Further to the announcement made earlier this month on the resignation of Kellie Thomas, we are pleased to share that Kellie has decided to remain with us at this stage in a reduced capacity to accommodate her study.
She will continue working with Baseball Victoria as Operations Coordinator from 9 am – 1 am weekdays. “We are pleased we were able to work with Kellie to ensure she is still able to provide great service to the baseball community and continue with her education," Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said.
Click HERE to view Baseball Victoria staff details.
The 2021 National Showcase Series – Victoria started this week with 80 athletes in the U16 and U18 age groups taking to the field for an exciting high performance experience.
The National Showcase Series – Victoria replaces the cancelled 2021 Australian Youth Championship and offers development opportunities including skills showcasing and tournament play.
Data collection took place on Tuesday and Wednesday before the first games on Thursday, with the tournament continuing over the weekend through to next Wednesday, 13 January 2021. Following these state events, the Under 16 and 18 National Junior Squads will be selected from participating players.
Baseball Victoria has updated the schedule for Monday, 11 January 2021 - due to the predicted extreme heat the schedule has been updated to remove the double header game and start the first game earlier, and last game later: REVISED SCHEDULE - Monday, 11 January 2021 U/16 - 9am Start U/18 - 7pm Start The second game for the U/18 group has been moved to Wednesday, 13 January REVISED SCHEDULE - Wednesday, 13 January 2021 U/16 - 11am Start U/18 - 4pm and 6:30pm Double HeaderTalent Development Manager Damian Shanahan is pleased with the players’ hard work and performance thus far.
“Our U16 and U18 athletes are making the most of this opportunity. This week we gathered valuable data and in-game information,” Shanahan said. “This data collection is standardised across these national events and may be used for future team selection and scouting purposes. Players will continue to showcase their skills throughout the tournament as they prepare for the next stages of their baseball careers.”
Michael Crooks, General Manager – Performance Pathways & Player Development at Baseball Australia, is pleased to see the success of Victoria’s event as well as showcases in other states.
“It’s great to see these athletes making the most of the showcase,” Crooks said. “Although this is a new format compared to AYCs in previous years, there is a lot of potential for player development and growth, and we look forward to the rest of the showcase and a bright future for our high performance players at both a state and national level.”
For more details on the National Showcase Series – Victoria and to follow along with the games on GameChanger, click HERE.
The National Showcase Series – Victoria gets underway on Tuesday, 5 January 2021 at Melbourne Ballpark as 80 athletes across the U16 and U18 age groups take to the field.
Players named to the showcase rosters last month will have access to extensive high performance and development opportunities, including exposure to college and professional scouts. The showcase runs through Wednesday, 13 January 2021 with two key components:
1. Local Showcase
Tuesday 5 and Wednesday, 6 January 2021
Players will participate in a showcase for data collection and scouting purposes. The showcase format and data collection will be coordinated nationally with all players across Australia participating in the standardised event.
2. Local Underage Tournament
Two teams in both the Under 16 and Under 18 age brackets will compete in a 7 game series from Thursday, 7 January – Wednesday, 13 January 2021.The game schedule is available HERE.
“We are pleased to present this new AYC format for our Victorian baseballers following a challenging year,” Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said. “We are excited to see what our talented group of high performance athletes can achieve during the showcase as we continue to support their development in preparation for bright futures in baseball.”
Visit the National Showcase Series – Victoria page HERE for full rosters, scores and relevant updates.
The 2020/21 VSBL season has reached the holiday break with three rounds complete. There are a few teams with undefeated records headed into 2021, including Waverley in Division 4 East, Fitzroy and Mitchell Majors in Division 4 North, Mornington and Bonbeach in Division 4 South and Essendon in Division 4 West.
Division 4 East
Doncaster Dragons 4 v Melbourne Blue 14
The Demons put on a strong performance after last week's bye and an 11-5 loss to Monash Uni to open the season.
Melbourne Blue improves to eighth place with a 1-1 record and 19 runs scored v 15 given up.
0-2 Doncaster hosts Melbourne Red to start off 2021 and Melbourne Blue plays Mornington next.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers Black 0 v Monash University Farmers 24
The Tigers were no match for Monash Uni in this matchup, scoring seven runs in each of the first three innings and an extra three in the fourth.
After great contributions up and down the lineup from Ashley Aylen, Paul Blakeney, Glenn Doan and Josh Duff among others, the Farmers are 2-0-1 in third place with a round four game at Malvern. The tenth place Tigers play Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold next.
Malvern Braves 1 v Waverley Wildcats Black 14
The Wildcats scored three in the first and four in the second, while keeping Malvern to just one in the fourth. The Wildcats scored another four in the seventh to stay firmly in first place with a 3-0 record. Waverley Black has scored 57 runs and given up just five.
Ninth place Malvern plays Monash Uni next and Waverely Black plays Blackburn.
Mornington Pirates 2 v Waverley White Wildcats 12
Mornington scored one run to start the game but Waverley was right there, scoring seven runs to get a big buffer.
Mornington got one more run in the second while Waverley scored four. The third and the fourth innings were quiet and the Wildcats scored just one more in the fifth.
Waverley White is in fourth place with a 2-1 record while Mornington is 1-1-1 in sixth place. The Wildcats play Waverley Red next and Mornington hosts Melbourne Blue.
Waverley Wildcats Red 10 v Blackburn Orioles 2
The Wildcats took a 2-1 lead in the first but Blackburn tied it in the second. The third inning was scoreless but Waverley got two more in the fourth followed by six in the sixth.
The 3-0 Wildcats are in second place behind Waverley Black while Blackburn is in seventh with a 1-1-1 record. Waverley Red plays Waverley White next while Blackburn hosts Waverley Black.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold Tigers 2 v Melbourne Red 12
The Demons kept the Tigers scoreless through four with solid pitching and thorough offence. The Demons scored one in the first and another in the second before putting up five in the third and four in the fourth.
The Tigers got two in the fifth while the Demons got one more as the game wrapped up. Melbourne Red is now in fifth place with a 1-1-1 record with the next game at Doncaster, while the Tigers play the other Upwey Ferntree Gully team.
Division 4 North
Fitzroy Lions A 8 v Mitchell Majors B 5
The first inning was quiet before Mitchell Majors scored two in the second. Fitzroy quickly tied the game and scored five runs in the third and another in the fourth to put some space between them and the opponents.
One more Fitzroy run came around in the fifth while Mitchell Majors tacked on three in the final inning. Fitzroy A is 3-0 in first place with 44 runs scored and 14 given up. Mitchell Majors B is in third place with a 2-1 record and 30 runs scored v 18 given up.
Fitzroy A plays North Coburg A and Mitchell Majors B plays Mitchell Majors A next.
Fitzroy Lions B FORFEIT v North Coburg Rebels A
After the Fitzroy forfeit, the Lions are in sixth place at 0-3 while North Coburg A is in fourth place with a 1-2 record. Fitzroy B is at North Coburg B for round four and North Coburg A plays Fitzroy A.
North Coburg Rebels B 3 v Mitchell Majors A 14
The first inning saw both teams score two runs, followed by a scoreless second. North Coburg B got one in the third as Mitchell Majors scored three.
Mitchell Majors scored seven runs in the fourth and two in the fifth. Mitchell Majors A is 3-0 with 40 runs scored and just eight given up. The second place side is just behind Fitzroy A and set to play Mitchell Majors B next.
North Coburg B is 0-3 and plays Fitzroy B next.
