There are just a few weeks left in the VSBL season and we hope everyone has a great finish to summer baseball. We’re looking forward to finals as Victoria returns to COVIDSafe summer restrictions, with Premier Daniel Andrews announcing further easing of restrictions today.
From 11:59pm tonight, Victoria will return to previous COVIDSafe settings, with masks only required on public transport and in aged care facilities, rideshare vehicles and large retail settings including indoor shopping centres, supermarkets and department stores.
While masks will no longer be mandated in most circumstances, the Victorian Government continues to recommend face masks for indoors and outdoors when distancing can’t be maintained.
Click HERE to read the Premier’s full statement.
As a reminder, all VSBL clubs and members must adhere to the COVIDSafe policies outlined in our Return to Play Plan. This includes proper hand sanitizing, cleaning, recordkeeping, and capacity limits, which allow us to keep our baseball community safe and do our part to support Victoria’s COVID normal. Please check your club hand sanitizer stocks and ensure all guidelines are being followed appropriately.
All of these details are outlined in our Return to Play documents available HERE. For more information, please view our frequently asked questions HERE.
The VSBL Division 4 season is in the final few weeks with Waverley, Fitzroy, Bonbeach, and Essendon leading the way.
Division 4 East
Waverley Wildcats Red 1 v Melbourne Red 14
The Wildcats scored first but their run was cancelled out by five Melbourne runs in the first. The Demons kept Waverley off the board for the rest of the game while scoring three runs in each of the next three innings.
Melbourne Red improved to a 4-3-1 record with 77 runs scored for and 54 runs against. Waverley Red has a 3-4-1 record with 63 runs for and 77 against. The Demons play Upwey Ferntree Gully Black next and the Wildcats host Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold.
Blackburn Orioles 10 v Monash University Farmers 8
The Orioles scored seven runs in the second to take the lead after the Farmers brought home two in the first. Monash scored another two in the second and three in the third.
Blackburn made it a 9-7 ballgame in the fifth before the Farmers got their final run. Another run in the sixth gave the Orioles a bit more breathing room to close it out for their fifth win. The third-place team has scored 59 runs and given up 72 while Monash sits fifth with four wins, three losses, and a draw. The Farmers have scored 94 and given up 69 with the next game at Mornington as Blackburn hosts Melbourne Blue.
Doncaster Dragons 18 v Mornington Pirates 9
The Dragons powered past the Pirates as they recorded their fourth win of the season. They jumped all the way from ninth place to fourth and improved their runs for tally to 60 with 66 runs against.
Mornington has a 2-5-1 record with 66 runs for and 89 against. The Pirates play Monash and the Dragons visit top side Waverley Black in the next round.
Melbourne Demons Blue 8 v Waverley Wildcats White 2
Melbourne Blue kicked things off with two in the second and one more in the third. The Wildcats struggle to contain the offense with three Melbourne runs scoring in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Although the Wildcats got two back in the bottom of the sixth, it wasn't enough to avoid their fourth loss. With 78 runs for and 49 against, Waverley White will look to get back to their winning ways in the next round at Malvern. Their last victory came in round six with a 20-2 win over Monash.
Melbourne Blue stays in second place with a 6-1 record on 78 runs for and 25 given up. The Demons play Blackburn next.
Malvern Braves 7 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers Black 8
The Tigers narrowly got the edge over the Braves with the winning run coming in the final frame.
This marked the team's first win as the hard-fought battle opened with a run on each side. The Braves got one more in the second but gave up five to the Tigers.
Malvern scored three in the third to make it a 6-5 ballgame, and the Tigers extended their lead by one in the fourth. The Braves had two runs in the fifth but the Tigers fought back, scoring the go-ahead run in the final frame.
The Tigers play Melbourne Red at home and the Braves host Waverley White.
Waverley Wildcats Black 7 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers Gold 0
The top side earned their eighth straight win to defend an undefeated record and keep some distance from Melbourne Blue on the ladder.
Waverley scored two to start the game and one more run in both the second and third. The fourth was quiet on both sides but three more Waverley runs came around in the fifth before time was up.
The Wildcats have scored 112 and given up 22 with the next game at home v Doncaster, while the 3-3 Tigers play Waverley Red in hopes of improving on 45 runs for and 52 against.
Division 4 North
North Coburg Rebels A 7 v Fitzroy Lions A 12
The Rebels and the Lions both fought hard as Fitzroy pulled ahead late.
The Lions led 3-2 after the first but by the middle of the second, the Rebels had a 4-3 advantage. They extended that to 7-3 in the top of the third before Fitzroy got two back. The Lions went on to rally with seven runs in the fourth, securing win number seven and protecting an undefeated record.
