The 2020/21 VSBL Division 1 season continued over the weekend with Sunshine and Upwey Ferntree Gully leading the way. The Division 1 Firsts have nine games to go before finals.
Division 1 Firsts
Blackburn Orioles 2 v Melbourne Demons 12
The reigning premiers fell short in this game as Melbourne piled on the runs early.
The Demons scored three in the first and five in the fourth. Blackburn scored once in the second and another run in the fifth. The sixth was quiet but the Demons got three more in the seventh and one in the eighth.
Melbourne had 15 hits total while giving up seven. The Demons made three errors and the Orioles made one.
Melbourne's Hayden Godbold threw five innings with five hits, two unearned runs and five strikeouts. 16 of his first pitches were strikes. Mitchell Bowen pitched two innings with one hit, one walk, one HBP, and two strikeouts. Kurtis Smith had another inning with just one hit allowed.
Blackburn's Sam Bucello gave up six hits and six runs - five of them earned - in three innings on the mound. He struck out three and walked three. Steven Bookluck threw 1.66 innings, giving up one hit and three walks with two strikeouts. Charlie Collins also put in 1.66 innings, giving up six hits and four walks with two strikeouts and a walk. Rowan Johnstone contributed 1.33 innings with two hits and two runs - one unearned - and one strikeouts. He also walked three.
Melbourne's Finn O'Connell had four hits (three singles and a double) for three RBIs, while teammate Smith also had four base hits. Nicholas Cleland plated three with a huge double and Harvey Mitchelhill had a walk and two singles. Sadi Nergiz took three walks and doubled for two RBIs while Ethan Scalzo and Charlie O'Connell also had hits.
Blackburn's Ben Leslie and Thomas Kerr-Chapman accounted for four of the team's hits with two singles each. Charlie Collins, Liam Hopkins, and Nick Rossell had base hits too.
Blackburn currently sits sixth with a 4-2-1 record, 41 runs for and 42 against. Melbourne is now 1-6 after this victory with 21 runs for and 53 against. The Orioles play Geelong next and Melbourne plays Fitzroy.
Sunshine Eagles 14 v Malvern Braves 8
The Eagles scored six late runs to break the tie and secure win number five.
Malvern led 2-0 after the first inning, but by the end of the second it was a tied 3-3 ballgame. The third was quiet but both teams scored runs in the fourth and fifth.
The 5-5 tie was broken in the seventh as the Eagles scored one and the Braves scored two. Sunshine powered back with two in the eighth, but Malvern tied it again in the bottom of the ninth. The game went to extra innings as Sunshine scored six and won the game.
Sunshine's Adam Irons threw six innings, giving up eight hits and five runs - four of them earned - with a walk and eight strikeouts. Earl Byrne gave up five hits, two earned runs, one unearned run, three walks and one HBP with three K's in four innings of work.
Malvern had Tyler Dale on the mound for four innings, giving up seven hits, four runs - three of them earned - and four walks with a pair of strikeouts. Eddie Gibbs contributed two innings with two hits, one walk, two unearned runs and three strikeouts. Four unearned runs and two earned runs scored during Geoff Holland's one inning on the mound as he gave up four hits and a walk. Mitchell Kennedy's three innings included two hits, three strikeouts, one walk, one HBP, an unearned run and an earned run.
Offensively, Sunshine had two singles and a double from Bryce Aldridge and Josh Byrne, as well as singles from Cam Deeble, Griffin Weir, and Russell Letts. Allister Lovelock had three singles and a double as Nathan Gatt singled and tripled. Lovelock had three RBIs, Weir and Gatt both had two, and Byrne and Letts plated one each.
Malvern's Justin Burke had two RBIs on two singles, while Lachlan Fuda had an RBI double and Jack Hanger had an extra base hit too. Henry Hayman singled twice, Geoff Holland had three base hits and an RBI, and Gavin Woolger plated two with a pair of doubles and a single. Kennedy also singled.
The Eagles are 5-1-1 at the top of the ladder, with 55 runs for and 23 against. The Braves sit in tenth place with a 1-5-1 record, 25 runs for and 59 runs against. Sunshine plays Berwick in round eight and Malvern plays Cheltenham.
Fitzroy Lions 1 v Essendon Bombers 11
The Bombers got on the board early and didn't look back with eight runs after the first two innings. The middle innings were quiet but both sides scored one more in the sixth. Essendon tacked on another two in the seventh to finish the game.
Essendon's Gareth Formisano pitched six innings with just one unearned run scored on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Sam Street had a scoreless inning with two K's.
Fitzroy's Cooper de Haan pitched three innings with eight runs - five of them earned - and nine hits allowed. He walked two and struck out one. In Danny King's three innings, he gave up seven hits, one walk, one HBP and three runs. Ryan Mitchell gave up one hit and two walks in a scoreless inning.
Christian Caminiti had two walks, a single, and an RBI while Kyle Douglass plated four with a pair of doubles and a base hit. Gareth Formisano had an RBI single, Michael Formisano singled twice, and Jack Giles recorded three base hits. Shoma Ikehata walked and had two base hits while Jarryd Rogers had two singles, a double, and two RBIs. Mcleod Sell knocked in two and Darby Sexton brought in a run on a big single and a double.
Fitzroy's quieter offence included singles from Ethan Epifanio, Danny King, and Gideon Van Twest Smith.
Essendon sits seventh with a 4-3 record, 35 runs for and 27 against. The Bombers play Waverley and Fitzroy plays Melbourne next.
Berwick City Cougars 5 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 6
The Cougars opened the scoring with one in the second, and it wasn't until the bottom of the fourth when the Tigers got two of their own. The game was tied at three after the fifth before the Tigers scored one in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Although Berwick scored one in both the eighth and the ninth, the Tigers managed to hold on for their fifth win of the season. Donavon Hendricks and Jarrod Turner led the way on the mound as Hendricks gave up just one unearned run with four hits and a strikeout across four innings. Turner handled the other four innings with four hits, three strikeouts, five walks, two HBP, and four runs - one of them unearned.
Craig Barnett covered six innings for Berwick with three earned runs and one unearned run on seven hits and five walks with one strikeout. Cain Bumpstead gave up just one hit in a scoreless inning as Matthew West allowed an unearned and earned run in one inning with two hits, a walk, and a strikeout.
Harvey Chinn, Riley Light, Staci Rogers, and Peter Schroeders plated runs for Upwey Ferntree Gully. Light singled and doubled, Rogers doubled and tripled, Justin Swanton had two base hits, and Wade McConnon singled.
Berwick's offence included a single, a walk, and an RBI for Cain Bumpstead, an RBI by Andrew Gibbens, and Matthew Homfray's single, double, and RBI. John King singled twice, Brad Kmet and Aidan Willis singled once, and Aaron Ouwehand had an RBI base hit.
Second-place Upwey Ferntree Gully has a 5-2 record on 58 runs for and 33 against, while ninth-place Berwick is 2-5 with 41 runs for and 46 against. The Tigers play Sandringham and the Cougars play Sunshine next.
Waverley Wildcats 7 v Cheltenham Rustlers 4
The Wildcats held steady in this matchup to win their fifth game of the season.
Waverley's Jamie Papanicolaou pitched five innings with five hits, one HBP, and three runs - one unearned - with two strikeouts. Luke Papanicolaou contributed 3.33 innings with just one hit allowed and two K's. Darcy Longstaff pitched less than an inning with one hit, one run, one HBP, and two walks.
Cheltenham's Andrew Campbell was on the mound for five innings with four hits, three walks, two runs, and two strikeouts. Russell Ferguson threw the other four innings with six hits, a walk, two HBP, and five runs - one unearned.
Ben Aslett plated two runs for Waverley with a pair of singles, while Mitchell Homfray singled and Mohi Kahui singled, doubled, and walked with an RBI. Jordan Ley singled, Reece Longstaff had two doubles and an RBI, and Finn Weichard had two base hits with an RBI. Andrew Russell and Jacob Sheldon-Collins also had RBIs.
5-2 Waverley sits fourth with 47 runs for and 25 against, while Cheltenham has the same record and sits third with 53 runs for and 35 against. Waverley hosts Essendon and Cheltenham plays Malvern next.
Geelong Baycats 11 v Sandringham Royals 8
Geelong had to battle back but the Baycats managed to win big in extra innings.
The game was 7-1 Sandringham's way after the first, leaving Geelong to keep working away at the deficit while keeping the Royals from scoring more. The Baycats scored one in the second and third as well as two in the fourth. They also scored one more in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Sandringham tied the game at eight in the bottom of the eighth, and with no runners coming home in the ninth, the game went to the tenth. The Baycats scored three to seal the deal on win number four.
Geelong collected 12 hits and Sandringham had 13 on the day, while the Baycats made one error and Sandringham made five.
Geelong's Rudy Jaramillo pitched seven innings, giving up 11 hits and striking out three with seven runs - six of them earned. 26 of his first pitches were strikes. Kelli Zablan gave up just two hits and a run in three innings with two walks and four strikeouts.
Sandringham's Declan Croker gave up six hits, four walks, three earned runs, and two unearned runs in five innings with three strikeouts. He had 19 first pitch strikes. Grant Irving threw 3.33 innings with four hits, two HBP and four runs - three of them earned. He recorded 16 first pitch strikes. Genevieve Beacom contributed 1.66 innings with two hits, two walks and two earned runs.
