The national youth women’s program will have a new look in 2021 with an invitational event set to replace the Australian Youth Women’s Championship.
Under the move, which follows an extensive review of the Youth Women’s program, the best age group players will come together in a camp and competition format for five days.
Adelaide will host the invitational alongside the Australian Women’s Championship from 3-7 April next year.
Baseball Australia performance pathways and player development general manager Michael Crooks said the new format, which will no longer see state face state, had key benefits.
“The new format will provide significantly more time on field for the players, while providing an increased level of even competition,” Crooks said.
“This will be surrounded by a coaching staff targeting development outcomes for a new generation of Emeralds players.”
Five games will be played across the invitational, which will also include training camp sessions and workshops.
An eight-week program established by the Emeralds coaching staff will help players prepare for the event.
Members of the Emeralds’ staff will also be on board in Adelaide supporting the players.
Expressions of interest to attend the event are now open and will close at midnight on December 31.
Applications to be involved as a coach are also open now.
Attending players must be at least 12 years of age prior to the commencement of the event but under the age of 16 years as of December 31.
Click below to express interest:
Baseball Victoria is pleased to announce the team rosters for the National Showcase Series – Victoria from Tuesday, 5 January – Wednesday, 13 January 2021 at Melbourne Ballpark.
Congratulations to all players who were named to the U16 and U18 teams ahead of an exciting showcase designed to give athletes extensive high performance and development opportunities with exposure to college and professional scouts.
Team Rosters
| U18 Spitfire | U18 Hornet | U16 Mosquito | U16 Catalina |
| Darcy Longstaff | Angus Stals | Hunter Arnel | Liam Bald |
| Josh Tribe | James Lynch | Matthew Bell | Matthew Butler |
| Ryan Othen | Josh Ashen | Addison Bishop-Worn | Will Cavanagh |
| Finn Weichard | Cooper Rickard | Campbell Every | Charles Chislett |
| Kurtis Smith | Otto Mojo | Cooper Drummond | Zach Dunkley |
| Andrei Popa-Smith | Matthew West | Ashley Geary-Smith | Max Saggers |
| Genevieve Beacom | Alex James | Ben Howard | Harrison Fitzgerald |
| Felix Brunner | Keeley Ronalds-Greatbatch | Matthew Lavery | Matthew Johnston |
| Jordan Bauman | Nick Parton | Evan Maury | Shintaro Katon |
| Nick Bertucci | Adam Jirik | Eddie Morgan | Ryan Langworthy |
| Angelo Reale-Rontos | Sam Skinner | Speedy Okuda | Logan O'Brien |
| Bronson Neave | Charlie Pierson | Jack Ratcliffe | Macks Powell |
| Travis Finney | Charlie Collins | Harper Rickard | Taran Rose |
| Tom Brookes | Phoenix Beck | Maxton Sherry | Mitchell Denny |
| Joel Prpic | Brody Stokoe | Lachie Smith | Noah Scott |
| Nathan Smith | Tahj Rousell | Tanner Stack | Declan Spiers |
| Ned Hargreaves | Mcleod Sell | Cooper Tipping | James Squire |
| Blake Holding | Kynan Jones | Ryan Williams | Darcy Stack |
| Marcus Graham | Jaycob Pascuzzi | Bailey Wilson | Noah Toplis |
| Charlie O'Connell | Marshall Hansen | Daniel Yanlee | Thomas Yuile |
| Coaches | Coaches | Coaches | Coaches |
| Marshall Skinner | Ben Laux | Scott Meager | Chris Rickard |
| Hayden Godbold | David Hargreaves | Phil Northfield | Simon Ratcliffe |
| Cooper Carrison | Andy Rose | Neil Southwell |
The National Showcase Series – Victoria includes the following components:
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.
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.
Athletes participating in the National Showcase Series – Victoria will have several training sessions leading up to the event and may be considered for further opportunities including:
National Underage Squad Selection and National Program
The Under 16 and 18 National Junior Squads will be selected from the players who participate in the National Showcase Series. Subject to government restrictions, the National Junior Squads will be invited to a camp in Canberra over Easter 2021. Following this camp and again subject to restrictions, the national teams will be invited to a Perfect Game event in Florida.
Baseball Victoria Aces Academy
The National Showcase Series – Victoria will be used as one component of player evaluation for potential invites to the 2021 Baseball Victoria Aces Academy.
For more information, please view the National Showcase Series – Victoria page on our website HERE.
The 2020/21 VSBL Division 4 season has featured some big result so far as teams enjoy the return to play and embrace an exciting summer of baseball. There's one round to go in 2020 before the holiday break, with some exciting matchups in store for the third round.
Division 4 East
Doncaster Dragons 1 v Waverley Wildcats White 21
After dropping a close one to Blackburn 7-6 in the first round, the Wildcats bounced back with a massive run margin over the Dragons. Consistent scoring certainly helped their cause, with big contributions up and down the lineup from Jack Barlow, Tom Barlow, Shaun Caulfield, Ashley Geary-Smith, Mal Jackson, Michael Legg, Cam Rogers, Mason Rogers, Byron Smith and Matthew Trevean.
Doncaster started the season with a bye and will have the chance to get a win on the board at Melbourne Blue, fresh off the bye, on the weekend, while 1-1 Waverley White hosts Mornington.
Waverley Wildcats Red 15 v Malvern Braves 5
The Wildcats won big in the first round with 17-3 victory over Upwey Ferntree Gully Black, and they show no signs of slowing down after a 10-win at Malvern.
Waverley opened with four runs and Malvern responded with two. A seven-run second inning put the game firmly in Waverley's favour, and two more runs followed in both the third and the fourth. Malvern got one on the board in the third and two in the fourth but it was too little, too late. John Darby, Paul Davison, Vaughn Evans and Tony Page were among the key contributors for Waverley.
The Wildcats Red are 2-0, just behind Waverley Black with 32 runs scored and eight given up. Malvern is 0-2 going into the next round at Waverley Black while Waverley Red plays Blackburn.
Waverley Wildcats Black 24 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Black 1
The Tigers have dropped two in a row after falling short to a tough Waverley side. Waverley Black won 19-3 over Melbourne Red in the first round and now the side remains atop the ladder with 43 runs scored and just four given up across two games.
In this matchup, Waverley led 3-1 after the first before tacking on two runs in the second and seven apiece in both the third and the fourth. Five more runs followed in the fifth to seal the deal.
Waverley Black hosts Malvern next while Upwey Ferntree Gully visits Monash Uni.
Monash University Farmers 10 v Melbourne Demons Red 10
This high-scoring matchup couldn't be won by either side as it was one of two 10-run draws on the day. The Farmers led for the majority of the game before letting the Demons back in late. Monash scored one in the first, two in the second and seven in the third for a 10-1 lead, but it wasn't over yet. Melbourne battled back hard with five in the fourth and four in the fifth to tie the game and end it in a draw.
Monash is in third place with one win and a draw while Melbourne Red has a loss and a draw. Monash hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully Black and Melbourne Red hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold on Sunday.
Blackburn Orioles 10 v Mornington Pirates 10
The other 10-run draw of the day came at the Pirates home base as the game went back and forth throughout seven innings.
Blackburn put up five in the first and three in the third for an 8-0 lead after three, but Mornington wasn't done yet. The Orioles scored one more in the fourth but gave up seven runs to the Pirates in the bottom frame. A quiet fifth gave way to one more Pirate run in the fifth and two in the seventh to tie it up after Blackburn added one last minute.
Both teams have one win and one draw with Mornington sitting just above Blackburn thanks to 19 runs sored and 17 given up. Blackburn has scored 17 and given up 16. The Orioles host Waverley Red next and Mornington visits Waverley White.
Division 4 North
North Coburg Rebels A 1 v Mitchell Majors B 14
The Rebels' offence couldn't match that of the Majors, with two seven-run innings to start the game. North Coburg regained control in the third, not giving up any runs before scoring a lone run in the fourth.
Mitchell Majors B is in third place with a 2-0 record and 25 runs scored v 10 given up, while North Coburg A is 0-2 and scheduled to play Fitzroy B next. Mitchell Majors B is set to host Fitzroy A.