North Coburg B had the bye this round but returns to action to play the other Rebels side in round 10. North Coburg A has scored 29 and given up 96 while Fitzroy has tallied 87 and allowed just 33. The Lions play Mitchell Majors A next.
Mitchell Majors A 7 v Mitchell Majors B 7
The club's two teams worked hard in a friendly game, with the B team taking a 2-0 lead out of the second. By the end of the third it was 5-1, but a scoreless fourth led to a three-run fifth for the A side. The game was 6-4 after five but three runs for A and one for B made it a draw.
The teams are second and third with Mitchell Majors A sitting at 5-1-1 on 67 runs for and 26 against. Mitchell Majors B have a 4-3-1 record, having scored 59 and given up 41. B has the bye next and A plays Fitzroy.
Division 4 South
Bonbeach Bluejays A 11 v Chelsea Dolphins 1
Chelsea got on the board with one in the second but the Bluejays weren't deterred, scoring six in the third and two in the fourth. Three more Bonbeach runs came around in the fifth as the team won its fourth game of the season. The Bluejays have scored 47 runs so far and given up 45 while 1-7 Chelsea has 28 runs for and 115 against.
Chelsea hosts Bonbeach B and Bonbeach A has the bye.
Mornington Pirates 3 v Mordialloc Ducks 8
The Ducks scored on an error in the first but the rest of the early innings were quiet.
Mordialloc got three on the board in the fourth with singles by Luke Thompson, Owen Lewis, and Aaron Wilson. Three more runs scored in the fifth with singles from James Coyne and Aidan Rusden and Thompson stealing home.
Mornington got one run in the top of the sixth but Coyne hit the team's first home run of the season, sending the ball 315 feet out over left field. The Pirates had two more runs in the seventh but the game finished with a pick-off at first.
Thompson struck out six and gave up just two earned runs as he threw 121 pitches. He had two hits, two runs, and an RBI as well.
Both teams have a 7-5-2 record as Mordialloc sits third with 82 runs scored and 36 given up. Mornington has collected 51 runs and allowed 35. The Ducks play Berwick City fresh off the bye and Mornington visits Pakenham.
St Kilda Saints 8 v Pakenham Pumas 13
Both sides opened with runs in the first, and by the end of the second it was an 11-4 ballgame. The Pumas would go on to add two more while giving up three runs to St Kilda in the fourth and one more in the fifth.
The Pumas sit fifth with a 7-5-2 record and an even 60 runs scored and given up. St Kilda has scored 42 and allowed 73 going into the next round as the Saints play Wheelers Hill and Pakenham plays Mornington.
Bonbeach Bluejays B v Wheelers Hill Warriors - FORFEIT
The Bluejays improved to a 6-1 record after this forfeit with 77 runs for and just 14 given up. They play Chelsea next.
Division 4 West
Geelong Baycats White 13 v Newport Rams 8
The Baycats put together their third win with a strong seven-run first inning. Their bats were quieted in the second and the third although they got one run in each inning, and Newport didn't strike until the bottom of the third with two runs.
Both sides scored three in the fourth and by the end of the fifth it was a 12-6 ballgame. Geelong scored once more in the sixth and Newport got two more to end the game.
Geelong White sits fourth with a 3-5 record and 60 runs for v 79 against. Newport has a 2-5-1 record, having scored 57 runs and allowed 70. The Baycats play the Jets and the Rams play Geelong Blue.
Essendon Jets 15 v Essendon Bombers 0
The fun matchup between the two Essendon sides saw the Jets get their second win of the year. They scored four in the first, seven in the second, and three in the fourth before finishing with a final run in the fifth.
The Jets have a 2-5-1 record with 48 runs for and 60 against. The 7-1 Bombers have scored 84 runs and allowed 36. The Bombers visit Footscray next and the Jets host Geelong White.
Footscray Bulldogs 9 v Geelong Baycats Blue 2
The Bulldogs scored four in the first and followed up with two in the third and two more in the fourth. Geelong got one on the board in the first and didn't score again until the sixth. They gave up one more run to Footscray in the fifth as the Bulldogs improved to a 5-3 record on 56 runs for and 54 runs against.
Geelong Blue sits one spot behind Footscray in third with a 4-4 record on 41 runs for and 53 runs given up. The Bulldogs host the Bombers next while Geelong Blue plays Newport at home.
The VSBL Division 3 season has just a few weeks before finals as the six clubs look to finish strong. Springvale leads the way in the top nine and Footscray tops the ladder in the Reserves.
