Day 2 of the 2019 U12 State Winter Championships included 12 awesome, action-packed games and plenty of terrific teamwork. Congratulations to Diamond Valley (Red) from Pool A and City West from Pool B on winning the tournament! We are so proud of these U12 State Winter Champions!
Another highlight of the day included the U12 SWC Home Run Derby proudly sponsored by Ausport. Sunraysia's Oliver Hayes had his brother catch for him and his dad pitch to him during the Home Run Derby, and he was joined by talented competitors Ryan Kinkade (Bendigo), Liam Rowsell (City West), Hunter Richardson (Dandenong), Roy Chang (Diamond Valley Red), Josh Antonacci (Diamond Valley Black), Jordan Ellis (Geelong), Jarrod Thomas (Latrobe Valley) and Masa Yamamoto (Ringwood). Many team players got involved, heading to the outfield to retrieve balls and cheer on their friends and teammates.
Roy and Jarrod made it into the top two, when Jarrod was crowned the U12 SWC Home Run Derby Champion! He received a $50 Ausport gift voucher and was later named Latrobe Valley's All-Star Player.
Diamond Valley (Red) prevailed in a 3-0 Grand Final finish over Dandenong, while City West went 6-0 as they emerged victorious. Congratulations to Diamond Valley and City West on a fantastic finish to the U12 State Winter Championships. This was a wonderful weekend at Werribee Baseball Club, made possible through the efforts of many volunteers in the baseball community and the support of Viva, Ausport, Wyndham City Council and The Regatta Shop. It was great to see so many kids out having fun and making memories with their baseball friends!
Pool A
Game 7
Sunraysia vs. Geelong
10 9
Sunraysia held on for their first win of the tournament despite a valiant effort by Geelong. They struck first in the top of the first, scoring three on three walks, a fly out and a groundout. Sunraysia wasn't unsettled, responding with a five-spot in the first as five players walked to make it 5-3.
The top of the second saw Geelong score five runs of their own, with big hits to Luke Morrow, Charlie Bell and Xavier Galang. Jack Northfield and Thomas Rome walked runs in during bases-loaded situations as Geelong captured a three-run lead. This advantage didn't last long, as Sunraysia loaded the bases in the bottom of the second on three walks. Two additional base on balls and a single by Deegan Cox saw Sunraysia recapture the lead with a 10-8 score.
Geelong had their last chance in the top of the third, and they got one back on a wild pitch but it wasn't enough to close the gap as Sunraysia's Logan Arnold recorded the final outs and protected his team's lead, much to their excitement.
Geelong had three hits and two errors on the day, compared to one hit and one hit for Sunraysia. Allistaire Lang pitched well for Geelong, recording two strikeouts and giving up no earned runs. This result gave Sunraysia a much-needed boost heading into their second game of the day against Ringwood.
Game 8
Diamond Valley (Red) vs. Ringwood
11 6
Ringwood got their bats moving early, racking up three runs on four walks, a hit by pitch and Ethan Rashleigh's 1-out single. Diamond Valley (Red) wasn't deterred, responding with a five-run first inning. Lachlan Brennan walked to start things off, and Reeve Hammond delivered a blazing triple to right field to bring him in. A strikeout and a fielder's choice followed to bring Diamond Valley within one run. Honor Hereora walked, and Oliver Every doubled before Oliver Von Tuck singled to give Diamond Valley a 5-3 advantage heading into the second.
Ringwood made up the difference in the top of the second, taking five walks to level the ledger. The back-and-forth battle continued as Diamond Valley took three walks in addition to singles by Minsung Shin and Austin Caulfield to make it 7-5. Brennan pitched well in the top of the third, keeping Ringwood off the board for their first scoreless inning of the game with just 16 pitches required.
Diamond Valley extended their lead with four more in the bottom of the third, as Windsor Breckenridge led off with a base hit before Kycen Dowling came up to bat and smashed a double. Roy Chang, Shin and Hereora also had hits in the inning for a comfortable 11-5 advantage. Ringwood got one back in the top of the fourth, but the victory belonged to Diamond Valley.
Hereora, Shin and Every each collected 2 RBI's in the game, in which Diamond Valley had 10 hits overall while keeping Ringwood to just one. Squire threw seven first-pitch strikes for Diamond Valley as his team's record improved to 4-0.