Division 4 South
Bonbeach Bluejays A 18 v St Kilda Saints 2
The Bluejays ran wild in this game, scoring five runs in each of the first two innings. Eight more runs came home in the fourth while St Kilda got one in the first and third.
Bonbeach A is in second place, just behind Mornington with 27 runs scored and six runs given up. Ninth place St Kilda plays Bonbeach B next with the Bluejays coming off the bye and the break, while Bonbeach A plays Mornington in a battle of the undefeated teams.
Wheelers Hill Warriors 2 v Berwick City Cougars 8
The Cougars' lineup of Andrew Collcutt, Cooper Porter, Paul Quinn and Rhys Mckenzie got the job done against the Warriors.
Berwick led 3-2 at the end of the third before scoring another three in the fourth and two in the fifth while keeping Wheelers Hill off the board.
Berwick is in third place with a 2-1 record while Wheelers Hill is in eighth at 1-2. The Warriors host Mordialloc next and Berwick plays Chelsea.
Pakenham Pumas 5 v Mordialloc Ducks 19
The Ducks were a force to be reckoned with on Sunday, scoring nearly 20 runs with persistent batting up and down the lineup.
The Pumas opened with three runs but the Ducks were right there four runs in the bottom of the inning. Pakenham scored another two followed by seven Mordialloc runs in the second and seven more in the third. The Ducks got one more in the fourth as they held Pakenham scoreless for the last three.
James Coyne had a massive 3-RBI triple as well as a single and a double to give Mordialloc a big boost.
Mordialloc is in fifth place with a 1-1 record, just ahead of 1-2 Pakenham. The Ducks play Wheelers Hill and Pakenham has a bye to start 2021.
Chelsea Dolphins 5 v Mornington Pirates 11
The Pirates started the game with five runs and never looked back, going on to score two in the second and one in the third. Mornington added three in the fourth while Chelsea's only runs came in the fifth.
This result keeps Mornington atop the ladder with 28 runs scored and only seven given up. Chelsea is in seventh place with a 1-2 record, with a home game v Berwick next. Mornington plays Bonbeach A in round four.
Division 4 West
Footscray Bulldogs 8 v Newport Rams 6
Footscray pulled away in the final inning to secure back to back wins, bouncing back after a 15-3 loss to Geelong B in the first round.
Both teams scored once in the first followed by a three-run second inning for Newport. Neither side scored in the third but Footscray tacked on four in the fourth to take the lead. The fifth was quiet before the Bulldogs added another in the sixth and Newport got two. Footscray's pair of runs in the seventh proved the deciding factor to break the 6-6 tie.
Newport is in fifth place with a 1-2 record and Footscray is in third place with a 2-1 record. The next round has Footscray hosting Geelong A and Newport playing Geelong B.
Geelong Baycats B 4 v Essendon Bombers 10
The Bombers are undefeated after another solid performance. Despite falling behind 3-2 at the end of the first, the Bombers eventually battled back.
Geelong B had scored one more in the third but the last three innings were all Essendon offence. The Bombers put up one in the first, four in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Geelong B is in fourth place with a 1-2 record and 22 runs scored v 20 given up. The Baycats host Newport next and Essendon plays the club's other team for round four.
Geelong Baycats A 7 v Essendon Jets 6
The Baycats came back late to win the game after the Jets took an early lead. Essendon led 3-1 after the third before adding another two in the fourth. It was the fifth when Geelong turned things around, scoring six while giving up just one to Essendon. The sixth was scoreless on both sides as Geelong held on for the win.
The Baycats are 2-1 in second place while the Jets are in sixth place ahead of games against Footscray and Essendon Bombers, respectively.
As the 2020/21 VSBL season heads into the holiday break, Springvale Lions and North Western Titans lead Division 3 with 3-0 records. The season resumes on 17 Jan 2021a as teams look to keep rolling towards finals.
Division 3 Firsts
North Western Titans 9 v Bonbeach Bluejays 8
The Titans took away their third straight win after coming back late to defeat Bonbeach. The Bluejays scored one in the first and two in the third while keeping North Western scoreless through the first part of the game.
The Titans made it on the board with three in the fifth but the tied game didn't last long as Bonbeach scored another four in the bottom frame. The Bluejays final run came in the sixth as the Titans pulled it together, scoring five in the seventh and one more in the eighth. North Western held on for a scoreless ninth to get the win.
The Titans managed eight hits while Bonbeach had 14. James Crowe had four singles and Benjamin Morgan had three with two RBIs.
Second place North Western hosts Springvale to open 2021 while fifth place Bonbeach hosts Chelsea.
Pakenham Pumas 11 v Chelsea Dolphins 2
The Pumas earned their first victory of the season with a solid performance over Chelsea, scoring in six of the nine innings.
Pakenham brought three runners home in both the first and second, while Chelsea scored one in the third and one more in the eighth. Pakenham scored two more in the fourth, as well as one in the fifth, sixth and ninth.
Matthew Burton threw two innings for Chelsea, giving up five hits, two walks and one HBP as the Pumas scored six runs - three of them unearned. He also struck out two. Lachlan Davies was on the mound for four innings, giving up four hits, four walks and two runs - one unearned - with four strikeouts. Matthew Hannan contributed three innings, five hits, three walks and three runs allowed.
Offensively for Chelsea, Davies singled and walked while Hannan and Emmanuel Liu also had base hits. For Pakenham, Jarrad Bell singled, Danny Cannizzaro had two singles and a double and Scott Dale recorded an RBI with a base hit and a walk. Matthew Clements singled as Travis Ethan Hamilton took three walks and Travis Hough brought home two runners with a pair of hits. Mitchell Lording recorded three RBIs with two home runs and a single and Darren Reeves had a single and a double with an RBI.
1-2 Pakenham is in fourth place and plays Footscray at home in the next round while sixth place Chelsea heads to Bonbeach.
Springvale Lions 14 v Footscray Bulldogs 9
The Bulldogs put up a fight but the Lions held on, walking away with win number three on the season.
After a 15-1 win over Bonbeach in the previous round, the Lions picked up where they left off, scoring four in the first. The second inning was scoreless on both sides before Springvale tacked on another four in the third, followed by five Footscray runs in the bottom half.
Springvale responded with three more in the fourth and one in the fifth. The Bulldogs got two back in the fifth but it was canceled out by Springvale's 13th and 14th runs. Two more Footscray runners came home in the eighth but a quiet ninth kept the score at 14-9.
Springvale's Scott Baillie pitched four innings, giving up five hits and two runs with three strikeouts. Matthew Cameron contributed two innings with three hits, two walks and two runs given up, striking out one. Rydge Hogan threw three innings as well, giving up four hits and a walk with five runs scored and seven strikeouts.
Brittney Cedelland was on the mound for Footscray across 3.66 innings, with nine hits, three walks, one HBP and three strikeouts. Shane Kinlough threw three scoreless with three hits and two walks.
Baillie had two singles and a double for three RBIs, while Cameron singled three times with a walk and an RBI. Neal Cavanagh singled and walked twice, Hogan had a pair of base hits and brought in a run, and Brandon Mize walked twice with an RBI. Mark Richards had a base hit and two doubles for three RBIs, while Benjamin Rosewall had an RBI single and walk while Adam Thatcher brought in three with two singles and a walk.
Shane Dunn singled for Footscray while Jaime Harvey had three base hits. Heny Hernandez brought in four runs with a single and a homer as Asdrubal Jimenez singled twice and Matt Martin doubled. Joe Michaud recorded two RBIs with a home run and a single while David Ponce de Leon singled and walked.
