is continuing to work with our state and territory counterparts and Baseball Australia on the national events, currently scheduled for May and June – click HERE for full details.
These events remain in the national calendar as we establish protocols to accommodate the potential for COVID related rescheduling, cancellation or additional measures to ensure the safety of our junior participants.
Charter Facebook Links:
Baseball Victoria's 2021 Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 20 April 2021 electronically.
Notice of Annual General Meeting and call for Special Business.
Below are the necessary forms:
AGM21 - Member Body Delegation Nomination Authorisation Form
AGM21 - Member Body Compliance Form
An updated Agenda including any nominated and confirmed items of Special Business, along with details for electronic access will be updated here.
The VSBL Division 2 season is headed straight for finals with Newport and Moorabbin leading the way.
Newport Rams 12 v Mulgrave Rebels 11
This game came down to the wire with the Rebels coming within one in the final frame.
Newport hung on for win number 12 despite falling behind by five runs in the second. Mulgrave led 6-1 after the third and at the end of the fourth, it was a 7-3 ballgame. The tides turned in the fifth with Newport putting six on the board, followed by one run in each of the next three innings. Newport had a 12-7 lead going into the ninth as Mulgrave scored four more but fell just short.
Winning pitcher Tyler Comben threw six innings for Newport with 22 first pitch strikes and a 1.83 WHIP. He gave up seven hits, four walks, two HBP, and five runs with eight strikeouts. Nathan Smith pitched a scoreless third of an inning and although six earned runs scored against Harun Pelja, the Rams came out on top.
Mulgrave's Ryan Phillips was on the mound for four innings with 20 first pitch strikes, six hits, five walks, two HBP, and five earned runs. Brad Adams threw three innings with 16 first pitch strikes, five hits, four walks, one HBP, and six runs - five of them earned. Jayson Arthur got the Rebels' only strikeout of the day with three hits, a walk, a HBP, and an unearned run in two innings.
Mason Wray had three RBIs with a walk and three singles for the winning team, while Nathan Smith single and walked twice with an extra-base hit and an RBI too. Dean Malthouse and Comben doubled as Mathew Lawman, Scot Malthouse, and Connor Schibeci plated runs. Ryan Morrison and Jared Berman also singled.
Mulgrave's offense was led by Riley O'Shea with three RBIs on two singles and a double. Grant Miller had two doubles and two RBIs and Caleb Poole had two singles and a double. Ricardo Anaya, Michael Morgan, Nicholas Thompson, Paul Rutgers, and Phillips had hits too.
Newport sits second just behind Moorabbin with a 12-2 record on 119 runs scored and 51 given up. Mulgrave is fourth with eight wins and six losses on 89 runs for and 80 runs against. The Rams play Preston and the Rebels host Doncaster next.
St Kilda Saints 3 v Werribee Giants 5
The Giants opened with three runs in the first, followed by one more in the second and a fifth and final run in the fourth. They kept St Kilda off the board until the seventh when they scored once, followed by two runs in the eighth.
St Kilda ran out of steam against strong Werribee pitching, with Trent Pantalleresco hurling seven strong innings. He gave up three hits and walked five with a HBP, an unearned run, and three strikeouts. Harry Garrett allowed two hits, one HBP, and two runs in an inning. Josh Lee walked one and struck out two in his scoreless inning of work.
The Saints gave up eight hits to Werribee, including two singles to Pantalleresco and two doubles and an RBI for Wade Balzer. They walked nine Werribee batters, with Oliver Box taking first three times for that reason in addition to a double and an RBI. Andrew Christou, Anthony Moanaroa, and Lee recorded hits too.
This win sees Werribee in third with an 8-5-1 record on 75 runs for and 65 runs against. Werribee hosts Moorabbin in the next round while ninth-place St Kilda visits Ormond Glenhuntly.
Doncaster Dragons 4 v Williamstown Wolves 13
Five runs in the first and another four in the second gave Williamstown a 9-0 lead going into the third. The next few innings were quiet until Doncaster got four runs in the sixth. Williamstown kept things under control with three runs in the sixth and one in the eighth.
Winning pitcher Dennis Neal gave up nine hits and four runs - three of them earned - with four walks and a strikeout. Daniel Chircop threw two innings, giving up one hit and two walks with a strikeout. Aaron Green gave up one hit in a scoreless inning.