Division 3 Firsts
Bonbeach Bluejays 12 v Chelsea Dolphins 0
Five runs in each of the first two innings put Bonbeach in prime position, with two more scoring in the fifth and the seventh.
Chelsea pitchers gave up eight hits, eight walks, and four HBP while Liam Bald struck out five and gave up just one hit and three walks in four innings. Adam Major struck out five too with two hits in two innings while Mathew Prior walked two and struck out two in an inning.
Jacob Bald walked and singled twice with an RBI, Matt Bucci plated three with a walk and two HBP, and Dylan Eldridge recorded three RBIs. Harry Hines-Cavanagh had a single, walk, and HBP as Oliver Hookey-Rizzo collected three base hits with two RBIs. Edward Steere had an RBI single and David Steere had a base hit too.
Bonbeach heads into the next round at home v Pakenham with three wins and five losses while Chelsea hosts Springvale.
North Western Titans 1 v Springvale Lions 11
The Lions scored a flurry of runs late, backing up Scott Baillie's solid start with six hits and 12 strikeouts.
The first three innings were scoreless as North Western caught a long hit by Lucas Anderson early on and outfielder Jarrod Johns continued to impress, saving the Titans some runs to start the game. They got two base runners in the top of the fourth with catcher Connor Wilson doubling to open the inning. He moved to third on a ground ball and scored on a single from Dan Holmes.
Springvale answered by scoring the lead-off batter in the bottom of the fourth although the go-ahead runs were stranded after back-to-back strikeouts.
The game was tied at 1-1 with strong pitching and defense on both sides through the fifth and sixth. Baillie struck out three in the top of the seventh as the Lions bats came alive in the bottom frame. Three hits in a row for Adam Thatcher, Lucas Anderson, and Rydge Hogan got the offense going with four runs, and it continued in the next inning with Hogan's triple, Baillie's double, and Neal Cavanagh's first hit of the day.
Springvale finished the game with six runs in the eighth. Overall Hogan went 4-for-4 with three hard-hit singles and a triple. Adam Thatcher and Matt Cameron had two hits each while Lucas Anderson, Scott Baillie, Neal Cavanagh, Mark Richards, and Ben Birchall had hits too.
The 8-0 Lions have scored 104 runs and given up just 24 while North Western sits third with five wins and three losses on 65 runs for and 52 against. Springvale visits Chelsea and North Western hosts Footscray next.
Pakenham Pumas 15 v Footscray Bulldogs 6
Both teams scored twice in the first inning, but the Pumas pulled away in the second with seven runs. The Bulldogs got three back but gave up two more in the top of the third before a quiet few games going into the fifth.
Pakenham brought two runs home in the fifth and another in the sixth and seventh, with the Bulldogs scoring just once more in the sixth.
This marked Pakenham's third win and first since round five. Footscray is two spots higher on the ladder in second place with five wins and three losses on 74 runs for and 58 against. The Pumas have scored 52 and allowed 77. Pakenham plays Bonbeach and Footscray plays North Western next.
Division 3 Seconds
Bonbeach Bluejays 3 v Chelsea Dolphins 2
The Bluejays led 2-1 after the first while the next two innings were quiet. It wasn't until the fourth that Chelsea tied things up, and the game stayed that way until the top of the seventh when Bonbeach got the winning run.
Third-place Bonbeach has a 4-3-1 record on 58 runs for and 26 against. Chelsea has a 1-5-2 record in fifth place, having scored 38 but given up 70. Bonbeach hosts Pakenham and Chelsea hosts Springvale next.
Pakenham Pumas 7 v Footscray Bulldogs 12
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, but the Pumas powered back with six in the second. Footscray wasn't done, scoring five in the second and three in the third while giving up just one more to Pakenham in the final frame.
Footscray stays at the top of the ladder with seven wins and one draw, thanks to 93 runs for and 41 against. Pakenham is in fourth place with two wins and six losses, having scored 64 and given up 78. The Pumas visit Bonbeach and the Bulldogs play the Titans next.
North Western Titans 0 v Springvale Lions 28
Springvale recorded win number six on the season with a massive shutout victory over the Titans. They scored eight in the first, 11 in the second, and nine in the third to seal the deal and increase their total run tally to 99 with just 26 runs allowed.
Second-place Springvale has a 6-1-1 record and plays Chelsea next while North Western looks for a second win v Footscray.
Baseball Australia has locked in its inaugural National Junior Squad, with 17 Victorian athletes making the cut after strong performances at the 2021 National Showcase Series.
View the full roster HERE.