Footscray is in third place with a 2-1 record while 3-0 Springvale is first with 47 runs scored and just 11 given up.
Both teams are on the road to start 2021 as Springvale plays North Western and Footscray plays Pakenham.
Division 3 Seconds
North Western Titans 0 v Bonbeach Bluejays 14
The Bluejays were an unstoppable force on Saturday, achieving their first victory of the year and a shutout at that. Back-to-back six run innings to start the game followed by two runs in the third and solid pitching kept this game going the Bluejays' way.
Bonbeach is 1-2 in fourth place as North Western sits sixth with a 0-2-1 record. Bonbeach hosts Chelsea next and North Western plays Springvale.
Pakenham Pumas 8 v Chelsea Dolphins 3
The game was 3-1 in Chelsea's favour after the first, but Pakenham buckled down to keep the Dolphins off the scoreboard for the rest of the game.
Pakenham scored two in the third and five in the fifth to get win number two on the board. The Pumas are in third place with a 2-1 record while Chelsea is 0-2-1 in fifth place. Chelsea plays at Bonbeach in round four and Pakenham hosts Footscray.
Springvale Lions 6 v Footscray Bulldogs 6
Both teams tried hard but in the end it was a draw, thanks to eight runs scored in the final inning alone.
Footscray opened the game with one run but Springvale scored two in the second. The third was scoreless before the Lions added another one in the fourth, followed by a quiet fifth.
Springvale scored three in the sixth and were in position to win but Footscray wasn't having it, battling back to score five runs and tie the game.
These top two teams both have two wins and one draw while Footscray is slightly in front thanks to 26 runs scored and 17 given up, compared to 19 scored and nine allowed for Springvale.
Footscray plays Pakenham in round four and Springvale plays North Western.
As the 2020/21 VSBL Division 2 season heads into the break, Moorabbin and Doncaster are leading the way with 4-1 records. The first games back are set for Sunday, 17 January 2021 as teams look to pick back up where they left off.
Division 2 Firsts - Midweek Games (Thursday, 17 December 2020)
Doncaster Dragons 1 v Newport Rams 6
The Rams got their second win on the board with a solid performance over Doncaster. Four runs in the first inning certainly helped, followed by two in the second.
Doncaster's only run came in the top of the second as the last four innings of the game remained scoreless. The Dragons had four hits overall while giving up seven to Newport, with Doncaster recording two errors and Newport making one.
Tyler Comben threw three scoreless innings for Newport, giving up one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. Aaron Robson contributed two innings on the mound, giving up one two hits, five walks and one run to Doncaster. Nathan Smith was also pitching for one inning, with a hit, walk and strikeout.
Angus Stals started the game for the Dragons, covering 2.66 innings with three hits, four walks and six runs allowed with a strikeout. Simon Fitzmaurice pitched 3.3 innings for Doncaster, giving up three hits and a HBP with three strikeouts and no runs scored.
Jared Berman knocked in half of Newport's runs with a huge single, while Bronwyn Gell had a pair of singles. Scot Malthouse also had two base hits and two RBIs. Nathan Smith and Keenan Spence singled too.
Brian Chen had two hits and an RBI for Doncaster as Derek Medlin singled as well. Marc Sandy took two walks as did Billy Findlay. Doncaster left eight on base in total while Newport had five stranded baserunners.
Preston Pirates 6 v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 2
The Pirates got their first win on the board with a late burst of runs, scoring five in the final inning.
Ormond Glenhuntly scored one in the bottom of the first and Preston responded in the second, tying the game. The middle innings were quiet before the Pirates put together a rally in the top of the sixth, scoring five while holding the Hunters to just one in the final frame.
Gabriel Valderrama had a quality five inning start with one run allowed on just one hit and five walks with a strikeout. Glenn Farrell pitched an inning too. The team's five hits included Valderrama's double and singles from Farrell, Adrian Fittock, Mitch Legge and Hebert Rodriguez.
Brad Dolan threw five innings for Ormond Glenhuntly, giving up five hits, two walks and five runs - three of them unearned - with five strikeouts. Geoff MacDonald threw an inning where another unearned run scored, although he gave up no hits and just one walk with a strikeout. Sam Robertson doubled and walked with an RBI while Jason Maxwell single and walked. Dolan and Rhy Dyball had RBIs and Changho Choi singled for Ormond Glenhuntly too.
Moorabbin Panthers 9 v Port Melbourne Mariners 5
The offence was strong from the get-go, with Moorabbin scoring five to start. Port Melbourne got one back in the bottom frame, but the Panthers added another three in the top of the second.
The third was scoreless but the Panthers added one more in the fourth. The Mariners put together a four-run rally but couldn't add anymore. Michael McGillivray pitched well for Moorabbin, giving up seven hits, two walks and one HBP for four runs with three strikeouts. Kevin Ung gave up nine hits, one HBP and no walks during his time on the mound for Port Melbourne, with eight earned runs and one unearned run scoring.
Tyson Cox-Davies, Adam Baker, Matthew Morris and Jock Allen had RBIs for Port Melbourne as Sam Morris had a pair of singles. Bailey Waterman singled and doubled while Ung had an RBI single and Thomas Zeylemaker had a base hit as well.
Moorabbin's undefeated offence was led by Mitch Barr with four RBIs on a single and a home run. Matt Hardie was HBP and singled for an RBI, while Neil Johnson had a pair of singles and an RBI. Kieran Lewis had an RBI single and Stewart Mathieson singled and doubled for an RBI.
St Kilda Saints 4 v Williamstown Wolves 3
The Saints narrowly bested the Wolves thanks to a four-run second inning. Williamstown scored one in the second and another in the fourth before coming within one in the fifth. St Kilda hung on for a scoreless sixth to get the win.
Adam Schoppe threw six strong innings for St Kilda, giving up six hits, three walks and one HBP for three runs with eight strikeouts. Williamstown had Daniel Chircop on the mound for four innings, with four hits, two walks and four runs. He also struck out four. Mitchell Collins, Tyler Gwin and Scott Meager had RBIs.
Alan Ortiz, Marcel McFall, Daniel Hogg and Deilyn Guzman singled for the Saints with Ortiz knocking in two runs and Mariano Favia recording an RBI too.
Werribee Giants 1 v Mulgrave Rebels 2
It was a close contest but Mulgrave came out on top after scoring the winning run in the final frame. Both sides scored one in the second as three scoreless innings followed.
Liam Richardson threw five innings for Mulgrave with three hits, two walks, one HBP and five strikeouts. Jayson Arthur contributed two scoreless innings with two hits and two strikeouts. Trent Pantalleresco pitched 5.33 innings for Werribee, giving up two runs on four hits and six walks with three strikeouts. John Curnow recorded two outs on the mound.
Nicholas Coy had a single, double and RBI for Mulgrave while Ryan Phillips knocked in the other run on a single. Nick Thompson singled too. Oliver Box doubled for Werribee while Leigh Ashmore had a pair of singles. Samuel Reale and Tyler Huisman had singles for Werribee too.
Division 2 Firsts - Weekend Games (Saturday 19 - Sunday 20 December 2020)
Werribee Giants 2 v Port Melbourne Mariners 10
The first two innings were scoreless but the Mariners opened their account with two in the third followed by another two in the fifth. The Giants scored their two in the sixth.
Port Melbourne continued to score with another two in the sixth and four in the eighth for their second victory of the year.