James Wood led Geelong in quality at-bats with two walks, a HBP, and a single. Josh Davies doubled as Jaramillo singled and walked with two RBIs. Tyler Luther-Wilson doubled and walked, Sam Moon plated a run, and Hayden Peoples doubled. Harper Rickard singled and doubled with two RBIs, Lewis Weldon plated two on a pair of base hits, and Zablan had a single and two doubles for an RBI.
Sam Skinner had two of Sandringham's RBIs, while Irving, Declan Ferguson, Timothy Lane, Will Tucker and Harrison Wills also plated runs. Croker, Lane and Ferguson singled, while Irving had a base hit and a double. Skinner and Tucker doubled and Jack Wills had two base hits.
Fifth-place Geelong has a 4-2 record with 59 runs for and 25 runs against. Eighth-place Sandringham has a 3-3-1 record with 44 runs for and 40 runs against. Geelong plays Blackburn next and Sandringham plays Upwey Ferntree Gully next.
With just six rounds to go in the regular season, the VSBL Women's competitions are heating up. Essendon continues to lead in Women's Division 1 while Springvale is undefeated in Women's Division 2. Moorabbin, Sandringham, and Doncaster also have winning streaks in Women's Division 3.
Women's Division 1
Doncaster Dragons 0 v Springvale Lions 8
The Lions improved to a 2-3 record with their shutout win over the Dragons.
Brooklyn Hutton gave up three earned runs in three innings pitched while Chelsea Stewart struck out two in two innings of work with five runs allowed - four of them earned.
Springvale pitchers gave up just two walks and five hits, including two singles to Maddi Weller and one each to Belinda Cannington, Vanessa Clifford and Jessica Johnson.
Springvale sits third with 30 runs scored and 43 given up while 3-2 Doncaster is second behind Essendon with 37 runs scored and 30 given up.
Essendon Bombers 16 v Newport Rams 2
Essendon has a 5-0 record after another big performance as the Bombers have reached double-digit runs in each of their five wins.
Newport took an early one-run lead in the first before giving up 10 in the second to a hard-hitting Essendon side. The third, fourth, and fifth innings were quiet while the Bombers scored six more in the sixth while giving up just one more to Newport.
Allie Bebbere pitched three innings for Essendon, giving up three hits and an unearned run with three strikeouts. Abbey Kelly threw two innings with three hits, one run and one strikeout while Courtney Foura gave up just one hit in a scoreless inning of work.
Essendon collected 13 hits, including Kelly's three base hits and two RBIs and Kayla Adams pair of singles and RBI. Victoria Brown also had two hits with three RBIs while Jasmine Bentley singled and doubled with an RBI and Bebbere had a base hit. Emma Davenport, Megan Kelly and Tayla Weldon also plated runners.
Newport's Georgia Page had three earned runs and seven unearned runs score during four innings on the mound with six hits, four walks, and three strikeouts.
Leslie Anglin had Newport's lone RBI with a single and a double, while Zoe Allen, Claire Costa, and Morgan Doty recording base hits. Danni Teasdale also doubled.
Essendon has scored a total of 71 runs while giving up just 21. Fourth-place Newport plays Springvale next and Essendon hosts Doncaster.
Women's Division 2
Preston Pirates 0 v Springvale Lions 17
The Lions were once again fired up at the plate, racking up their third double-digit run tally of the year.
Springvale kept Preston's offence firmly under control while scoring four in the first, two in the second, four in the third and another seven in the fourth.
Now the ladder leaders have scored a total of 66 runs while giving up just 10.
The Pirates play third-place Essendon coming off the bye while Springvale visits Footscray.
Footscray Bulldogs 8 v Geelong Baycats 6
It was a fierce battle but one Footscray managed to win by scoring the go-ahead runs at the top of the fifth.
The Baycats led 2-1 after the first but by the end of the second, it was a 5-4 ballgame Footscray's way.
The Bulldogs gave up two to lose the lead in the third but managed to get one back in the fourth. The final two runs scored in the fifth as Footscray improved to a 3-1 record while Geelong slipped to 1-3. Footscray hosts Springvale and Geelong has a bye in the next round.
Women's Division 3 East
Pakenham Pumas Black 4 v Berwick City Cougars 21
The Cougars brought their A-game in this matchup, getting their first win on the board with their highest run tally of the year.
The team has both scored and given up 48 runs and now has a 1-2-1 record, while Pakenham is 1-4.
Pakenham Black plays Wheelers Hill fresh off the bye next while Berwick heads to Springvale.
Springvale Lions 8 v Cheltenham Rustlers 13
The Rustlers had the upper hand in this matchup, getting win number one on the board thanks to consistent scoring and a stronger defence.
Cheltenham put six on the board in the first while Springvale scored three. The Rustlers scored two more in the second as Springvale kept chipping away with another. Four more Cheltenham runs came in the third as the Rustlers led 12-7 after three. Both teams scored once more to wrap up the game.
Cheltenham has moved up a spot to seventh with a 1-2-1 record while Springvale stays fifth at 2-3. Round six sees Cheltenham hosting Pakenham White and Springvale hosting Berwick.
Bonbeach Bluejays 4 v Sandringham Royals 10
The Royals kept their winning streak going with strong hitting and pitching. They led 2-1 after the first and scored five more after a scoreless second while Bonbeach fell further behind despite scoring three more runs. Sandringham scored another three in the fourth to finish off the game.
The 4-0 Royals have scored 52 runs and given up just 18 as they hold tight to their second-place spot just behind reigning premiers Moorabbin, who they play next in a battle of the undefeated sides. Bonbeach sits fourth with a 2-3 record and 52 runs scored v 48 given up going into a bye.
Moorabbin Panthers 20 v Pakenham Pumas White 6
The 5-0 Panthers show no signs of slowing down after their fifth double-digit run tally of the year. They scored six in the first and seven runs in both the second and the third while allowing three Pakenham runs in the first, two in the second and one in the third.
Moorabbin has now scored 88 runs while giving up just 29 as the Panthers haven't missed a beat, holding onto first place the entire season. They host Sandringham next while Pakenham White plays Cheltenham.
Women's Division 3 West
Fitzroy Lions 8 v Melbourne Demons 18
The Demons racked up the runs as they bounced back from an 8-5 loss to Doncaster the round before.
Melbourne led 4-2 after the first and by the end of the second, it was an 11-7 ballgame. The Lions scored one more in the third as the Demons tacked on a further seven runs to end the game. Melbourne has now scored 77 runs and given up just 28, with the second-place team hosting North Western on Saturday.
The 2-3 Lions are in fourth place with 49 runs scored and 54 given up going into a home game v Doncaster.
Doncaster Dragons 17 v Geelong Baycats 3
The Dragons put on a big show as they improved their overall run tally to 51 scored for and just 21 against.
Geelong's Ella Wilson impressed in her catching debut and also had an RBI single. Jen Renouf and Magda Boros also had RBI base hits.
Doncaster takes a 5-0 record into round six v Fitzroy while Geelong visits Newport.
Newport Rams 8 v North Western Titans 12
The Titans scored four runs in each of the three innings on their way to win number three. Newport scored once in the first and second, with another six runs scoring in the third.
Third-place North Western has a 3-2 record with 41 runs for and 42 runs against. Fifth-place Newport has a 1-4 record with 28 runs for and 76 runs against.
North Western visits Melbourne for round six as Newport hosts Geelong.
2021 baseball entries are now open for the 2021 Australian Masters Games.
Australia’s multisport festival will take place from 9-16 October 2021 in Perth, WA. More than 8,000 participants are expected to head west to enjoy this exciting sport and social program.
Participants just need to meet the minimum age requirement to join in the fun.
Baseball details are:
Dates: Saturday 9 – Saturday 16 October
Venue: Empire Ballpark (Corner Nicholson and Wilfred Roads, Thornlie WA 6108)
Minimum age 35 years (determined as at 31 December 2021).
"We are looking forward to the 2021 Australian Masters Game along with our colleagues at Baseball WA. We are excited for a big week of baseball and are pleased to support the WA baseball community," Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said.
More info: www.australianmastersgames.com/sport/baseball/
VSBL Division 4 returned after the holiday break with big games for all the teams as they look towards finals with seven games to go in the regular season.
Division 4 East
Monash University Farmers 23 v Malvern Braves 8
The Farmers racked up the runs with scoring in every inning. The Braves kept up at first, with five runs on each side to start the game.
The Farmers pulled ahead with seven runs in both the second and third. Four more runs came in the fourth and a final in the fifth. Malvern's runs came in the first and the fifth.
Ashley Aylen, Paul Blakeney, Stu Jones, Judd Neilson and the rest of the hard-hitting Monash lineup go into round five v Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold with a 3-0-1 record while Malvern plays Melbourne Red next.
Melbourne Demons Red 4 v Doncaster Dragons 8
The Dragons recorded their first win of the season with a strong performance over Melbourne. Now in tenth place, the Dragons will look to improve on their 13 runs scored and 39 given up with a game v Blackburn up next.
Melbourne Red has a 1-2-1 ahead of a home game v Malvern. The Demons have scored 29 runs and given up 39 so far this season.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers Black 4 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers Gold 10
The two Tigers teams went toe-to-toe with the Gold side coming out on top. They scored in every inning, including four in the first and three in the fifth.
The Gold team is in sixth place with a 1-1 record and 12 runs scored v 16 given up, while Upwey Ferntree Gully Black is still looking for a win. Round five has Gold playing Monash and Black playing Melbourne Blue.
