VSBL Division 3 teams are on a roll with six rounds to go as Springvale continues to lead the way.
Division 3 Firsts
Footscray Bulldogs 8 v Bonbeach St Chads Bluejays 12
Bonbeach drew first blood and didn't look back, scoring one in the second to get things started.
Footscray scored its first run at the top of the the third to draw level but it was quickly taken away again when the Bluejays scored four, advancing their lead to five after four innings.
Footscray made a small comeback in the fifth, scoring two runs but Bonbeach was again too good, collecting five runs at the bottom, the lead becoming 12-3 after six complete innings.
The Bulldogs scored five to add on to their margin but couldn't bring in any more runners in the eighth.
Dylan Brown got the win for Bonbeach. Through four innings he gave up four hits for one run with four strikeouts. Adam Major and Daniel Conway-Jones helped out for the remainder of the four innings.
Brittney Cedelland pitched 3 and 1/3 innings for Footscray, giving up two hits and seven runs with two runs. Heny Hernandez picked up the loss though, giving up two hits and five runs among 2 and 2/3 innings.
Bonbeach's Jarad Curwood had three hits and two runs while Oliver Hookey-Rizzo and David Steere each had two-hit, one-run games, the latter with two RBIs. Matthew Prior had five RBIs as he hit a triple and scored himself. Dylan Eldridge and Matt Bucci had one-hit, one-run games while Jacob Bald hit two runs.
Footscray's Joe Michaud had three hits for two runs while Jaime Harvey and Asdrubal Jimenez had two hits each. Hernandez had two RBIs from one hit as he, Alexander Da Silva and David Ponce de Leon had one-hit, one-run games.
Footscray hosts Chelsea this weekend, as the club look to keep its spot in the top two, currently sitting at 4-2. Bonbeach is fourth at 2-4, hosting Springvale in the upcoming round.
Pakenham Pumas 2 v Springvale Lions 11
Springvale pounced on a chance to take a three-run lead after the third inning, not looking back as Pakenham scored its two runs at the top of the fourth.
The Lions defense were too good to restrict the Pumas to just the one frame of runs, Springvale's lead extending to seven runs as the fourth came to a close. The home side scored one more run in each of the sixth and eighth innings also.
Lucas Anderson picked up the win for Springvale, pitching five innings for four hits and two runs with nine strikeouts. Scott Baillie pitched four innings for six hits, zero runs and three strikeouts.
Pakenham's Trent Job had four innings on the mound, giving up five hits and two runs with four strikeouts. Martin Kennedy also spent four innings in the middle for five hits and three earned runs.
Maxwell Chew and Rydge Hogan each hit a home run for the Lions with Hogan collecting a further two hits that were doubles he was able to convert to runs for himself too. Mark Richards had thee hits including a double with five RBIs.
Danny Cannizzaro, Mitchell Lording and Daniel Taylor had two hits each. Scott Dale had one run from one hit, Shane Evans had one hit for one RBI while Taylor had the second RBI.
Springvale is 6-0 for the season, sitting first on the ladder before taking on Bonbeach away this weekend. Pakenham are away to North Western, sitting 4-2 in fifth.
North Western Titans 12 v Chelsea Dolphins 6
Each team scored a run in the first before the next three were tight on both ends, the same 1-1 scoreline taking the teams into the fifth inning.
North Western broke through with five at the top, Chelsea not giving up, scoring two at the bottom.
But it was another five-run effort from the Titans which extended the lead again, adding one more in the eighth while shutting out the Dolphins, until they scored three at the bottom of the ninth.
Brendan Robinson pitched five innings for North Western, giving up three runs from five hits while striking out five hitters to pick up the win. Connor Wilson pitched four innings, striking out six with one earned run among four hits.
Shannon Groenendyk took the loss for Chelsea, pitching 5 and 1/3 innings, giving up eight runs from 12 hits. Rhys Tippett pitched the remaining 3 and 2/3 innings for the Dolphins, giving up one run from three hits, with five strikeouts.
Dan Holmes had three hits on the day including a double as he had three RBIs for the Titans. Cameron Wilson, Connor Wilson, Ryan Tompkins, Matthew Howe and Jarrod Johns each had two-hit, two-run games.
For Chelsea, Tippett had three hits for the day that included a double and three RBIs. Lachlan Davies had a two-hit game, scoring twice also. Groenendyk had a one-hit, one-run game.
North Western is home to Pakenham in Round 7, sitting third at 4-2. Chelsea is 0-6 on the year and will travel to Footscray for the upcoming fixture.
Division 3 Reserves
North Western Titans 2 v Chelsea Dolphins 11
Chelsea scored one in the first while North Western got two runs in the second. The Dolphins managed to keep the Titans off the scoreboard for the rest of the game while scoring one more in the third, five in the fourth, and four in the fifth.
This marked Chelsea's first win of the season while the Titans are still searching for a victory. Round seven has Chelsea playing Footscray and North Western hosting Pakenham.
Pakenham Pumas 8 v Springvale Lions 9
This back and forth battle started with a Springvale run in the first, followed by three Pakenham runs in the second and three more in the third.
Springvale battled back with two in the bottom of the third, and by the end of the fourth, it was a 7-4 ballgame in Pakenham's favour. Springvale fought back with four in the fifth while both teams scored once in the sixth.
The first-place Lions hung on for their fifth win while the Pumas are 2-4 in fourth place. Springvale has scored 71 runs and given up just 20, while Pakenham has scored 50 runs and given up 58. Springvale heads to Bonbeach next and Pakenham plays North Western.
Footscray Bulldogs 6 v Bonbeach Bluejays 4
Footscray opened with five runs in the first and another in the second, while Bonbeach scored one in the bottom frame.
The third and the fourth were scoreless while Bonbeach got three back in the bottom of the fifth.
Footscray is second and Bonbeach is third as the Bulldogs stay undefeated with five wins and a draw. The Bluejays have a 2-3-1 record with 49 runs for and 24 against, while the Bulldogs have scored 67 runs and allowed 31.
The Bulldogs host Chelsea next and the Bluejays host Springvale.
The 2020/21 VSBL Division 2 teams show no signs of slowing down as the season heads towards finals, with Newport and Moorabbin leading the way.
Division 2 Firsts - Weekend Games (31 January 2021)
Preston Pirates 2 v Newport Rams 7
The Rams assumed first place with a big win and a Moorabbin loss.
The game was tied at one after the first but the Rams kept working, scoring two in the second, one in the third, and another in the fourth, followed by two more in the seventh. Preston's other score came in the sixth.
Tyler Comben contributed four innings on the mound for Newport, with 13 first pitch strikes and a 1.00 WHIP. He gave up just one run on three hits, one walk, and six strikeouts. Harun Pelja had 15 first pitch strikes in his four innings with one unearned run scoring and four hits, four strikeouts, and four walks. Mason Wray had a 1.00 WHIP with just one walk and a strikeout in an inning of work.
Preston's Nick Pascuzzi threw 25 first pitch strikes with a 1.33 WHIP in six innings. He gave up seven hits, one walk, and five runs - three of them unearned - with a strikeout.
Newport's offence included two RBIs on a single and a double from Jared Berman, an RBI single by David Land, and two singles for Scot Malthouse. Ryan Morrison had a single and an RBI, while Nathan Smith, Keenan Spence, and Connor Schibeci had base hits.
Gabriel Valderrama and Hebert Rodriguez knocked in Preston's runs, while Vinnie Sayegh doubled and Matt Fordham had a pair of singles. Pascuzzi, Ryan Golledge, and Valderrama also had singles.
The first-place Rams have seven wins, two losses, 81 runs for, and 33 runs against. They play Port Melbourne and St Kilda next while Preston takes on Werribee and Port Melbourne.
Williamstown Wolves 1 v Port Melbourne Mariners 6
The Mariners got the better of their bayside neighbors with a strong performance, made possibly by a two-run fourth and a four-run eighth. The Wolves scored their only run in the top of the ninth.