Matthew Parker threw nine innings, giving up four hits, two walks and one HBP with 14 strikeouts. He gave up two runs - one unearned. Josh Lee threw five innings for Werribee with five hits, two walks, two earned runs and two unearned runs. He struck out seven. Cameron Mcnish was on the mound for two innings, giing up one hit, one walk and one HBP with four strikeouts and two unearned runs scored. Four unearned runs scored during Wilmer Castillo's inning on the mound.
Port Melbourne's Jock Allen had an RBI single with Adam Baker and Edmond Pagano also knocked in runs. Parker singled twice, Jack White had two singles and a double for four RBIs and Kevin Ung had a base hit.
Castillo and Simon Hibbert doubled for Werribee as Tyler Huisman and Trent Pantalleresco singled.
Port Melbourne is now 2-2-1 in sixth place while Werribee shares the same record but is just behind in runs scored. Port Melbourne opens 2021 at Moorabbin as Werribee hosts Mulgrave.
St Kilda Saints 6 v Doncaster Dragons 8
The Dragons bounced back from a 6-1 loss to Newport in round four with a two-run win over St Kilda.
Three pitchers took the mound for Doncaster, with each one throwing three innings. Angus Stals gave up one run on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Simon Fitzmaurice allowed four hits, three walks and five runs with two strikeouts. Brian Chen struck out four and gave up no hits or walks with just a HBP during his scoreless outing.
Thomas Snowden pitched 4.66 innings for St Kilda, allowing five hits, four walks and two runs - one unearned - with three strikeouts. Franco Caramia Guevara pitched 3.33 innings with six hits, four walks and six runs allowed. He struck out one.
Doncaster's offence was led by Brendan McDonald with three RBIs on a walk, HBP, single and triple.
Rolando Curiel knocked in one of St Kilda's runs, while Mariano Favia also had an RBI with a pair of base hits. Daniel Hogg had a 2-RBI double while Alan Ortiz singled and doubled with a pair of RBIs. Snowden and Adam Schoppe also doubled. Derek Medlin, Billy Findlay and Brian Chen also had RBIs. Nicholas Unland had three singles and an RBI as Luke Utting singled too.
Doncaster is 4-1 in second place behind Moorabbin with 51 runs scored and 23 given up. St Kilda is eighth with a 1-4 record ahead of Ormond Glenhuntly and Preston. Doncaster hosts Newport in the new year and St Kilda plays Williamstown at home.
Moorabbin Panthers 5 v Newport Rams 10
Moorabbin struck early with a four-run first, and the game stayed that way until Newport tied it in the fourth with four runs scored.
A quiet fifth gave way to the sixth when Newport tacked on five, followed by another in the seventh. Moorabbin got one back in the eighth but it wasn't enough to make up the deficit.
David Asp pitched six innings for Newport, giving up nine hits, one HBP and four unearned runs with four strikeouts. Tyler Comben contributed two innings on the mound with one hit, one walk, one run and two strikeouts. Nathan Smith had a scoreless inning on the mound with one hit and one HBP.
Moorabbin's Stewart Mathieson threw five innings with 21 first pitch strikes as Matthew McGillvray had nine first pitch strikes in two innings.
Newport had 15 hits in total on the day while giving up 11 to Moorabbin. Both sides made one error. Mitch Barr and Neil Johnson had three hits apiece for the Panthers while Smith had three for Newport.
Chris Niesen had four quality at-bats for Moorabbin as Nick Bertucci knocked in two runs. Jared Berman led Newport with three RBIs on two singles. Comben had two RBIs with two base hits. Scot Malthouse, Ryan Morrison and Conor Schibeci all had multi-hit games as Mason Wray and Mathew Lawman recorded RBIs.
3-2 Newport heads to Doncaster in fourth place and first-place Moorabbin hosts Port Melbourne in hopes of improving a 4-1 record.
Mulgrave Rebels 4 v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 10
The Hunters finally got a win on the board with a big performance v Mulgrave.
The first two innings were scoreless before both sides scored two in the third. The Hunters took a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth, although Mulgrave got one back in the sixth. Five more Ormond Glenhuntly runs sealed the deal in the seventh, with a final Mulgrave run scoring in the ninth.
The Hunters managed 10 hits against Mulgrave pitchers while giving up just nine themselves. Ninth place Ormond Glenhuntly is 1-4 now while Mulgrave is 3-2 in fifth place.
Mulgrave hits the road to play Werribee and Ormond Glenhuntly visits Preston to start of 2021.
Preston Pirates 0 v Williamstown Wolves 19
Williamstown scored five early runs and a late burst of offence saw the score line expand further. 10 runs in the fifth and four in the sixth ensured Williamstown's biggest win of the season.
Dennis Neal had a terrific start for Williamstown, throwing a no-hitter with just one walk and 13 strikeouts. Justin Gourlay led the way at the plate with seven RBIs on four hits, including a single, two doubles and a home run. Daniel Chircop walked and singled for an RBI as Mitchell Collins had two walks, a double and an RBI. Aaron Green doubled and walked, Tyler Gwin knocked in a run
Scott Meager had three RBIs and Jason McDonald had two.
Williamstown is in third place with a 3-2 record with the next game at St Kilda while 1-4 Preston hosts Ormond Glenhuntly.
Division 2 Seconds
Werribee Giants 10 v Port Melbourne Mariners 1
The first inning was scoreless but it wasn't long before the Giants were racking up the runs on their way to their first win of the season.
Werribee scored six in the second and one more in the fourth as the Mariners scored one in the bottom half. The Giants got another run in the sixth and two more in the seventh.
Werribee has improved to fifth place with a 1-1-1 record while Port Melbourne is ninth. The Mariners play Moorabbin next and Werribee hosts Mulgrave.
St Kilda Saints 2 v Doncaster Dragons 3
It was a close call but Doncaster pulled away for the win to protect an undefeated record. The 3-0 Dragons are in second place having scored 28 runs and given up 15, while St Kilda has two losses and a draw.
The Saints play Williamstown to start the year and Doncaster hosts Newport.
Mulgrave Rebels 3 v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 7
Mulgrave scored two early runs but didn't bring another runner home until the sixth. Meanwhile Ormond Glenhuntly had a big third inning with seven runs.
Mulgrave is 1-2 in sixth place as the Hunters stay undefeated in third place just shy of Moorabbin and Doncaster which have scored more runs.
Mulgrave plays Werribee in the next round and Ormond Glenhuntly heads to Preston.
Preston Pirates 0 v Williamstown Wolves 14
The Wolves got things started right away with five early runs, followed by six more in the second. The third and fifth innings were quieter for Williamstown although three more runners came home in the fourth, all while holding Preston at bay.
With contributions from the entire lineup, including Jacob Bergin, Sean Best, Gerard Carter and Justin Charles, Williamstown improves to a 1-2 record. The Wolves are at St Kilda to start 2021 and Preston hosts Ormond Glenhuntly.
Moorabbin Panthers 15 v Newport Rams 0
Tom Brookes, Felix Brunner, Tyler Ellis, Xander Gunn and the rest of Moorabbin's hard-hitting lineup got win number three on the board with four early runs.
The reigning premiers went on to score three in the third, one in the fourth, three in the fifth and a final four in the sixth.
This marked Newport's first loss as the team is now 2-1 in fourth place with Moorabbin at the top of the ladder after scoring 30 and giving up just two in the first three games.
Next up, Moorabbin hosts Port Melbourne and Newport goes to Doncaster.
Division 2 Thirds
Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 5 v Mulgrave Rebels 18
The Rebels won 14-4 in round two and followed up with another high-scoring performance.