Waverley Wildcats Black 15 v Blackburn Orioles 1
The Wildcats continued their strong form from before the break with their fourth straight double-digit win. The game was relatively quiet to start with a run in the first followed by two in the third. Waverley tacked on three in the fourth and two in the fifth before a seven-run six inning, all while holding Blackburn to a single run in the fourth.
The undefeated ladder leaders have scored 72 runs and given up just six as they face off with Waverley White in round five. Ninth-place Blackburn has one win, two losses and one draw with the next game at Doncaster.
Melbourne Demons Blue 7 v Mornington Pirates 5
The Demons held off a Mornington comeback to secure their second win of the year and move from eighth-place to fourth in just one round.
The Demons opened with two runs in the first and added one to their run tally in the second and third, while Mornington scored two in the second. Following more offensive contributions in the fifth, Melbourne was up 7-3 heading into the final frame. While the Pirates got two more, the Demons kept them from tying the game.
Melbourne Blue has a 2-1 record in the fourth place and Mornington sits eighth at 1-2-1. Next up, Mornington hosts Waverley Red while Melbourne Blue hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully Black.
Waverley Wildcats White 6 v Waverley Wildcats Red 6
Neither Waverley side could pull in front as both teams took their first draw of the season.
Red led 1-0 after the first and eventually took a 5-0 lead in the fifth, but Waverley White scored six their next time up. A final run for the Red team tied the game.
Waverley Red now sits third with three wins while Waverley White isn't far behind in fifth with two victories. Waverley Red plays Mornington next and Waverley White plays Waverley Black.
Division 4 North
Mitchell Majors B 1 v Mitchell Majors A 3
The battle of the Mitchell Majors went in the A's team favour. They scored one in the first, one in the fourth and another in the sixth. The B team scored once in the seventh.
Mitchell Majors A has a 4-0 record and plays Fitzroy A next. 2-2 Mitchell Majors B plays Fitzroy B in round five.
Fitzroy Lions A 15 v North Coburg Rebels A 2
The Rebels led 2-1 after the first but it didn't last long, with the Lions putting up seven in the second and another seven in the fourth.
The Lions stay undefeated at the top of the ladder with 59 runs scored and just 16 given up. Their next game is at home v Mitchell Majors A. North Coburg A has a 1-3 record with the next game at home v North Coburg B.
Fitzroy Lions B - FORFEIT v North Coburg Rebels B
Following this forfeit, North Coburg B gets a win on the board and sits fourth while Fitzroy is sixth. Fitzroy B plays Mitchell Majors B next and North Coburg B plays the other Rebels side.
Division 4 South
Mornington Pirates 10 v Bonbeach Bluejays A 3
The Pirates got the upper hand over the Bluejays to secure a 4-0 start to the season in this battle of the undefeated teams. Mornington has a chance to continue that streak in the next game v Bonbeach B, while the Bluejays play Berwick next.
St Kilda Saints 1 v Bonbeach Bluejays B 16
The Bluejays kept up their strong offence with seven runs in both the first and second. St Kilda scored one in the fifth and Bonbeach scored two to wrap up the game.
Fourth-place Bonbeach B takes a 2-1 record into round five against Mornington, while St Kilda has a bye before a round six matchup at home v Mornington.
Berwick City Cougars 12 v Chelsea Dolphins 1
The Cougars scored in every inning, including two in the first, one in the second, five in the third, three in the fourth and one in the fifth. Meanwhile, Chelsea's lone run came in the bottom of the second.
The Cougars remain in third place with a 3-1 record while the Dolphins have a 1-3 record going into games v Bonbeach A and Mordialloc, respectively.
Mordialloc Ducks 16 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 1
The Ducks got the job done with a huge offensive performance as five players had perfect on-base percentages. They scored six in the first, seven in the third and three in the fourth while the Warriors' only run came in the final frame.
Mordialloc has a 2-1 record going into a home game v Chelsea while 1-3 Wheelers Hill plays Pakenham fresh off the bye in round five.
Division 4 West
Geelong Baycats Blue 5 v Footscray Bulldogs 7
Footscray opened with one run in the first before Geelong tied it up in the third. The Bulldogs pulled ahead by two in the fourth while both teams put up four in the fifth.
Footscray moved up to second place with a 3-1 record while Geelong Blue has a 2-2 record. The Baycats play Newport next and Footscray plays Essendon Bombers.
Essendon Bombers 17 v Essendon Jets 2
As the two Essendon sides went head-to-head, the Bombers had a bigger day at the plate. The Bombers scored four in the first, seven in the second, and six in the fourth. The Jets scored once in the second and another in the fourth.
The Bombers are 4-0 with 57 runs scored and only 10 given up. They play Footscray next while the Jets visit Geelong White in round five.
Newport Rams 18 v Geelong White 11
This high-powered offensive game ended with the Rams' second victory of the season. Both sides got started right away with Newport leading 5-4 after the first.
The Baycats scored two to take a one-run lead in the second, but Newport kept things going with a four-spot in the third. The Rams put the game out of reach with seven runs in the fourth, followed by a final two in the fifth. The Baycats scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth as they dropped their third game in a row.
Geelong White sits fifth with a 1-3 record and Newport is third at 2-2. Geelong White hosts Essendon Jets and Newport hosts Geelong Blue next.
The six VSBL Division 3 teams are back to business with big matchups to start the new year. Springvale leads the way, followed by Footscray and North Western.
Division 3 Firsts
Chelsea Dolphins 0 v Bonbeach Bluejays 30
The Bluejays' club as a whole scored 132 runs over the weekend while giving up just 51, with the dominant offence on full display in this matchup.
Two runs scored in the first while the Bluejays put up a massive 18-run spot in the second. Three additional runs came in the third, one in the fourth and a final six in the sixth.
Dylan Brown threw five innings with just one hit, two walks and four strikeouts. Daniel Conway-Jones struck out all three batters he faced in his inning of work. Matthew Prior also contributed an inning with just one hit and one strikeout.
Bonbeach collected 17 hits on the day, including four hits and five RBIs from James Crowe with three singles and a double. Conway-Jones wasn't far behind with four RBIs on two hits and a triple. Oliver Hookey-Rizzo knocked in four too with a single, a double and two walks.
In addition to 12 walks and six HBP batters, Bonbeach also had RBIs from Jacob Bald, Isaiah Bird, Matt Bucci, Jarad Curwood, William Marks, Mathew Prior and Edward Steere. Dylan Eldridge singled as well.
After getting their first win on the board, the Bluejays play Pakenham next as Chelsea takes on Springvale.
Springvale Lions 8 v North Western Titans 5
Springvale has a 4-0 record after a late burst of offence on Sunday. The game was scoreless through five before Springvale tacked on four in the sixth. Springvale scored another run in the seventh and three more in the eighth. North Western's five runs came in the eighth but despite a missed double play, Springvale held strong to keep the Titans from tying it up.
Rydge Hogan was on the mound for Springvale through four innings, with no hits or walks, just one HBP and four strikeouts. Matthew Cameron handled two with two hits, one HBP and three strikeouts. Scott Baillie struck out two in his one inning of work to end the game, with seven straight strikes and no balls, while Lucas Anderson contributed two innings before him in relief. He had five hits, five runs - four of them earned - and three strikeouts.
Connor Wilson pitched well for the Titans, settling into his start after giving up a HBP and a walk to the first two batters. Baillie had Springvale's first hit to open the fifth, followed by Rowan Hall's ball up the middle, but a double play kept things under control.
The four-run sixth started with a 4-0 walk to Brandon Mize, a clever bunt by Thatcher and a HBP. Hogan was intentionally walked ahead of Cameron, who followed up with a two-RBI base hit. Cavanagh loaded the bases again after a HBP, setting the scene for Baillie's big double to right.
Cameron and Baillie had two RBIs each with Anderson, Adam Thatcher, and Benjamin Birchall also plating runs in the game. Neal Cavanagh had a single and a double and Rowan Hall had a base hit.
The undefeated Lions play Chelsea next and the 3-1 Titans visit Footscray.
Footscray Bulldogs 12 v Pakenham Pumas 4
Pakenham dropped this game after a 11-2 win over Chelsea to wrap up 2020. The Pumas led 3-1 after the first but it didn't last long, as Footscray fired back with seven in the second. The Bulldogs scored another one in the fourth and three in the fifth. Pakenham got one back in the bottom but the rest of the game was quiet for the last four innings with no runs scoring on either side.
Brittney Cedelland pitched four innings for Footscray with three hits, two walks and one run. Alexander Da Silva threw three with four hits, one walk, three runs - two unearned - and six strikeouts. Heny Hernandez gave up just one walk and no hits in two innings of work, striking out two.
Pakenham's Tim Bellerby pitched 7.66 innings, giving up 10 hits, two walks, one HBP, and four runs with six strikeouts. Jarrad Bell handled the other 1.33 innings, giving up eight hits and a walk with eight runs, seven of them earned.
Footscray's offence included Cedelland's two singles for two RBIs while Da Silva had two doubles and two RBIs. Cory Hart singled, Jaime Harvey had two base hits, a HBP and an RBI. Hernandez had four singles and two RBIs while Asdrubal Jimenez had two base hits. Joe Michaud plated three RBIs on a single and a double, while David Ponce de Leon had an RBI single.
Bellerby had three RBIs for the Pumas with two base hits as Scott Dale had a single and a walk. Mitchell Lording doubled, Darren Reeves singled, and Ben Westhorpe had an RBI base hit.
Pakenham has a 1-3 record while Footscray is 3-1, with the next games v Bonbeach and North Western, respectively.
Division 3 Seconds
Springvale Lions 25 v North Western Titans 1
The Titans couldn't keep up with the Lions as they scored consistently throughout the game.
