The 2020 Australian Youth Championships wrapped up today, with Victoria Blue finishing fourth in the U18s after their comeback in the bronze medal game was cut short due to poor air quality in the area. These conditions led to the cancellation of the U18 seventh-place playoff between Victoria White and Country New South Wales.
Victoria White had a 7-3 win in the U16s to go out on a high note, while Victoria Blue lost a close one 3-2 against Country New South Wales.
Well done to all Victorian players on their strong efforts over the course of #AYC2020!
U16 FINALS RESULTS - VICTORIA BLUE AND WHITE
Fifth-place playoff: Victoria Blue 2 v Country New South Wales 3
Early runs and strong pitching propelled Country New South Wales to a fifth-place U16 finish at #AYC2020.
A two-run first inning gave Country an early lead and strong pitching ensured it was enough, sealing a 3-2 win on diamond four at Geelong Baseball Centre.
VICB v CNSW: Box Score and play-by-play
George Cooper and Will Unitt drove in first-inning runs for Country NSW.
Liam Herbert reached on a dropped third strike and advanced to third on a single by Chaise Chabi.
Genevieve Beacom struck out Parker Robinson for the second out ahead of back-to-back singles from Cooper and Unitt.
Country added another unearned run in the fourth after Victoria Blue opened its account on a Patrick Gawith groundout in the bottom of the second.
Beacom did not allow an earned run through four innings, striking out five and allowing five hits.
Country NSW starter Cooper allowed two runs with two strikeouts in three innings.
Jayden Battese and Parker Robinson combined to throw four scoreless relief innings.
Charlie Pierson struck out three in three innings for Victoria Blue.
Declan Speirs had three hits for the Victorians.
Seventh-place playoff: Victoria White 7 v Australian Capital Territory 3
Joel Prpic homered as Victoria White clinched a seventh-place U16 finish at #AYC2020.
Three runs in the second and third helped overturn an early one-run deficit and propel Vic White to a 7-3 win over the Australian Capital Territory on diamond four.
VICW v ACT: Box Score and play-by-play
Will Page-Allen’s sacrifice fly handed the ACT a first-inning lead.
But Joel Prpic’s two-run homer in the second put Victoria White in front.
Finnley McGrath’s ground ball extended their lead.
Millar Kuhl added an RBI-single before two more runs scored on an error in the next inning.
The ACT pulled runs back after two-straight doubles from Page-Allen and Ryan Lyddiard in the fifth, but they were unable to complete the comeback.
U18 FINALS RESULTS - VICTORIA BLUE & WHITE
Bronze medal game: Victoria Blue 9 v South Australia 10
South Australia has claimed U18 bronze in an air quality-shortened #AYC2020 contest against Victoria Blue.
The wild clash between two determined teams was called off early due to poor air quality in Geelong on Wednesday.
The game was suspended and then called off with SA leading 10-9 on diamond one.
It was a thrilling contest with both teams trading big innings shortly before the contest was stopped.
South Australia scored six in the fifth to break a tie ahead of Vic Blue scoring five to pull within a run.
The top of the seventh did not start and the game was called off close to an hour after it was suspended.
Jacob Scott and Darcy Barry drove in two runs each for SA.
Barry had three hits, including a run-scoring triple in the fourth.
Dante Caruso’s grand slam made it interesting in the sixth.
His long shot with the bases loaded pulled Vic Blue within a run with none out, but Peter Paech came in to retire the side and keep SA in front.
Seventh-place playoff: Country New South Wales v Victoria White - canceled due to poor air quality