Mulgrave is in fifth place with a 2-1 record and 34 runs scored with just 15 given up. Ormond Glenhuntly is in ninth place. The Rebels host Werribee in the next round and the Hunters play Preston at home.
Moorabbin Panthers 7 v Newport Rams 8
It was a close call for both sides but Newport held on to keep a undefeated record intact.
The Rams enjoyed an early three-run lead but not for long as Moorabbin tied the game in the top of the second. The third inning was scoreless but the fourth saw Moorabbin briefly take a 5-3 lead.
The Panthers were in prime position after scoring two more in the fifth, but Newport scored five to get the tying and go-ahead run home in the final frame.
3-0 Newport is in second place just behind Doncaster with 31 runs scored and 12 given up. Moorabbin is fourth at 2-1 with 40 runs scored and 14 allowed.
Newport plays Doncaster at home in a battle of the undefeated teams while round four has Moorabbin ont he road to Port Melbourne.
Williamstown Wolves 13 v Preston Pirates 3
Williamstown's hard-hitting lineup including Kenji Chen, Daniel Collisson, Ashton Coote and James Dann got the job done on Sunday.
The Wolves scored nine early runs, followed by one in the third and another in the fourth and two final runs in the sixth. Preston scored just one in the second and two in the fifth.
Williamstown moved into third place after this game with a 2-1 record thanks to 44 runs scored and just 16 allowed. Williamstown plays St Kilda next and eighth place Preston plays at Ormond Glenhuntly.
Doncaster Dragons 5 v St Kilda Saints 3
The Dragons defended their undefeated record, following up on a strong 18-7 win over Preston the week before.
Doncaster sits atop the ladder with 33 runs scored and 13 given up, while Newport isn't far behind in second place having scored 31 runs across the first three games of the season.
Doncaster plays Newport next and St Kilda heads to Williamstown.
Port Melbourne Mariners 12 v Werribee Giants 4
The Mariners bounced back from a 14-4 loss to Mulgrave the week before by putting on a big show against Werribee.
The Giants had a 4-1 lead after two but Port Melbourne refused to go down without a fight, coming back to score five in the third, four in the fourth and two more in the fifth all while keeping Werribee off the board.
Port Melbourne is in sixth place with a 2-1 record having scored 26 runs and given up 24, while Werribee is one spot behind at 1-2 with 14 runs scored and 35 given up.
Port Melbourne hosts Moorabbin to kick off 2021 and Werribee heads to Mulgrave.
Division 2 Fourths
Port Melbourne Mariners 7 v Werribee Giants 8
The game was tied at two after the second before Port Melbourne took the lead on two extra runs in the third.
The next score came in the bottom of the fifth as Werribee tacked on three, but it didn't last long as Port Melbourne scored another three. Werribee sealed the deal with three more runs in the final frame to get the team's first win on the board.
Sixth place Werribee heads to Mulgrave and ninth place Port Melbourne hosts Moorabbin next.
Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 6 v Mulgrave Rebels 4
The Hunters lost a heartbreaker by one run last week as Williamstown won 14-13, but they got back in the win column with a solid game at Mulgrave.
The Hunters improve to third with 28 runs scored and 26 allowed, while Mulgrave is currently seventh with a 1-2 record on 16 runs scored and 20 given up.
Ormond Glenhuntly has a bye for round four and Mulgrave hosts Werribee.
Moorabbin Panthers 18 v Newport Rams 7
Moorabbin's lineup of Mark Boyle, Ben Campbell, Ruby Dale, Quinn Estes and others got the job done at the plate, securing back-to-back double-digit wins.
The Panthers opened with seven runs while Newport scored two. Eight more Moorabbin runs came home in the third and three more in the fifth, while two in the fourth and three in the fifth scored for Newport.
Moorabbin remains undefeated with a 3-0 record thanks to 34 runs scored and just seven allowed, as Newport is fourth with a 2-1 record and an even 22 runs scored and given up.
Newport hosts Doncaster and Moorabbin visits Port Melbourne in the new year.
Doncaster Dragons 13 v St Kilda Saints 13
Both teams battled so incredibly hard to avoid the loss and it showed, resulting in a draw. Doncaster is in eighth place with one loss and one draw, having scored 14 runs and given up 16, while St Kilda is fifth with a 1-1-1 record and 28 runs scored v 36 given up.
Williamstown had a bye but the team hosts St Kilda to start 2021 as Doncaster plays Newport.
The first three rounds of the 2020/21 VSBL Division 1 season are complete, with Sunshine and Upwey Ferntree Gully leading the way. The season resumes on 16 and 17 January 2021 as teams look to start the year off strong.
Division 1 Firsts
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 0 v Waverley Wildcats 5
The Tigers came into this game with a 3-0 record but they ran out of steam this weekend at Waverley.
Jordan Ley started things off with a sacrifice fly scoring the first Waverley run. The Wildcats scored another in the third, followed by three runs in the eighth all while holding Upwey Ferntree Gully scoreless.
Waverley's Jamie Papanicolaou was the winning pitcher, giving up just one hit in his scoreless three innings along with one walk and two strikeouts. Liam Evans and Andrew Russell contributed in relief. Darcy Longstaff had started the game, covering the first three and two-thirds innings with one hit, one strikeout and no runs.
Jarrod Turner took the loss, throwing five and a third innings with eight hits and two runs given up. He walked one and struck out six. His teammates Peter Schroeders and Jordan Elliot had the only two singles of the day.
Waverley's hits included base hits from Ben Aslett, Mitch Wilhite and Damon Hill. Mitchell Homfray singled twice and walked. Mohi Kahui had a pair of singles and an RBI while Jordan Ley brought in two runs. Reece Longstaff had an RBI with a single and a double and Andrew Russell had an RBI single. Jacob Sheldon-Collins singled and walked twice as well.
The Tigers are in second place with a 3-1 record, sitting just behind Sunshine as Upwey Ferntree Gully has scored 32 runs and given up 15. The Tigers host Malvern in the new year while 2-2 Waverley hosts Sunshine.
Malvern Braves 1 v Geelong Baycats 14
Geelong scored two runs in the first, five in the second and three in the third to put the game out of reach for the Braves.
Three more Geelong runs followed in the fourth with one more in the sixth, all while Malvern got just one the board in the top of the fifth.
The five-run spot in the second was led by RBIs from Ryan Darcy, James Wood and Rudy Jaramilo as the Baycats went on to collect 12 total hits in the game. Darcy, Jaramillo, Wood, Kelli Zablan, Samuel Thomas and Tyler Luther-Wilson all ad multiple hits while Josh Davies knocked in three RBIs.
Sam Gibbons took the victory on the hill with just one run and two hits allowed during his quality five inning start with three strikeouts. Lachlan Hockey threw two innings in relief with no hits or runs and three strikeouts.
Henry Jones, Mitch Kennedy, Tyler Dale, Geoff Holland and Ryan Othen contributed on the mound for Malvern, while Scott Ashton and Gavin Woolger had the team's two hits.
Geelong currently sits sixth with a 2-1 record while Malvern has three losses and a draw. Geelong visits Berwick on 16 January 2021 while Malvern visits Upwey Ferntree Gully that Sunday.
Essendon Bombers 1 v Blackburn Orioles 8
The Orioles cruised to their third straight victory with a great start from Andrew Jones. He gave up one home run to Jared Cruz in the first, but settled in from there, going on to throw six quality innings with just two hits and no more runs allowed, including six strikeouts.