Port Melbourne's Matthew Parker pitched eight scoreless innings with three hits, four walks, one HBP and three strikeouts. Tyson Cox-Davies gave up one hit, one walk, and a run in his inning of work.
Dennis Neal covered 7.66 innings for Williamstown, with six hits, six walks, two HBP, and six runs - four of them unearned with nine strikeouts. Daniel Chircop had a short scoreless outing with less than an inning on the mound.
Kevin Ung had two RBIs for Port Melbourne while Baily Waterman, Matthew Morris, and Parker had the others. Morris and Christopher Doyle doubled while Cox-Davies had two singles and Jack White had one.
Williamstown's lone RBI came off the bat of Mitch Collins as Aaron Green, Robert Higginson, Scott Meager, and Hiroshi Narasaki also singled.
The Wolves sit fourth at 5-4 with 65 runs for and 30 against, while Port Melbourne is sixth at 4-4-1 with 44 runs for and 52 runs against. Williamstown plays Moorabbin and Mulgrave next while Port Melbourne plays Newport and Preston.
Mulgrave Rebels 25 v Doncaster Dragons 10
This was a huge run fest for the Rebels as they earned their fifth victory of the year. Jayson Arthur threw seven innings for Mulgrave, giving up nine hits and no walks with seven strikeouts and four earned runs. Teammate Liam Richardson gave up five hits, five unearned runs, and one earned run in an inning of work.
Doncaster's Simon Fitzmaurice covered four innings, giving up just two earned runs with six hits, a walk, and two K's. Brian Chen handled 2.66 innings with two hits, one strikeout, three walks, and two runs. Angus Stals, Nic Unland, and Judah Wollenburg also took short turns on the mound.
Jason Cousins and Caleb Poole knocked in three RBIs for Mulgrave while Riley O'Shea, Ryan Phillips, Donnie Poole, Richardson, Paul Rutgers, and Nicholas Thompson all had two. Trent Watkinson and Michael Morgan had one each. Rutgers homered while O'Shea doubled twice. Poole, Richardson, Thompson, and Arthur all doubled. Base hits went to Nicholas Coy, Arthur, Cousins, Morgan, O'Shea, Phillips, Poole, Rutgers, Thompson, and Watkinson.
Mulgrave took 10 walks on the day while giving up none to Doncaster, although Marcel Davoine had three RBIs on a single and three doubles. Brendan McDonald, Derek Medlin, Marc Sandy, and Wollenburg also had RBIs. Wollenburg doubled twice as Medlin and Dakota Gibson doubled once. The rest of the tam's hits were singles to Chen, McDonald, and Unland.
Mulgrave sits fifth with a 5-4 record on 61 runs for and 48 runs against, while Doncaster is third with the same record and an even 75 runs scored and given up. Mulgrave plays St Kilda and Williamstown next as Doncaster prepares to take on Ormond Glenhuntly and Werribee.
Werribee Giants 4 v Moorabbin Panthers 3
The Giants took on the top team and handed them a loss, only their second of the season.
Moorabbin scored two runs in the third and one in the fifth, while Werribee scored late to turn the game in their favour, with one in the sixth, two in the eighth, and one in extra innings to break the tie.
In addition to the tenth-inning score, Werribee had RBIs from Andrew Christou, Anthony Moanaroa, and Evan McPherson. Josh Lee gave up 10 hits, two walks, and one HBP in nine innings with three unearned runs and six strikeouts. Trent Pantalleresco gave up one hit and one walk but no runs in the final inning.
Moorabbin's Michael McGillivray threw seven innings, giving up just three hits, two walks, and one HBP with an earned run and five strikeouts. Christopher Nielsen handled 2.66 innings with no hits, just three walks and an unearned run. Stewart Mathieson gave up two earned runs on one hit, two walks, and a HBP with a strikeout in less than an inning of work.
Werribee's winning offence included two singles from Lee and one base hit each for Pantalleresco and Samuel Reale.
Moorabbin had an RBI single from Mitch Barr and a double by Nick Bertucci. Travis Finney, Adam Harris, and Mathieson all had two base hits while Matt Hardie and Neil Johnson had one each.
After this Moorabbin loss, Newport moves into first place while the Panthers have the same 7-2 record but less runs scored, with 76 for and 29 against. Werribee has a 4-4-1 record on 39 runs for and 43 against, with the hopes of moving up in the next games v Preston and Doncaster. Moorabbin plays Williamstown and Ormond Glenhuntly next.
Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 16 v St Kilda Saints 7
The Hunters scored consistently throughout the game to secure back-to-back victories.
Ormond Glenhuntly scored first with three in the second, while St Kilda got one back in the third. The Hunters scored four more across the next two innings, and by the end of the fifth, it was a 7-3 ballgame Ormond's way.
The Hunters tacked on a massive six runs in the sixth, with one more in the seventh and two in the eighth. The Saints scored three more in the seventh and one in the eighth.
Kyungsoo Jeon threw six innings to get the win, giving up seven hits, two walks, one HBP, and three runs with six strikeouts. Jiwon Choi threw three innings with four hits and six walks with four runs - three of them unearned.
St Kilda's Adam Schoppe pitched 4.33 innings with nine hits, four walks, six runs, and three strikeouts. Robby Lewis handled 1.66 scoreless innings with just one hit and two walks. Rolando Curiel pitched 1.66 with three hits, three walks, one HBP, and three runs - two of them earned. Four earned runs and three unearned runs scored during Daniel Hogg's 1.33 innings on the mound with four hits and two walks.
Geoff MacDonald led Ormond Glenhuntly's offence with five RBIs and a huge double. Timothy Carracher had a bases-clearing double while Doha Kwak collected four singles and a double with two RBIs. Changho Choi, Keunyeol Park, and Jason Maxwell recorded one RBI each. Jarrad Barrow singled, Changho Choi doubled and walked three times, Jiwon Choi doubled and walked twice, and Brad Dolan had a base hit and a walk. Jeon walked and singled and Maxwell and Park singled.
Millar Kuhl and Alan Ortiz had two RBIs each for St Kilda. Kuhl singled and walked as Ortiz singled, homered, and walked three times. Curiel singled and walked, Mariano Favia singled twice and walked once for one RBI, and Hogg doubled. Lewis walked with an RBI, Robert Mescher singled and walked, Paul Puskar had two singles, and Schoppe had a base hit.
Ormond Glenhuntly sits eighth with a 4-5 record on 61 runs for and 63 runs against. St Kilda is one spot below with two wins and seven losses on 41 runs for and 89 runs against. Ormond Glenhuntly plays Doncaster and Moorabbin next, and St Kilda plays Mulgrave and Newport in the next rounds.
There's less than two months to go in the VSBL Division 1 season as teams look to finish strong, with Upwey Ferntree Gully, Waverley, Sunshine, and Cheltenham leading the charge.
Division 1 Firsts
Blackburn Orioles 7 v Geelong Baycats 3
The Orioles had the upper hand over the Baycats after scoring some late runs to pull ahead.
The game was tied at two after the first, with no more scoring through the fifth as both teams held steady at defence. The Baycats broke the tie with one in the sixth, but the Orioles battled back with two in the seventh and three in the eighth.
Blackburn's Andrew Jones threw five innings, giving up just four hits and two runs with one walk, one HBP, and two strikeouts. Rowan Johnstone struck out two in two scoreless innings with one walk and one HBP, while Scott Mitchinson had three hits, two walks, two HBP, one run, and two K's in two innings.
Geelong's Rudy Jaramillo hurled 18 first-pitch strikes across seven innings with seven hits, one walk, and four runs as well as two strikeouts. Josh Davies had a perfect scoreless inning, quickly retiring the Blackburn side, while Jack Fielden contributed an inning of relief as the Orioles managed two hits and three walks for three runs.
Steven Bookluck had a pair of RBIs for Blackburn with a single and a double as Liam Hopkins, Luke Hughes, Thomas Kerr-Chapman, and Nick Rossell had one each. Ryan Berg, Hopkins, and Hughes doubled while David Dicker had two singles. The team's other hits were singles to Hopkins and Kerr-Chapman.