Mitchell Majors A 12 v Fitzroy Lions B 2
Mitchell Majors kept tacking away at the lead, putting up one in the first and six in the second to keep the game in their favour. Three runs in the third and two in the fourth followed, while the Lions got on the board with two in the fourth.
Nick Attard, Coen Fitzgerald and Matt Whyte were among the key players for Mitchell Majors as the team takes a 2-0 record into the third round v North Coburg B. 0-2 Fitzroy B is set to play North Coburg A.
North Coburg Rebels B 2 v Fitzroy Lions A 15
The Lions proved challenging for the Rebels after putting up five runs to start the game. The Rebels got one of their two runs in the second but Fitzroy continued to score, adding two in the bottom half and one in both the third and the fourth.
North Coburg scored again in the fourth but six in the fifth put Fitzroy even farther in front. Fitzroy A is atop the ladder with a 2-0 record and 36 runs scored v nine allowed, while North Coburg B is 0-2 in fourth place with 11 runs scored and 26 given up. North Coburg B plays Mitchell Majors A next while Fitzroy Lions A plays Mitchell Majors B.
Division 4 South
St Kilda Saints 16 v Chelsea Dolphins 5
The Saints scored 13 late runs to turn the game into a huge run rally. It was a 3-1 St Kilda lead after the first, with the Dolphins eventually tying it up at 3-all in the third. That didn't last for long as the Saints dug deep and fired back with seven in the fourth and six in the fifth. Chelsea managed two more but that was it as the Dolphins visit Mornington next and the Saints hosts Bonbeach A.
Bonbeach Bluejays B 4 v Bonbeach Bluejays A 6
The two Bonbeach sides faced off as the B side took a 1-0 lead in the first before A went ahead 2-1 in the second. B scored three in the third but A did one better with four runs, securing the victory. Bonbeach A is 2-0 in second place with nine runs scored for and four against, while Bonbeach B is one behind with a 1-1 record. Out of these top three teams, Bonbeach B has a bye next while Bonbeach A plays St Kilda.
Berwick City Cougars 10 v Pakenham Pumas 11
It was a high-scoring matchup that ultimately went Pakenham's way after four late runs.
Berwick had a 6-1 lead after the first, but that early start didn't last too long as the Cougars were kept quiet in the second while giving up five runs as Pakenham tied the game. The third was scoreless before Berwick added four in the fourth, but Pakenham got one back in the bottom frame.
Things were looking up for the Cougars with two unanswered runs in the fifth, but Pakenham powered up at the last minute, tacking on four including the tying and go-ahead runs, in the bottom of the sixth.
Pakenham is now 1-1 after dropping the first game 14-2 to Mornington, while Berwick shares the same record but is one spot ahead in fourth place with 21 runs scored v 16 given up, compared to 13 runs scored and 24 allowed for the Pumas.
Pakenham plays Mordialloc next while Berwick plays Wheelers Hill
Mornington Pirates v Wheelers Hill Warriors - FORFEIT
Mornington is 2-0 atop the ladder after this forfeit, with a home game v Chelsea coming up next. Wheelers Hill is 1-1 going into a game at Berwick.
Division 4 West
Geelong Baycats A 7 v Geelong Baycats B 3
This battle of the Baycats saw Geelong B leading 3-0 after the first, but from there on out it was all Geelong A offence. Five runs in the second and two in the fifth secured the win for Baycats A, as both sides are now 1-1. Geelong B is in second place with 18 runs scored and 10 given up, while Geelong A has scored 10 and given up 20 for a fourth place position.
Geelong A plays Essendon Jets on the road while Geelong B takes on Essendon Bombers.
Newport Rams 1 v Essendon Bombers 13
Brian Anderson worked hard on the mound with no walks and three strikeouts in four innings as the Bombers scored 13 runs.
Newport had five hits and four walks across five innings but left some runners on base. The Rams' sole run came when Sam Aldenhoven walked with two outs. Tim Thiel followed up with a hit to centre, and some agressive baserunning followed by a Daniel Coucerio double brought the runner home. Aldenhoven followed up with a line drive to centre in his next at-bat.
The Bombers lead the way with a 2-0 record and 30 runs scored with just four given up, while Newport is in third place with a 1-1 record thanks to 15 runs scored and 16 allowed.
Newport plays Footscray next and Essendon Bombers play Geelong B.
Essendon Jets 3 v Footscray Bulldogs 5
The Bulldogs suffered a 15-3 loss to Geelong B in the first round but managed a victory over Essendon Jets in this round. The Jets are 0-2 and Footscray is 1-1 with upcoming games v Geelong A and Newport, respectively.
There are three 2-0 teams in VSBL Division 3: Springvale, North Western and Footscray. One round is left in 2020 before the break as teams look to finish the year off strong.
Division 3 Firsts
Bonbeach Bluejays 1 v Springvale Lions 15
The Lions had another big win, thanks to a 10-run sixth inning to end the game.
Springvale had scored one run in the first, third and fourth before putting up two in the fifth. The lone Bonbeach run came in the third.
Lucas Anderson returned to the mound and had a winning start, covering six innings with just one unearned run allowed and five strikeouts. Two of the Bluejays' four hits came in the first two at-bats of the game, but Anderson turned a double play with a ball hit up the middle to quiet the Bonbeach threat.
Adam Thatcher ran the bases well in the bottom of the first to get home, and that one-run lead remained until the top of the third when Bonbeach scored on a series of wild throws and a ground ball. Springvale responded with an unearned run as Ben Birchall opened with a double before advancing on an error by the second baseman. Matt Cameron smacked the ball hard to the third baseman who tried his best to make the play but it was a tough one.
Anderson kept the Bluejays under control, not giving them many chances with no walks across the six innings. Springvale got more runs on the fifth when Bonbeach intentionally walked Myles Barnden to set up a double play to end the inning. Instead, Mark Richards doubled over left field to boost the Lions' score.
The sixth inning saw Adam Thatcher lead off with a single, followed by two walks. A pitching change saw Bonbeach allow a further six hits across the next 10 hitters, and two errors helped Springvale get even further ahead. Rydge Hogan had a 14-run margin to back him up as he retired the final three batters.
Isaiah Bird had an RBI double while Oliver Hookey-Rizzo singled and Harry Hines-Cavanagh had two base hits for Bonbeach.
Bonbeach hosts North Western on Saturday while Springvale visits Footscray in search of three wins in a row.
Footscray Bulldogs 13 v Chelsea Dolphins 1
The Bulldogs built on a 12-6 win in the first round with another big performance at Chelsea. The game was relatively quiet to start, with the Bulldogs leading 1-0 going into the fourth, before adding three in the fourth and seven in the fifth. The Dolphins only got one back in the bottom of the sixth as Footscray scored two more runs in the final inning.
Brittney Cedelland pitched well for Footscray, covering 5.66 innings with two hits, no walks, one earned run allowed and six strikeouts. Alexander Da Silva was on the mound for 1.33 innings, giving up no hits or runs with just one walk and four strikeouts.
Footscray racked up 13 hits on the day, including two singles and three RBIs for Matt Martin. Asdrubal Jimenez also had an RBI single while Cory Hart had a pair of base knocks and Jaime Harvey singled too. Da Silva singled and tripled with two walks for three RBIs as Jake Cole-Sinclair had an RBI on a double and HBP. Cedelland walked and singled with two RBIs.
Footscray will aim for a repeat offensive performance at home v Footscray on Sunday while Chelsea hosts Pakenham.
North Western Titans 16 v Pakenham Pumas 0
The Titans earned an 11-1 victory over Chelsea in the first round and they kept up that dominant form in the second game, cruising to a big margin over Pakenham with strong hitting, baserunning and pitching.
North Western is currently just behind ladder-leading Springvale with 27 runs scored for and one against as the Titans aim to keep their undefeated record going on the road to Bonbeach.
Pakenham, the 2018/19 VSBL Division 3 Premiers, look for win number one at Chelsea ahead of the break.
Division 3 Reserves
North Western Titans 1 v Pakenham Pumas 22
The Pumas lost 10-1 to Springvale in round one, but they bounced back in thrilling fashion with a huge high score over North Western.