Springvale led 2-1 after the first and 6-1 after the second, with another four in the third and one in the fourth. 14 runs scored in the fifth to give the Lions' their biggest win of the season so far.
Springvale's big outing included contributions from James Brake, Maxwell Chew, Luke Martin, and Benjamin Rosewall.
The Lions have three wins and a draw while North Western has three losses and a draw. Springvale hosts Chelsea and North Western plays Footscray next.
Footscray Bulldogs 19 v Pakenham Pumas 10
The Bulldogs had the upper hand in this matchup as they collected their highest run tally of the season. Both sides scored three in the first two innings but Footscray pulled ahead with two in the third. Seven runs apiece in the fourth kept things interested, but the Bulldogs were on the ball, bringing home another seven in the fifth.
Connor Allen, Nathan Axiaq, Matthew Dugger and the rest o the hard-hitting Footscray lineup will take a 3-0-1 into round five v North Western. 2-2 Pakenham plays Bonbeach next.
Chelsea Dolphins 5 v Bonbeach Bluejays 5
The Dolphins scored four early runs to take the lead, but five for Bonbeach in the second quickly changed that. The third, fourth and fifth innings were quiet before Chelsea tied it up in the sixth.
Chelsea now has two losses and two draws while Bonbeach has a 1-2-1 record. Chelsea plays Springvale and Bonbeach plays Pakenham next.
The 2020/21 VSBL season is back from the break as Division 2 teams came out swinging. Moorabbin is at the top of the ladder, but Williamstown, Doncaster and Newport aren't far behind with less than two months to go.
Division 2 Firsts
Port Melbourne Mariners 1 v Moorabbin Panthers 9
The Panthers kept chipping away at the lead to secure their fifth win of the season.
Moorabbin opened with one in the first and another three in the fourth. The Panthers scored one more in the sixth and two in both the seventh and eighth to seal the deal. Port Melbourne's lone run came in the seventh.
Moorabbin's Michael McGillivray pitched seven innings with just one run allowed. He gave up four hits, four walks, and three HBP with seven strikeouts. Christopher Nielsen handled two scoreless innings with no hits or walks and three strikeouts.
Matthew Parker threw six innings with six hits, two walks and three HBP with five runs allowed - three of them earned. He struck out six batters. Kevin Ung and Tyson Cox-Davies contributed one inning each, with Ung giving up two hits, two walks and two unearned runs. Cox-Davies allowed two hits and two runs with two strikeouts.
Kieran Lewis led Moorabbin's offence with four RBIs on two doubles and a single. Ben Laux had a two-run homer and Stewart Mathieson singled and doubled on the day. Adam Harris, Matt Hardie, Tom Brookes and Nielsen singled as well.
Port Melbourne's quieter offence included an RBI by Cox-Davies as well as singles to Ung, Bailey Waterman, Jack White and Adam Baker.
Ladder-leader Moorabbin has a 5-1 record with the next game at home v Doncaster while Port Melbourne has a 2-3-1 record with an upcoming away game at St Kilda.
Mulgrave Rebels 2 v Werribee Giants 4
This low-scoring game saw both sides perform well in the pitching department, with Werribee's Josh Lee and Mulgrave's Jayson Arthur working hard on the mound.
Lee threw the entire nine games, with just two unearned runs scored against him. He allowed four hits, one walk, and one HBP while striking out nine batters. The Rebels got eight solid innings out of Arthur, who gave up six hits and eight walks with nine strikeouts and four runs - two of them unearned.
Werribee's winning lineup featured RBI singles from Lee and Simon Riches, two base hits by Evan McPherson, and singles to Wade Balzer and Pantalleresco. Mulgrave's offence included an RBI single to Nicholas Coy, another RBI by Nicholas Thompson and base hits from Trent Watkinson, Caleb Poole and Ryan Phillips.
Werribee improved to a 3-2-1 record while Mulgrave is 3-3. Werribee hosts Williamstown and Mulgrave heads to Preston next.
Newport Rams 17 v Doncaster Dragons 2
The Rams recorded their fourth win of the season with their highest-scoring game of the season. Newport's Tyler Comben pitched five innings with six hits, four walks, two runs - one unearned - and four strikeouts. Aaron Robson handled the other two innings with three hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Luke Utting pitched 2.66 innings for Doncaster, giving up three earned runs on four hits, two walks and one HBP. He struck out three. 12 runs scored during the 2.66 innings Simon Fitzmaurice was on the mound, but seven of them were unearned. Two unearned runs scored with Billy Findlay pitching.
Newport's big offence included 4 RBIs for Keenan Spence with a home run, a triple and two singles, as well as 3 RBIs apiece for Nathan Smith and Dean Malthouse. Mason Wray plated two with a pair of singles and a double while Jared Berman, Morgan Doty and Mathew Lawman all had one RBI. Scot Malthouse and Ryan Morrison both singled.
Doncaster's offensive contributors included Findlay and Marc Sandy who batted in a run each, as well as Brian Chen with three singles. Dakota Gibson, Derek Medlin and Nic Unland singled.
After this result, both teams sit at 4-2 with Newport playing Ormond Glenhuntly next and Doncaster playing Moorabbin.
Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 8 v Preston Pirates 6
The first inning was scoreless before both teams got on the board in the second. Ormond Glenhuntly led 2-1 after the second and 4-1 after the third. The Hunters scored three more in the fifth.
Preston fought to stay in it, scoring one in the fifth and another in the sixth before three runs came home in the eighth. The Pirates were within one but gave up an eighth run to the Hunters in the final frame as the game fell just out of reach.
Kyungsoo Jeon threw five innings for Ormond Glenhuntly with four hits, one walk, two runs - one unearned - and eight strikeouts. Jiwon Choi pitched four innings, giving up eight hits, two walks and four runs - three of them earned.
Preston's Jaycob Pascuzzi threw four scoreless innings with just one hit, one walk and two strikeouts. Nicholas Pascuzzi gave up a hit, two walks and one run in his lone inning of work. He also struck out one. The Hunters collected 10 hits, two walks and seven runs - two unearned - during Gabriel Valderrama's four innings on the mound.
Ormond Glenhuntly's offence was led by Jason Maxwell with two RBIs, as Doha Kwak, Rhy Dyball, Brad Dolan, Jeon and Choi also plated runs. Keunyeol Park had two base hits and Geoff MacDonald singled and doubled.
Preston had two RBIs from Glenn Farrell and doubles by Adrian Fittock, Luke Williams and Pascuzzi. Matt Fordham, Mitch Legge and Hebert Rodriguez batted in runs.
Eighth-placed Ormond Glenhuntly plays Newport and tenth-place Preston plays Mulgrave next.
Williamstown Wolves 8 v St Kilda Saints 3
The Wolves scored two to start the game and kept St Kilda off the board for the most part, aside from one in the second and two in the seventh. Williamstown scored four in the sixth and two in the ninth.
Dennis Neal covered six solid innings with four hits, three walks, one run and eight strikeouts. Daniel Chircop threw three innings with four hits, one walk, two runs and a strikeout.
St Kilda's Adam Schoppe stayed on the mound for the entire game, allowing 12 hits, two walks, two HBP and eight earned runs with seven strikeouts.
Hiroshi Narasaki had 3 RBIs on two doubles, while Williamstown's other runs were batted in by Jason McDonald, Tyler Gwin and Aaron Green. Robert Higginson singled twice and Scott Meager had a base hit too.
Alan Ortiz, Paul Puskar and Daniel Hogg brought in runs for St Kilda as Rolando Curiel, Mariano Favia and Mariano Heyden all had hits.
Ninth-place St Kilda is 1-5 going into a game v Port Melbourne while Williamstown is 4-2 before a clash with Werribee.
Division 2 Seconds
Port Melbourne Mariners 0 v Moorabbin Panthers 12
The Panthers stayed undefeated after a strong home game performance as they scored in four out of five innings.
Moorabbin scored twice in the first and three times in the second. Three more runs came home in the third, followed by four in the fourth.
Three of Moorabbin's wins have been shutout victories, as the team has given up just two runs total with 42 scored.
Next up for Moorabbin is a game at Mulgrave, while Port Melbourne hosts Doncaster.
Williamstown Wolves 2 v St Kilda Saints 6
The Saints scored early to secure their first win of the season.
St Kilda scored two in the first and three in the second. The rest of the game was quiet except for the fifth inning, when Williamstown scored two and St Kilda scored one.
The seventh-place Saints are now 1-2-1 with 13 runs scored and 17 given up. Williamstown is just behind in eighth place with one win and three losses with 27 runs scored and 22 given up. St Kilda plays Preston next and Williamstown plays Newport.
Newport Rams 15 v Doncaster Dragons 3
The Rams bounced back from a tough 15-0 loss to Moorabbin in round three with a big win against Doncaster.
Aggressive baserunning, several stolen bases and early scoring helped Newport get ahead.
Trenell Hutchins had two hits for the Rams while Harun Pelja and Mason Condie impressed on the mound. Catcher Zac Gorman also contributed behind the dish and at the plate.
Newport moved up one spot to third with three wins and a loss. Doncaster is fourth with the same record but only 31 runs scored compared to 37 for the Rams.
Newport plays Williamstown and Doncaster plays Port Melbourne next.
Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 10 v Preston Pirates 3
The Hunters had the upper hand over the Pirates in this matchup, as they came back from an early 2-0 deficit to take the lead in the fourth. By the end of that inning it was a 6-2 ballgame.