Game 9
Ringwood vs. Sunraysia
7 3
Ringwood's bats got the job done today against Sunraysia, as they collected nine hits while only giving up two. It wasn't until the bottom of the second that Ringwood got on the board, thanks to a dedicated pitching and defence performance.
Declan Marshall pitched well for Ringwood, giving up a single to Sunraysia's Alex Kane before settling down and getting the job done. It was a similar story for Oliver Hayes in the bottom of the first, as Ethan Rashleigh singled off him before he finished the inning with a strikeout. Marshall used just 12 pitches to send Sunraysia back to the field for the bottom of the second. That's when Ringwood scored on Finlay McGrotty's RBI triple to left field. Hayes kept in control and struck out the next three batters to escape with minimal damage.
Marshall had a quick inning in the top of the third, striking out two and retiring the third batter on a groundout with just two pitches. Hayes used only eight pitches to end the third inning. The back-and-forth carried on as Sunraysia was kept off the board once again. Ringwood added to their lead with hits from Masakiyo Yamamoto and McGrotty in the bottom of the fourth.
Two Sunraysia batters walked in the top of the fifth but they struggled to get on the scoreboard once again. Ringwood scored five runs in the bottom frame to put the game out of reach for Sunraysia. This included singles by Denzel Wynne-Primus, Noah Traplin, Brodie Trevean, Lucas Tucker, Rashleigh and Lachie Kilmartin.
Stella Mobbs singled as Sunraysia got back three runs in the final inning, but they couldn't close the gap entirely. McGrotty and Rashleigh led the way for Ringwood with two hits apiece, while Hayes had an amazing outing with 10 first-pitch strikes and eight strikeouts. All in all Sunraysia struck out 11 pitchers while Ringwood recorded 10 K's.
Game 10
Geelong vs. Dandenong
7 6
Even though Dandenong lost a nail biter to Geelong, they still earned a spot in the Grand Final. Dandenong struck first in the opening frame, with Bella Bodey walking and Liam Puncher batting her with a base hit. Pitcher Josh Hirst kept things under control, while Theodore Rutgers took the mound for Dandenong. Two walks and Jake Chapman's RBI single gave Geelong a 2-1 lead.
Dandenong added two in the top of the second on hits by Rutgers and Harrison Brodie. Geelong was kept scoreless in the bottom frame although Allistaire Lang walked and Tylah Laurie singled. The top of the third saw Jack Garbett-Davidson single and Dandenong added one more run on a groundout. Archer Quelch came in to pitch in the bottom of the third, recording two quick strikeouts before Chapman singled, Hirst walked and Pat Johnson doubled to tie the game. It was then Chapman's turn to pitch, and he kept Dandenong off the board in the top of the fourth.
Geelong's Charlie Bell led off with a single but his teammates struggled to bring him around to score with some great pitching from Quelch. Dandenong took a two-run lead in the fifth on four walks, but Geelong used their final inning to turn the score in their favour. Jordan Ellis had a lead-off double and Chapman and Johnson singled while two bases-loaded walks gave them the go-ahead run for a huge victory.
Johnson led Geelong with 3 RBI's, while Chapman had three hits and Bella Bodey did a great job of getting on base for Dandenong, taking three walks. Hirst threw nine first-pitch strikes in his three innings, while Dandenong's pitching trio combined for seven strikeouts.
Consolation
Geelong vs. Ringwood
13 14
Geelong and Ringwood fought hard until the very end, but Cooper Holloway came home on a wild pitch to seal the deal for Ringwood. Jordan Ellis had an RBI single for Geelong in the first, while Masa Yamamoto also knocked in a run in the bottom frame for Ringwood. It was 5-1 in favour of Ringwood by the time the inning was over.
Eager to get on the board, Geelong loaded the bases for Jack Northfield to hit an RBI single before Xavier Galang sent a grand slam into the field, much to roaring cheers from Geelong supporters and his trusty teammates. Ringwood tied it up with Yamamoto's second RBI of the game.
The top of the third featured a single by Jake Chapman and two more runs for Geelong. Ethan Rashleigh came up to bat for Ringwood in the bottom half, leading off with a single before two walks loaded the bases. Several groundouts and a third RBI single by Yamamoto put Ringwood back in front, 10-8.
Geelong battled back, with Ellis hitting a two-run homer as Geelong went up by three. Unfortunately for Geelong, giving up six straight walks proved to be their downfall as Ringwood came back to regain the lead and take out the third place victory.