Both teams scored early, with the game 3-1 in favour of Pakenham after the first. That was all the offence North Western would get while Pakenham kept it coming, scoring 11 in the second and eight in the third.
The Pumas jumped three spots up off the bottom of the ladder, now sitting third with a 1-1 record and 23 runs scored for v 11 against. North Western has a loss and a draw, just ahead of 0-2 Bonbeach ahead of the Titans @ Bluejays game this weekend. Pakenham pays a visit to Chelsea.
Bonbeach Bluejays 2 v Springvale Lions 3
The first two innings were relatively quiet before the Lions tacked on two in the bottom of the third. One more run scored in the bottom of the fifth, while the Lions were forced to hold off a late surge from Bonbeach with two runs in the seventh.
Bonbeach hosts North Western and second-place Springvale visits Footscray next.
Footscray Bulldogs 11 v Chelsea Dolphins 3
Footscray narrowly bested Bonbeach last week, scraping by for a 9-8 win, but this time around the Bulldogs enjoyed a bigger margin thanks to a seven-run first inning. They scored one run in each of the following four innings while holding Chelsea to just two in the second and one in the fifth.
2-0 Footscray hosts Springvale in round three while 0-1-1 Chelsea hosts Pakenham.
VSBL Division 2 teams show no signs of slowing down as the summer season continues. The Firsts have midweek games and one more weekend to go before the break.
Division 2 Firsts - Round 3
Werribee Giants 8 v Newport Rams 5
The Giants have won two in a row after a solid day against Newport. The Rams had the lead for most of the game, scoring one in the first and another in the third, before the Giants tied it up with two in the sixth.
Newport grabbed the lead back with a run in the seventh off a Mason Wray double, but six runs in the eighth sealed the deal for Werribee. The Rams didn't go down without a fight, battling to put two runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth to make Werribee work for the win.
Newport's David Asp threw five good innings with five hits, no runs and a strikeout. Jared Berman, Matthew Lawman and Aaron Robson filled in out of the bullpen.
Scott Malthouse and Wray had two hits apiece for Newport. Ryan Morrison doubled and Keenan Spence tripled.
Josh Lee was Werribee's winning pitcher after giving up nine hits and three runs - one unearned - during seven innings of work. He gave up two walks and struck out three.
Werribee's Wilmer Castillo had two singles, a double and two RBIs, while John n Curnow had three base hits and an RBI. Ryan Balzer, Wade Balzer and Trent singled while Pantalleresco Samuel Reale tripled.
Werribee is in third place with a 2-0-1 record while Newport is 1-2. The Giants' next game is at Mulgrave while Newport hosts Doncaster.
Port Melbourne Mariners 6 v Mulgrave Rebels 11
The Rebels made a late run for it to win their second game of the season. Mulgrave scored four in the second for an early lead but Port Melbourne came back with three in the third and two in the fifth.
The 5-4 ballgame was in Port Melbourne's favour until the Rebels rallied in the bottom of the sixth with three runs. Port Melbourne only scored one more in the top of the seventh while Mulgrave put up another four in the eighth to get the home win.
Port Melbourne's Bailey Waterman had three hits, including two singles, a double and an RBI. Jack White had a pair of base hits while Luke Jones, Matthew Morris and Matthew Parker with the other RBIs.
Parker was on the mound for five innings with seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts recorded.
There were hits up and down the Rebels' lineup. Jayson Arthur had three singles and three RBIs for Mulgrave, while Riley O'Shea had an RBI single and Ryan Phillips had a single and a double. Caleb Poole and Paul Rutgers also doubled while Michael Morgan and Nicholas Thompson also had hits.
Winning pitcher Arthur threw six innings with nine hits and three walks for five runs, four of them earned. Phillips filled in for three innings with three hits, two walks and one earned run scoring.
2-1 Mulgrave hosts Werribee next while 1-1-1 Port Melbourne plays Moorabbin at home.
Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 0 v Williamstown Wolves 10
The Wolves bounced back from a 4-3 loss to Doncaster the week before with a smooth shutout victory over Ormond Glenhuntly.
Williamstown got on the board with one in the first, and carried that 1-0 lead through to the sixth when five more runs scored. The Wolves brought four more runners around in the seventh to take out the win.
Ormond Glenhuntly had just two hits on the day - both singles to Jason Maxwell and Geoff MacDonald. Dennis Neal proved tough to hit on the mound, covering seven innings of scoreless baseball with 14 strikeouts.
Daniel Chircop and Mitchell Collins tripled while Justin Gourlay had two doubles and Aaron Green and Robert Higginson had two base hits each. Hiroshi Narasaki, Scott Meager, Jason McDonald and Tyler Gwin also had hits. Collins had three RBIs while Gwin knocked in two. Chircop, Gourlay and Meager also had RBIs.
Kyungsoo Jeon gave up eight hits, two walks and six runs - four earned) with six strikeouts in 5.33 innings. MacDonald filled in to close out the game.
The Hunters are still in search of their first win going into game four at home v Preston, while 2-1 Williamstown hosts St Kilda.
Doncaster Dragons 23 v Preston Pirates 4
The Dragons enjoyed their biggest margin yet, securing a 3-0 record to start the season as they sit atop the ladder with 42 runs scored and just 11 allowed.
Doncaster's Simon Fitzmaurice threw three innings while Angus Stals handled two and John Britton and Brian Chen both pitched one inning. Preston had six hits total on the day, including two doubles by Adrian Fittock and two singles from Gabriel Valderrama. Jaycob Pascuzzi and Hebert Rodriguez had base hits.
On the offence for Doncaster, Britton singled while Chen knocked in four runs on two base hits. Marcel Davoine had two singles and a double with an RBI, while Dakota Gibson and Campbell Hutton also brought runners in. Brendan McDonald had two base hits and two RBIs while Derek Medlin had three RBIs and Marc Sandy four on two singles and a double. Luke Utting had a single and an RBI too.
Net up for Doncaster is a game v Newport while Preston plays Ormond Glenhuntly.
Moorabbin Panthers 17 v St Kilda Saints 5
The Panthers rolled to their third win of the season with a massive margin over St Kilda. The Saints scored their five runs early in the first, while Moorabbin scored one in the second and five in the third to take the lead.
The fourth and fifth were quiet before Moorabbin scored two in the sixth, one in the seventh and eight in the eighth to reach the final score line.
"We had home runs to 16-year-old Nick Bertucci, his first career homer, as well as Chris Nielson and Stew Mathieson," Moorabbin Club Coach Ben Laux said.
In addition to the homers, Mitch Barr doubled and walked with two RBIs, while Adam Harris also brought two runners home with a big extra-base hit. Christopher Nielsen brought three runners home too. Neil Johnson and Kieran Lewis had two hits as Mathieson not only knocked in seven runs, but also had three strong innings in relief of Matt Hardie, who threw five innings with four hits, four walks and five runs while striking out four.
St Kilda had Adam Schoppe on the mound for four innings, with Tom Snowden throwing three and Deilyn Guzman covering an inning. Rolando Curiel had a single and a double as Alan Ortiz, Marcel McFall, Mariano Heyden and Mariano Favia also recorded hits.
Moorabbin takes an undefeated record into the next game at Port Melbourne while St Kilda plays Williamstown.
Division 2 Reserves
Werribee Giants 4 v Newport Rams 9
The Rams are 2-0 after a big weekend game and they held on for the win despite giving up three runs in the fourth.
Werribee didn't go down without a fight, with RBIs from Andrew Leahy, Simon Hubbert and Tom Stewart. Hubbert drew a walk to score a run in the first.
Newport put up five runs in the fifth with RBIs from Troy Schadendorff, Ben Howard, Trenell Hutchins and Tyler Comben.
Comben was the winning pitcher, throwing a scoreless inning with no hits and two strikeouts. Mason Condie handled an inning of relief out of the bullpen in support of starter Connor Schibeci, who gave up one hit and one run in three innings with five strikeouts.
David Gregurke led the Rams with two hits in three at-bats.
Werribee's starter Will Castillo allowed three hits and five runs in three innings of work with four strikeouts. Addison Bishop-Worn took the loss for Werribee, giving up three hits and five runs across one and two-thirds innings with a strikeout.