The fifth inning was scoreless but the Hunters added four in the final frame while giving up just one to the Pirates.
4-0 Ormond Glenhuntly plays Werribee next while Preston hosts St Kilda.
Mulgrave Rebels 4 v Werribee Giants 4
The Giants had their second draw of the season after the Rebels came back to tie it in the last inning.
Werribee scored one in the third and three in the sixth but faltered in the end to lose hold of the victory. The Giants sit fifth with one win, one loss and two draws, while Mulgrave is sixth with one win, two losses and a draw.
Werribee visits Ormond Glenhuntly next while Mulgrave hosts Moorabbin.
Division 2 Thirds
Werribee Giants 2 v Mulgrave Rebels 3
It was a close one but ultimately the Rebels prevailed, thanks to a late three-run burst in the fifth.
Werribee scored one in the first and another in the fifth before giving up the go-ahead run to the Rebels. Mulgrave held on to stop Werribee from scoring in the top of the sixth.
Mulgrave improved to 3-1 after this game while Werribee has a 1-3 record. Mulgrave plays Moorabbin next and Werribee plays Ormond Glenhuntly.
Doncaster Dragons 2 v Newport Rams 17
The Rams ran wild on the base paths, tying their highest run tally of the year. They also scored 17 runs in a 14-run victory over Werribee in round two.
The 4-0 Rams host Williamstown and 3-1 Doncaster hosts Port Melbourne next.
St Kilda Saints 1 v Williamstown Wolves 6
The Wolves opened with one in the first followed by two in the second and three in the third. St Kilda got one in the fourth while the fifth was quiet with no score on either side.
Williamstown is 3-1 and St Kilda is 0-4 going into games v Newport and Preston respectively.
Preston Pirates 9 v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 7
The Pirates recorded their first win of the season with a solid offensive performance at the Hunters home base. The game was tied at one after the first before Preston scored two more in the second.
Preston briefly led 4-3 after the top of the third but by the bottom half, Ormond Glenhuntly had scored four to take the lead. The back and forth battle continued with neither side scoring in the fourth before Preston fired back with four in the fifth and one more in the sixth. The Hunters came within two in the final frame, but the Pirates walked away victorious.
Seventh-place Preston plays St Kilda next and Ormond Glenhuntly plays Werribee.
Moorabbin Panthers 13 v Port Melbourne Mariners 1
The Panthers scored in four out of five innings on their way to win number three. Moorabbin scored one in the first, eight in the second and three in the third. A final run scored in the fifth while Port Melbourne's lone run came in the second.
Now 3-1, second-place Moorabbin plays Mulgrave while 2-2 Port Melbourne looks to improve on a sixth-place position going into a game v Doncaster.
Division 2 Fourths
Werribee Giants 10 v Mulgrave Rebels 14
It was a busy day offensively as the Rebels came away with their second win of the season.
Mulgrave led 9-0 after the first but Werribee got back in the game, scoring eight in the second. The Rebels tacked on five and gave up a final two to Werribee as the game finished.
The 2-2 Rebels sit fifth with an even 30 runs scored and 30 given up, while Werribee is seventh at 1-3 with 28 runs scored for and 45 scored against.
Mulgrave plays Moorabbin and Werribee plays Ormond Glenhuntly after the bye in round five.
Doncaster Dragons 4 v Newport Rams 6
Newport narrowly came away with the win, denying the Dragons their first win of the season. Newport has won three and lost one with 28 runs scored and 26 given up. Doncaster has two losses and a draw having scored 18 runs and given up 22.
Doncaster plays Port Melbourne and Newport plays Williamstown next.
St Kilda Saints 7 v Williamstown Wolves 11
The Wolves bounced back quickly after the Saints took a 5-2 lead into the second. Although St Kilda still led after the second with the score sitting at 7-6, Williamstown took over in the third two runs, followed by two more in the fourth and another in the fifth.
Williamstown takes a 3-0 record into round five at Newport while 1-2-1 St Kilda has a bye.
Moorabbin Panthers 10 v Port Melbourne Mariners 2
The Panthers scored three early runs to get the game started in their favour, and they went on to score three in the fourth and four in the fifth. Port Melbourne's only runs came in the fourth.
The 4-0 Panthers host Mulgrave next while Port Melbourne visits Doncaster.
The 2020/21 VSBL Division 1 season recommenced after the break with exciting matchups as teams look to get the year started right. Cheltenham, Sunshine and Blackburn are the teams to beat in the Division 1 Firsts with 10 games to go.
Division 1 Firsts - Round 6 (Midweek Games)
Cheltenham Rustlers 11 v Berwick City Cougars 8
Cheltenham has climbed to the top of the ladder with a big win over Berwick, made possible by early runs and a late eight-run rally in the fifth.
The Rustlers opened with two in the first as Berwick got one back in the second. The third was scoreless before Cheltenham scored once more in the third, just to give up four to Berwick. The Rustlers powered back with their eight-spot in the final frame, and while the Cougars got three of their own, they fell just short.
Andrew Campbell threw three innings for Cheltenham, giving up seven hits, two walks, one HBP and four earned runs with two strikeouts. Conor Myles threw two innings with five hits, three walks and four earned runs while striking out five.
Berwick had Aaron Ouwehand on the mound for 4.33 innings. He gave up six hits and two walks with one strikeout as seven runs scored - three of them earned. John King threw 0.66 innings with four hits, one walk, and four earned runs allowed.
Myles and Dante Caruso had two hits apiece for Cheltenham. Both singled and doubled as Caruso knocked in three runs and Myles recorded an RBI. Ben Fierenzi doubled while Jack Daniels and Andrew Gribbin had RBI singles. Sam Michael and Mack Turley had two RBIs while Michael Leslie had one.
Aidan Willis had two doubles and a single with a walk and three RBIs. Nick O'Shea had a pair of singles and an RBI while John King had two base hits and Matthew Homfray doubled and walked. Cain Bumpstead, Marcus Graham, Craig Barnett and Andrew Gibbens also had contributions at the plate.
Berwick is in ninth place with a 2-4 record ahead of a game at Upwey Ferntree Gully, while first place Cheltenham takes a 5-1 record into a home game at Waverley.
Geelong Baycats 2 v Essendon Bombers 1
It was a close matchup but the Baycats prevailed with a late run. Essendon took a one-run lead in the third but Geelong tied it in the fifth before bringing home the winning run in the top of the seventh.
Geelong had six hits with two apiece to Ryan Darcy and Kelli Zablan. Darcy had three quality at-bats while Tyler Luther-Wilson had two. Essendon's two hits came off the bats of Jack Giles and Cody Rodwell.
Essendon's Gareth Formisano threw five innings, giving up four hits, four walks and one run with three strikeouts. Michael Formisano pitched two innings, also giving up a run with two hits, two walks and a strikeout.
Sam Gibbons threw four for Geelong with two hits, a walk, an unearned run and a pair of strikeouts. Zablan handled three scoreless innings on the mound with no hits, just one walk and three strikeouts.
Essendon is now 3-3 in eighth place as the Bombers look to return to their fine form from a 16-2 win over Melbourne in round five. Their next game is at home v Fitzroy while 3-2 Geelong heads to Sandringham sitting sixth.
Sunshine Eagles 11 v Fitzroy Lions 0
The Eagles bounced back from a 12-2 loss to Waverley on the weekend in this shutout win. Sunshine scored once in the first, three times in the third and five times in the fourth before tacking on a final two runs in the sixth, all while keeping Fitzroy off the board.
Billy Parsons struck out seven and gave up just one hit in his five-inning start, while Jeremy Young recorded a pair of strikeouts with no hits or runs in his inning of work. Cam Deeble also threw a scoreless inning.
Five of Sunshine's runs were unearned against Warwick Purchase as he handled four innings on the mound for Fitzroy and Brock Pawley covered three. Ryan Mitchell had Fitzroy's only single of the game while Sunshine's 11 hits were spread up and down the lineup. Bryce Aldridge had three singles, Allan de San Miguel had a double, two walks and two RBIs, and Adam Irons plated two two singles and a double. Allister Lovelock collected three hits and four RBIs and Young doubled.
Sunshine was at the top of the ladder after the first four rounds but is now second behind Cheltenham. The Eagles take a 4-1 record into a game at Malvern while Fitzroy needs a win at Essendon.
Malvern Braves 7 v Melbourne Demons 4
The Braves recorded their first win in Division 1 this season with a solid performance at Melbourne, led by Jarryd Dale, Chris Burke and Ryan Othen at the plate. They all had two hits apiece including a triple for Burke and doubles to Dale and Othen. Mitchell Kennedy brought in two runs on a double while Henry Hayman, Geoff Holland and Gavin Woolger also had hits.
Tyler Dale threw three scoreless innings with two hits, one walk and one strikeout, while Simon Pole handled 2.66 innings, giving up six hits, a walk and four runs - two unearned -with a strikeout. Kennedy pitched for less than an inning.
Malvern stays in 10th place with the win as the 1-4-1 team hosts second-place Sunshine. Melbourne also faces a challenge with reigning premiers Blackburn coming to Surrey Park on Saturday.
Waverley Wildcats 8 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 5
The Wildcats proved too good for the Tigers on Tuesday night with a flurry of runs in the fourth inning.
The first two frames were quiet before both sides scored two in the third. Waverley broke the tie with five runs in the fourth and another in the sixth. The Tigers stayed in it with one run in the fifth and two more in the sixth, but it wasn't enough to catch up.