The squad is set to take part in a camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra from April 3-11 as part of Boral Team Australia’s preparations for the 2021 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Florida.
Players were chosen following an in-depth review of information collected at the National Showcase Series events around the country earlier this year.
Baseball Australia national player development manager Andrew Riddell said the expanded junior squad and camp would be a key step in the development of the chosen athletes.
“We are impressed with the talent that was showcased in January and can’t wait to get them into the AIS in a camp environment and see how they measure up against each other,” Riddell said.
Click HERE to read the full story.
The 2020/21 VSBL season has featured many action-packed Division 2 games, and this past weekend was no exception.
Williamstown Wolves 0 v Moorabbin Panthers 4
The Panthers got a shutout win thanks to a strong start from Christopher Nielsen. He threw seven innings with four hits, two walks, and three K's. Michael McGillivray contributed two solid innings with two hits and two strikeouts.
Dennis Neal pitched the whole game for Williamstown, giving up five hits and five walks, plus two HBP batters and four runs - three of them earned. He struck out nine.
Adam Harris and Mitchell Barr plated runs, while Matt Hardie, Kieran Lewis, Stewart Mathieson had singles.
Scott Meager and Aaron Green had two base hits apiece as Daniel Chircop and Robert Higginson had one single each.
Moorabbin has scored 102 runs and given up just 30 with 11 wins and two losses. Williamstown has five wins and eight losses with 69 runs for and 43 runs against. The Panthers visit Preston next and the Wolves host the Dragons.
Port Melbourne Mariners 1 v Newport Rams 4
The Rams carried a 2-0 lead into the fourth before giving up a lone run to the Mariners. Newport scored twice more in the bottom of the fourth and kept that lead for the rest of the game.
David Asp pitched five innings for the win, giving up 10 hits but just one run with four strikeouts. Tyler Comben gave up just one hit with four K's in four innings. Asp had 18 first pitch strikes and Comben had eight.
Matthew Parker hurled 24 first pitch strikes for Port Melbourne in seven innings of work with a 1.14 WHIP. Tyson Cox-Davies kept things scoreless in relief and also had two hits for his team.
Newport's Christopher Doyle led the way with three hits, and a single and a double for Nathan Smith. Connor Schibeci, Mason Wray, Ryan Morrison and Troy Malthouse had RBIs. Comben, Jared Berman, and Scot Malthouse had singles.
Port Melbourne made four errors and Newport made one. The Rams have 11 wins and two losses with 107 runs scored and 40 given up. Port Melbourne has a 5-7-1 record with 55 runs scored and 72 given up. Newport plays Mulgrave and Port Melbourne plays Ormond Glenhuntly next.
Doncaster Dragons 2 v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 4
Kyungsoo Jeon threw seven scoreless innings with three hits, three walks, and five strikeouts to get the win. Jiwon Choi gave up two hits, two walks, a HBP and two runs with a pair of strikeouts in the final innings.
Doncaster had John Britton on the mound for 5.33 innings. He gave up five hits, five walks and two runs - one unearned - with seven strikeouts. Marcel Davoine threw 1.33 scoreless innings with one hit and four strikeouts. Billy Findlay threw 1.33 innings too with one hit, four walks, and two runs - one unearned - with two strikeouts.
Changho Choi had two RBIs on a walk and a single, while Brad Dolan and Doha Kwak both walked and singled. Jeon had a walk, single, and RBI as Geoff MacDonald doubled and walked twice. Keunyeol Park had a walk and two base hits.
Nic Unland plated a run for Doncaster with a walk and two base hits. Findlay doubled and Judah Wollenburg singled and walked twice.
Doncaster has a 7-6 record on 95 runs for and 89 against, while Ormond Glenhuntly is 6-7 with 71 runs for and 83 given up. The Dragons visit Williamstown next and the Hunters play Port Melbourne.
Preston Pirates 3 v Werribee Giants 7
The Pirates gave up two early runs to the Giants and had to play catch-up from the second inning on.
Preston got one back in the third but Werribee scored again in the fourth. The fifth and the sixth were quiet before Werribee got another in the seventh and three in the eighth. Preston managed to put two on the board in the final innings but Werribee still came away with win number seven.
Cameron McNish gave up three hits, two walks, a HBP, and an unearned run with three strikeouts in four innings. Josh Lee struck out seven in five innings with three hits and two walks. He gave up two runs, one of them unearned.
Two of Werribee's four runs were unearned off of Gabriel Valderrama in the first seven innings. Werribee had eight hits, two walks, and one HBP while Valderrama struck out two.