Newport is 2-0 while Werribee is 0-1-1 going into the next round against Moorabbin and Port Melbourne, respectively.
Port Melbourne Mariners 2 v Mulgrave Rebels 18
The Rebels were a force to be reckoned with on Saturday, taking a 5-0 lead after the first before scoring eight more in the second and five in the third. Port Melbourne's two runs came in the third.
Both sides made two errors on the day while the Mariners had five hits to Mulgrave's seven. Grant Miller had three RBIs followed by two apiece for Dilon Parkin and Nick Burridge, who tied with Ricardo Ayala for the most quality at-bats with four. Trent Watkinson took three walks to help his team out.
Parkin had nine first-pitch strikes in 2.2 innings of work as Joel Poole also contributed on the mound. David Fuller and Joshua Morris each had three first-pitch strikes during their time on the mound for Port Melbourne.
Mulgrave improved to 1-1 with this result ahead of an Ormond Glenhuntly game while Port Melbourne is searching for a win at home v Werribee.
Doncaster Dragons 16 v Preston Pirates 5
The Dragons narrowly escaped with a win in round one, besting Williamstown with a final score of 9-8, but this time around they enjoyed a larger margin.
Doncaster looks strong so far, sitting atop the ladder with a 2-0 record and 25 runs scored for with just 13 given up. Preston needs a win and will look for it on the road at Williamstown, while Doncaster hosts St Kilda in the third round.
Moorabbin Panthers 9 v St Kilda Saints 2
The game was tied at 1-1 after the first but the Panthers got ahead in the third with two runs. They added three in the fourth and another three in the seventh while the Saints only got one more in the seventh.
This marks Moorabbin's second win after a 6-0 victory over Preston the week before. The Panthers play Newport next while St Kilda, with a loss and a draw, visits Doncaster.
Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 7 v Williamstown Wolves 3
The Hunters had the edge over the Wolves after a late burst of runs. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third when Williamstown scored one.
Ormond Glenhuntly responded with two in the fourth, just for Williamstown to tie it up again in the bottom half. The Hunters scored two in the fifth and three in the sixth, only giving up one more run to the Wolves to finalise the win.
The Hunters are 2-0 while Williamstown is 0-2 going into the next lot of games v Mulgrave and Preston, respectively.
Division 2 Thirds
Werribee Giants 3 v Newport Rams 17
The Rams had the upper hand in this matchup after putting up five runs in the first and seven in the second. 10 of the 12 hitters had at least one hit as Sean Pengelly led with a 3-for-3 performance with a walk. He also threw three innings, giving up just one hit with eight strikeouts.
Other highlights for Newport included Nathan Blakemore's ground rule double in his first thirds game, and Noah Darcy's relief appearance getting out of a bases-loaded, no outs situation. In his pitching debut, Kevin Johnson struck out three in one inning.
Werribee scored one in the second and two in the fourth, as the quiet day offensively gave the team a 1-1 record ahead of a home game v Port Melbourne. 2-0 Newport sits just behind Moorabbin and Doncaster with 23 runs scored and five given up, with a home game v Moorabbin up next.
Preston Pirates 7 v Doncaster Dragons 18
The Dragons won 10-3 over Williamstown in the first round and they carried that momentum into their second game, scoring even more against the Pirates for a 2-0 record. Doncaster is second with 28 runs scored and 10 given up, while Preston is 0-2 with a home game v Williamstown coming up next. The Dragons head to St Kilda on Sunday.
St Kilda Saints 1 v Moorabbin Panthers 12
The Panthers demonstrated their championship comradery with a big display of team batting on Sunday, scoring in three of the four innings. They put one up in the first, followed by an eight-run second inning and three more runs in the third. St Kilda's lone run came in the fourth.
Moorabbin is currently the team to beat in the division, sitting atop the ladder with a 2-0 record and 33 runs allowed v six given up. The Panthers pay a visit to Newport on Sunday while the 0-2 Saints host Doncaster.
Williamstown Wolves 28 v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 3
The Wolves wasted no time at the plate, racking up run after run against a much quieter Ormond Glenhuntly side. This result evened Williamstown's record up at 1-1 after a 10-3 loss to Doncaster to open the season.
Williamstown plays Preston next while Ormond Glenhuntly looks for win number one at Mulgrave.
Mulgrave Rebels 14 v Port Melbourne Mariners 4
The Rebels were on a roll in this game, bouncing back from a 6-2 loss to Newport in the first round.
A nine-run first inning pretty much sealed the deal for Mulgrave, with another run in the third and the fourth. Mulgrave scored an additional three runs in the fifth, all while holding Port Melbourne to just four in the fourth.
Mulgrave and Port Melbourne are both 1-1 ahead of games v Ormond Glenhuntly and Werribee, respectively.
Division 2 Fourths
Werribee Giants - FORFEIT v Newport Rams
The Rams are 2-0 after this forfeit and play Moorabbin next while Werribee is set to host Port Melbourne.
St Kilda Saints 0 v Moorabbin Panthers 13
The Panthers scored eight runs to start the game and never looked back, adding one more in the third and four in the fourth for a solid shutout victory. Moorabbin is 2-0 in second place with 16 runs scored and none given up. Meanwhile St Kilda is 1-1 and plays Doncaster, fresh off a bye, in round three as Moorabbin visits Newport.
Williamstown Wolves 14 v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 13
This was a tough battle filled with bursts of offence, but ultimately the Wolves did just one better than the Hunters. Ormond Glenhuntly opened the scoring with five runs in the first, followed by a further eight in the second.
It looked like a Hunters victory but the Wolves were in it to win it, scoring eight in the third and one in the fourth. Down by four runs, the Wolves put up five in the fifth to take out the win, their second on the season.
Ormond Glenhuntly is now 1-1 ahead of a game at Mulgrave while Williamstown has a bye to wrap up the year.
Mulgrave Rebels 8 v Port Melbourne Mariners 2
The Rebels didn't give the Mariners much to work with, as Port Melbourne's runs came in the third and fourth, after Mulgrave had already scored three early runs. One in the fourth, two in the fifth and two in the sixth helped the Rebels to their first win of the season.
1-1 Mulgrave hosts Ormond Glenhuntly at 0-2 Port Melbourne heads to Werribee next.
The 2020/21 VSBL Division 1 season is off to a flying start as teams aim to finish 2020 off on a strong note. There's just one round left before the break and some big matchups to come this weekend.
Division 1 Firsts - Midweeks (Tuesday, 15 December 2020)
Malvern Braves 2 v Sunshine Eagles 2
Round 3 saw the Braves and Eagles face off in a low-scoring affair as neither side could pull away in the end. Adam Irons and the Eagles held off the 2019/20 VSBL Division 2 Premiers at the Eagles nest as Malvern avoided a third straight loss.
Malvern's efforts were led by two singles and an RBI from Jack Hangar and an RBI base hit by Ryan Othen. Tyler Dale pitched three scoreless innings and gave up just one hit and a walk with two strikeouts. Mitchell Kennedy also pitched three innings, giving up two hits and a run with a pair of strikeouts.
Sunshine is in second place with two wins and a draw while Malvern has two losses and a draw. Sunshine hosts Fitzroy next while Malvern goes to Geelong.
Blackburn Orioles 4 v Waverley Wildcats 3
Waverley held a 2-0 lead from the first inning, but eventually Blackburn fought back, putting up a four-spot in the fourth. The Wildcats scored one more in the bottom of the fifth but it wasn't quite enough as the Orioles held on for the win.
Both sides made one error each while Blackburn had six hits and Waverley had four. Liam Hopkins had two of the Orioles hits and Luke Hughes took three walks. Steven Bookluck had two RBIs for Blackburn too with a hard-hit double.
Waverley's Jacob Sheldon-Collins had three quality at-bats and two hits. Liam Evans pitched three scoreless innings for Waverley with 10 first-pitch strikes and four strikeouts. Blackburn scored three runs during Finn Weichard's turn on the mound while Jamie Papanicolaou gave up two hits and a run during his one and two-thirds innings on the mound.
Rowan Johnstone covered five innings for Blackburn, giving up four hits, five walks and three runs - two earned - with nine first-pitch strikes and four strikeouts. Blake Hodgson handled a scoreless inning although Waverley got two hits.