Darcy Longstaff pitched three innings for Waverley two hits, four walks and two runs allowed. He struck out three. Luke Papanicolaou covered two innings with three hits, two walks, one run and one strikeout. Andrew Russell recorded one hit, two walks and two runs - one unearned - in his inning of work.
Sean Meldrum threw three innings for the Tigers, giving up three hits, a walk and two runs with three strikeouts. Keeley Ronalds-Greatbatch threw 0.33 innings and Jarrod Turner handled 2.66 innings with two hits, a walk and two strikeouts.
Damon Hill and Mitchell Homfray had two hits apiece for Waverley, with the latter recoding 3 RBIs. Reece Longstaff plated two with a single as did Jacob Sheldon-Collins. Finn Weichard had an RBI single too.
Three singles and two RBIs came off the bat of Wade McConnon, while the Tigers also had a pair of singles from Riley Light and one by Donavon Hendricks. McConnon had two RBIs and Staci Rogers had one.
Fifth-place Waverley takes a 4-2 record into round seven at Cheltenham with the fourth-place Tigers playing Berwick at home.
Sandringham Royals 1 v Blackburn Orioles 1
A pitcher's duel between Sandringham's Grant Irving and Blackburn's Rowan Johnstone resulted in a midweek draw.
Blackburn scored in the first and Sandringham in the fourth, but otherwise these offences were uncharacteristically quiet as the pitchers and their defence took centre stage.
Irving allowed seven hits, three walks and one HBP with eight strikeouts across six innings. Johnstone gave up seven hits, two walks and a run with one strikeout in four innings. Charlie Collins took the mound for two scoreless innings with one single, one walk and one HBP.
Nick Rossell had a pair of singles for Blackburn while David Dicker doubled and other base hits went to Steven Bookluck, Jacob Evans, Liam Hopkins and Ben Leslie. Bookluck knocked in the team's only run of the night.
For Sandringham, Declan Croker recorded an RBI single while Irving and Declan Ferguson had two hits apiece. Jack Wills doubled while Tim Lane and Zak Skinner singled.
Third-place Blackburn visits Melbourne hoping to improve on a 4-1-1 record while as seventh-place Sandringham hosts Geelong as the Royals search for a fourth win.
Division 1 Firsts - Round 5 (Weekend Games)
Geelong Baycats 4 v Berwick City Cougars 8
The Baycats took a 1-0 lead in the third and added another in the fourth before Berwick picked up the pace with four runs.
Both sides scored once more in the sixth before Geelong tacked on another in the seventh. Berwick scored two in the bottom frame and one in the eighth to get far enough in front.
Berwick had 14 hits total while Geelong had nine. Starting pitcher Rudy Jaramillo gave up eight hits, one walk, one HBP and five earned runs while striking out seven in his six innings on the mound. He also went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs. Hayden Peoples gave up six hits with two strikeouts in two innings of relief work. He also homered while teammates Tyler Luther-Wilson, Kelli Zablan, Samuel Thomas and Lewis Weldon recorded hits.
Berwick's offence was led by three RBIs from Andrew Gibbens on a pair of singles, as well as three base hits for Craig Barnett and a double by Cain Bumpstead. Marcus Graham, Brad Kmet and Nick O'Shea recorded RBIs with hits also to John King and Aidan Willis.
Barnett threw seven innings with eight hits and a walk given up for four runs - three of them earned. He struck out four and was supported by Aaron Ouwehand's two solid innings with just one hit and a walk allowed.
This game puts Berwick at 2-3 and Geelong at 2-2 going into games v Cheltenham and Essendon, respectively.
Malvern Braves 5 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 15
The Tigers had a late flurry of runs to seal the deal on their fourth win of the season.
The game was tied at 1-1 after two before the Tigers started pulling ahead. It was a 3-2 ballgame in Upwey's favour after five, but Malvern took a very brief lead in the sixth by scoring three. The bottom of the frame is when Upwey's bats really came alive, scoring eight in the bottom half. Four more runners came home in the bottom of the seventh as the game finished early due to the 10-run margin.
Upwey's Wade McConnon scored two on a sixth-inning double while Staci Rogers had an RBI single in the first. Jordan Elliot recorded three RBIs with a single, triple and a walk as Hendricks and Riley Light doubled.
Geoff Holland, Ryan Othen and Henry Hayman recorded RBIs for Malvern. Jack Hangar and Gavin Woolger had two singles while Mithc Kennedy and Henry Jones also got on base.
Holland, Simon Pole, Eddie Gibbs and Tyler Dale all contributed on the mound for Malvern while Hendricks held things down for the Tigers. Upwey's starting pitcher gave up 11 hits, a walk and a HBP but managed to keep the Braves to five runs - two of them unearned.
After this game Upwey is 4-1 and Malvern is 0-4-1 going into games v Waverley and Melbourne.
Sunshine Eagles 2 v Waverley Wildcats 12
The Eagles faltered in their first game back as Waverley ran wild on the base paths. A six-spot in the second and three more unanswered runs put the game out of reach, although Sunshine did get on the board with two in the sixth. Waverley scored three more in the bottom frame to wrap things up.
Sunshine's four pitchers gave up 15 hits between them while the Eagles collected eight hits. Joshua Byrne, Earl Byrne, Adam Irons and Griffin Weir pitched for Sunshine and Kynan Jones and Jamie Papanicolaou threw for Waverley. Jones gave up three hits, a walk and a HBP for two runs in two innings of work while Papanicolaou allowed five hits in five scoreless innings with a walk and three strikeouts.
Sunshine's Bryce Aldridge had two singles while Byrne had one. Nathan Gatt recorded two RBIs with a single and a double as Allister Lovelock, Jason Tutt and Irons also got hits on the day.
Mitchell Homfray knocked in three Waverley runs two singles, a double and a walk. Damon Hill also singled twice and doubled once while Ben Aslett and Jordan ley each had a pair of base hits. Jacob Sheldon-Collins doubled and walked twice as Finn Weichard collected two RBIs with a single and a double. Mitchell Wilhite recorded a hit too.
This win put Waverley at 3-2 and Sunshine at 3-1-1 heading into games at Upwey Ferntree Gully and Fitzroy.
Cheltenham Rustlers 12 v Fitzroy Lions 1
The Rustlers built on a 2-1 lead after the first with three in the third, one in the sixth and six in the seventh. The Rustlers managed to keep the Lions off the scoreboard for the rest of the game thanks to strong pitching from Russell Ferguson.
In seven innings of work, Ferguson gave up five hits, two walks and one HBP with eight strikeouts. Fitzroy's hits came courtesy of Riley Hill, Gavin Juchnevicius, Ryan Mitchell and Warwick Purchase, with Hill recording the RBI.
Cheltenham's Ben Fierenzi led the way with a single and a triple for three RBIs, while teammate Dante Caruso knocked in two on a single. Jack Daniels had two walks and an RBI for quality at-bats while Andrew Gribbin had an RBI single. Michael Leslie doubled and walked, Sam Michael singled and walked three times for two RBIs, and Conor Myles had a pair of singles with an RBI. Dylan Trevorah singled twice while Mack Turley walked twice and had a base hit for an RBI.
Cheltenham took a 4-1 record after this game with the next game at Berwick while Fitzroy hosts Sunshine.
Essendon Bombers 16 v Melbourne Demons 2
The Bombers put their bats to hard work on Sunday, scoring five in th first and three in the second to get things going.
Melbourne scored a lone run in the fourth and one more in the sixth while Essendon tacked on four apiece in both the fifth and the sixth to finish the game.
Sam Street had a quality start with just two hits and three walks allowed in five innings. He struck out 10 before handing the reigns over to Russell Spear who struck out one in a quiet inning.
Melbourne's Mitchell Bowen gave up nine hits and four walks in four innings. He allowed eight runs and struck out three. Nicholas Cleland pitched three innings, giving up four earned runs on four hits, two walks and one HBP with two strikeouts.
Jarryd Rogers led Essendon offensively with 5 RBIs on two singles and a double. Jack Giles also contributed with 3 RBIs with two big singles and a walk. Ross Bament had two hits and an RBI, Christian Caminiti singled three times with two RBIs, and Kyle Douglass walked once and singled twice for an RBI. Michael Formisano had two base hits and two RBIs as well.
Finn O'Connell had two hits and an RBI for Melbourne with singles from Ethan Scalzo, Kurtis Smith and Harvey Mitchelhill as well.
Essendon improved to 3-2 after this game with the next matchup at home v Geelong. Melbourne hosts Malvern in round six.
Blackburn Orioles 9 v Sandringham Royals 4
The Orioles and the Royals put on a good show but the reigning premiers put the game out of reach, forcing Sandringham to play catchup.
Blackburn scored five in the first, followed by a quiet second inning before the Royals got three back in the third. Blackburn scored two in the fifth and Sandringham put up one. The Orioles scored their final two runs in the seventh, giving them a five-run margin for the win, their fourth of the season.
Blackburn had 13 hits in total while Sandringham wasn't far behind with nine. Liam Hopkins had four singles, a walk and two RBIs for the Orioles while Charlie Collins singled and homered for three RBIs. Luke Hughes took two walks and singled twice with an RBI while Nick Rossell, Steven Bookluck, David Dicker, Cooper Goodman and Ben Leslie also made contributions at the plate.
Sandringham had two singles and an RBI by Jack Wills, an RBI single by Harrison Wills, and a big double from Will Tucker. Zak Skinner homered while Tim Lane, Grant Irving, Declan Ferguson and Genevieve Beacom all recorded hits too.