Wade Balzer singled, doubled, and walked while Andrew Christou knocked in a run with a single and a double. Simon Hibbert walked, Lee had an RBI double, and Anthony Moanaroa singled. Trent Pantalleresco walked and doubled, Samuel Reale walked, and Simon Riches plated two with a big double.
Logan O'Brien had an RBI double for Preston while Jaycob Pascuzzi knocked in another run. Mitch Legge singled and walked, Matt Fordham and Nick Djorgonoski doubled, and Glenn Farrell singled twice.
Werribee has a 7-5-1 record with 70 runs for and 62 runs against. The Giants host St Kilda and the Pirates play Moorabbin at home.
Mulgrave Rebels 8 v St Kilda Saints 4
Mulgrave pitchers struck out nine to secure the team's eighth win of the season.
Jayson Arthur fanned eight in six innings with five hits and one walk. Brad Adams handled three innings with four runs - three of them unearned - on seven hits and two HBP. He struck out one.
Arthur collected two base hits and 4 RBIs at the plate while Michael Morgan had an RBI with a single and two walks. Riley O'Shea doubled and Paul Rutgers had an RBI single.
Mulgrave has an 8-5 record with 78 runs for and 68 runs against. The Rebels host Newport and St Kilda goes to Werribee next.
The VSBL Division 1 season is closing in on finals with teams looking to finish strong in the last few weeks.
Geelong Baycats 2 v Cheltenham Rustlers 4
The Rustlers won their eighth game of the season with a strong pitching performance over the Baycats.
Both teams had six hits and although Cheltenham made three errors, they scored late to take out the win. Geelong was the first to score with two runs in the second, and the rest of the game was quiet aside from one Cheltenham run in the sixth and a three-spot in the eighth.
Russell Ferguson gave up just two earned runs during seven innings of work with five hits, one walk and three K's. 19 of his first pitches were strikes. Jack Enciondo pitched two innings with one hit, one walk and one strikeout.
Rudy Jaramillo pitched six innings of one-run baseball with five hits, three walks, and four strikeouts on 16 first pitch strikes. Hayden Peoples pitched the last two innings, giving up three earned runs on one hit, three walks and a HBP.
Michael Leslie had two walks and two RBIs while Jack Dunn knocked in another run. Dante Caruso, Mack Turley and Ben Fierenzi singled and Conor Myles doubled. Sam Michael singled twice too.
Josh Davies had four quality at-bats for Geelong including a big double, while Tyler Luther-Wilson collected two singles and an RBI. Jordan Baumann had an RBI single and Kelii Zablan had a base hit.
8-3 Cheltenham has scored 77 runs and given up 53 while 5-5 Geelong has scored 71 and allowed 44. Cheltenham hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully this upcoming weekend and Geelong hosts Essendon.
Sunshine Eagles 2 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 4
The Tigers and the Eagles faced off in a big matchup, with Upwey Ferntree Gully holding on for the win.
The Tigers got on the board in the first with an RBI single from Jordan Elliot on the first pitch of his at-bat. They scored another in the third as the middle innings were quiet. Sunshine broke through with one run in the eighth, but Upwey scored two more in the bottom half. One more run in the ninth wasn't enough for the Eagles to fully catch up as the Tigers came away with their eighth win.
Jarrod Turner took the win with just one run allowed on six hits and two walks in 7.66 innings. He struck out eight while teammate Donavon Hendricks threw in relief, giving up two hits, a walk and a run with a strikeout.
Billy Parsons took the loss for Sunshine, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks with seven K's in six innings of work. Jeremy Young threw two innings in relief with two runs on three hits and a walk as well as two strikeouts.
The Tigers racked up seven hits with two apiece from Elliott and Hendricks. Riley Light, Staci Rogers, Peter Schroeders had one single each, with Light's big 2-RBI single in the ninth extending the lead.
Allister Lovelock singled twice and doubled for Sunshine while Bryce Aldridge also collected an extra-base hit. Cam Deeble and Allan de San Miguel knocked in runs as Jordan Young had two singles and Parsons had one.
8-3 Upwey Ferntree Gully has scored 74 runs and given up 45 while Sunshine has a 6-4-1 record with 65 runs for and 46 against. The Eagles host Blackburn and the Tigers visit Cheltenham next.
Waverley Wildcats 7 v Blackburn Orioles 3
Blackburn scored first with one in the second, but Waverley quickly tied it up in the next frame before tacking on four in the fourth.
The Wildcats scored another in the fifth but gave up two to Blackburn in the sixth. Even so, they were able to score another in the final frame and maintain the lead to secure their ninth win with the best record in the league.