Rhianne Smith did a good job getting on base for Ringwood, taking four walks in the game, while pitcher Denzel Wynne-Primus threw 12 first-pitch strikes.
Grand Final
Diamond Valley (Red) vs. Dandenong
3 0
This highly competitive matchup made for a thrilling Grand Final, as Diamond Valley looked to finish strong and remain undefeated throughout the whole tournament. Their first meeting was a close affair as Diamond Valley won by a lone run.
Both pitchers and defence did an amazing job keeping their opponents off the bases, with the first score not coming until the bottom of the third. Kycen Dowling pitched well for Diamond Valley, while Hunter Richardson did the same for Dandenong. Harrison Brodie singled in the first but was left stranded, as was Jax Clarke in the second.
Dowling and his Diamond Valley teammates got out of the third inning with a great double play, and they brought their first run home on a wild pitch in the bottom frame. Will Kent doubled for Dandenong in the fourth, but he was stranded as well. The tight contest continued as Kent and Roy Chang took over pitching duties for Dandenong and Diamond Valley, respectively.
It was the bottom of the fifth when Andy Chang singled, allowing Breckenridge to score on a throw before Chang did the same on an error. This three-run lead was all Diamond Valley needed as R. Chang closed the game out quickly.
Richardson struck out five in the game, while Dowling struck out four.
Pool B
Game 7
Bendigo vs. Latrobe Valley
5 7
In yesterday's meeting, Latrobe Valley won 11-6, despite some massive hits from Bendigo. Today's game was a different story, as Bendigo remained right in it until the end. Bendigo's Patrick Mathews started the game on the mound, giving up just one two-out single with three strikeouts in the first inning.
Latrobe Valley retired the side on 10 pitches in the bottom of the first, and they got their first run in the second with a single by Jackson Amos helping the cause and continuing to pressure Bendigo. They weren't fazed one bit, as Bendigo put together a five-run bottom of the second. Felix Hughes reached on an error, and three walks, two hit by pitch batters and a groundout allowed Bendigo to rack up the runs.
Latrobe Valley jumped back on the board with two runs in the top of the third to narrow their deficit to two. Alex Smith did a great job on the mound for Latrobe Valley in the bottom of the third, retiring Bendigo on just 17 pitches. Latrobe Valley did a great job of getting ahead in the top of the fourth, taking a two-run lead on several walks and fielder's choice. Smith closed the game and protected Latrobe Valley's lead, using just 12 pitches and striking out two.
Latrobe Valley's pitching trio threw a combined no-hitter with five strikeouts in the game. Bendigo's pitchers also did well on the mound, giving up just three hits overall with seven strikeouts - six of those recorded by Mathews. This result evened Latrobe Valley's record to 2-2.
Game 8
City West vs. Diamond Valley (Black)
8 5
City West continued their dominating U12 SWC campaign with a terrific team effort to start Day 2 off right. Both teams enjoyed fantastic pitching and defence in the first two innings as the game was scoreless until the third. Fletcher Wilson took the mound for City West, striking out three with just 16 pitches.
Oliver Baillargeon pitched for Diamond Valley, giving up a single and two walks but getting out of the bases-loaded situation with no damage done. Wilson struck out the side in the top of the second, and Baillargeon did the same when he got back on the mound.
Diamond Valley opened up the scoring in the top of the third, taking six walks, a hit by pitch and Josh Antonacci's single to make it 5-0. City West wasn't fazed, getting all but one run back in the bottom frame when Liam Rowsell smashed a grand slam to centre field.
Zachary Papadimitriou hit a single but that was it for Diamond Valley in the top of the fourth. City West won it in the bottom of the fourth, with an impressive team effort led by doubles from Wilson and Rowsell and a two-run homer by Finn O'Neill. Rowsell and Wilson collected four of City West's six hits in the game, while Baillargeon threw six first-pitch strikes with five strikeouts in a good outing on the mound. City West improved to 4-0, while Diamond Valley dropped to 2-2.
Game 9
Latrobe Valley vs. City West
1 10
City West kept Latrobe Valley quiet, with just one hit over the course of the game. Jarrod Thomas walked the first batter but wasted no time striking out the next three, while City West's Cooper Bishop-Worn recorded three strikeouts of his own in the bottom frame. City West made it on the board in the top of the second with five walks and a fielder's choice for a 2-0 advantage.