Declan Croker pitched 4.66 innings for Sandringham, giving up nine hits, five walks and one HBP with seven runs scored - six of them earned - and five strikeouts. Beacom contributed 2.33 innings with three hits and two runs allowed along with a pair of strikeouts. Brandon Stenhouse covered two innings with just one hit and one walk allowed. He struck out three.
Andrew Jones hurled five innings for Blackburn. He gave up eight hits and four runs with six strikeouts. Sam Bucello covered four scoreless innings with one hit, two walks and two strikeout.
This result boosted Blackburn to 4-1 while Sandringham slipped to 3-2 going into another game on Tuesday.
Division 1 Seconds
Geelong Baycats 5 v Berwick City Cougars 10
The Cougars made the most of their scoring chances in this matchup, putting one on in the first, four in the third and five in the fourth. Geelong scored two in the third and three in the fifth.
Geelong's James Renouf picked up three hits, while James Lappin did well in his first start and Jarrod Fraim and Harper Rickard had three quality at-bats. Geelong outhit Berwick 7-5 on the day.
1-2 Berwick sits in eighth place with 22 runs scored and 24 given up while ninth-place Geelong is 1-3 with 26 runs for and 29 runs against.
Berwick plays Upwey Ferntree Gully next and Geelong plays Sandringham.
Malvern Braves 1 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 22
The Tigers racked up the runs in a high-scoring affair, led by Randy Senn with three hits and four RBIs. Senn singled in the first and fourth and had a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
While Malvern's lone run came in the second, that was the only inning where the Tigers didn't score. They scored six in the first, eight in the third, and four in both the fourth and fifth.
Will Richardson had an RBI single in the first while the big third inning included walks by Ian Geduld, Jordan Gavin, Patrick Gawith, and Geduld. Mark Jones grounded out and Evan Phillips had a fielder's choice.
Mitch John threw five innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out six and walking zero.
Malvern's starter Steve Dean allowed six hits and six runs over two innings, striking out one. Lachlan Fuda, Tye Wilson, Jack Romanin, and Jonte De Zwart each entered the game in relief.
Out of 15 total hits for the Tigers, Senn and Gawith had three apiece while Phillips, John, and Kaioh Sato all had two.
Upwey Ferntree Gully is undefeated at the top of the ladder with 40 runs scored and just four given up, while Malvern is third at 3-1, having scored 32 and given up 33. The Tigers play Berwick next and the Braves play Sunshine.
Sunshine Eagles 2 v Waverley Wildcats 11
The Wildcats bounced back from a 4-1 loss to the Tigers the round before with a dominant performance over Sunshine.
Waverley scored two in the first, one in the third, five in the fourth and three in the fifth. Sunshine's two runs came in the fourth and fifth.
Waverley is 3-1 in fifth place after this win with 29 runs scored and 13 given up. Sunshine sits seventh with a 1-2-1 record after scoring 19 and giving up 35 so far this year.
Sunshine plays Malvern and Waverley plays Cheltenham next.
Cheltenham Rustlers 17 v Fitzroy Lions 6
The Rustlers ran wild on the bases, racking up their highest run total of the season with a five-run first and a 12-run second.
Fitzroy managed to put one on the board in the third and another five in the fourth but it wasn't enough.
Now Cheltenham has a 3-1 record in second place with 34 runs scored and 18 given up, while Fitzroy is 1-3 with 25 runs for and 35 runs against.
Cheltenham hosts Waverley in round five and Fitzroy visits Essendon.
Essendon Bombers 17 v Melbourne Demons 13
The Demons scored six early runs while Essendon got two back in the top of the second.
Melbourne scored three in the second and four in the fifth while Essendon kept fighting, scoring two in the third, five in the fourth, and eight in the fifth.
Essendon's strong finish improved the team's record to 2-2 with 29 runs for and 33 against. Melbourne has three loses and a draw as the Demons host Blackburn next and Essendon hosts Fitzroy.
Blackburn Orioles 13 v Sandringham Royals 7
The Orioles scored 11 runs to start the game as the Royals had to play catch-up from the get-go, scoring one in the first and another in the second before five final runs came home in the fifth.
Blackburn scored an additional two runs to secure win number three as the team sits fourth with 30 runs for and 16 against. Sandringham is 0-3 as round five sees Blackburn visit Melbourne and Sandringham host Geelong.
Division 1 Thirds
Fitzroy Lions 4 v Cheltenham Rustlers 5
It was a close battle but ultimately the Rustlers prevailed, despite giving up two late runs to Fitzroy.
The game was tied 1-1 after the first but Fitzroy got another in the second. The Rustlers scored next with two in the bottom of the third, with one more in both the fourth and the fifth.
Ninth-place Fitzroy is 1-3 with 27 runs for and 36 against, while Cheltenham also has a 1-3 record. The Lions play Essendon next and the Rustlers play Waverley.
Melbourne Demons 14 v Essendon Bombers 15
This high-scoring affair came down to the wire with the Bombers scoring the go-ahead and winning runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Neither side got on the board in the first but the game was 1-1 after the second. The Demons scored four in the third and another four in the fourth. Essendon powered back with eight in the bottom of the fourth.
The game was tied at nine apiece going into the fifth, as Melbourne scored five but Essendon did one better with six.
The 3-1 Bombers are in third place heading into round five at Fitzroy, with 39 runs for and 21 against. Melbourne sits eighth at 1-3 with 31 for and 33 against. Melbourne visits Blackburn next.
Berwick City Cougars 0 v Geelong Baycats 12
The Baycats enjoyed a huge shutout win, their first of the year, as Cameron Forbes led the way on the mound.
Forbes threw 42 pitches - 31 of them strikes - across three innings while giving up just one hit with three strikeouts. Matthew Sage was next to take the mound, giving up three hits in two winnings with three strikeouts and 24 total strikes out of 41 pitches.
Cooper Rickard and Nick Hau both had two base hits and an RBI, while Sage singled and doubled for two RBIs. Jake Elderfield plate two with a big single as well.
Geelong is now 3-1 in second place with 42 runs scored for and 22 against. Berwick sits seventh with a 2-2 record and 23 runs for v 31 given up. Geelong hosts Sandringham next and Berwick plays Upwey Ferntree Gully.
Sandringham Royals 9 v Blackburn Orioles 1
The Royals scored two early runs and tacked on three in the third. Sandringham scored another in the fourth and three more in the sixth, while Blackburn scored just a lone run to end the game.
Sandringham sits atop the ladder with three wins and a draw. The Royals have scored 31 and given up 15 so far. The Orioles are in sixth place with two wins, two losses and 25 runs for v 21 given up.
Sandringham visits Geelong next as Blackburn plays Melbourne.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 7 v Malvern Braves 2
The Tigers led 3-1 going into the third, although Malvern did get one back in the bottom frame. The Braves wouldn't score for the rest of the game, while Upwey Ferntree Gully managed one in the fifth and three in the seventh.
The Tigers sit fourth with three wins and a loss, having scored 37 runs and given up 19. The Braves have one win and three losses with 18 runs for and 30 runs against. Upwey Ferntree Gully hosts Berwick next and Malvern plays Sunshine.
Waverley Wildcats 15 v Sunshine Eagles 0
The Wildcats racked up the runs in their second victory of the year and highest-scoring game so far.
Waverley just kept chipping away, scoring two in the first and four in the third. One more run came around in the fourth, with two in the fifth and a final six in the sixth.
Waverley sits fifth with a 2-1-1 record and 45 runs scored v 30 given up. Sunshine sits tenth at 1-3 with 20 runs for and 42 against.
Waverley hosts Cheltenham and Sunshine hosts Malvern for round five.
Division 1 Fourths
Sandringham Royals 0 v Blackburn Orioles 10
The Orioles just needed two innings to get their runs on the board, with three in the first and seven in the fifth.
After this convincing win, Blackburn sits fifth with two wins, a loss and a draw. The team has scored 23 and given up 18. Sandringham is in ninth place with a 1-3 record and 18 runs for and 37 runs against.
Sandringham plays Geelong next and Blackburn hosts Melbourne.
Berwick City Cougars 11 v Geelong Baycats 12
The Baycats enjoyed a walk-off win after a crazy day of offence on both sides.
The score was 5-4 to Berwick after the first, but the Cougars powered back with seven in the second. Geelong kept it going with three in the second and the tying and go-ahead runs in the third.
There were more than 20 walks spread across the two teams and 12 hits total, including eight for Geelong. Lucas Ash singled and doubled, while Jackson Viney and Kyle Robinson both plated three with a pair of base hits. William Fitzgerald took three walks for the team.
Geelong sits in sixth place with two wins and two losses. The team has scored 39 runs and given up 47. Berwick is a few places above in fourth with a 2-1-1 record and 36 runs for v 18 runs against.
Geelong hosts Sandringham and Berwick plays Upwey Ferntree Gully next.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2 v Malvern Braves 17
The game was tied 2-2 after the first but from there it was all Malvern, as the Braves scored six in the second and six more in the third. Two additional runs scored in the fourth and one final run in the fifth.
Malvern moved up three spots to eighth place with one win and three losses. The Braves have scored 30 runs and given up 38. The Tigers have the same record but have scored less runs, with 14 for and 43 against.
Upwey Ferntree Gully plays Berwick next and Malvern plays Sunshine.
Fitzroy Lions 9 v Cheltenham Rustlers 3
The game was tied at one after the first before Fitzroy took off, scoring six in the second while giving up just two in Cheltenham. The Lions tacked on two more runs in the fifth.