Luke Papanicolaou covered five innings for Waverley with just two hits, two walks and one run as well as five strikeouts. Andrew Russell pitched 2.33 innings, giving up just one walk and no hits with three strikeouts. Blackburn got two runs against Darcy Longstaff and two hits but no runs off of Kynan Jones in 1.33 innings.
Blackburn couldn't quite match Waverley's dominant pitching, with six runs - three of them unearned - scoring against Andrew Jones. He gave up nine hits, one walk and one HBP in 4.66 innings with three strikeouts. Scott Mitchinson handled 4.33 innings with two hits, one walk, one run and three strikeouts.
Waverley's offense included two RBIs from Russell with a walk and a single, as well as three singles from Jacob Sheldon-Collins. Finn Weichard and Damon Hill singled while Mitchell Homfray knocked in a run with a single and a double. Mohi Kahui and Reece Longstaff also had RBIs.
Jacob Evans singled and homered for two RBIs, while Liam Hopkins had Blackburn's only double of the day. Ben Leslie and Mitchell Whiting each had singles.
Ladder-leading Waverley has nine wins and two losses on 75 runs for and 37 runs against. The Wildcats visit Malvern next while 6-4-1 Blackburn heads to Sunshine hoping to improve on 67 runs for and 60 runs given up.
Sandringham Royals 2 v Essendon Bombers 0
It was a quiet day offensively on both sides as the Royals relied on starter Declan Croker to keep the Bombers at bay.
Sandringham's two runs came in the eighth as Essendon's defense worked hard too. Croker covered 8.33 scoreless innings with nine hits, one walk and three K's. Grant Irving struck out one in relief.
Sam Street threw seven innings for Essendon with four hits and nine strikeouts. Gareth Formisano gave up two hits and two runs with a pair of K's.
Declan Ferguson had an RBI double while Will Tucker plated the other run. Harrison Wills, Zak Skinner, Timothy Lane, and Matthew Blackmore had singles.
Essendon had all singles on the day including two apiece from Michael Formisano and Jack Giles. Christian Caminiti, Jared Cruz, Shoma Ikehata, Jarryd Rogers, and Darby Sexton had base hits too.
Sandringham has a 6-4-1 record with 65 runs for and 49 against while Essendon sits at 6-5 with 49 runs for and 43 against. The Royals host Melbourne and the Bombers play the Baycats next.
Malvern Braves 12 v Fitzroy Lions 2
The Braves scored three runs in the first two innings and another three in the fourth before Fitzroy got on the board with two. Malvern kept scoring, adding five in the fifth and one more in the sixth.
Ryan Dale, Tyler Dale, Geoff Holland, and James Squire all pitched for Malvern, giving up a collective six hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
Brock Pawley covered six innings for Fitzroy while Warwick Purchase handled a quiet inning with one unearned run.
Malvern's Chris Burke had four RBIs on three doubles and a walk while Ryan Dale knocked in four of his own with a double and a home run. Jack Hanger tripled while Ryan Othen and Nicholas Parton had two base apiece. Justin Burke, Jarryd Dale, and Gavin Woolger had one single each.
Fitzroy's minimal offense included an RBI from Thomas Wilson on a single and a double, plus extra-base hits by Tyler Trevaskis and Riley Hill. Gideon Van Twest Smith had two singles while Gavin Juchnevicius had one.
Malvern has a 2-8-1 record with 52 runs for and 86 against. 1-9 Fitzroy visits Berwick for the next round and Malvern hosts Waverley.
Berwick City 9 v Melbourne Demons 1
The Cougars relied on solid pitching by Craig Barnett, Matthew West, and Aaron Ouwehand.
Barnett threw four innings with just one hit and one walk. He struck out five. West's four innings included two hits, three walks and an unearned run with five strikeouts. Ouwehand gave up just one hit with two strikeouts in an inning of work.
Kurtis Smith covered four innings for Melbourne, giving up seven hits, three walks and six earned runs with two K's. Mitchell Bowen contributed four innings with a strikeout and two runs - one unearned - on four hits. One more run scored against Kye Stehr with two walks and a HBP.
Cain Bumpstead had two RBIs for Berwick while Elliot Andersen, Andrew Gibbens, Marcus Graham, Perry Wilkinson and Ouwehand had one each. Gibbens singled and doubled, as John King, Graham and Bumpstead had base hits. Ouwehand, Wilkinson and Matthew Homfray singled twice too.
Melbourne's Tim Sullivan had two singles while Oliver McMahon doubled and Hayden Godbold recorded a base hit.
Berwick has four wins and seven losses with 61 runs for and 57 against. 2-9 Melbourne heads to Sandringham next and Berwick hosts Fitzroy.