Essendon's Christian Caminiti and Jarryd Rogers had the team's other singles for the day as Blackburn racked up eight runs - two of them unearned - against starter Michael Formisano. During his five and a third innings, he gave up eight hits and struck out three. Sam Street came on for two and two-thirds scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Blackburn had nine hits compared to Essendon's three as the Bombers also made three costly errors in the field. Blackburn scored two in the first, two in the third, one in the fifth and three in the sixth. The team had four home runs on the day to Tim Holland, Nick Rossell, Luke Hughes and Steven Bookluck.
Hughes went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Orioles as Jacob Evans took the most chances in the field with 11.
Blackburn has climbed up the ladder in the last few weeks, currently sitting fourth with a 3-1 record with an away game at Sandringham coming up in the new year. 2-2 Essendon visits Melbourne for round five.
Melbourne Demons 1 v Cheltenham Rustlers 3
Cheltenham took out another close victory, following up on the 4-3 win over Sandringham the week before. The game was scoreless through two before Cheltenham scored one in the third.
The middle innings were quiet on both sides and it wasn't until the eighth that Melbourne got on the board, followed by two more runs for Cheltenham to secure the win.
Russell Ferguson kept things under control for Cheltenham through eight innings on the mound. He gave up four hits, four walks and one run with five strikeouts. Andrew Campbell gave up one hit in his scoreless inning on relief.
Melbourne had Hayden Godbold on the mound for five innings. He gave up one run with three hits and three walks, striking out two. Mitchell Bowen pitched two innings with two hits and no runs allowed and one strikeout. Kurtis Smith threw one scoreless inning too.
Melbourne's hits included an RBI double by Jarrod Belbin and singles from Finn O'Connell, Ethan Scalzo, Slade Squire and Smith. Cheltenham's Dante Caruso doubled, singled and walked as Jack Daniels had an RBI single and Jack Dunn walked and singled for an RBI. Sam Michael also had an RBI base hit as Conor Myles singled and doubled.
Melbourne will look for a win to start 2021 off at home v Essendon, while 3-1 Cheltenham looks to protect a fifth place position after the break at Fitzroy.
Fitzroy Lions 0 v Sunshine Eagles 4
The Eagles stay undefeated after scoring two runs in the fourth and fifth to seal the shutout win. Billy Parsons dominated on the mound in seven innings with Griffin Weir and Jeremy Young throwing an inning each in relief.
"It was a tough day for the hitters with the wind," Sunshine Club Coach Stuart Clayton said. They got their in the end as Jason Tutt and Allister Lovelock had two hits and RBIs. Bryce Aldridge, Jordan and Jeremy Young, Parsons and Josh Byrne all had one hit.
Sunshine sits atop the ladder with three wins and a draw. Round five sees Sunshine play Waverley and Fitzroy play Cheltenham.
Sandringham Royals 16 v Berwick City Cougars 8
The Royals were a force to be reckoned with on Sunday, racking up 14 hits while the Cougars had 12.
Sandringham did a better job of converting base runners than Berwick, although both sides put together some impressive rallies. Five errors proved costly for the Cougars as the Royals made two mistakes in the field.
Grant Irving pitched the entire game for Sandringham - giving up 12 hits, two walks and two HBP with eight strikeouts. Seven of the eight runs allowed were earned. Berwick's Matthew Homfray, John King, Matthew West and Perry Wilkinson shared time on the mound.
Andrew Gibbens knocked in three Berwick runs on a single and a double, while Cain Hillier had two RBIs on an extra-base hit. Brad Kmet and Aidan Willis also knocked in runs, with three singles to Willis and doubles by Aaron Ouwehand and Craig Barnett.
Sandringham's offence was led by two doubles and two RBIs to Declan Ferguson, as well as a pair of hits by Tim Lane and an RBI single by Charlie Pierson. Sam Skinner doubled and walked for an RBI with doubles from Zak Skinner and Will Tucker too. Harrison Wills had three singles and an RBI as Jack Wills had a pair of base hits and a walk for an RBI.
Sandringham is in third place with a 3-1 record and 31 runs scored with 19 given up. The Royals host Blackburn to start the new year while 1-3 Berwick hosts Geelong.
Division 1 Seconds
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 4 v Waverley Wildcats 1
The first inning was scoreless but the second saw the Tigers get two and the Wildcats get one. Upwey Ferntree Gully was able to keep Waverley off the scoreboard for the rest of the game.
Keeley Ronalds-Greatbatch pitched four and two-thirds innings for Upwey Ferntree Gully, giving up just one hit and one run with three strikeouts. Mitch John pitched in relief.
Cody Caulfield pitched five innings for Waverley, giving up two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
Mitch Thomas and Luke Papanicolou entered the game in relief, covering two-thirds of an inning and one-third of an inning respectively.
Will Richardson went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead the Tigers, while Waverley's Ned Hargreaves went 1-for-2. Mark Jones, Pat Gawith, Michael Oxworth and Randy Senn all contributed with hits.
Upwey Ferntree Gully is in second place with a 3-0 record on 18 runs scored and three given up, while Waverley is one spot behind at 2-1 with 18 runs scored and 11 allowed.
Upwey Ferntree Gully pays Malvern next and Waverley hosts Sunshine.
Malvern Braves 7 v Geelong Baycats 5
The Baycats battled hard with Jack Fielden and Dan Anson on the mound, but the Braves had the upper hand in this matchup.
Malvern led 2-1 after the second, adding three in the fourth while Geelong tied it up with four. The game stayed five-all through the fifth and sixth before the Braves pulled ahead with two in the seventh as they kept Geelong off the board.
The Baycats had solid defensive contributions from third baseman Nick Hau and catcher Will Brennan as the team colected eight hits, including one to Brody Stokoe in his debut in the reserves. He also smashed a line drive to left field as James Renouf picked up a hit and two RBIs. Hau, Brennan, Angus McNee, Lachlan Hockey and Lewis Weldon all had hits as well.
Malvern remains at the top of the ladder with a 3-0 record on 31 runs scored and 11 given up, as Geelong sits eighth at 1-2. Malvern hits the road to play Upwey Ferntree Gully in round four and Geelong takes on Berwick.
Sandringham Royals 3 v Berwick City Cougars 11
The Cougars jumped on the board early and never looked back, scoring two in the first and six in the second.
Sandringham got two in the third and one more in the fifth, but with three more Berwick runs coming around to score, the game was out of reach.
This marked Berwick's first victory as the team sits seventh with a 1-2 record on 23 runs scored and 22 given up.
Sandringham hosts Blackburn to open 2021 and Berwick hosts Geelong.
Melbourne Demons 3 v Cheltenham Rustlers 6
The Rustlers had a slightly better day offensively and defensively to take out the win, their second on the season.
Cheltenham led 2-1 after two, while Melbourne took a short-lived 3-2 lead in the top of the third.
The Rustlers powered back with one in the fourth and three in the fifth to seal the deal on the victory as they improved to fourth place. Cheltenham is 2-1 with 17 runs scored and 12 given up while Melbourne has two losses and a draw.
Melbourne hosts Essendon in round four and Cheltenham heads to Fitzroy.
Essendon Bombers 3 v Blackburn Orioles 1
The game was scoreless through the first three innings before Essendon scored once in the fourth, fifth and sixth. Blackburn only scored in the fourth as the team slipped to fifth with a 2-1 record.
Essendon is 1-2 in tenth place with an upcoming game at Melbourne while Blackburn plays Sandringham.