Doncaster's John Britton allowed three earned runs on four hits, three walks, and one HBP with seven strikeouts. Billy Findlay and Simon Fitzmaurice handled two innings each, with nine hits and nine earned runs coming against the latter, as well as a walk, a HBP, and two strikeouts. Findlay gave up one run on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
Williamstown's high-powered offense benefitted from the return of injured Justin Gourlay, who smashed a home run on the fist pitch of his at-bat and homered again later in the game. He singled too for a total of five RBIs. Jason McDonald was another key contributor with four RBIs on three singles, while Green and Hiroshi Narasaki also plated runs. Dennis Neal, Mitchell Collins, Robert Higginson, Scott Meager, and Chircop also recorded hits.
Nic Unland, Derek Medlin, and Findlay plated runs for Doncaster. The team had three doubles off the bats of Britton, Findlay, and Medlin, with Findlay collecting three singles as well. Brian Chen, Dakota Gibson, and Brendan McDonald had base hits.
Doncaster sits above Williamstown on the ladder with a 7-7 record on 99 runs for and 102 against. The Dragons are in fifth place and play Mulgrave next while seventh-place Williamstown looks to improve on a 6-8 record at home v Port Melbourne. The Wolves have scored 82 and given up 47 runs.
Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 9 v Port Melbourne Mariners 2
The Hunters kept the Mariners off the board in all but one inning to record their seventh win of the season. They scored one in the second, four in the fifth, and another four in the eighth.
Kyungsoo Jeon threw seven innings with four hits, eight strikeouts, and two earned runs. He had 19 first pitch strikes. Doha Kwak provided two innings of scoreless relief work with one hit, one walk, and one strikeout.
Port Melbourne's Matthew Parker threw five innings with 10 first pitch strikes, six hits, four walks, five runs - one unearned - and seven strikeouts. Kevin Ung handled 2.33 innings with six hits, one walk, four runs - three earned - and two strikeouts. Tyson Cox-Davies handled 1.66 innings with one strikeout and no hits, walks, or runs.
The Ormond Glenhuntly offense was led by Geoff MacDonald with four RBIs on a single and a double, while Jeon had an RBI single and Kwak plated two on a pair of base hits. Timothy Carracher singled twice with an RBI, Changho Choi and Brad Dolan walked, Jiwon Choi singled and walked, and Rhy Dyball singled two times. Josh Goschnick doubled and Keunyeol Park singled as well.
Cox-Davies had a single and a double for Port Melbourne while Parker and Beau Graham singled. Gurcan Tiknaz knocked in the team's two runs with a big double in the second.
The Hunters sit sixth with a 7-7 record and 80 runs for and 85 runs against. Port Melbourne is eighth with a 5-8-1 record and 57 runs and 81 against. Ormond Glenhuntly takes on St Kilda and Port Melbourne plays Williamstown.
Moorabbin Panthers 2 v Preston Pirates 1
It all came down to the ninth inning but ultimately the Panthers held on for the victory, their 12th of the season. Preston put in a good effort, only giving two runs in the sixth, but the Pirates faltered with runners in scoring position in the ninth, just losing their grip on the comeback win.
Michael McGillivray threw six solid innings for Moorabbin, keeping things scoreless with four hits and five strikeouts. Matt Fordham knocked in Preston's one run of the game while Moorabbin's RBIs came off the bat of Neil Johnson.
Moorabbin's Christopher Nielsen threw three innings of relief with four hits, seven strikeouts, and a run. Nicholas Pascuzzi pitched seven for the Pirates with six hits, three walks, two HBP, two runs, and three strikeouts. Gabriel Valderrama gave up two hits and a walk in two scoreless innings.
Nick Bertucci singled three times for Moorabbin while Adam Harris, Ben Laux, Kieran Lewis, and Andrei Smith singled.
Preston's Mitch Leggehad two singles and Darcy Byrne-Connell doubled. Nick Djorgonoski, Glenn Farrell, Jaycob Pascuzzi, and Hebert Rodriguez also singled.
First-place Moorabbin has a 12-2 record with 104 runs scored and 31 against. The Panthers play Werribee and the Pirates play Newport next.
The VSBL Division 1 finals picture is shaping up with two games to go as Waverley and Upwey Ferntree Gully lead the way.
Essendon Bombers 5 v Geelong Baycats 0
The Bombers bounced back after a tough 2-0 loss to Sandringham the week before.
The majority of the game was quick and quiet, as Essendon scored one in the top of the first and there was no scoring for the rest of the game until the Bombers got four in the ninth.