The VSBL Women's competitions continue to impress, with Essendon holding the top spot in Division 1, followed by Springvale in Division 2.
Women's Division 1
Newport Rams 6 v Essendon Bombers 7
Essendon has improved to a 8-0 record after hanging on for the win in this back and forth battle.
The Rams opened with three early runs, giving one back to the Bombers in the first before Essendon tacked on four in the second.
The third was quiet before the Bombers scored one more in the fourth. Newport powered back with two in the fifth and eventually tied the game at six apiece in the top of the sixth.
With the game on the line, Essendon pulled through with a run to protect their undefeated record, denying the Rams of their first win in the process.
Allie Bebbere covered 3.66 innings on the mound for Essendon, with four hits, four walks, four strikeouts, and three earned runs. Emma French covered 1.33 innings with four hits, a walk, and two runs. Victoria Brown gave up one hit and a run in an inning of work as well.
Courtney Foura had three of the team's RBIs while Abbey Kelly and Tayla Weldon had one each. Kelly, Foura, and Sam Deeble had three singles apiece an Megan Kelly had one.
Essendon looks to stay undefeated this upcoming weekend as these two sides face off again, this time at Newport.
Doncaster Dragons 4 v Springvale Lions 10
Doncaster pitchers gave up 13 hits to Springvale in a tough loss, their fourth of the season. The Dragons have dropped three of the last four despite some close matchups, although the Lions proved tough to beat on the mound in this game.
Belinda Cannington, Brooklyn Hutton, and Jessica Johnson took turns on the mound for Doncaster as Chelsea Stewart led the way offensively with two RBIs on a pair of singles and a double. Rebecca Wright had two hits while Johnson, Cannington, and Jamie Bastian had one each.
Both teams go into the next game at Doncaster with 4-4 records.
Women's Division 2
Geelong Baycats 1 v Springvale Lions 9
The Lions improved to a 6-1 record after cruising to victory over the Baycats.
Springvale scored two in the first and another two in the third before tacking on one in the fourth and a final four in the fifth. Geelong's lone run came in the final inning.
Springvale plays Preston fresh off the bye next while 2-4 Geelong visits Footscray.
Footscray Bulldogs 18 v Essendon Bombers 2
The Footscray lineup of Jody Hamilton, Jen Holmes, Caitlin Hoy, Kelly Jewers, Alanna Kappler, Sabrina Kinlough, Amanda Napier, Rhea Sandoval, and Tiffaney Shawcross certainly got the job done, racking up their highest run tally of the year.
Four Footscray runs scored in the first, followed by five in the second and seven in the third. Two final runs came around in the fourth while the only Essendon runs of the day were in the second.
Second-place Footscray goes into the next round v Geelong with a 5-1 record on 53 runs scored and 23 given up. Third-place Essendon has three wins and four losses with 73 runs for and 77 against. The Bombers have a bye next.
Women's Division 3 East
Berwick City Cougars 5 v Bonbeach Bluejays 17
The Bluejays were busy on the base paths as they won their third game of the season in high-flying fashion.
Both sides scored one in the first, but Bonbeach started to pull away with five in the second. The Cougars got one run in both the third and fourth as well as a final two in the fifth, but it wasn't enough as Bonbeach kept scoring, with seven in the third and four in the fourth.
The fourth place Bluejays have a 3-4 record with 76 runs for and 67 runs against, while the fifth place Cougars are 2-3-2 with 72 runs for and 78 against.
Bonbeach visits Wheelers Hill and Berwick hosts Moorabbin next.
Cheltenham Rustlers 1 v Moorabbin Panthers 15
The Panthers kept up their fast pace with another double-digit win on their way to an 8-0 record.
Five wins in both the first and the second got things started, and Moorabbin kept the runs coming with four in the third and a final run in the fourth. Cheltenham's lone run came in the third.
The Panthers have scored 128 runs while giving up just 41. Their next game is at home v Berwick while Cheltenham goes into the bye with a 2-4-1 record on 63 runs for and 87 against.
Sandringham Royals 5 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 10
The Royals and the Warriors both put some offence together but ultimately it was the Warriors game with early runs making the difference.
Sandringham went scoreless in the first three innings before scoring two in the fourth and three in the fifth. Meanwhile Wheelers Hill scored five in the first, one in the second, three in the third and one in the fourth.
This marked Wheelers Hill's sixth win, as the team sits second at 6-1 with 98 runs for and 54 runs against. Sandringham is third at 5-2 with 76 runs for and 50 against.
Wheelers Hill hosts Bonbeach and Sandringham plays Pakenham Black at home next.