Tyler Luther-Wilson had a single, RBI, and HBP for Geelong as Kelli Zablan homered once and singled twice to bring in two runs. James Wood, Lewis Weldon, and Josh Davies all singled.
Geelong sits sixth at 4-3 with 62 runs for and 32 runs against, while Blackburn is a spot above at 5-2-1 on 48 runs for and 45 runs against.
Both teams face Upwey Ferntree Gully coming up while Geelong also takes on Sunshine and Blackburn plays Fitzroy.
Cheltenham Rustlers 13 v Malvern Braves 9
The Rustlers ran wild but also gave up some runs to the Braves in a big day offensively for both sides.
Malvern led 1-0 after the first but Cheltenham scored six in the second. Both the Rustlers and the Braves tacked on three in the fourth. At the end of the fifth it was a 9-7 ballgame Cheltenham's way, and the Rustlers continued to extend their lead. The Braves scored two in the eighth but the Rustlers got them right back in the ninth to secure their sixth win and move into the top spot.
Cheltenham's Andrew Campbell pitched five innings with six hits, one walk, one HBP, two runs - one unearned - and a strikeout. Russell Ferguson handled four innings with nine hits, three walks, one HBP, seven runs, and three strikeouts. Ryan Dale, Tyler Dale, and Ryan Othen shared pitching duties for the Braves, giving up 17 combined hits and 11 walks to Cheltenham.
Cheltenham's Sam Michael and Ben Fierenzi had three RBIs each as Dylan Trevorah, Conor Myles, Andrew Gribbin, Jack Dunn, and Dante Caruso plated on each. Michael doubled while the rest of the team's were singles, with four to Fierenzi, three to Gribbin, and two apiece for Caruso, Dunn, Leslie, and Michael.
Henry Hayman and Othen had two RBIs for Malvern as Geoff Holland, Lachlan Fuda, Scott Ashton, Justin Burke, and Dale had one each. Othen singled and doubled twice while Jack Hangar had the team's other extra-base hit. Hayman singled three times, with two base hits for Fuda Holland, and Gavin Woolger.
Malvern sits tenth with a 1-6-1 record on 34 runs for and 72 against. First-place Cheltenham has a 6-2 record with 66 runs for and 44 runs against. Malvern plays Essendon and Cheltenham plays Waverley and Berwick next.
Melbourne Demons 1 v Fitzroy Lions 4
It was a tight matchup to start but eventually the Lions got on the board to secure their first victory of the year. They scored once in the third and three times in the sixth, while Melbourne's lone run came in the ninth.
Brock Pawley got the win, throwing the whole game with seven hits, three walks, one HBP, and five strikeouts. Hayden Godbold threw five for Melbourne, with six hits, one walk, and four runs - three of them earned. He struck out six while teammate Mitch Bowen had one K and two walks in two scoreless innings. Nicholas Cleland walked one in his inning of work.
Ryan Mitchell plated two of Fitzroy's runs on a single while Danny King and Riley Hill had the others. Fitzroy's offence included singles from Mitchell, Gideon Van Twest Smith, Tyler Trevaskis, Warwick Purchase, and Gavin Juchnevicius.
Charlie O'Connell knocked in Melbourne's only run with a single and a walk, while Oliver McMahon and Sadi Nergiz singled and Bronson Neave doubled.
Fitzroy sits eleventh with a 1-6 record on 16 runs for and 84 runs against, while Melbourne is one spot behind with a 1-7 record on 22 runs for and 57 against. In addition to the Demons, the Lions have upcoming games at the Orioles while Melbourne plays Waverley.
Berwick City Cougars 4 v Sunshine Eagles 0
The Cougars enjoyed an exciting shutout victory over last season's runners-up, thanks to a strong seven-inning start from Craig Barnett. He gave up five hits and a walk with six strikeouts, while teammate Aaron Ouwehand gave up just one hit in two innings.
Sunshine's Adam Irons threw seven innings with five hits, two walks, four earned runs, and two strikeouts. Griffin Weir covered two scoreless innings with just one hit allowed.
Marcus Graham plated two of Berwick's runs with a big single with Barnett knocking in another. Berwick only had singles on the night, including three to Cain Bumpstead and one to Andrew Gibbens. Sunshine's offence included two singles from Jason Tutt as well as base hits by Nathan Gatt, Allister Lovelock, Irons, and Weir.
Berwick improves to 3-5 in ninth place while Sunshine drops from first to fourth place with five wins, two losses, and a draw. The Eagles have scored 55 runs and given up 27 so far while the Cougars have scored 45 and given up 46. Berwick's next games are at Sandringham and Cheltenham as the Eagles prepare for upcoming matchups at Geelong and Sandringham.
Sandringham Royals 0 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 1
It took them extra innings, but the Tigers earned their second shutout victory of the year in a close contest v the Royals, made possible by Jarrod Turner's nine-inning start with 25 first-pitch strikes. He had six hits, four walks, and four strikeouts.
Sean Meldrum pitched the other three innings, finishing the game with a groundout from Harrison Wills. Meldrum struck out one and gave up no hits or runs, just two walks, in his appearance.
Branden Stenhouse took the loss for Sandringham after throwing five innings. He allowed the deciding run, with seven hits, four walks, and six strikeouts. 13 of his first pitches were strikes. Teammate Declan Croker threw seven scoreless innings with six hits, two walks, 17 first-pitch strikes, and three strikeouts.
The Tigers scattered 13 hits in the game as Peter Schroeders went 3-for-5 with two singles and a double. Donavon Hendricks had three singles and one RBI, while Riley Light and Wade McConnon had two singles each. Harvey Chinn, Joshua Hendricks, and Jordan Elliot singled once.
Zak Skinner had two singles for Sandringham as Declan Ferguson, Timothy Lane, Harrison Wills, and Sam Skinner each collected one. Both teams took six walks on the day.
Sandringham sits eighth with a 3-4-1 on 44 runs for and 41 runs against. Upwey Ferntree Gully stays in second place, now with six wins and two losses on 59 runs for and 33 runs against. The Royals play Berwick and Sunshine next as the Tigers take on Blackburn and Geelong in upcoming games.
Essendon Bombers 2 v Waverley Wildcats 8
The Wildcats won their fifth straight game with a strong performance at home v the Bombers.
The game was 2-1 Waverley's way after the first, while the next three innings were quiet. The Wildcats got back on the board with two in the fifth and four in the seventh, while holding the Bombers to just one more in the eighth.
Jamie Papanicolaou got the win for Waverley, throwing six quality innings with just one run allowed. He gave up three hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Darcy Longstaff contributed three innings with one run on two hits with three K's.
Essendon's Sam Street gave up six earned runs and two unearned runs in six innings with seven hits, three walks, one HBP, and six strikeouts. Russell Spear and Kyle Douglass threw one inning each. Douglass struck out one in his scoreless inning while Spear recorded two K's with two hits and one walk.
Three Waverley players had two RBIs each - Mitchell Homfray, Mohi Kahui, and Jordan Ley. Reece Longstaff also plated a run. Homfray singled twice and doubled once while Finn Weichard and Ley also doubled. Weichard and Damon Hill singled once and Kahui had two base hits.
Jarryd Rogers and Mcleod Sell knocked in the two Essendon runs, both with homers, as Darby Sexton doubled and Michael Formisano and Christian Caminiti singled.
Waverley moves up a spot to third with a 6-2 record on 55 runs for and 27 runs against. Essendon stays in seventh place with four wins, four losses, 37 runs for, and 35 runs against. The Wildcats have upcoming games v Cheltenham and Melbourne, while the Bombers battle Malvern next.
The 2020/21 VSBL Women's competitions are heating up with five weeks to go before finals. Essendon is undefeated in Women's Division 1 while Moorabbin and Doncaster have no losses on their records in Women's Division 3.
Women's Division 1
Doncaster Dragons 9 v Essendon Bombers 10
The Bombers got the edge over the Dragons by just one run, the same final score as the round one game at Doncaster.
