Congratulations to Geelong Baseball Association on winning the first-ever Senior Women’s State Winter Championship!
GBA went 4-0 and defeated Dandenong 10-3 in the grand final to take out the championship at Geelong Baseball Centre.
It was fantastic to see everyone having fun on the field in a great showcase of women’s winter baseball.
Well done to all teams, players and supporters involved - the future of women's baseball looks very bright!
A special mention to our tournament MVPs Zoe O'Keefe (Bendigo), Leisel Bouker (Dandenong), Kira Akuwamoto (Geelong), and Emma Sullivan (MWBL).
Read recaps below and check out photos from Field of View Sports Photography HERE.
Dandenong 7, Melbourne 5
Dandenong took the lead late in the game in a 7-5 victory over Melbourne. Michelle Kennedy singled on a 2-0 count in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs.
MWBL opened the scoring in the first inning on a single by Jade Yuen.
Tuhi Nigaheu led things off on the mound for DBA. Nigaheu surrendered four runs on three hits over three innings, striking out six.
Lara Watson was on the hill for MWBL. The bulldog lasted two innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out one. Yuen threw one inning out of the bullpen.
DBA totaled six hits in the game, including two apiece for Liesel Bouker and Kennedy.
Macy Priamo led MWBL with three of the team's eight stolen bases.
Geelong 16, Bendigo 4
An early lead helped Geelong defeat Bendigo 16-4 on Saturday. GBA scored on a walk and stolen base by Nyah O'Brien, a walk by Dianne Tompkins, and a double by Alanah Rose in the first inning.
BBA also scored in the first, putting up four runs with RBIs by Landy Mills, Megan DeMoel, and Aimee Sparnenn.
GBA notched eight runs in the second inning. The offensive onslaught came from a walk by Claire Costa, a single by Ruby Wright, a home run by Kira Kuwamoto, and a groundout by Tompkins.
Jessica Curnow led things off on the hill for GBA, allowing two hits and four runs over two innings, striking out three.
Phoebe Martin toed the rubber for BBA. The pitcher allowed zero hits and seven runs. Zoe Murphy threw one and two-thirds innings in relief out of the bullpen.
GBA totaled six hits in the game, including two apiece for Wright and Rose. Kuwamoto stole two bases as the team had eight stolen bases overall.
Geelong 12, Dandenong 4
Geelong jumped out to an early lead over Dandenong and eventually came away with a 12-4 victory. GBA scored on a home run by Kira Kuwamoto, a walk by Ruby Benne, a single by Sophia Law, and a groundout by Alanah Rose in the first inning.
Brooke Sadler got the start for GBA. The pitcher lasted three innings, allowing four hits and four runs.
DBA pitcher Michelle Kennedy allowed two hits and seven runs over two-thirds of an inning. Liesel Bouker threw two innings in relief out of the bullpen.
Kuwamoto hit two home runs for GBA, while Law had multiple hits as well with GBA tallying seven hits total.
Melbourne 14, Bendigo 1
Melbourne scored seven runs in the first and second while keeping Bendigo off the bases for a 14-1 result.
Lacey Tompkins had two hits while Emma Sullivan, Jessica Warwick, Athena Coulis, Sarah Anton, Juliette Mills, and Jade Yuen all had one hit.
Tompkins, Sullivan, and Yuen took turns pitching in MWBL's big victory.
Zoe O'Keefe picked up a hit for Bendigo and handled pitching duties alongside Stephanie Comfort.
Dandenong 14, Bendigo 3
Bendigo got on the board first with a bases-loaded walk in the first, but by the end of the inning Dandenong was up 7-2.
DBA got another seven runs in the second to put the game out of reach. Jessica Walters, Rachel Heymans, Wanda Halliday, Rachael McMahon, Abra Osborne, Narelle Rentoul, and Hope Ellis had one hit each.
Felicity Clissold, Walters, and Osborne put in pitching work for DBA.
Aimee Sparnenn and Stacey Castle recorded hits for Bendigo, while Sparnenn, Sarah Osborne, and Zoe Murphy all pitched for the side.
Geelong 10, Melbourne 7
Geelong had the edge in this close game, outhitting Melbourne 6-4. GBA put up three runs in both the first and second with four more runs scoring in the third. MWBL scored four runs in the first and three in the third.
Kira Kuwamoto had two hits and four runs batted in for Geelong, while Ruby Wright also picked up a pair of hits and knocked in two runs. Sophia Law and Claire Costa recorded hits, too.
Megan Kelly, Macy Priamo, Lara Watson, and Jade Devlin had one hit apiece for MWBL. Priamo, Kelly, and Athena Coulis put in pitching work as well.
Alanah Rose and Saya Turnley pitched for the winning side.
Melbourne 13, Bendigo 8
Melbourne took a 7-1 lead into the second inning and kept up the pressure, although Bendigo battled back with a seven-run third.
MWBL collected seven hits while Bendigo had two. Jade Devlin, Lilly Simpson, Juliette Mills, Lara Watson, Ebony Sutherland, Sarah Anton, and Jessica Warwick had one hit apiece.
Emma Sullivan stuck out four in two innings of work for MWBL.
Megan Kelly and Jade Yuen had hits for Bendigo and also pitched alongside Phoebe Martin.
Geelong 10, Dandenong 3
Undefeated Geelong won the grand final with a strong offensive performance including three runs in the first and seven in the second.
Dandenong's one run in the first and two runs in the second weren't enough against GBA's big bats, with Sophia Law and Ruby Benne picking up two hits apiece. Kira Kuwamoto, Jessica Curnow, Ruby Wright, Claire Costa, and Alanah Rose had one hit each.
Jessica Walters and Felicity Clissold collected two hits for DBA as Liesel Bouker also got on base.
Geelong's Nyah O'Brien threw three solid innings with five hits, three runs, and six strikeouts.
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