Geelong had eight hits while Essendon had seven, but the Baycats were unable to capitalize in the same way the Bombers were, leaving nine on base compared to just four for the Bombers.. Rudy Jaramillo threw 8.66 innings, striking out 15 and giving up seven hits, two walks, and five earned runs. Hayden Peoples came on in relief and collected two singles.
Josh Davies and Hayden Peoples each collected multiple hits as Jaramillo, Jordan Baumann, Kelii Zablan, and Tyler Luther-Wilson had one each. Baumann laid down a great bunt to get runners into scoring position but they fell just short.
Essendon's Gareth Formisano gave up six hits in six innings with two walks and four strikeouts. He had 17 first pitch strikes and Jaramillo had 23. Sam Street covered three innings with nine first pitch strikes, two hits, and three strikeouts.
Jarryd Rogers plated three runs with a home run and a double while Jared Cruz, Darby Sexton and Christian Caminiti singled. Michael Formisano walked and singled for two RBIs and Jack Giles tripled.
Davies, Sexton, and Rogers led the way with quality at-bats. Sixth-place Essendon has a 7-5 record on 54 runs for and 43 against while eighth-place Geelong sits at 6-6 with 88 runs for and 52 against. The Bombers hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully and the Baycats host Melbourne next.
Fitzroy Lions 6 v Berwick City Cougars 13
The Cougars were the first on the board with one run in the second. They put one on the board in the next two innings too, but by the end of the fifth inning, Fitzroy led 4-3. The Lions added two in the sixth but gave up six to the Cougars as Berwick turned the game around. The Cougars went on to add one in the seventh and three in the eighth.
Warwick Purchase threw four innings for Fitzroy, giving up four hits, five walks, and three earned runs with one strikeout. Riley Hill covered 1.33 innings with five hits, three walks, and six earned runs. Ryan Mitchell handled 1.66 innings with one hit, one walk, and an unearned run. Danny King gave up four hits and three runs in an inning of work.
Craig Barnett pitched five innings with eight hits, two walks, four runs, and five K's. Aaron Ouwehand gave up two runs, one of them unearned, with four hits, two walks, and a strikeout as Cain Bumpstead threw a scoreless inning.
Berwick's winning offense included a home run, single, walk, and three RBIs for Barnett. Bumpstead plated two with a single and a walk while Andrew Gibbens doubled and Aidan Willis walked three times and had a base hit for an RBI. Marcus Graham doubled twice with a walk and two RBIs, and Matthew Homfray had a single, double, walk, and two RBIs. John King and Ouwehand had two singles each and Perry Wilkinson singled too.
Fitzroy's Gideon Van Twest Smith singled twice and walked as Purchase had three singles and a walk for two RBIs. Ethan Epifanio, Jordan Hill, Riley Hill, and King had singles while Tyler Trevaskis plated a run and Thomas Wilson had two RBI singles.
Berwick sits ninth with five wins and seven losses with 74 runs scored for and 63 against. The Cougars play Waverley on the road next and Fitzroy hosts Sandringham.
Melbourne Demons 4 v Sandringham Royals 9
The Demons struck first with two in the second, and it wasn't until the bottom of the third that Sandringham got on the board with three. Melbourne retook the lead with two more in the fourth, but when the fifth inning was over, Sandringham led 5-4. The Royals went on to score three in the seventh and one in the eighth while keeping the Demons from scoring anymore.
Declan Croker started for Sandringham, throwing 4.33 innings with seven hits, two walks, four runs, and two strikeouts. Grant Irving kept the Demons from scoring in 4.66 innings of relief, giving up just one hit and a HBP with five strikeouts.
Mitchell Bowen threw 1.66 innings for Melbourne, giving up four hits and two runs with a strikeout. One unearned run scored during Nicholas Cleland's inning on the mound where the Royals got two hits and a walk. Mitch Ellis also pitched an inning, giving up just one hit with two strikeouts. Sandringham got three earned runs off Hayden Godbold, who gave up two hits, one walk, and one HBP during 2.33 innings with a strikeout. Kye Stehr gave up three runs - two of them earned - with three hits and a walk during two innings.
Irving had three RBIs with a double and a home run while Sam Skinner recorded a single, a double, and an RBI. Matthew Blackmore had an RBI single, Harrison Wills knocked in another run, and Will Tucker doubled. Sandringham's other base hits came from Timothy Lane, Zak Skinner, and Brandon Stenhouse.