Waverley is 1-2 ahead of a home game v Upwey Ferntree Gully, while Blackburn takes a 2-1 record into round four v Essendon.
Melbourne Demons 1 v Essendon Bombers 2
The Bombers narrowly got the edge over Melbourne in this midweek matchup. The Demons struck first with a run in the third before Essendon answered with two in the bottom of the fourth.
Two more scoreless innings followed as the Bombers came away with their second win of the season. Sam Street and Russell Spear handled pitching duties, with Street throwing four innings, during which he gave up no hits but walked five. One unearned run scored and Street struck out four. Spear gave up one hit and one walk in two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
Essendon had five hits on the night, including a single and a double for Jared Cruz and Shoma Ikehata. Cody Rodwell had an RBI double too.
The Bombers play Blackburn on Sunday while Melbourne looks for a win at Cheltenham.
Cheltenham Rustlers 4 v Sandringham Royals 3
The Rustlers prevailed in a tight one-run result over Sandringham. Cheltenham forced the Royals to play catch up all night as the Rustlers scored one to open the game. One more in the third and two in the fourth gave the Rustlers enough of a lead, although Sandringham battled back with three in the sixth.
Cheltenham shut down the threat with a scoreless final frame to secure win number two on the season. The Rustlers had seven hits in the game, including a single and double from Sam Michael and an extra-base hit from Michael Leslie. Dante Caruso, Jack Dunn, Mack Turley and Dylan Trevorah singled as well.
Cheltenham's pitchers proved hard to hit as Sandringham had just four hits on the day, all singles going to Declan Croker, Declan Ferguson, Grant Irving and Harrison Wills. The Rustlers had Conor Myles on the mound for five innings, as he gave up one hit, six walks and two runs - one unearned - with four strikeouts. Andrew Campbell contributed two innings with three hits, two walks, one earned run and two strikeouts.
Sandringham's Brandon Stenhouse pitched three scoreless innings with one hit, one walk and five strikeouts, while Riley Trad handled four innings of work. Four runs - two unearned - scored against him while he gave up six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Both teams are now 2-1 as Sandringham plays Berwick next and Cheltenham hosts Melbourne for the fourth round.
Berwick City Cougars 1 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 2
The Tigers are enjoying a 3-0 start to the season after securing the win on Tuesday night.
A quiet first inning gave way to the second when Upwey Ferntree Gully scored one. Berwick quickly tied it up at the top of the third, but the Tigers broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth with their second and final run. Both defences held steady for a scoreless fifth and sixth as the Tigers handed the Cougars their second loss of the season.
Winning pitcher Donavon Hendricks allowed just six hits across the game with no walks and four strikeouts. Berwick batters who got on base include Craig Barnett, Cain Bumpstead, Andrew Gibbens, John King, Lucas Taylor and Aidan Willis, all with singles.
Barnett pitched for Berwick in the pitcher's duel, surrendering two runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out two. Staci Rogers had two hits, a single and a triple, in three at bats for the Tigers, while Wade McConnon doubled and Hendricks, Harvey Chinn, Riley Light and Ashley Winton singled.
The Tigers play Waverley on Saturday while Berwick hosts Sandringham on Sunday.
Division 1 Firsts - Sunday Games
Waverley Wildcats 6 v Geelong Baycats 2
The Wildcats got the better of the Baycats with a convincing performance on Saturday.
Geelong was the first to score with two coming around in the first, although the offence was quiet for the most part after that. The game seemed to be in Geelong's favour through four, until Waverley tied things up with two in the fifth before taking the lead on another run in the sixth.
The Wildcats weren't done yet, adding three more runs in the seventh to put some more space between them and Geelong. Waverley's first win on the board was made possible by strong pitching from Darcy Longstaff, Jamie Papanicolaou and Liam Evans.
Geelong had young gun Lachlan Hockey on the mound for four scoreless innings with just three hits allowed. The Baycats scored their early runs on hits from Ryan Darcy and James Wood. Rudy Jaramillo knocked a run in on a fielder's choice and Tyler Luther-Wilson doubled to bring home another runner.
Luther-Wilson and Samuel Thomas led Geelong with three quality at bats, while Jordan Ley had four for Waverley with three hits and a walk. All in all, Waverley had 13 hits total compared to six for Geelong. Longstaff and Evans both struck out three Geelong batters during their time on the mound as Longstaff hurled 10 first-pitch strikes.
Malvern Braves 1 v Sandringham Royals 4
The Royals took the lead in the fifth inning to even their record at 1-1.
It was a close contest, especially at the start, with two scoreless innings before each side put up one in the third. Three Royals runs in the fifth followed by scoreless innings to close out the game made it a Sandringham victory.
The defence on both sides was relatively strong with only five runs scoring total despite nine hits to Malvern and seven to Sandringham. Jack Wills had four quality at-bats and an RBI, while teammates Matthew Blackmore and Will Tucker also had four QABs.
Mitch Kennedy knocked in Malvern's only run of the day with a double, while Sandringham had RBIs from Wills and Sam Skinner. Grant Irving also had a pair of singles for Sandringham.
Chris Burke and Tyler Dale had two hits each for Malvern, with doubles to Dale and Jack Hangar.
Declan Croker pitched the whole game for Sandringham, giving up nine hits and one unearned run with four walks and six strikeouts. Malvern's pitching duties were shared amongst Dale, Jon Kennedy, Henry Jones, Mitch Kennedy and Ryan Othen, who struck out a combined seven Sandringham batters.
Cheltenham Rustlers 3 v Essendon Bombers 4
The Bombers barely edged the Rustlers in a close showdown, with the game running scoreless through the first five innings before Essendon broke through with two in the bottom of the sixth.
Cheltenham didn't go down without a fight, scoring one in the seventh, although Essendon added another in the eighth. The Rustlers tied the game up in the ninth but the Bombers prevailed in the bottom half, scoring the winning run to secure their first victory of the season.
Michael Formisano started for Essendon, throwing 7.66 innings with six hits, two walks and two runs allowed, one of which was unearned. He also struck out three. Sam Street and Luke Abels pitched in relief.
Jack Enciondo and Russell Ferguson shared pitching duties for Cheltenham, with Enciondo contributing four scoreless innings including two hits, one walk and five strikeouts.
Cheltenham's Conor Myles doubled and tripled, while Sam Michael doubled and Dylan Trevorah had two base hits. Kane Davidson and Mack Turley singled as well.
Essendon's Ross Bament doubled while Christian Caminiti, Shoma
Ikehata and Jared Cruz all singled. Ikehata had two of Essendon's RBIs while Jarryd Rogers and Darby Sexton knocked the other runs in.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 19 v Fitzroy Lions 9
The Tigers took a 2-0 record after a massive day at the plate, led by Peter Schroeders with five RBIs. He drove in runs on a fielder's choice in the second, a walk in the third, a base hit in the sixth and another single in the ninth.
The base paths were busy in this high-scoring affair as the Tigers recorded 20 hits and Fitzroy had 13.
Fitzroy scored one in the bottom of the first but the Tigers soon took a 2-1 lead. There was some more back and forth as the Lions added three in the bottom of the second before Upwey Ferntree Gully scored five in the third. The Tigers scored one more in the fourth and two runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh before a quiet eighth. Finally, Upwey Ferntree Gully tacked on five more in the ninth to finish things off. Fitzroy scored two in the sixth and three in the eighth but it wasn't quite enough against the Tigers.
The big third inning was highlighted by a string of bases-loaded walks for Riley Light, Staci Rogers, Harvey Chinn and Schroeders. Upwey Ferntree Gully's Jordan Elliot doubled to score a run in the sixth while Fitzroy's James Little singled on the first pitch of his at-bat in the bottom half, scoring a run.
The big ninth inning was made possible by singles from Chris Williams, Schroeders and Elliot.
Fitzroy's final three runs in the eighth came thanks to a walk by Ryan Mitchell, a base hit by Damian Preston, and an extra-base hit by Ethan Epifanio.
Jarrod Turner got the win for the Tigers, surrendering four runs on six hits over five innings, with one walk and two strikeouts. Sean Meldrum threw four innings in relief.