Ryan Glass singled but Latrobe Valley couldn't get him around, and five more walks and a wild pitch put City West up by five. Latrobe's Cooper Gray scored their first run of the game on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the third. City West tacked on five more runs in the top of the fourth to finish the game strong. Bishop-Worn, Finn O'Neill and Noah McCurdy had hits in the innings, with walks to Liam Rowsell, Baxter Maynard and Luca McCurdy. Bishop-Worn threw six first-pitch strikes and recorded five strikeouts in two innings, with Thomas notching 5 K's of his own. This exciting result marked City West's fifth straight win to keep them comfortable atop the Pool B round robin ladder.
Game 10
Diamond Valley (Black) vs. Bendigo
10 5
Diamond Valley was thrilled to get their third win on the board with a strong team effort against Bendigo. Libby Morgan led the way with her pitching prowess, covering 2.2 innings with seven first-pitch strikes and six strikeouts while also knocking in two runs for Bendigo. . She needed just 12 pitches to retire Bendigo in the opening frame, and it was a similar story for pitcher Darcy Pump. Noah Chun singled but that was it for Diamond Valley in the bottom of the first.
Bendigo scored first, jumping on the board in the top of the second as Zak Banks-Broome reached on an error and came around to score a short time later. Morgan struck out two to end the inning. Cohen Power led off the bottom of the second with a huge double, and five walks and a hit by pitch batter allowed Diamond Valley to take a 5-1 lead.
Angus Costello singled and Ryan Kinkade hit a home run for Bendigo in the top of the third before Hudson Castle doubled to bring his team within one run. Power hit his second double of the game in the bottom of the third, and Joseph Herriman singled as Diamond Valley kept getting on base and worked their way to a comfortable 10-4 advantage.
Elliot Cole doubled to start the fourth, while Pump's single brought in their fifth and final run of the game. Diamond Valley's Morgan, Diego Surace and Josh Antonacci pitched well, combining for nine strikeouts. Pump, Castle and Derek Rogers recorded five strikeouts overall for Bendigo.
Game 11
Latrobe Valley vs. Diamond Valley (Black)
15 11
In their final game of the tournament, Latrobe Valley came away winners in an absolute run fest. Despite having only two and four hits respectively, Latrobe Valley and Diamond Valley racked up the runs on a combination of walks and timely sacrifices to move runners around.
Carrying the momentum from their 10-5 win over Bendigo, Diamond Valley put together a five-run frame to open the game. Libby Morgan had an RBI single to help her team out, while three walks and two hit by pitch batters also made a difference. Latrobe Valley wasn't worried, tying the game up quickly with four walks and fast baserunning. Cohen Power scored on a wild pitch in the top of the second, giving Diamond Valley a narrow one-run lead, but once again Latrobe Valley kept right up with them. Jack Thomas doubled as Latrobe Valley captured a 10-6 lead.
The back-and-forth battle wasn't over as Peter Lee from Diamond Valley had a lead-off base hit before four straight walks and an RBI single by Diego Surace gave them 11 runs to Latrobe Valley's 10. Riley Duncan singled, and four walks and two hit by pitch batters propelled Latrobe Valley ahead once again, with 15 runs. Both teams remained in it until the end, and they enjoyed their last game of the U12 SWC.
Game 12
City West vs. Bendigo
12 6
City West won the Pool B Round Robin Competition and secured a perfect 6-0 record with a great team effort this afternoon. Finn O'Neill made a huge difference to his squad with 6 RBI's on two hits, including a grand slam in the bottom of the second.
Baxter Maynard started out on the mound for City West, getting out of a bases-loaded situation with two strikeouts. Noah McCurdy, Fletcher Wilson and O'Neill all had hits in the bottom frame as City West took a 3-0 lead. Bendigo got one back in the next inning, although City West didn't ease up on their scoring opportunities. The bottom of the second saw City West take an 8-1 lead with O'Neill's bomb, plus a base hit from Alec Groves.
Pitcher Nicholas Kain kept Bendigo off the bases in the third, while City West did more damage their next turn up, taking six walks and turning Josh Rowlands' single into a run scored. By the end of the inning it was 12-1 with City West in front. In their last at-bats, Bendigo took two walks to start things off before Derek Rogers singled and Felix Hughes and Ronan Clarke had back-to-back doubles. Bendigo was able to make it 12-6, but City West was still on top.