Harvey Mitchelhill had two singles and an RBI for Melbourne as Stephen Lawrence, Sadi Nergiz, and Slade Squire had the other RBIs. Tim Sullivan, Ethan Scalzo, Finn O'Connell, and Bronson Neave collected hits.
The Royals sit fourth with a 7-4-1 record on 74 runs scored and 53 given up. Sandringham heads to Fitzroy and Melbourne visits Geelong next.
Blackburn Orioles 0 v Sunshine Eagles 5
The Eagles got an early start with two runs in the second, and with strong pitching on their side, they kept rolling, scoring two more in the fifth and another in the seventh.
Jeremy Young had a fabulous complete game start, giving up just two hits and no walks to last year's premiers with 10 strikeouts. He had a single and a walk at the plate and was backed up offensively by Bryce Aldridge with a single, a double, and an RBI, as well as Allister Lovelock who had an RBI and two singles. Josh Byrne had an RBI single, Allan de San Miguel plated a run, and Billy Parsons had two hits for one RBI. Jordan Young singled too.
Scott Mitchinson threw six innings for Blackburn, giving up seven hits and four runs - three of them earned - with three strikeouts. Jacob Evans contributed two innings and gave up the only two walks of the game, with two hits, one run, and a strikeout. Ben Leslie and Chris Nicholas had Blackburn's only two RBIs of the day.
Following this rematch of the 2019/20 grand final, Sunshine sits fifth with a 7-4-1 record on 70 runs for and 46 against. Blackburn has slipped to seventh with a 6-5-1 record on 67 runs for and 65 against.
Sunshine hosts Cheltenham and Blackburn plays Malvern at home in the next round.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 8 v Cheltenham Rustlers 5
The Tigers clinched the lead in the ninth inning to secure the win over their fellow top three team. The game was tied at five-all in the top of the ninth when Staci Rogers reached on a dropped third strike.
Donavon Hendricks got the win with two runs on five hits across three innings. He struck out two and walked none. Jarrod Turner started the game, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings with five strikeouts.
Jack Enciondo took the loss after giving up three runs on three hits in just over an inning. Russell Ferguson started the game, surrendering five runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings. Andrew Campbell appeared in relief with two hits, one walk, and one strikeout in 3.66 innings.
The Tigers scored in the first on an RBI single from Jordan Elliot as the team went on to collect 12 total hits. Elliot, Josh Hendricks, and Riley Light all had three hits while Harvey Chinn stole two bases. Peter Schroeders had a single, two walks, a HBP, and an RBI.
Mack Turley had a 2-RBI double for Cheltenham as Jack Dunn had two singles and an RBI. Ben Fierenzi did the same with a walk added in there. Andrew Gribbin doubled, Michael Leslie and Sam Michael singled, and Conor Myles had a single and a double.
Upwey Ferntree Gully sits second behind Waverley with nine wins and three losses on 82 runs for and 50 runs against. Cheltenham is in third place with eight wins and four losses on 82 runs for and 61 runs against. The Tigers head to Essendon and the Rustlers visit Sunshine.
Waverley Wildcats 11 v Malvern Braves 8
The first two innings were scoreless before Waverley got on the board with one in the third. The Wildcats collected five in the fourth before giving up two to Malvern.
The fifth inning saw Waverley get two more and Malvern add three, while the sixth was reversed. With Waverley leading 11-7, the Braves struggled to get more offense going, only managing one more in the ninth.
Waverley's Luke Papanicolaou covered 4.66 innings with five hits, three walks, and five runs - four of them earned. He struck out six. Andrew Russell pitched 3.66 innings with five hits, a walk, a run, and five strikeouts. One hit and two unearned runs came during Jamie Papanicolaou's two-thirds of an inning on the mound.
Ryan Dale pitched 3.66 innings for Malvern, giving up one earned run and two unearned runs on three hits, three walks, and a HBP. Tyler Dale gave up four hits and two walks with an unearned run in three innings. Geoff Holland gave up three hits, one walk, and two HBP, and five earned runs with a strikeout. Kennedy struck out two and walked one in his inning of relief while Ryan Othen gave up one hit, three walks, one HBP, and two runs with a strikeout during his time on the mound.
Chris Burke had two RBIs on a single and a double while Justin Burke singled and Jarryd Dale and Ryan Dale both doubled. Jack Hanger and Henry Hayman recorded RBI singles while Mitch Kennedy homered and Nicholas Parton and Gavin Woolger collected base hits.