Essendon's Allie Bebbere pitched three innings with five hits, two strikeouts, two walks, one HBP, and three runs - two of them unearned. Abbey Kelly gave up two unearned and two earned runs in three innings with six hits and five strikeouts, while Emma French allowed two runs in her solo inning of work. She gave up two hits and a walk with a strikeout.
Jamie Bastian handled 3.33 innings on the mound for Doncaster, with three hits, four strikeouts, two walks, and two unearned runs. Chelsea Stewart pitched 2.66 innings, giving up six hits, six walks, three earned runs, and four unearned runs with three strikeouts.
Jasmine Bentley knocked in three for Essendon as French plated two and Victoria Brown, Tayla Weldon, and Kelly had one RBI each. Courtney Foura took three walks to contribute quality at-bats while Brown had two. Bentley had the team's lone extra-base hit of the day as Kelly singled four times, Kayla Adams and Bentley singled twice, and French once.
Bastian collected five RBIs for Doncaster with two singles and a walk, while Belinda Cannington, Vanessa Clifford, Erin Collins, and Maddi Weller plated one each. Cannington had two singles, one double, a walk, and a HBP, as Clifford also singled twice and doubled once. Weller had an extra-base hit and Hannah Sowden, Jaymee Hassett-Smith, and Collins had singles.
Doncaster sits third with three wins, three losses, 46 runs for, and 40 runs against. Essendon stays in first place with a 6-0 record on 81 runs for and just 30 runs against.
Both teams are away next, with Doncaster visiting Newport and Essendon going to Springvale.
Springvale Lions 19 v Newport Rams 0
Lili Cavanagh shined for Springvale as the Lions won back-to-back games for the first time this season. Cavanagh batted 1.000 with four hits and a sacrifice fly.
Gabby Bevan threw four scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and five walks with four strikeouts. Hannah Jackson contributed one inning, giving up one hit and striking out two. Newport's Georgia Page and Leslie Anglin helped Newport out on the mound.
In addition to Cavanagh's three RBIs, Springvale had runs plated in by Shae Lillywhite, Siobhan Stephenson, and Simone Wearne, who all knocked in three. Lily Bell-Tanner and Emily Devine had two RBIs apiece while Hanami Campitelli, Jade Hough, and Jackson plated one each.
Cavanagh had two doubles and Jackson had one as Devine and Wearne singled three times and Stephenson singled twice. Morgan Doty had Newport's only hits of the day.
Springvale takes over second place from Doncaster with a 3-3 record on 49 runs for and 43 against, while fourth-place Newport has 13 runs for and 76 against.
Springvale hosts Essendon and Newport hosts Doncaster next.
Women's Division 2
Preston Pirates 6 v Essendon Bombers 21
The Bombers scored seven runs in each of the three innings while only giving up six to the Pirates in the final frame.
Essendon's hard-hitting lineup included contributions from Elizabeth Billen, Reenie Cook, Amy Dillon, and Emily Dimech as the entire team came together to get their biggest win margin to date, even better than their 22-10 win at Preston in week one.
Essendon is in third place with three wins, two losses, 66 runs for, and 52 runs against. Fifth-place Preston has scored 16 and given up 85 so far. The Bombers play the Lions in round seven and the Pirates host the Baycats after their bye.
Springvale Lions 3 v Footscray Bulldogs 4
The Bulldogs prevailed against the undefeated side, handing the Lions their first win of the season with a pair of late runs.
The game was tied at one after the first and the next runs came in the third, when Springvale scored two and Footscray scored one. The Bulldogs scored two in the fourth and held on with a scoreless fifth to secure the win.
Springvale is still at the top of the ladder with a 4-1 record, the same as Footscray. The Lions lead in runs scored with 69, compared to 35 for the Bulldogs. Springvale has given up just 14 and Footscray has allowed 21 runs.
Springvale hosts Essendon next while Footscray has the bye.
Women's Division 3 East
Pakenham Pumas White 4 v Cheltenham Rustlers 16
The Pumas were no match for the Rustlers in this high-scoring matchup.
Cheltenham led 2-1 after the first, and the Rustlers extended that lead by seven in the second. Pakenham scored three in the third as Cheltenham tacked on seven more.
Fourth-place Cheltenham has a 2-2-1 record with 51 runs for and 57 against. Pakenham White is still looking for a win with 34 runs for and 77 against. Cheltenham visits Sandringham next and Pakenham White plays Berwick.
Sandringham Royals 4 v Moorabbin Panthers 11
In this matchup of the undefeated teams, the reigning premiers prevailed to improve their record to 6-0.
Neither side scored in the first although the Panthers tacked on seven in the second. Defence was strong on both sides in the third and fourth with no runs coming across before each team scored four in the fifth.
Moorabbin has scored 99 and given up 33 as the third-place Royals have scored 56 and given up 29 in four wins and one loss. The Panthers play Bonbeach next and the Royals play Cheltenham.
Wheelers Hill Warriors 20 v Pakenham Pumas Black 6
The Warriors wasted no time racking up the runs, putting six on in the first and seven in the second. The score was 14-6 at the end of the third, but the Warriors weren't done, scoring another six to finish the game on a high note.
Pakenham Black its eighth with one win, five losses, 22 runs for, and 95 against. Wheelers Hill sits second with a 4-1 record on 70 runs for and 41 runs against. The Pumas have a bye next and the Warriors host Springvale.
Berwick City Cougars 7 v Springvale Lions 7
Both sides fought hard but neither could come away with the win as Berwick tied it in the final frame.
Springvale led 6-1 after the first and added another run in the second, but it didn't last as the Cougars stayed in it. They scored three in the third, one in the fourth, and two in the fifth.
Springvale sits fifth at 2-3-1 with 57 runs for and 67 runs against, while Berwick is 1-2-2 in seventh with an even 55 runs for and 55 runs against.
Springvale plays Wheelers Hill next and Berwick hosts Pakenham White.
Women's Division 3 West
North Western Titans 8 v Melbourne Demons 11
Both sides wasted no time at the plate, with the Titans scoring five and the Demons scoring seven in the first. North Western added three in the second while Melbourne stayed just in front with four.
Melbourne is in second place with five wins and one loss on 88 runs for and 36 against. North Western is one spot behind with a 3-3 record on 49 runs scored and 53 given up.
Round seven has North Western at home v Doncaster and Melbourne on the road to Newport.
Geelong Baycats 5 v Newport Rams 12
The Baycats fell behind early and couldn't quite come back as the Rams recorded their second win of the season.
Newport led 4-0 after the first and by the end of the second it was an 11-1 ballgame. The Baycats got four in the third as Newport scored one more before a scoreless fourth to finish the game.
Geelong relied on solid pitching efforts from Ella Wilson, Sarah Upton, and Lily Kevelham. Michelle Searle made her catching debut and had two hits and an RBI. Upton had two hits while Katrina Edwards plated two with a big hit. Magda Boros and Sara Brennan had an RBI each.
Despite the loss, the Baycats did pull off an amazing triple play in the first inning.
Sixth-place Geelong has scored 40 runs and given up 92 while fifth-place Newport has two wins, four losses, 40 runs for, and 81 against. Geelong hosts Fitzroy and Newport hosts Melbourne next.
Doncaster Dragons 15 v Fitzroy Lions 9
The Dragons racked up the runs in defence of their undefeated record, now sitting 6-0 and holding on to first place.
Doncaster has scored 83 runs total and given up just 33, while Fitzroy sits in fourth place with a 2-4 record on 58 runs for and 69 runs against.
The Dragons look to go 7-0 at the Titans in the next round as Fitzroy visits Geelong.
Will Cavanagh has high hopes for his baseball future, and his beloved Geelong Baycats Baseball Club is supporting him along the way.
Known to the Baycats by his nickname of “Will The Thrill,” the 14-year-old baseballer has had a big summer so far, playing in the VSBL U16 State and seniors competition for Geelong as well as participating in the 2021 National Showcase Series – Victoria.