Fitzroy Lions 14 v Sunshine Eagles 4
The Lions looked good out of the gate in this matchup, scoring eight runs in the first and a further six across the next three innings before the Eagles managed two in the fourth and another two in the fifth.
Jordan Hill, Darcy Mills, Ryan Mitchell and the rest of the hard-hitting Fitzroy lineup will take a 1-2 record into round four at home v Cheltenham while sixth-place Sunshine is 1-1-1 with a game at Waverley next.
Division 1 Thirds
Waverley Wildcats 11 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 8
The Wildcats lost a close one 14-11 to Geelong last week but they bounced back in this matchup, coming back from a big deficit to win over Upwey Ferntree Gully.
The Tigers scored seven to start but they didn't get on the board again until the sixth with just one runner coming home. Meanwhile Waverley scored one in the second, two in the third and three in the fourth. Two more runs followed in the fifth with a final three in the sixth.
Waverley moved up a spot to seventh with a 1-1-1 record while Upwey Ferntree Gully is third with a 2-1 record as the Tigers have scored 30 and given up 17.
The Tigers are off to Malvern for round four and Waverley plays at Sunshine.
Geelong Baycats 6 v Malvern Braves 7
Malvern was first on the board with a run in the bottom of the second, although Geelong quickly answered with two in the third.
The fourth was scoreless but the Braves battled back with three in the fifth. The final result came down to the sixth inning as Geelong put up four and Malvern brought home three to secure the win.
This marked Malvern's first win of the season while second-place Geelong is 2-1 with 30 runs scored and 22 given up.
Geelong hosts Berwick and Malvern plays Upwey Ferntree Gully at home next.
Sunshine Eagles 10 v Fitzroy Lions 13
This high-scoring matchup saw Sunshine lead 3-0 going into the bottom of the second before Fitzroy scored nine.
The Lions would score four more across the next two innings while Sunshine scored one in the fourth and the rest of the runs in the fifth as the Eagles put up a six-spot.
Fitzroy is eighth with a 1-2 record on 23 runs scored and 31 given up while Sunshine is ninth with the same record but 20 runs scored and 27 allowed.
Round four has Fitzroy heading to Cheltenham and Sunshine hosting Waverley.
Cheltenham Rustlers 0 v Melbourne Demons 11
The first inning was scoreless before Melbourne brought home three in the bottom of the second. The Demons scored a further six in the fourth and two in the fifth to seal the deal on their first win of the year.
Cheltenham plays Fitzroy next while Melbourne heads to Essendon.
Berwick City Cougars 5 v Sandringham Royals 6
The Royals got started right away, working hard to piece together four runs in the first. Berwick got one in the second and Sandringham had two more.
Berwick wasn't done, coming back to score four in the third, but the last three innings were quiet as the Royals stayed just one behind.
The Cougars fell slightly to sixth place with a 2-1 record and 23 runs scored v 19 given up. Sandringham sits atop the ladder with two wins and a draw ahead of a game at Blackburn, while Berwick heads to Geelong next.
Blackburn Orioles 3 v Essendon Bombers 1
The Orioles led 2-1 for most of the game until they added one more in the sixth. The quiet game saw a big focus on defence as both teams worked hard, although Blackburn just had the edge to get win number two on the board.
The Orioles are 2-1 in fourth place with 24 runs scored and 12 given up, while Essendon is fifth. The Bombers host Melbourne to open 2021 and Blackburn takes on Sandringham at home.
Division 1 Fourths
Waverley Wildcats 4 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 3
It was a tight contest to start between these two teams with two scoreless innings before both sides got on the board in the third. Waverley scored two while Upwey Ferntree Gully scored one.
The scores were reversed in the fourth with a tied game going into the fifth when Waverley got the winning run.
The Wildcats are 3-0 and sitting third with 31 runs scored and 12 given up, while 1-2 Upwey Ferntree Gully is currently in 10th place.
The Tigers are on the road to Malvern in January and the Wildcats play Sunshine.
Geelong Baycats 13 v Malvern Braves 7
Geelong bounced back from a rough first inning where Malvern scored five and the Baycats only got one.
The Baycats got two in the second and four in the fourth to put pressure on Malvern, with six more coming around in the sixth. The Braves got two to end the game but it wasn't enough to avoid their third straight loss.
Jake Elderfield was solid in relief for Geelong, pitching most of the game with just one hit and 10 strikeouts across five innings. Jackson Viney closed out the game with a strikeout. He doubled and singled at the plate, the same as Kyle Robinson, while Nick Zhangi and Elderfield had two base hits each.
1-2 Geelong will look to improve on a sixth place position with a home game v Berwick in round four, while Malvern hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully.
Blackburn Orioles 3 v Essendon Bombers 13
The game was tied 2-2 after the first, but Essendon pulled away in the second with four runs. Blackburn got one more in the third while giving up seven.
The final inning was quiet as Essendon coasted to a third win. The Bombers have given up just eight runs while scoring 41 to assume top spot with 1-1-1 Blackburn sitting fifth.
Essendon plays Melbourne next at home and Blackburn hosts Sandringham.
Cheltenham Rustlers 5 v Melbourne Demons 6
The Demons scored three in the first but Cheltenham powered back to score five runs across the next two innings. Melbourne kept the Rustlers off the board for the final two innings while scoring the three runs they needed for the win.
3-0 Melbourne sits second with 37 runs scored and eight given up. Round four has Melbourne playing Essendon and Cheltenham hosting Fitzroy.
Sunshine Eagles 6 v Fitzroy Lions 5
The Eagles came out on top despite giving up three late runs to Fitzroy. The Lions led 2-0 from the first until Sunshine scored one in the third and five in the fourth.
Fitzroy's two in the fifth and one in the sixth kept it interesting but Sunshine held on to get win number one on the season.
Both teams are 1-2 heading into the next round with seventh place Fitzroy playing Cheltenham next and ninth place Sunshine hosting Waverley.
Berwick City Cougars 10 v Sandringham Royals 5
The Cougars got the job done against the Royals thanks to three runs in the first and six in the second. The Royals got five in the bottom frame but the Cougars scored once more and held on for the win.
Fourth place Berwick has two wins and a draw while Sandringham is 1-2 in eighth place. Next up, the Cougars play Geelong and Sandringham heads to Blackburn.
Teams in VSBL Women's Division 1, 2 and 3 will enjoy a break after three exciting rounds to open the season. Essendon is 3-0 in Division 1 and Springvale is 2-0 in Division 2, while the women of Moorabbin, Sandringham, Melbourne and Doncaster lead the way in Division 3 East with 3-0 records.
Women's Division 1
Doncaster Dragons 6 v Newport Rams 2
The Dragons have kept up the momentum after a 13-3 win over the Rams in round two. Doncaster's efforts were led by strong pitching work from Jamie Bastian and Chelsea Stewart.
Bastian threw four innings of scoreless baseball with just one hit allowed and four strikeouts. Stewart kept the Rams to two runs during her three innings on the mound, with two hits, four walks and three strikeouts.
Morgan Doty and Bronwyn Gell handled pitching duties for Newport, with six runs scoring against Doty - three of them unearned - during four innings on the mound. Doty gave up five hits, three walks and one HBP with four strikeouts. Gell gave up five hits in three scoreless innings with four K's.
Four Doncaster players had multi-hit games, with two apiece Bastian, Vanessa Clifford, Erin Collins and Rebecca Wright getting on base. Clifford had three RBIs and Collins had two. Jessica Johnson doubled while Maddi Weller singled and walked. Doty led Newport with three base hits.