Waverley's Damon Hill had three singles, a walk, and an RBI. Mitchell Homfray had three base hits, a walk, and two RBIs. Mohi Kahui doubled and walked for three RBIs, Jordan Ley singled, and Reece Longstaff had two hits and a walk for two RBIs. Jacob Sheldon-Collins saw the ball well, taking four walks and a single for two RBIs.
Waverley is the top team with a 10-2 record on 86 runs for and 45 against. Malvern has a 2-9-1 record in tenth place with 60 runs for and 97 against. Waverley hosts Berwick and Malvern visits Blackburn next.
Now more than ever, Victorian kids deserve the chance to get outside, join a club and be active. The Victorian Government is working to make that happen as applications are now open for the first round of the $21 million Get Active Kids Voucher Program.
The program will support the delivery of up to 100,000 vouchers to support eligible kids getting involved in organised sport and recreation activities by providing up to $200 towards the cost of membership and registration fees, sports equipment or uniforms (new or second-hand).
Baseball Victoria welcomes the introduction of this program to assist Victorian families in covering the costs of joining sport and recreation activities. Baseballers will be able to access these vouchers across the entire year for summer and winter competitions to be used for fees, equipment and uniforms.
Applications are now open HERE. The application portal for Round 1 will be open for 6 weeks from 1 March 2021 through until 11 April 2021.
Click HERE to view more information.
There is just one round to go before VSBL Women's finals, as the stage is set for an exciting last regular season round.
Women's Division 1
Essendon Bombers 3 v Newport Rams 4
A triple play and late runs highlighted this game in which the Rams got their first win on the board over the top side.
Newport's win snapped Essendon's eight-game undefeated streak as the Rams survived a late rally. They got one on the board in the first and another in the third while holding the Bombers at bay until the fifth. Erin Collis threw four shutout innings while Morgan Doty got on base with a walk and a HBP and crossed home twice.
Essendon scored two in the fifth with two-out and Newport went into the sixth looking to break the tie. Doty came up to bat with Zoe Allen and Kira Jansen on base after two hits. Another hit brought two runs home with the score at 4-2 Newport going into the seventh inning.
Essendon got one unearned run in the top of the seventh but Newport buckled down to strand the winning runs on base and secure the win.
Newport's big day included Allen's double, Jansen's single and double, Leslie Anglin's RBI single and walk, and Danni Teasdale's RBI on a single and safe at first. Doty struck out two and gave up one hit and an unearned run in an inning of work. Bronwyn Gell covered two innings, giving up four hits, a walk, and two earned runs with three strikeouts.
On the Essendon side, Emma French pitched three innings with three hits, one walk, two runs - one unearned - and three strikeouts. Abbey Kelly handled two innings with two hits, three walks, a HBP and two unearned runs allowed. She struck out two. Jasmine Bentley handled the other inning for Essendon with no hits just two walks.
Kelly and Kayla Adams walked while Kelly, Bentley, Victoria Brown, and Tayla Weldon had one single each. Courtney Foura had two singles and two RBIs and Emma Davenport doubled.
Essendon remains at the top of the ladder with an 8-1 record and 98 runs for v 45 against. Newport visits Springvale next and Essendon heads to Doncaster.
Springvale Lions 5 v Doncaster Dragons 4
Neither side wasted any time jumping on the board, with the Lions leading 4-3 after the first. The Dragons tied it up in the bottom of the third but it was short-lived as Springvale got it back in the top of the fourth. The last few innings were scoreless as Springvale got win number five after seven innings.
Springvale collected seven hits on the day while Doncaster had 10. Jamie Bastian struck out five in two innings without a hit. She had three hits of her own with two doubles, a single, and an RBI. Belinda Cannington gave up one earned run in two innings with four hits and a walk.
Cannington singled, Erin Collins knocked in a run, and Brooklyn Hutton had a base hit and two walks. Jessica Johnson recorded a walk, a single, and an RBI to help Doncaster's efforts. Hannah Sowden and Rebecca Wright both walked twice as Chelsea Stewart and Maddi Weller had two hits apiece.
Springvale sits second with a 5-4 record on 69 runs for and 58 against. Doncaster is in third place with a 4-5 record on 69 runs for and 64 against. Doncaster hosts Essendon and Springvale hosts Newport next.
Women's Division 2
Geelong Baycats 9 v Footscray Bulldogs 14
The Bulldogs opened with four runs but their lead was short-lived as they gave up seven runs to Geelong in the second. Three more Footscray runs made it a 7-7 ballgame going into the third.