Hill took the loss for Fitzroy after allowing four hits and seven runs over two and a third innings with one strikeout.
The Tigers had one home run on the day when Rogers sent one over the fence in the seventh. Chinn went 4-for-4 at the plate while Donavon Hendricks, Ash Winton, Light, Rogers and Schroeders all had multiple hits to back up a strong defence that made no errors.
Fitzroy managed 13 hits in the game, with multiple to Little, Tom Wilson, Preston and Tyler Trevaskis.
Blackburn Orioles 6 v Berwick City Cougars 5
The reigning premiers got a win on the board after dropping the first game to Cheltenham 16-11. The game was tied at one apiece after the second when Blackburn scored two in the top of the third.
The middle innings were quiet before the scoring started back up again, with Blackburn bringing in one in the top of the seventh before Berwick fired back with three. The Cougars were forced to keep playing catch up as the Orioles added another two in the eighth. One more Berwick run scored in the bottom of the ninth as the win slipped away, thanks to a couple of strong outfield throws from the Blackburn defence.
Berwick outhit Blackburn 12 to nine, while both sides made three errors, including one that cost the Cougars three runs. Aidan Willis had four hits for Berwick while Cooper Goodman and Luke Hughes had two apiece for Blackburn. Hughes, Ryan Berg and David Dicker all had a pair of walks to keep the Orioles on the bases.
Cain Bumpstead had four quality at-bats for Berwick while Hughes and Goodman had three each for the other side. Blackburn's Andrew Jones was strong on the mound, giving up seven hits and just one run in six innings with three strikeouts and 23 first-pitch strikes. Matthew West and John King both pitched three innings for Berwick while Aaron Ouwehand, Cameron Gibbens and Bumpstead filled in with short, single-inning appearances too.
Sunshine Eagles 12 v Melbourne Demons 1
Billy Parsons shined in a five inning quality start for Sunshine, keeping things scoreless with just two hits and nine strikeouts as the Eagles took control at the plate for win number two of the season. Sunshine Club Coach Stuart Clayton was pleased with his team's performance.
"We were defensively very good, and made the Melbourne pitchers work deep into the counts," Clayton said.
Not only did shortstop Jordan Young make some great plays, but he also had an extra-base hit and four walks in addition to a good inning of relief pitching along with teammate Adam Irons.
The Eagles scored in five of seven innings, with two runs in the first, five in the second, one in the third, three in the fifth and a final run in the sixth. Melbourne's lone run came in the sixth off the bat of Harvey Mitchelhill with a base hit.
Josh Byrne also had an extra-base hit as the Eagles racked up eight total compared to six for Melbourne. Bryce Aldridge had an RBI single while Byrne and Allan de San Miguel knocked in two runs apiece. Cameron Deeble had two base hits and an RBI while Parsons brought home two runners with a pair of base hits.
Melbourne had multiple pitchers on the mound in a bid to control the Sunshine lineup, with Mitchell Bowen, Mitchell Ellis, Cooper Gerwing, Hayden Godbold, Charles Keyhoe and Kye Stehr putting in pitching work. They combined for nine strikeouts and half of Sunshine's runs were unearned.
Division 1 Seconds
Waverley Wildcats 8 v Geelong Baycats 7
It was a close matchup but Waverley scored three late runs to secure back-to-back wins. The Wildcats were first on the board in the second with five runs, although Geelong followed up with a four-run spot. Three more runs in the third swung the game in Geelong's favour, but after a scoreless fourth the Wildcats came back to score the winning run in the fifth.
Geelong's Hayden Peoples and Blake Witham shared pitching duties against the reigning premiers. Harper Rickard made some great plays at centre field but a few balls that may have been caught helped Waverley advance. James Renouf had 2 hits, including a double, while Dan Anson doubled and Rickard, Peoples, Blake Witham, and Adam Jirik all had base hits.
Geelong takes a 1-1 record into a home game v Malvern, while undefeated Waverley hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully next.
Blackburn Orioles 11 v Berwick City Cougars 6
The Orioles scored two runs in the top of the first and kept tacking onto their lead from there. It was a 5-1 ballgame after three, before more scoring made it 9-2 to Blackburn at the end of the fourth. The Orioles scored twice more in the fifth and gave up four runs to the Cougars to end the game, but they still came away with their second win of the season.
Berwick will look for a win at home v Sandringham this weekend while Blackburn hosts Essendon.
Cheltenham Rustlers 11 v Essendon Bombers 4
The Rustlers prevailed in a big outing to make up for a 5-0 loss the week before at the hands of Blackburn. The first inning was quiet before Cheltenham scored two in the second. Three more followed in the third for a 5-2 Cheltenham lead. The Bombers fired back with two in the bottom of the fifth, but a further six runs to the Rustlers in the sixth secured the win.
Now 1-1, Cheltenham hosts Melbourne for round three as Essendon visits Blackburn in search of a win.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 5 v Fitzroy Lions 1
The Tigers scored one on an error to open the game and they kept rolling from there, putting two on the board from the second and adding one run in both the fourth and fifth.
Keeley Ronalds-Greatbatch threw well for the Tigers, covering four innings with two hits and nine strikeouts. Darcy Mills pitched for Fitzroy, giving up five runs on six hits across six innings with three strikeouts.
Chris Williams had two hits in three at-bats for the undefeated Tigers, who visit Waverley for round three while Fitzroy looks for a win at Sunshine.
Malvern Braves 16 v Sandringham Royals 0
The Braves had the upper hand in this matchup thanks to early scoring, with one run in the first and eight in the second. Malvern went on to score an additional four in the fourth and three in the sixth to assume first place with 24 runs scored and just six given up in two wins.
Malvern is on the road to Geelong while Sandringham looks to bounce back at Berwick.
Sunshine Eagles 5 v Melbourne Demons 5
Both sides battled hard with Sunshine leading most of the game until Melbourne came back to tie it in the final stages with three runs.
Sunshine scored one in the first, three in the second and one in the fifth while Melbourne's two early runs came in the second.
The Eagles now have one win and a draw ahead of a home game v Fitzroy, while Melbourne heads to Cheltenham.
Division 1 Thirds
Melbourne Demons 6 v Sunshine Eagles 7
The Eagles took the lead with five runs in the second, and although the Demons fought back with five runs in the last two innings, Sunshine held on for the win.
Sunshine is now 1-1 ahead of a game at Fitzroy while Melbourne is looking for its first win at home v Cheltenham.
Fitzroy Lions 6 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 11
The Tigers are 2-0 after a big game v Fitzroy. The score was 2-1 in favour of Upwey Ferntree Gully after the first before the Tigers tacked on three more in the second. Fitzroy battled back with five runs in the third, followed by six more in the later innings for the Tigers.
Upwey Ferntree Gully hosts Waverley on Saturday and Fitzroy hosts Sunshine.
Berwick City Cougars 9 v Blackburn Orioles 5
The Cougars have won two in a row after getting on the board early with a pair of runs in the first and three in the second. Blackburn scored one in the second and two in the fourth, with a final two runs in the sixth.
Berwick's four-spot in the fifth gave the Cougars the boost they needed. The team has scored 18 runs and given up 13 so far in two wins, with the next game at Sandringham. Blackburn is 1-1 ahead of a game at Essendon.
Essendon Bombers 15 v Cheltenham Rustlers 1
The Bombers followed up on a solid 8-3 win over Sunshine in round one with a comprehensive performance over Cheltenham. Essendon scored one in the first and one in the second before a two-spot in the third. The Bombers scored another four in the fourth and seven in the fifth while the Rustlers only got one in the fourth.
Essendon is undefeated going into a home game v Blackburn, while Cheltenham heads to Melbourne looking for a win.
Sandringham Royals 8 v Malvern Braves 1
The Royals had an 8-8 with Waverley in the first round, but they got a big win on the board over Malvern on Saturday. Sandringham took a 2-1 lead into the third, and the Royals scored four in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Malvern has yet to win a game and will look to do so at home v Geelong, while Sandringham hosts Berwick in pursuit of back-to-back wins.
Geelong Baycats 14 v Waverley Wildcats 11
The 2019/20 VSBL Division 1 Thirds Champions were bested by another top contender on Sunday as the Baycats brought their A-game at the plate.