After the break on Saturday, 16 January 2021, 0-3 Newport play Essendon while 2-1 Doncaster host Springvale.
Essendon Bombers 11 v Springvale Lions 3
The Bombers got the best of the Lions again after a 21-3 win v Springvale in round two. The game was quiet through two innings before Essendon scored the first two followed by one for Springvale.
The Lions took a brief 3-2 lead in the fourth but it didn't last long as Essendon put up nine unanswered runs - five in the fifth and four in the sixth.
Allie Bebbere pitched 3.66 innings for Essendon, giving up three hits and four walks with a strikeout and three runs scored, including one unearned run. Abbey Kelly pitched scoreless 2.33 innings, giving up just two hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
There were hits up and down the Essendon lineup with a single and HBP for Kayla Adams with two RBIs, along with Bebbere's two base hits and two walks for a pair of RBIs. Jasmine Bentley had an RBI single while Emma Davenport collected three RBIs with a timely triple. Courtney Foura walked, singled and doubled and Tayla Weldon had two singles and a double. Kelly singled and took two walks, bringing in a pair of runs.
Springvale is 1-2 and will look to avoid three straight losses when the season resumes in January at Doncaster. Essendon has a 3-0 record with the next game at home v Newport.
Women's Division 2
Geelong Baycats 9 v Essendon Bombers 11
It was a back and forth battled as the Bombers eventually prevailed, scoring the winning runs late to secure their second victory of the year.
Geelong didn't go down without a fight, putting on some great displays of offence and defence against a tough opponent. Pitcher Jen Mason settled into her time on the mound, forcing the Bombers to put the ball in play, with good defence from Bri Telford at second and Lily Kevelham at short. Anna Radnay caught the first half of the game and Emma Hill pitched for the Baycats as well.
Kevelham, Mason, Sarah Haouchar , Teri Jackson and Ella Wilson all had hits on the day. Geelong led 2-1 after the first and 5-2 following the second, but the Bombers fired back with a seven-run third inning in response to four further runs for Geelong. The game was tied at nine apiece when Essendon kept Geelong scoreless in the fourth only to tack on two more in the bottom of the inning.
Essendon is now 2-1 while Geelong is 1-1 at the end of three rounds. Essendon plays 1-1 Footscray and Geelong hosts 2-0 Springvale to open 2021.
Preston Pirates 0 v Footscray Bulldogs 16
The Bulldogs ran wild on the base paths on their way to their first victory of the season. The lineup of Jody Hamilton, Rachel Howard, Caitlin Hoy, Kelly Jewers, Alanna Kappler, Sabrina Kinlough, Rhea Sandoval and Tiffaney Shawcross proved unbeatable, especially in the later stages of the game.
The first inning was scoreless followed by three Footscray runs in the second and two in the third. The Bulldogs scored four in the fourth and seven in the fifth to seal the deal and take out the win, although the Pirates held strong and still had fun on the field.
Preston has a bye on 16 Jan while Footscray hosts Essendon.
Women's Division 3 East
Pakenham Pumas Black 2 v Moorabbin Panthers 20
The Panthers are proving to be the team to beat with 57 runs scored and just 16 given up across three games. Moorabbin is in first place with a 3-0 record followed by Sandringham, a position made possible by their big run rallies as demonstrated on Saturday.
A scoreless first inning was followed by a six-run spot in the second and a seven-run third inning. Moorabbin scored yet another seven runs in the fourth as Pakenham managed to get two on the board in the last two innings.
Moorabbin's high-powered lineup with the likes of Janelle Campbell, Ruby Dale, Hayley Fielden, Jacqueline Morris and Jessica Thompson will look to stay undefeated when they play Springvale in the new year. Pakenham Black hosts Cheltenham for round four.
Bonbeach Bluejays 7 v Springvale Lions 15
The Bluejays put up a good fight against the Lions but Springvale prevailed to get the second win of the season on the board.
The Lions took a 2-1 lead after the first and added six in the second. Bonbeach broke through with two in the third, but Springvale was right there to add another seven. The final fourth inning saw the Bluejays tack on four runs as Springvale took out the win.
There were contributions from up and down Springvale's hard-hitting lineup, including Cassandra Shelverton, Breanna Cavanagh, Jenna Gambrell and Stacey Kuilboer.
Next up for Springvale in the new year is a home game v Moorabbin, while Bonbeach hosts Pakenham White.
Wheelers Hill Warriors 20 v Cheltenham Rustlers 6
The Warriors bounced back from a 18-9 loss to Moorabbin the week before with a comprehensive performance at the Rustlers home base.
Wheelers Hill scored two early runs and followed up with six in the second. Cheltenham got one on the board in the bottom of the inning and backed it up with a scoreless third. The Warriors tacked on seven in the fourth and five in the fifth as the Rustlers had a late five-run rally.
Cheltenham has one loss and a draw going into the new year when they play Pakenham Black to start things off. Wheelers Hill is 2-1 and opens the year at home v Berwick, fresh off the bye and the break.
Sandringham Royals 11 v Pakenham Pumas White 6
The Royals won 18-5 over Springvale in round two and they followed up with a winning performance over Pakenham. Sandringham has now scored 42 runs and given up just 14 as the Royals sit in second place just behind Moorabbin, while the Pumas are 0-2 and looking for a win at Bonbeach when the season resumes. Sandringham has the bye to start the year.
Women's Division 3 West
Melbourne Demons 18 v Geelong Baycats 2
The Demons are at the top of the ladder with a 3-0 record, having scored 54 runs and given up just 12 over three games. They led 1-0 going into the second when they scored another seven.
The third inning saw four more Melbourne runners come around to score followed by two in the fourth. The Demons wrapped things up with four more in the fifth while Geelong managed to score one run in the fourth and one more in the fifth to end the game.
Melbourne's experienced pitching gave up just one walk, so Geelong had to string together some hits, including singles for Michelle Searle, Sarah Upton, Narelle Cooper and Katrina Edwards. Searle started on the mound, throwing three innings with consistent strikes backed up by Upton who took to the mound for the first time to finish the game.
Despite the score line, Geelong had some great outfield catches and infield plays, something the Baycats will look to build on when they visit the Titans in round four. Melbourne plays Doncaster in a battle of the undefeated teams.
North Western Titans v Fitzroy Lions - FORFEIT
After forfeiting this game, the Lions have a 1-2 record in third place with 27 runs scored and 34 given up. North Western is 1-2 in fifth place with 16 runs scored for and 28 against.
The first round of 2021 sees Fitzroy head to Newport and North Western host Geelong.
Doncaster Dragons 16 v Newport Rams 2
The Dragons remain undefeated after another high-scoring performance, following up on a 14-4 win over North Western in round two. A Doncaster lineup with the likes of Zoe Cooper, Keeley Harrison and Brooklyn Hutton wasted no time getting on the board.
Doncaster has scored 43 runs and given up just 16 as the Dragons sit in second place just behind Melbourne. Newport is in fourth place with a 1-2 record. Newport hosts Fitzroy and Doncaster hosts Melbourne in round four.
The Baseball Victoria Office will be closed from Monday, 21 December 2020 until Monday, 4 January 2021. Urgent matters should be directed to the Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton via email: kristie.middleton@baseballvictoria.com.au.
The VSBL Club and Competition Manager will conclude any matters for this weekend’s VSBL Round 3 on Monday, 21 December 2020. Please reach out to the Competition Manager or the Baseball Victoria CEO if you have any questions.
Baseball Victoria would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope all of our baseballers enjoy a happy and safe holiday with their family and friends.