The Baycats scored two in the third but Footscray put four more on in the bottom of the inning and three in the fourth. This marked the Bulldogs' sixth straight win as they sit second with the next matchup at first-place Springvale. Fourth place Geelong has a bye in round 11.
Springvale Lions 27 v Preston Pirates 3
The Lions scored nearly 20 more runs than they did the week before in this big performance as Springvale won all three women's games for the first time since round one. Seven runs in each of the first three innings sealed the deal for Springvale.
Springvale hosts Footscray as the Lions remain in first place at 7-1 with 112 runs scored and just 23 given up. Preston plays 3-4 Essendon after the bye.
Women's Division 3 East
Moorabbin Panthers 17 v Berwick City Cougars 8
The Panthers had the upper hand in this matchup, earning their ninth straight win thanks to scores in each of the five innings. They put up three in the first, four in the second, seven in the third, one in the fourth, and two final runs in the fifth.
Berwick scored one in the fourth before putting together a seven-run rally in the fifth although the deficit was still too much. Overall Moorabbin has collected 145 runs and allowed just 49. Berwick sits sixth with a 2-4-2 record on 80 runs for and 95 against. The Panthers host Wheelers Hill and the Cougars take on Cheltenham next after the 2-4-1 Rustlers had the bye.
Springvale Lions 17 v Pakenham Pumas White 1
Seven runs in both the first and the second got Springvale off on the right foot, and they finished with three more runs in the fourth. Pakenham only got on the board in the final frame as the Lions cruised to their third victory and first since round three when they won 15-7 over Bonbeach.
Springvale has scored 82 and given up 86 while Pakenham White has collected 59 runs and allowed 121. The Pumas have the bye and the Lions host Sandringham in round 11.
Bonbeach Bluejays 5 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 5
Both teams put in the work but couldn't quite complete the win, recording their first draws of the season.
Bonbeach got one in the top of the first but Wheelers Hill responded with two. The numbers were reversed in the second inning as the frame finished with the game tied at three. The top of the third was the only inning where Bonbeach didn't score, while the Warriors stayed off the board in the bottom of the fourth. With each side scoring two more runs as the game wrapped up, the end result was a draw.
Second-place Wheelers Hill has a 6-1-1 record on 103 runs scored and 53 given up. The Warriors only loss was in the 18-9 game v Moorabbin back in round two, and they face off again this weekend. Bonbeach sits fifth with a 3-4-1 record on 81 runs for and 72 against going into a game at Pakenham Black.
Pakenham Pumas Black - FORFEIT v Sandringham Royals
This forfeit result put another win in the column for third-place Sandringham, now with a 6-2 record on 79 runs for and 50 against. The Royals face off at Springvale and the Pumas are scheduled to host Bonbeach.
Women's Division 3 West
Geelong Baycats 4 v Doncaster Dragons 20
The Dragons racked up the runs in their seventh win, bouncing back from a 10-0 loss to Melbourne the week before. The game was tied at three apiece after one and while Geelong briefly led with a run in the top of the second, Doncaster fired back with seven. Another seven followed in the third and three in the fourth as Doncaster protected its second place position.
The Dragons have scored 114 runs and allowed 64 with the round 11 game at home v Fitzroy. Geelong hosts Newport.
Melbourne Demons 12 v Fitzroy Lions 11
This high-scoring matchup was decided in the fourth when Melbourne put up five runs. The Demons opened the game with two runs but Fitzroy quickly powered back with four. The second saw Melbourne score two and Fitzroy score one, and a busy third made it an 11-7 game in favour of Fitzroy.
The Lions almost had it but giving up five runs to Melbourne sealed the deal. The Demons are in first place with an 8-1 record on 128 runs scored and 50 against. Fitzroy sits fourth with a 4-5 record on 105 runs for and 102 against. The Lions visit Doncaster and the Demons head to North Western next.
North Western Titans 16 v Newport Rams 4
The Titans were busy at the plate, eager to collect their sixth victory of the season with runs coming in each inning. North Western had a 4-2 lead after the first, and two more scored in both the second and third. The Titans got five in the fourth and three in the fifth while giving up just two more to Newport.
The third-place Titans have a 6-3 record with 99 runs for and 71 against. Fifth-place Newport sits at 2-7 with 61 runs for and 130 against. North Western plays Melbourne and Newport plays Geelong next.