Geelong scored five early runs while Waverley answered with two, followed by a scoreless second on both sides. The Baycats scored three more in the third but the Wildcats were right there, responding with eight runs.
The Baycats weren't fazed by the two-run deficit, scoring six runs in the top of the fourth to take the lead. Waverley got one more at the end of the game but it wasn't quite enough. The undefeated Baycats play Malvern in the third round, while Waverley has one loss and a draw going into a game at Upwey Ferntree Gully.
Division 1 Fourths
Geelong Baycats 4 v Waverley Wildcats 15
Geelong opened the game with two runs, but Waverley fired back with seven runs in the bottom half. The Wildcats scored one run in the second and the Baycats scored two runs in the fourth, but Waverley wrapped it up with a seven-run fourth.
Both teams only had two hits, which Lucas Ash and Duane Davenport singling for Geelong. Noah Brennan threw 2.1 innings for the Baycats with three strikeouts.
Waverley is 2-0 and plays Upwey Ferntree Gully next while Geelong is 0-2 going into a game at Malvern.
Fitzroy Lions 8 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 9
The Tigers evened up their record with a one-run win over Fitzroy. The Lions scored one in the first, but Upwey Ferntree Gully answered with two runs. The game was 6-1 in favour of the Tigers after the second, but Fitzroy fought back with five runs in the third.
The back and forth continued with two more runs to Upwey Ferntree Gully. Fitzroy scored two runs in the top of the fourth to tie it up, but the Tigers came away with the winning run in the bottom of the fourth.
With both sides at 1-1, Upwey Ferntree Gully hosts Waverley for the third round and Fitzroy hosts Sunshine.
Essendon Bombers 14 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2
Last year's premiers won big on Sunday, jumping out to a three-run lead before tacking on four runs in the third. The score was 7-0 going into the fifth when the Bombers scored an extra three runs. Cheltenham's two runs came in the bottom of the fifth but Essendon wasn't fazed, scoring a final four runs in the top of the sixth.
0-2 Cheltenham plays Melbourne next while 2-0 Essendon hosts Blackburn.
Sandringham Royals 8 v Malvern Braves 5
The Braves have dropped their first two games but still show plenty of potential after manufacturing some solid offence against a strong Sandringham side. The Royals scored three in the first frame followed by one run in both the second and third before a further four runs came around in the fourth. Malvern's runs came in the first and fourth, when four runs narrowed the deficit.
Sandringham is 1-1 and at home v Berwick this weekend while 0-2 Malvern hosts Geelong.
Melbourne Demons 17 v Sunshine Eagles 3
The Demons ran wild in this game in a similar fashion to their 14-0 win over Upwey Ferntree Gully the week before. Melbourne scored four in the first, three in the third and four in the fourth before Sunshine got three back. The fifth saw six more Demons cross the plate and the Eagles were left scoreless once again in the final frame.
After two losses the Eagles are preparing to take on Fitzroy, while Melbourne sits atop the ladder with a home game v Cheltenham up next.
Berwick City Cougars 0 v Blackburn Orioles 0
It was a great day defensively for these two sides, although neither offence did much to get ahead. The pitcher's duel saw six scoreless innings as both sides took their first draws of the season.
Blackburn and Berwick are 1-0-1 going into the next round v Essendon and Sandringham, respectively.
The second round of the 2020/21 VSBL Women's Division 1, 2 and 3 season featured some surprise results as teams bolstered their records ahead of the holiday break. Teams play this weekend with a few looking for 3-0 records heading into 2021.
Women's Division 1
Newport Rams 3 v Doncaster Dragons 13
The Dragons bounced back from a tough one-run loss to Essendon in the first round with a comprehensive win over Newport in the second.
Morgan Doty took the mound for Newport and faced a tough lineup of Doncaster batters who got the job done, bringing runners around to score with teamwork on full display at the plate.
Jessica Johnson is leading Doncaster in hits with eight so far, followed by Chelsea Stewart at three as the team has scored 22 runs and given up 13. Now 1-1, Doncaster wraps up 2020 at Newport on Saturday as the Rams search for a win.
Springvale Lions 3 v Essendon Bombers 21
The Bombers brought their A-game to take on the Big Cats at home, winning by a huge margin over the reigning premiers.
Giving up 12 runs in the first inning sealed the Lions' fate early, as the Bombers got ahold of the ball and never looked back. They added three in the second, four in the third and another two in the fourth, while Springvale brought home a lone runner in the second and two in the fifth.
Abbey Kelly was unstoppable for Essendon, as the Women's Division 1 MVP collected a single and a triple with three walks for a perfect on-base percentage. That's not all, as she pitched three innings, giving up four hits and two walks with one earned run scored and six strikeouts.
Courtney Foura had a single, double and triple while Megan Kelly had a pair of base hits and Kayla Adams doubled. Allie Bebbere recorded two RBIs and a single with two innings of work on the mound as two unearned runs scored.
Now 1-1, Springvale hosts the undefeated Bombers on Saturday with the Lions looking to bounce back.
Women's Division 2
Springvale Lions 21 v Essendon Bombers 7
While the Lions lost in Division 1, the Division 2 team took care of the Bombers. Seven was their lucky number, scoring as many runs in each of the three innings while Essendon tacked on two in the first, one in the second and four in the third.
After a huge performance, Springvale gets an early break with a bye this week while 1-1 Essendon hosts Geelong for the final game before the new year.
Preston Pirates FORFEIT v Geelong Baycats
Preston's next game is at Footscray as the Bulldogs are fresh off the bye, while Geelong plays at Essendon.
Women's Division 3 East
Cheltenham Rustlers 16 v Berwick City Cougars 16
In a fun game with crazy scoring on both sides, neither team could pull ahead in the final stages.
Cheltenham scored an early run in the first and followed up with another in the second before the Cougars bounced back with a seven-run second inning. Cheltenham took that on board, scoring seven in the third. Berwick made it a tied ballgame in the bottom of the third with nine apiece before both sides put up a further seven in the fourth to finish in a draw.
Berwick takes the bye this week and Cheltenham hosts Wheelers Hill.
Pakenham Pumas Black 4 v Bonbeach Bluejays 21
After a 12-5 loss to Wheelers Hill in the first round, the Bluejays bounced back with a comprehensive win over the Pumas.
Bonbeach scored seven runs in each of the three innings while Pakenham tacked on two in the second and two more in the third.
Bonbeach is in the top three with a 1-1 record and 26 runs scored v 16 runs given up. Bonbeach plays at Springvale on Saturday while Pakenham Black looks for a win on the road at Moorabbin.
Springvale Lions 5 v Sandringham Royals 18
The Royals ran away with this one in similar fashion to their 13-3 victory over Pakenham Black in round one. Springvale had won the first game 15-11 v Pakenham White, but the Lions' offence was much quieter this time around.
Springvale struck first with a run in the opening frame, but Sandringham fired straight back with six runs. The Lions were still in it, scoring four runs in the second to be just one run behind, but once the Royals tacked on a further seven runs in the second, the game was out of reach.
Sandringham rounded off the game with five further runs in the third. The Royals find themselves in second place with a 2-0 record, just behind Moorabbin with 31 runs scored and eight given up compared to 37 runs for and 14 runs against for the Panthers.
Springvale has fallen out of the top two but remains in the top five as they Lions have scored 20 and given up 29 so far. They host Bonbeach on Saturday and Sandringham pays a visit to Pakenham White as the Pumas are fresh off the bye.
Moorabbin Panthers 18 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 9
It's back to back wins for the reigning premiers thanks to a convincing performance on Saturday.
While the Warriors manufactured a fair bit of offence on their own, it wasn't quite enough to hold up to the hard-hitting Moorabbin side that won 19-5 over Berwick in the opening round.
The Panthers scored seven to start before adding four more in the second for an 11-0 lead. The Warriors got two on the board, but four more followed for Moorabbin in the third ahead of a final three-run frame in the fourth. In the final inning, the Warriors did put up seven runs but it wasn't enough to undo the earlier damage.
Despite the loss, Wheelers Hill remains in fourth place with a 1-1 record and 21 runs scored for v 23 against. The Warriors play Cheltenham next while undefeated Moorabbin hosts Pakenham Black as the Panthers look to stay at the top of the ladder.