Seventh-place Fitzroy has two wins and two losses with 36 runs for and 28 against.
Fitzroy hosts Essendon and Cheltenham plays Waverley next.
Melbourne Demons 9 v Essendon Bombers 8
Essendon fought till the end but ultimately Melbourne came away with a fourth straight victory.
The Bombers opened with one in the first but the Demons came back with eight in the second. Essendon kept working away, with the game at 8-4 Melbourne's way after four. The fifth inning was quiet while the sixth saw Melbourne score one and Essendon score four.
The 4-0 Demons have scored 46 runs for and 16 against, while third-place Essendon has a 3-1 record with 49 runs for and 17 against.
Melbourne looks to go 5-0 against Blackburn and Essendon plays Fitzroy.
Waverley Wildcats 6 v Sunshine Eagles 3
Sunshine took an early 2-1 lead, but four Waverley runs in the fourth turned the game around for the Wildcats. Each team scored once more as Waverley stayed undefeated.
The 4-0 Wildcats are just behind Melbourne with 37 runs for and 15 runs against. The Eagles are 1-3 in tenth place with 15 runs for and 42 against.
Waverley plays Cheltenham while Sunshine hosts Malvern in round five.
The 2020/21 VSBL season recommenced after the summer holiday break as women's teams took to the field looking to start the year on a strong note. Essendon leads the way in Women's Division 1, while Springvale is on top in Women's Division 2 and Moorabbin, Sandringham and Doncaster are the ladder leaders in Women's Division 3 with seven rounds to go.
Women's Division 1
Springvale Lions 7 v Doncaster Dragons 9
The Lions lost 11-3 to Essendon in the last round and have now dropped three in a row after a close game at Doncaster.
Doncaster's Jessica Johnson pitched four innings, giving up six hits, two walks and four runs - three of them earned - with three strikeouts. Chelsea Stewart handled 1.66 innings with three earned runs scoring, while Jamie Bastian also contributed on the mound.
Springvale's Gabby Bevan was on the mound for 4.66 innings, giving up six hits and eight walks with five strikeouts and eight runs scored - one unearned. Shae Lillywhite pitched less than an inning in relief.
Walks were a big part of the game as both teams took nine. Each side had seven hits, with Erin Collins knocking in four RBIs with a pair of doubles and a single. Belinda Cannington and Rebecca Wright also doubled. Bastian and Stewart had singles on the day.
Lillywhite had two of Springvale's singles with the others from Hanami Campitelli, Lili Cavanagh and Hannah Jackson. The team is currently in third place with a 1-3 record going into round five at home v Doncaster.
Doncaster is 3-1 in second place behind Essendon, with the Dragons' only loss coming in the first round.
Newport Rams 4 v Essendon Bombers 13
Newport was forced to play catchup after giving up eight unanswered runs to Essendon across the first two innings. While the Rams put up their four runs in the third, Essendon was right there with four more in the bottom frame.
That last half of the game was quieter than the first as Newport kept Essendon off the board aside from a lone run in the sixth.
Allie Bebbere pitched three innings for Essendon, giving up four earned runs on four hits, two walks and one HBP with six strikeouts. Abbey Kelly handled four scoreless innings with three hits and two strikeouts. Defence was a strong point as Emma Davenport threw out two runners trying to steal and Tayla Weldon was solid at third base.
Newport had Bronwyn Gell on the mound for three innings in relief with four hits and one earned run with two strikeouts recorded. Morgan Doty threw 1.66 innings, giving up six hits and eight earned runs with three strikeouts. Danni Teasdale pitched 1.33 innings with one hit, two walks and one HBP allowed as four unearned runs scored.
Essendon took seven walks and recorded 12 hits, including a single, a double and a walk for Victoria Brown to collect three RBIs. Sam Deeble knocked in two with a double and a single of her own as Bebbere plated a pair too. Jasmine Bentley doubled, Davenport homered, and Kelly tripled twice. Courtney Foura and Weldon contributed at the plate too.
Gell tripled and Doty singled twice for Newport. Zoe Allen, Nicola Hogan, Holly Louise Howard, and Kira Jansen also recorded hits.
Coach Duane Davenport says the team is focused on continuing to develop their skills and keep getting better. "Our goals are for the girls to keep supporting each other and playing for each other as a team," Davenport said. "We want to continue giing our up-and-coming players opportunities to develop and grow and help them to get there games to the next level."
Newport hosts Essendon this weekend as the ladder leaders look to stay undefeated.
Women's Division 2
Essendon Bombers 5 v Footscray Bulldogs 6
The Bulldogs got win number two on the board, following up on a 16-0 victory over Preston before the break.
Footscray sits just above Essendon in the standings with a 2-1 record going into a game at Geelong, while the 2-2 Bombers have a bye this next round.
Springvale Lions 21 v Geelong Baycats 2
The Lions brought their big bats to this matchup, running away with the game early. They scored five in the first, seven in the second and another seven in the third, followed by the last two runs in the fifth. Geelong scored once in the first and once in the fourth.
Nyah O'Brien started for Geelong, followed by Lily Kevelham and Jennifer Mason on the mound. Combined they threw 70 strikes out of 144 pitches, facing 42 batters along the way. O'Brien doubled while Sarah Haouchar, Emma Hill, Jen Mason and Bri Telford singled.
Jade Hough, Bronwyn James, Emma Jenkinson and the rest of the hard-hitting Springvale lineup will look to maintain an undefeated 3-0 record when Springvale hosts Preston fresh off the bye. 1-2 while Geelong hosts Footscray.
Women's Division 3 East
Pakenham White 7 v Bonbeach Bluejays 15
On a weekend when collectively Bonbeach scored 132 runs as a club while giving up just 51, the Bluejays were a force to be reckoned.
Bonbeach scored once in the first and seven in both the second and third, all while holding the Pumas off the board except for a late seven-run surge in the fourth.
The Bluejays are 2-2 going into an away game at Sandringham fresh off the bye while Pakenham White hosts Moorabbin as the Pumas look for a win.
Berwick City Cougars 6 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 9
The Warriors came out on top in this matchup after scoring five early runs in the first and another two in the second. They scored two more in the fourth while holding Berwick to one in the first and five in the fifth.
The Cougars are in seventh place with two losses and a draw so far, while the Warriors have three wins and a loss in third place. Berwick hosts Pakenham Black next and Wheelers Hill has a bye.
Moorabbin Panthers 11 v Springvale Lions 7
Moorabbin maintained the strong momentum from before the break with a winning performance on Saturday.
The Panthers scored five in the first, three in the second, and two in the third, followed by one more in the fifth. The Lions got one on the board in the first, four in the third and two in the fourth, not quite enough to catch up to Moorabbin.
The undefeated Panthers visit Pakenham White this weekend as the 2-2 Lions head to Cheltenham.
Cheltenham Rustlers FORFEIT v Pakenham Black
Following this forfeit by Cheltenham, Pakenham Black moves up two spots on the ladder ahead of a game at Berwick. The Rustlers host Springvale on Saturday.
Women's Division 3 West
Melbourne Demons 5 v Doncaster Dragons 8
Doncaster picked up a fourth straight win with a solid performance at home v Melbourne. The Dragons have scored 51 runs so far while giving up just 21, while second-place Melbourne isn't far behind with a 3-1 record and 59 runs scored v 20 given up.
Melbourne hosts Fitzroy and Doncaster heads to Geelong next.
Geelong Baycats 6 v North Western Titans 13
Geelong gave up seven early runs to the Titans and six more in the third, putting the game out of reach. The Baycats scored one in the second, two in the third and three in the fourth.
North Western sits fourth with a 2-2 record going into a home game v Newport while Geelong will search for a win playing Doncaster at home.
Fitzroy Lions 14 v Newport Rams 2
The Lions jumped on the board right away with seven early runs. The score was 8-1 in Fitzroy's favour by the end of the second before the side tacked on six more.
Newport managed just one additional run with several hits on the day, including two from catcher Mikayla Norman and one for Caroline Mourtous, who threw two innings in her first start with two infield hits and three strikeouts.
The Fitzroy defence wriggled out of two bases-loaded situations and turned an infield fly double play to keep Newport under control.
Newport's Mackenzie Prentice-Evans pitched 2.2 innings of relief with two strikeouts while Ildi Klein closed out, striking out each batter she faced.
Fitzroy heads to Melbourne in third place with a 2-2 record and Newport goes to North Western in fifth with a 1-3 record.
The 2021 National Showcase Series – Victoria wrapped up on Wednesday following a two-day skills showcase and seven-day tournament. 80 athletes across the U16 and U18 age groups took part in the high performance event, which served as a valuable replacement to the cancelled 2021 Australian Youth Championship.
The final standings were: U16 Mosquitoes (5-4), U18 Hornets (5-4), U16 Catalinas (4-5) and U18 Spitfires (4-5).
Showcase data collection was standardised nationally and will be used in the selection of showcase participants for the U16 and U18 National Junior Squads. Player performance at the showcase will also be used as one component of evaluation for potential invites to the 2021 Baseball Victoria Aces Academy.
Baseball Victoria Talent Development Manager Damian Shanahan is pleased with the players’ dedication and hard work over the course of the showcase.
“Our U16 and U18 athletes were determined to improve and make the most of the showcase,” Shanahan said. “We were able to gather valuable data and give players a platform to showcase their skills as they keep working toward their baseball goals. I have no doubt these players will continue to make progress in the future, and we look forward to continuing our high performance programs.”
Click HERE to check out the scores and full rosters of participating players.