Cavanagh embraced the high performance opportunity as part of the U16 Catalinas at the showcase.
“I found the National Showcase to be a really good experience and I had a lot of fun participating. It was definitely a new experience being a part of the showcase and one I will remember for a long time,” Cavanagh said. “I learned how different the level of baseball is at a showcase compared to my local baseball. I also learned how much talent there is in one sport and how much dedication goes into it all by the players, coaches and organisation staff.”
Playing at a club that instils positivity and teamwork in young athletes certainly helped him to prepare for this opportunity. Cavanagh began playing T-Ball at the age of six with Sunshine Baseball Club, where he spent several seasons before his family moved to Geelong. He hasn’t taken a season off since his dad first introduced him to the sport, and so far, his baseball journey has taken him to numerous State Championships and Japan to represent Australia in the U14s.
The lefthanded first baseman is a team player with 14 home runs and counting who always looks forward to getting back on the field with his friends.
“My favourite thing about baseball is my teammates because there is no negativity amongst the team,” Cavanagh said.
As an up-and-coming junior baseballer as well as a five-time Australian Champion in karate, Cavanagh says his ability to read the play and his hand-to-ball coordination come most naturally. He recognises that what you put in is what you get out.
“My biggest challenge is to always stay fit and to not let my teammates down,” Cavanagh said. “That’s what I learnt from Sunshine Baseball Club and that’s carried through into Geelong. This has been instilled in me to not forget where I came from and to treat everyone with respect. It’s not always about winning, you give everything you’ve got and it’s also about your teammates and having a good game.”
Some of his favourite baseball memories include playing in grand finals, meeting new friends, fundraising for the Baycats, winning MVP and playing in the State Championships. Representing Australia in the U14s was another huge highlight.
“It was terrific, the experience was awesome, and the competition was tough but really exciting and overall, the trip was better than what I expected,” Cavanagh said. “Staying with another family to see their lifestyle and how they live, but most of all connecting with the whole family was great because they were all so friendly.”
Despite COVID, Cavanagh remained committed to his training, regularly practicing his batting, running, throwing and fielding. As he hopes to continue playing baseball and seeing where his athletic ambitions take him in the future, he seeks inspiration from the stories of his favorite athletes Babe Ruth and Mike Trout, as well as the tight-knit Baycats baseball community.
When asked what he loves most about the Baycats, Cavanagh says it’s “their positive attitude towards baseball and also the team spirit. But most of all, how big their passion is for baseball.”
Cavanagh wants to keep playing his heart out and giving the game everything he has.
“My biggest goal is to push myself to my best ability, go as high as I can in baseball, to develop unique skills being a left hander, and to be as fit as I can be. I would like to have an even better relationship with my teammates and to lift them up if things are not going our way,” Cavanagh said.
“I’d like to fully understand the game itself and learn as much as I can from the great support staff, not just the coaching staff but those you don’t see who help out every day, to make it all happen. The way I can show them is respect and play my hardest every game.”
Photo: 2020 Pink Sports Day - Port Melbourne Mariners Baseball Club
Port Melbourne Baseball Club is raising funds and awareness for Australians affected by breast cancer through a special Pink Sports Day this weekend, building on the success from last year’s event, which raised $1,000 dollars for Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA).
The second annual event is set for Sunday, 31 January starting at 12:30pm at the Mariners home ground at Murphy Reserve. Pink Sports Day is a worthwhile cause for the club as breast cancer has directly affected several of its members. This is also an opportunity to pay tribute to and thank the women who tirelessly support the club.
With a luncheon, guest speakers, and raffles ahead of the club’s games v Williamstown, Pink Sports Day will bring the community together to raise awareness and continue the conversation about breast cancer and what can be done to help in the fight against the fifth-leading cause of cancer death in Australia.
Port Melbourne Head Coach and Committee Member Ben Burke says they are expecting to have twice as many attendees as last year and have local council members in attendance, including Mayor Louise Crawford, Deputy Mayor Marcus Pearl, and councillor Heather Cunsolo.
“There is also a special guest speaker for the day who is a breast cancer survivor who will provide her inspirational story, and Marita O’Keefe from BCNA who will talk about the great work BCNA is performing for those in need,” Burke said.
The Mariners are excited to raise money for a great cause while also showcasing the club’s strong sense of community. “There has been an encouraging response from the local community with numerous businesses donating raffle prizes, giveaways and contributing to the day in some way,” Burke said. “Hopefully we can make a positive difference in someone’s life.”
The club has recently seen a large influx of senior players, allowing them to field a Division 2 Fourths team for the first time in several years while also expanding their junior program. “We hope to build on a community-based culture through the Pink Sports Day,” Burke said. “All players will be sporting pink playing caps for the day, as well as specially-made pink playing socks. We should have a sea of pink which will add to the atmosphere with some live music.”
Burke and the rest of the club committee are appreciative of the support for Pink Sports Day and looking forward to the event and the future of the club. “All money that is raised on the day through ticket sales, donations and raffles will be pledged to BCNA, and hopefully the women of the PMBC will have a wonderful, inspirational day,” Burke said. “We have some exciting progress on the horizon for the club, including upgrades to facilities and field, and expansion of sessions into the local schools. It is a really good time to be a part of the club and build us a foundation that will take us from good to great.”
Click HERE to visit the Port Melbourne Mariners website and click HERE to learn more about Breast Cancer Network Australia.
The VSBL Division 4 season continued over the weekend as Waverley Black and Monash lead in the East, Fitzroy keeps things under control in the North, Berwick City and Mornington sit atop the ladder in the South, and Essendon Bombers staying undefeated in the West.
Division 4 East
Malvern Braves 1 v Melbourne Demons Red 15
Malvern is still winless this season after Melbourne Red produced a big win against the Braves.
The 0-5 Braves takes on Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold in the next fixture while the Demons are in a nice 2-2-1 position ahead of travelling to Blackburn.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers Gold 3 v Monash University Farmers 11
Monash University scored in the first inning but by the time the bottom of the third rolled around, Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold were 2-1 up.
Monash University scored the next 10 runs - three in the third and seven in the fourth - which left the Tigers with a big ask, down by nine. The Tigers managed just one more run for their score, leading to the Farmers win.
Monash University is second with a 4-0-1 record and will play Waverley White next up while Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold, at 1-2 is at home, hosting Malvern.
Waverley Wildcats Red 9 v Mornington Pirates 11
Waverley Red bolted out of the gates early with seven runs in the first inning and were out to an 8-1 lead heading into the bottom of the third.
Mornington added two more to its score in the third. The Wildcats had one more across the plate in the fourth but at the bottom, it was the Pirates turn to swing the bats, collecting seven runs to take the lead, which they kept until the end, adding one more run in the fith.
Waverley Red sit in the top four with a 3-1-1 record, facing Melbourne Blue next while Mornington take on Waverley Black in search of improving a 2-2-1 record.
Blackburn Orioles 9 v Doncaster Dragons 8
Doncaster wasn't unable to come back to win against Blackburn as the Orioles picked up a one-run win.
Blackburn is 2-2-1 but at the bottom of a pack of four on runs for, hoping to put together some more runs against Melborune Red. Doncaster's next opponent is Upwey Ferntre Gully Black, the Dragons looking to improve a 1-3 record.
Waverley Wildcats Black 10 v Waverley Wildcats White 6
Waverley Black scored consistently in this game against Waverley White and recorded a four-run win.
Wildcats Black scored a run at the top of the first but Wildcats White scored two in the bottom. Waverley Black brought in five runs across the next two innings for a 6-2 lead.
Waverley Red scored the next three runs before two more two-run frames from Waverley Black.
Waverley Black remain undefeated with a 5-0 record this season and host Mornington next while Waverley White is 2-2-1, leading a pack of four with the same record on runs for. Wildcats White face Monash Uni this week.
Division 4 North
Mitchell Majors A 4 v Fitzroy Lions A 7
Fitzroy stormed home late in this clash with Mitchell Majors A, recording six runs in the final two innings for a three-run win. Mitchell Majors A took the first three runs of the game in the first inning with the score 4-1 to the away side after three.