Pakenham Pumas White 18 v Pakenham Pumas Black 15
The battle of the Pumas was a high-scoring affair as both sides opened with four runs.
Pakenham White scored seven more in both the second and the third, while Pakenham Black put up four in the second and seven in the third, falling just short in the big run rally.
Both teams are 1-6 going into the next round. Pakenham White plays Springvale fresh off the bye as Pakenham Black head to Sandringham.
Women's Division 3 West
Newport Rams 14 v Fitzroy Lions 15
The Rams and the Lions fought hard with big at-bats, but ultimately the Lions broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth to take out their fourth win.
Newport had a 4-3 lead after the first, but by the end of the second it was a 7-4 Fitzroy advantage. Newport added three in the third but gave up seven to Fitzroy, so the Rams had to work overtime to put up seven in the fourth. Fitzroy just needed one run and they got it in the bottom frame to seal the deal.
4-4 Fitzroy sits fourth on the ladder with 94 runs for and 90 against, while Newport is 2-6. Fitzroy hosts Melbourne and Newport hosts North Western next.
Doncaster Dragons 0 v Melbourne Demons 10
The Demons improved to a 7-1 record after this strong shutout victory.
The team has scored 116 runs and allowed just 39 so far, with the next game at Fitzroy. Doncaster hosts Geelong in hopes of strengthening a 6-2 record with 94 runs for and 60 against.
North Western Titans 17 v Geelong Baycats 3
The Titans scored seven early runs and followed up with a three-run second and seven additional runs in the third. Geelong kept them from scoring again in the fourth while the Baycats added to their one run in the second with a pair in the final frame.
Ella Wilson, Hannah Lindsey and Bri Telord pitched for Geelong as the team collected two hits. The Baycats visit Doncaster next while third-place North Western heads to Newport in search of win number six.
Social media platform Facebook has made changes in Australia today, removing the ability to read and share news content for all Australian users and publishers.
These changes appear to have affected numerous sporting organisation and club Facebook pages that share information. For example, the Baseball Victoria and Victorian Summer Baseball League pages are still visible, but you can no longer see anytime we have posted a link to a news article or page on our website. Photos, videos, text-only posts, and some shared posts remain visible.
If you are experiencing problems with your club Facebook page, or you have lost all access or posts, please advise us by emailing rachael.bouley@baseballvictoria.com.au. We have reached out directly to the pages we see are impacted and unable to post at all.
We are actively working with other states and territories to ensure all baseball clubs have the ability to share information.
In the meantime, Baseball Victoria will share images with a link to our website in the text caption and suggest clubs can try the same.
We also recommend several alternative platforms for member communication in addition to club websites such as email, TeamApp, Instagram, Twitter, and MailChimp, as well as using your contact lists available via SportsTG. If you need any assistance running reports or communicating via these platforms, please reach out.
Please click HERE to view the Baseball Victoria media page with links to all of our platforms.
Please contact us with any concerns or questions.
Following announcements made by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews this morning, Wednesday 17 February 2021, Baseball Victoria is pleased to confirm that all baseball activity across the state will resume tomorrow, Thursday 18 February as the Victorian lockdown expires at 11:59 pm tonight.
The same density limits we had previously apply to community sport, subject to further clarification from the Victorian Government in the next 24 hours. Games and training sessions scheduled for Thursday will proceed as planned when Victoria returns to COVIDSafe summer restrictions, with some revised conditions.
The revised conditions include:
- The four reasons to leave home and the 5km travel radius will be scrapped.
- Face mask requirements remain in indoor public spaces and outdoors when you cannot maintain 1.5m social distancing. For all baseball activity in Victoria, face masks must be worn at all times when inside club facilities, including clubrooms, changerooms, canteens, and scorer’s boxes. When social distancing cannot be maintained in the dugout or on the field, players and coaches must wear a mask. All baseball participants must carry a mask with them when they leave the house.
According to the Premier, restrictions will be reviewed Friday, February 26. Click HERE to view the full statement from the Premier.
“We are excited to get back out on the field after a successful circuit breaker,” Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said. “The health and safety of our entire community remains our top priority, and we will closely consult with Sport and Recreation Victoria for any further updates regarding community sport and competition. We look forward to the rest of the summer season.”
Any further updates over the course of today and tomorrow will be communicated accordingly.
Click HERE to view our COVIDSafe Plan and click HERE to view our frequently asked questions.
We encourage our members to stay in touch with one another and prioritise their mental health. Click HERE for mental health resources.
To view more COVID-19 resources from the Victorian Government, click HERE.