Women's Division 3 West
Newport Rams 1 v Melbourne Demons 22
The Rams enjoyed a 15-12 victory in round one but fell short in this matchup with the Demons, who were also coming off a win.
Melbourne scored two in the first, six in the second and seven in both the third and fourth to reach the final score, while Newport scored just a lone run in the fourth.
Mackenzie Prentice-Evans pitched two innings for Newport as the Rams recorded just three hits against a tough Melbourne side. Pure Foster and Rebecca Asp singled and Prentice-Evans doubled.
Newport hosts Doncaster at home for the third round while Melbourne heads to Geelong.
North Western Titans 4 v Doncaster Dragons 14
The Titans fell 14-9 to the Demons in round one and were handed another loss this past weekend as Doncaster built on a 13-10 win from the week before.
The 2-0 Dragons are just behind the Demons with 27 runs scored for and 14 against. North Western is currently at the bottom of the ladder with 13 runs for and 28 against, but it could all change this weekend as the Titans travel to Merri Park to play Fitzroy and Doncaster plays at Newport.
Geelong Baycats 12 v Fitzroy Lions 17
Geelong had another high-scoring loss after dropping the first game to Newport 15-12. The offence is there for the Baycats but they are struggling to keep other teams at bay in the box.
Geelong scored six in the first, although Fitzroy quickly answered with seven. Three more Baycats runs came around in the second but the Lions were right there with another seven. Both sides scored three in the third with Fitzroy just in front for the Lions first win of the season.
Fitzroy hosts North Western and Geelong hosts Melbourne in round three.
The 2020/21 VSBL Division 4 season opened with exciting matchups and big results as teams made the most of the return to play. There's two weeks left before the break as teams look to finish 2020 on a high note.
Division 4 East
Monash University Farmers 11 v Melbourne Demons Blue 5
The Farmers proved to be a challenge for the Demons, with Monash getting on base and taking care of Melbourne on the mound for the most part. The Demons will look for a win on the road at Upwey Ferntree Gully Gold while the Farmers could go 2-0 if they secure a win over Melbourne Red in round two.
Melbourne Demons Red 3 v Waverley Wildcats Black 19
Melbourne was kept quiet at the plate while Waverley ran wild, racking up the runs as the Wildcats displayed a similar dominance to last season. The Demons are at home v Monash and the Wildcats play Upwey Ferntree Gully Black for round two.
Waverley Wildcats White 6 v Blackburn Orioles 7
The Orioles stayed one step in front of the Wildcats to begin the season with an exciting win. Now Blackburn plays Mornington for round two and Waverley White hosts Doncaster after the Dragons' first round bye.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers Black 3 v Waverley Wildcats Red 17
The Wildcats were too much to handle for the Tigers, cruising to a 14-run win to get the season started off right. The Tigers will aim for victory at home v Waverley Black while Waverley Red plays Malvern.
Mornington Pirates 9 v Malvern Braves 7
The Braves came close but ultimately it was Mornington's game. The Pirates will look to maintain the same level of offence as they host Blackburn in round two, while Malvern plays Waverley Red at home.
Division 4 North
Fitzroy Lions B 21 v Fitzroy Lions A 7
The two Fitzroy sides went head to head for a fun day on the field at Merri Park. For the next round, Fitzroy A hosts North Coburg B and Fitzroy B hosts Mitchell Majors B.
Mitchell Majors A 14 v North Coburg Rebels A 3
Mitchell Majors enjoyed a solid victory to open the season, taking down the Rebels with strong team batting and pitching. North Coburg A has another shot at a win when they play Mitchell Majors B in round two. Mitchell Majors A plays Fitzroy B next.
Mitchell Majors B 11 v North Coburg Rebels B 9
Mitchell Majors B came away with the win but it wasn't without a fight from the Rebels, who kept battling hard to stay within reach. North Coburg B plays Fitzroy A next at Merri Park while Mitchell Majors B hosts North Coburg A at home.
Division 4 South
Mordialloc Ducks 5 v Berwick City Cougars 11
The Ducks had to play catch up from the get-go when the Cougars scored seven their first time up. Mordialloc brought it within three but another run to Berwick made it a 8-4 ballgame after two. The Ducks would get just one more in the fifth while the Cougars scored two in the third and one in the fourth. Berwick goes to Pakenham and Mordialloc has a bye in round two.
Chelsea Dolphins 1 v Bonbeach Bluejays B 22
Runs were no issue for the Bluejays as they got started scoring early and never looked back. It was a 5-1 ballgame in favour of Bonbeach after one, and then the Bluejays had seven-run innings for the second and third. Two more runs in the fourth and one in the fifth helped Bonbeach to a huge final score. The Bluejays play the other Bonbeach side next while the Dolphins host St Kilda.
Pakenham Pumas 2 v Mornington Pirates 14
The Pirates took control of this game early, scoring five unanswered runs across the first two innings. Pakenham scored one in the third and one in the fifth but Mornington wasn't fazed, scoring three runs apiece in each of the last three innings. Mornington goes to Wheelers Hill and Pakenham hosts Berwick next.
Bonbeach A v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters - FORFEIT
Wheelers Hill Warriors 6 v St Kilda Saints 4
A quiet opening inning gave way to scoring in the second, as the Warriors brought home four compared to just one for the Saints. Both teams scored once more in the third while the Warriors added another in the fifth and St Kilda tacked on two to fall just short. Wheelers Hill hosts Mornington and St Kilda visits Chelsea in the next round.
Division 4 West
Essendon Jets 3 v Newport Rams 14
The Rams were a force to be reckoned with, keeping the Jets quiet for the most part for a big opening round win. Newport plays the other Essendon side on Sunday while the Jets are off to Footscray.
Essendon Bombers 17 v Geelong Baycats A 3
Essendon opened the season with a comprehensive win at Geelong's home base. It's a Baycats v Baycats game on Saturday while Essendon hosts Newport.
Footscray Bulldogs 3 v Geelong Baycats B 15
The Baycats got the best of the Bulldogs thanks to RBIs from Nick Allen, Will Cavanagh and Sean Hughes. They play the other Baycats side on Saturday as Footscray hosts Essendon Jets.
It's shaping up to be a big season of VSBL Division 3 with six teams battling hard each week. Springvale's first game was reminiscent of last year's dominance, while new addition Footscray got the edge over Bonbeach.
Division 3 Firsts
Bonbeach Bluejays 6 v Footscray Bulldogs 12
The two new teams in Division 3 went head to head as Footscray came out on top. The strong start gives the Bulldogs a bit of momentum heading into a round two clash at Chelsea while Bonbeach has a big road game at Springvale.
Chelsea Dolphins 1 v North Western Titans 11
The Titans were a step ahead of the Dolphins in this matchup, relying on strong offence and defence to get the job done. The Titans are on the road to Pakenham for the second round while Chelsea hosts Footscray.
Springvale Lions 18 v Pakenham Pumas 1
The Lions led the division all season long before dropping in the finals last year, and they showed that same confidence and power in the round one matchup.
The combination of VSBL Award Winner nominees Scott Baillie, Rydge Hogan and Lucas Anderson proved too strong while the entire side contributed at the plate and in the field.
Springvale has the shot to go 2-0 with a home game v Bonbeach as Pakenham hosts North Western.
Division 3 Seconds
Bonbeach Bluejays 8 v Footscray Bulldogs 9
The Bluejays didn't give up but ultimately fell just short of the Bulldogs in the first game back. Bonbeach will have another shot at a win with an away game at Springvale while Footscray heads to Chelsea to take on the Dolphins.
Springvale Lions 10 v Pakenham Pumas 1
Springvale's reserves are strong too, showcasing their hitting depth and quality pitching in a cruisy win over Pakenham. The Pumas will look to bounce back at home v North Western as Springvale hosts Bonbeach.
Chelsea Dolphins 9 v North Western Titans 9
Both teams put in the work at the plate and came close to victory, but ultimately it ended in a draw. The Dolphins will look to replicate their team batting and stay strong on the mound when Footscray comes to town while round two sees North Western take on Pakenham.