Fitzroy A has a bye this weekend after going 5-0 to start the season while Mitchell Majors A is 4-1 after its first loss, looking towards a meeting with North Coburg A.
North Coburg Rebels B 11 v North Coburg Rebels A 2
North Coburg B left it late but used the final couple of innings to get over the top of North Coburg A.
North Coburg A scored first at the bottom of the second but a four-run fourth saw North Coburg B with the lead, even after North Coburg A scored a second run at the bottom of the fourth.
North Coburg B batted in seven runs at the top of the fifth which was no match for the home team to get close to.
North Coburg B is 2-3, sitting fourth and looking towards a clash with Mitchell Majors B. North Coburg A is a place behind at 1-4 and will be at Mitchell Majors A.
Mitchell Majors B 0 v Fitzroy Lions B 0
Mitchell Majors B is taking on North Coburg B this weekend, sitting third with a 3-2 record this season.
Division 4 South
Bonbeach St Chads Bluejays A 1 v Berwick City Cougars 9
Berwick got things going with seven runs in the first inning with Bonbeach A having a run cross the plate at the top of the third. However, the Cougars added two more runs in the fourth, a margin that stay until the end of the game.
Bonbeach A now host Mordialloc, sitting just outside the top four with a 3-2 record. Berwick is 4-1 and face Bonbeach B this weekend.
Chelsea Dolphins 4 v Mordialloc Ducks 19
Mordialloc set up a three-run lead after two innings before two seven-inning digs gave them a sizeable lead.
Chelsea scored its first run at the top of the fourth before adding three more in the fifth where the Ducks replied with two more of their own.
Chelsea is 1-4 for the season and host Pakenham this weekend. Mordialloc is away to Bonbeach A, sitting nicely with a 3-1 record in third place.
Wheelers Hill Warriors 5 v Pakenham Pumas 12
Pakenham opened the scoring in the first with two runs before each team added two to their scores in the second.
Wheelers Hill evened up the game at the top of the third but the Pumas piled on seven runs at the bottom. The Warriors and Pumas scored a run each in the fourth and final inning.
Pakenham is 2-2 on the season, sitting sixth ahead of a meeting with Chelsea. Wheelers Hill is 1-4 heading into a bye week for the Warriors.
Bonbeach St Chads Bluejays B 12 v Mornington Pirates 2
Bonbeach B started the game with four runs, Mornington able to peg back one run at the bottom. The Bluejays secured another three runs in the second and five in the third as the Pirates could only manage one more in reply.
Bonbeach B sit inside the top four with a 3-1 record while Mornington is 4-1 after suffering its first loss and dropping from first to second. Bonbeach B is at home against Berwick whereas Mornington travel to St Kilda.
St Kilda Saints v BYE
St Kilda had the week off but will be back in action at home against Mornington. Searching for their first win of the season, the Saints are 0-4 this season.
Division 4 South
St Kilda Saints 6 v Berwick City Cougars 7
A walkoff win for Berwick who recorded four runs in the sixth inning, prevailing over St Kilda.
Each side ended the first inning with three runs but the Saints broke through with a run in the third, adding two more in the fifth before the final sixth inning effort by the Cougars.
Division 4 West
Footscray Bulldogs 5 v Essendon Bombers 11
Footscray got out to a three-run lead after its second turn at bat but a five-run effort from Essendon Bombers saw the lead change and be a three-run lead to the home side after three innings.
The Bulldogs put two more onto their score in the fourth before another five-run effort from the Bombers at the bottom.
The Bombers sit first with a undefeated 5-0 record and prepare to host Geelong Blue while Footscray who is second with a 3-2 record are at home to Geelong White.
Essendon Jets 3 v Geelong Baycats White 10
There were three scoreless innings to begin this matchup but by the end of the fourth, each team had scored two runs with Geelong White pulling ahead by one at the completion of five.
The Jets scored once more in the sixth to even the score at three-all but a seven-run inning for the Baycats allowed for a winning margin of the same amount.
The Jets remain without a win this season, sitting at 0-5 as they travel to Newport while Baycats White travel to Footscray to ensure they stay in the top four, currently with a 2-3 record.
Geelong Baycats Blue 0 v Newport Rams 0
Geelong Blue are 3-2 for the season, sitting third and will take on Essendon Bombers next round while Newport, who are fifth and have a 2-3 record host Essendon Jets.
There are six rounds left in the 2020/21 VSBL Division 3 season with Springvale leading the way and Footscray not far behind.
Division 3 Firsts
North Western Titans 4 v Footscray Bulldogs 5
The Bulldogs scored first, taking a 2-0 lead into the third, although the Titans quickly got one back. By the middle of the fifth North Western led 3-2, and the Titans went on to score another in the seventh.
Footscray wasn't deterred, scoring three in the bottom of the eighth to seal the deal on their fourth win in five games.
Brittney Cedelland threw five innings for Footscray with six hits, one HBP, three runs, and three strikeouts. Abbey McLellan handled two innings with three hits, two strikeouts, and a run. Alexander Da Silva threw a scoreless inning with just one walk.
Connor Wilson hurled seven innings for North Western, striking out seven with two walks, a HBP, and two runs. Cameron Wilson threw 2/3 of an inning with three earned runs scoring on three hits and two walks, while Matthew Howe handled 1/3 of an inning.
McLellan, Asdrubal Jimenez, and Connor Anderson knocked in a run each for Footscray. Matt Martin doubled and singled, Jimenez had two base hits, and Joe Michaud, McLellan, Da Silva, and Anderson all singled.
Cameron Wilson plated two of North Western's runs with a pair of doubles while Howe had two base hits and an RBI. Luciano Castro also had two singles as Kyle Hodgetts, Jarrod Johns, and Connor Wilson had one single each.
Second-place Footscray has a 4-1 record on 51 runs for and 29 given up. North Western is one spot behind at 3-2 with 45 runs for and 31 against. North Western plays Chelsea and Footscray plays Bonbeach next.
Bonbeach Bluejays 5 v Pakenham Pumas 6
The Pumas scored four of their six runs in the first two innings while Bonbeach followed suit across the third and the fourth.
The 4-4 tie turned into a 5-5 ballgame by the end of the fifth and the last few innings were quiet until the Pumas broke through with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
Trent Job threw seven innings for Pakenham, giving up seven hits, one walk, three HBP, three earned runs, two unearned runs, and two strikeouts. Teammate Tim Bellerby handled the other two innings with no hits, just two walks and three strikeouts.
Daniel Conway-Jones covered six innings for Bonbeach with five hits, four strikeouts, and one run. Three earned runs and one unearned run scored during Dylan Brown's two innings on the mound as he gave up five hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Matt Bucci gave up one hit, one walk, and one run in an inning of work.
Pakenham's Scott Dale had three singles and two RBIs as Bellerby plated two with a pair of base hits. Mitchell Lording homered and singled as Darren Reeves, Jarrad Bell, and Job had one single each.
The Bonbeach offence was led by Bucci with three RBIs on a home run and a walk as Dylan Eldridge knocked in the other run. Mathew Prior doubled as Jarad Curwood and Conway-Jones had two base hits each. James Crowe singled as well.
After this game, Pakenham is 2-3 in fourth place on 31 runs for and 53 runs against. Bonbeach is one spot behind at 1-4 with 50 runs for and 42 against. Pakenham plays Springvale and Bonbeach plays Footscray next.
Chelsea Dolphins 0 v Springvale Lions 16
The unstoppable Lions needed just 68 pitches to seal the deal on this game, with only 12 balls and the rest strikes.
Despite some great plays from Chelsea's Matt Burton, the Dolphins were left behind with some fielding errors that allowed Springvale to score against Shannon Groenendyke.
Among the team's highlights were three sacrifice flies for Rydge Hogan, two singles and a double for Lucas Anderson, and a single and a double by Mark Richards. Adam Thatcher had two singles and two RBIs as Hogan, Neal Cavanagh and Scott Baillie had one hit each. Hogan knocked in four runs, Anderson and Cavanagh plated three and Baillie and Matthew Cameron had one apiece.
Springvale took six walks and three HBP on the day with the pitching staff not giving up any runs themselves. Baillie gave up two hits and one HBP with five strikeouts in three innings, while Cameron's three innings included three hits and a strikeout. Anderson struck out one in his solo inning.
5-0 Springvale has scored a total of 71 runs and given up just 16 so far this season with their first shutout win now under their belts. Springvale hosts Pakenham and Chelsea hosts North Western next.
Division 3 Seconds
North Western Titans 0 v Footscray Bulldogs 16
The Bulldogs ran wild on the base paths, racking up another big wind to complement their 19-10 win over Pakenham the week before.
The game started out relatively slow with Footscray scoring one in both the first and the second. The Bulldogs added another four in the third but the final fourth inning is when their bats really came alive, tacking on 10 runs.
Footscray has four wins and a draw with 61 runs for and 27 against, just behind Springvale in the standings. North Western has four losses and a draw as the Titans play Chelsea next and the Bulldogs play Bonbeach.
Chelsea Dolphins 2 v Springvale Lions 18
In another high-scoring matchup, the Lions kept up with their momentum from the week before when they won 25-1 over North Western.
This game saw Springvale exit the first inning with a 9-0 advantage, and by the end of the second it was a 14-1 ballgame. The Dolphins got one more in the third while the Lions added three and another in the fourth.
Springvale is in first place with four wins and a draw on 62 runs for and 12 against. Chelsea sits fifth with three wins and two draws on 22 runs for and 51 against. Chelsea hosts North Western and Springvale hosts Pakenham next.
Bonbeach Bluejays 16 v Pakenham Pumas 1
The Bluejays handed the Pumas their second straight loss following a late burst of offence.
Bonbeach was first on the board with five runs in the third, followed by seven in the fourth, one in the fifth, and three in the sixth. Pakenham's lone run came in the fifth.
After this big win, Bonbeach sits third with a 2-2-1 record on 45 runs for and 18 runs against. Fourth-place Pakenham is 2-3 having scored 42 and allowed 49. Bonbeach hosts Footscray and Pakenham visits Springvale next.
The VSBL Division 2 season continued with high-scoring games as teams race toward finals and look to make the second-half of the summer even stronger than the first.
Division 2 Firsts - Midweek Games (Thursday, 21 January 2021)
Doncaster Dragons 1 v Moorabbin Panthers 9
The Panthers relied on pitcher Stewart Mathieson to secure win number six. Mathieson pitched 4.33 innings with two hits, four strikeouts, five walks, and one unearned run.
Christopher Nielsen pitched two-thirds of an inning, keeping things scoreless in support of Mathieson. Doncaster's Brian Chen gave up three earned runs in an inning with a hit and four walks, while Angus Stals gave up two hits, four walks, and four runs with a strikeout in 1.33 innings.
Moorabbin's offence included two RBIs from Kieran Lewis as Nicholas Bertucci, Travis Finney, Andrei Smith, and Mitch Sheldon-Collins plated one each. The team's hits were all singles from Adam Harris, who had a pair of base hits, and Bertucci, Finney, Lewis, Nielsen and Neil Johnson.
Nic Unland doubled for Doncaster as the Dragons slipped one spot to fourth with four wins, three losses, 54 runs for, and 49 runs against. Doncaster plays Port Melbourne next while the 6-1 Panthers look to improve on 71 runs for and just 25 runs against when they play Mulgrave.
Newport Rams 10 v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 5
The Rams scored early to put the game in their favour and held on for win number five despite a late rally from the Hunters.
Newport led 2-0 after the first and 5-0 after the third, with both teams scoring one in the fourth. Four runs scored on each side in the fifth as Newport improved to a 5-2 record to take over third place from Doncaster.
Newport's Harun Pelja pitched three scoreless innings with no hits, just one HBP and two strikeouts. Mason Condie threw 1.33 innings with three hits, two walks, one HBP, and four runs. Tyler Comben struck out one and walked one with an unearned run scored in two-thirds of an inning.
Ormond Glenhuntly's Geoff MacDonald contributed 2.33 innings on the mound, with four hits, one strikeout, two walks, and three runs. Jiwon Choi threw two innings with three hits, two strikeouts, two walks, a HBP, and five runs - four of them earned. Brad Dolan threw two-thirds of an inning with one hit allowed, as well as three walks, one HBP, and two runs.
Newport's runs were batted in by Jared Berman, Mathew Lawman, Aaron Robson, and Keenan Spence. Lawman and Spence homered while Berman had two base hits, Ben Jon Howard singled, and Ryan Morrison singled twice and doubled once. Robson also had an extra-base hit.
Choi, Kyungsoo Jeon, Keunyeol Park, and Jason Maxwell each had one RBI for Ormond Glenhuntly. Jeon and Maxwell singled as Park doubled.
5-2 Newport has 62 runs for and 31 runs against going into a game at Williamstown, while eighth-place Ormond Glenhuntly has scored 32 and given up 49 in two wins and five losses. The Hunters host Werribee next.
Mulgrave Rebels 7 v Preston Pirates 1
The Rebels scored two in the first and three in the third on their way to win number four. Both sides scored once in the fourth while Mulgrave got a final run in the fifth.
Mulgrave had six hits and five walks, while giving up four hits and two walks to the Pirates. Preston's lone RBI came from Ryan Golledge.
The Rebels moved up a spot to fifth place with four wins, three losses, and an even 36 runs scored v 36 runs given up. Meanwhile the Pirates have one win and six losses, with 20 runs for and 94 against. Mulgrave's next game is at home v Moorabbin while Preston plays St Kilda.
Port Melbourne Mariners 6 v St Kilda Saints 1
St Kilda was first on the board with a run in the second, although Port Melbourne tied it up in the third. The fourth was scoreless but the Mariners kept pushing, scoring three in the fifth and two in the sixth to win their third game and bounce back from a 9-1 loss to Moorabbin the round before.
The Saints had Daniel Hogg on the mound for 4.66 innings. He gave five hits, five walks, one HBP and four runs to the Mariners with a strikeout. Thomas Snowden pitched the other 1.33 innings with a hit, a strikeout, a walk and two unearned runs.
Despite the loss, the Saints collected eight hits against Port Melbourne but left 10 runners on base. Mariano Heyden had an RBI single while Rolando Curiel and Alan Ortiz doubled, Mariano Favia had two base hits. Snowden and Paul Puskar also singled.
The Saints sit ninth with a 1-6 record on 26 runs for and 67 against. Port Melbourne is sixth with a 3-3-1 record on 37 runs for and 40 against. St Kilda visits Preston and Port Melbourne hosts Doncaster next.
Williamstown Wolves 3 v Werribee Giants 1
The Wolves won their fifth game in a close matchup, with all the scoring coming in the first inning.
Williamstown put together a three-run first while Werribee responded with one, while the next four innings stayed scoreless.
Daniel Chircop threw five solid innings for Williamstown with no hits, five walks, one unearned run, and four strikeouts. Werribee's Trent Pantalleresco threw five innings with six hits, two walks, one HBP, three runs, and five strikeouts. Cameron Mcnish also pitched.
Williamstown's offence included hits from Mitchell Collins, Nicholas Gray, Aaron Green, Tyler Gwin, Jason McDonald, Scott Meager, and Hiroshi Narasaki. Williamstown sits second with a 5-2 record on 64 runs for and 12 against, while Werribee is seventh at 3-3-1 with 28 runs for and 27 against.
The Wolves host Newport and Werribee visits Ormond Glenhuntly next.
Division 2 Firsts - Weekend Games (Sunday, 24 January 2021)
Werribee Giants 7 v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 13
The Giants have lost three of their last four as the Hunters broke the tie with a six-run eighth inning.
Werribee led 3-1 after the first, and the next three innings were quiet until Werribee tacked on two more in the fifth. The Hunters fired back with four to tie the game, forcing a back and forth battle. The sixth was scoreless while the seventh saw Werribee score once and the Hunters score twice.
Ormond Glenhuntly exited the sixth with a narrow 7-6 advantage, but Werribee tied it in the next frame. Then the Hunters scored six in the bottom of the eighth to secure the win, their third of the season.
Kyungsoo Jeon threw eight innings for Ormond Glenhuntly, with seven hits, seven strikeouts, five walks, and seven runs - three of them earned. Jiwon Choi handled one scoreless inning to close it out with no hits, two walks, and one strikeout.
Josh Lee pitched 4.66 innings for Werribee, giving up seven hits, two walks, five runs - three earned - along with three K's. John Curnow contributed 2.66 innings with five hits, one walk, one HBP, and six runs - four of them earned. He struck out four. Wilmer Castillo handled two-thirds of an inning with three hits, two HBP, and two runs scored.
Jeon plated five runs for Ormond Glenhuntly with two huge singles, while Choi knocked in three with a walk and a pair of doubles. Geoff MacDonald plated two with two singles and a double as Doha Kwak had two hits and an RBI and Jason Maxwell had a double, walk, and an RBI. Brad Dolan and Changho Choi singled and teammate Keunyeol Park had a pair of base hits.
Werribee's offence was led by Lee, who plated two on a single, and Wade Balzer who homered and doubled. Castillo got a run in with a double and a single, while Samuel Reale had two base hits and Ryan Balzer had one.
The Giants have slipped from third place in round three to seventh place after eight games. They have a 3-4-1 record on 35 runs for and 40 runs against. Ormond Glenhuntly is one spot behind in eighth with three wins, five losses, 45 runs for, and 56 runs against. Werribee plays Moorabbin and Ormond Glenhuntly plays St Kilda next.
Moorabbin Panthers 2 v Mulgrave Rebels 0
The Panthers squashed Mulgrave's hopes of back-to-back wins with a big shutout victory as the pitching on both sides took centre stage.
Moorabbin scored two runs in the first as the next eight innings were quiet. Michael McGillivray threw the entire game, keeping things scoreless with just two hits, four walks, one HBP, one wild pitch, and four strikeouts.
Ryan Phillips threw the first five for Mulgrave, giving up those two early runs before settling in. He struck out two and gave up eight hits overall, with one walk and two HBP. In Liam Richardson's two scoreless innings of work, the Panthers got one hit and struck out once, while Jayson Arthur threw one with no hits, just one HBP and two strikeouts.
Arthur and Caleb Poole had Mulgrave's only hits of the game while Moorabbin's two RBIs came off the bats of Mitchell Barr and Stewart Mathieson. Barr had three singles, Mathieson, Nick Bertucci and Travis Finney all doubled, and Matt Hardie, Adam Harris, and Kieran Lewis singled.
Moorabbin remains at the top of the ladder with seven wins, one loss, 73 runs for, and 25 runs against. 4-4 Mulgrave sits fifth having scored 36 and given up 38. Next up, Moorabbin hosts Werribee and Mulgrave visits Doncaster.
Doncaster Dragons 11 v Port Melbourne Mariners 1
Doncaster outhit Port Melbourne 14 to nine with a flurry of runs in the last few innings.
Port Melbourne made two errors on the day while Doncaster had none, with the Mariners' only run coming in the fourth. Doncaster scored three in the second, one in the fifth, three in the seventh, and two in each of the last two innings to record win number five.
Angus Stals threw four scoreless innings for Doncaster with three hits and four strikeouts, while Simon Fitzmaurice also contributed four innings, giving up just that one run. He had six hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Billy Findlay threw the other inning, walking one and striking out another. Fitzmaurice had ten first-pitch strikes while Stals had nine as the latter recorded an impressive 0.75 WHIP too.
Port Melbourne's Matthew Parker hurled 16 first-pitch strikes with nine hits, three strikeouts, two earned runs, and two unearned runs. Kevin Ung pitched two innings with four hits, two walks, one HBP, five runs, and a strikeout. Edmond Pagano's inning of work included one hit, one walk, three HBP, and two earned runs.
Doncaster's offence included two RBIs apiece for Findlay and Marc Sandy, while Brian Chen, Derek Medlin, and Nic Unland plated one each. Chen and Findlay both singled and doubled as Sandy, Dakota Gibson and Brendan McDonald contributed two base hits each. Medlin singled as well.
Ung had Port Melbourne's only RBI single while Matthew Morris had two base hits. The team's other singles went to Jock Allen, Tyson Cox-Davies, Luke Jones, Sam Morris, Jack White, and Parker.
Sixth-place Port Melbourne has a 3-4-1 record with 38 runs for and 51 runs against. Third-place Doncaster is 5-3 with 65 runs for and 50 runs against. Round nine has Port Melbourne at home v Williamstown as Doncaster hosts Mulgrave.
St Kilda Saints 8 v Preston Pirates 6
The Saints fought back from an early three-run deficit to get their second win on the board.
Preston scored three in the bottom of the first before St Kilda scored one in the third and three in the fourth. Preston regained the lead with two in the fifth but the Saints erased that one-run advantage their next turn up. St Kilda's three runs in the seventh sealed the deal as the Pirates one run in the ninth wasn't quite enough to bridge the gap.
Thomas Snowden threw the first six innings for St Kilda, giving up three hits, three walks, three earned runs, and two unearned runs with a pair of strikeouts. Adam Schoppe pitched in relief, striking out three in as many innings with three hits and one run.
Preston's Jaycob Pascuzzi gave up six hits across five innings with a strikeout, a walk, and a HBP. Four earned runs and one unearned run scored during his time on the mound, while teammate Nick Djorgonoski gave up three hits and two walks in four innings of work. He struck out two as three runs scored - two of them earned.
St Kilda's offence included RBIs from Mariano Favia, Millar Kuhl, Robby Lewis and Paul Puskar. Both pitchers contributed at the plate, with Schoppe plating two and Snowden plating one. Several players had doubles on the day, including Kuhl, Schoppe, Snowden, and Daniel Hogg, while Favia, Puskar, and Alan Ortiz singled.
Hebert Rodriguez plated two for Preston with a single and a home run, while Pascuzzi, Mitch Legge, Ryan Golledge, and Matt Fordham also knocked in runs. Legge doubled and singled as Golledge, Rodriguez, and Nick Pascuzzi had base hits.
Preston has one win and seven losses while St Kilda is 2-6 going into games v Newport and Ormond Glenhuntly, respectively.
Newport Rams 12 v Williamstown Wolves 0
Newport's bats came to life late in the game as the Rams overpowered another top four team.
The first five innings were scoreless before the Rams broke through with three in the sixth. The Wolves shut down their scoring attempts for the next two innings, but the Rams racked up nine in the final frame to secure win number six.
David Asp and Tyler Comben shared pitching duties for the winning side, with Asp giving up five hits and a walk with one strikeout in five innings. Comben struck out eight Wolves in four innings with one hit and three walks.
Dennis Neal started for Williamstown, with six hits and eight strikeouts across seven innings. He walked one and gave up three runs - two of them earned. Daniel Chircop threw 1.66 innings with five hits, three walks, one strikeout, and seven runs - five of them earned. Aaron Green pitched for less than an inning, giving up two runs on three hits.
Keenan Spence plated three for Newport with a big home run, while Mason Wray, Nathan Smith, Connor Schibeci, Ryan Morrison, Troy Malthouse, Mathew Lawman, and Dean Malthouse also knocked in runs. Lawman doubled twice and singled once, while Dean, Scott, and Troy Malthouse all doubled. Morrison and Schibeci had extra-base hits as well.
Williamstown had singles from Mitchell Collins, Aaron Green, Tyler Gwin, Robert Higginson, Jason McDonald, and Hiroshi Narasaki.
6-2 Newport sits second with 74 runs for and just 31 against, while 5-3 Williamstown is fourth with 64 runs for and 24 runs against. The Rams are at home v Preston and the Wolves play at Port Melbourne next.