The Little League Charter & Junior League Charter Academy made its debut on Saturday, 7 November, with four games in Sandringham (hosted by the Southern Mariners) and two in Geelong.
Southern Mariners (A) 13, Eastern Athletics (Green) 5
Dominant pitching and equally superb hitting buoyed the host Mariners (A) to a win over the Athletics (Green) squad, 13-5, in one of two inaugural games marking the official beginning of the Little League Charter & Junior League Charter Academy. Southern plated four runs in the first, five in the second and another four in the third before Eastern tallied four of their own in the final inning to provide the final margin.
Dante Cerusa, Rhys Fairweather and Marcus Graham all pitched for the Mariners while Zac Busch, Kye Stehr and Tom Seddon took the mound for the Athletics. The Mariners had five hits while the A’s managed only two.
Southern Mariners (B) 8, Eastern Athletics (Gold) 1
Similar to their brethren, the Mariners (B) jumped on their Eastern Athletics (Gold) competition early, responding to a top-of-the-inning marker by tallying four runs in each the first and second innings to cruise to an 8-1 victory. At the plate, Malcolm Elliot starred for the Mariners, recording two hits (including a two bagger) while Jed Woodger, Josh Ashen and Matt West also contributed a hit apiece. Elliot also made the play of the game gunning down a runner at home after catching a fly ball in left field.
Damian Hill recorded the only knock for the Athletics, a well-struck double. On the bump, Jed Woodger was brilliant, pitching three impressive innings, allowing only the sole hit while walking one and striking out four. Josh Smith entered in the last to secure the win. For the A’s, their pitchers were Cal Vance, Charlie Collins, Hill, and Koetsu Sakamoto.
Southern Mariners (B) 8, Eastern Athletics (Green) 6
Completing a hard fought sweep, the Southern Mariners (B) eked past the Eastern Athletics (Green), 8-6. The Mariners used two runs in the first, five in the second, and one insurance run in the third to record their second win of the season. That last run proved crucial as the game Athletics outfit tallied once in the third and five times in the last to tighten the game considerably. Jason Kane, Lucas Keyhoe, Mitch Thomas, and Will Richardson all pitched very well for the visitors while Josh Ashen, Shelby Miller, and Malcolm Elliot held their own for home side. Each team finished with four hits.
Eastern Athletics (Gold) 7, Southern Mariners (A) 5
Starting on time—five runs in the top of the first—proved key to the Eastern Athletic (Gold)’s first win of the season. They conceded two runs in the first and one in the second but then responded with a single run in the third to push the lead back up to 6-3. Two runs by the Mariners in the fourth pulled the home team within one, but an insurance run plated in the top of the fifth by the A’s provided the winning margin.
A balanced effort at the plate—seven different players contributed hits for the A’s, including two by Charlie Collins—helped ameliorate three knocks by the Southern Mariners Dante Caruso and two hits each by Will Tucker and Mark Turley.
On the mound Jacob Bald, Chris Neilson, Max Charlesworth, and Mitch Shane threw for the Mariners while Cameron Jones, Nick Cleland, Riley Light, and Mitch Homfrey toed the mound for the winners.
Geelong Baycats 12, Northern Diamondbacks (A) 2
Tossing four scoreless innings to start the season, the Baycats scored two, five and five runs in the first three innings to rout the Northern Diamondbacks, 12-2. Connor Hickey led the offensive onslaught for Geelong, slugging three hits; teammates Kobe Greenhalgh and Will Brennan each tacked on two more apiece. Nick Hau was stellar on the mound, allowing just one hit and walking none in three innings. Travis Duxson and Angus McNee also pitched well for the Baycats. Ryan Morrison, Bailey Marrola and Zac Kallis had the three hits for the D’Backs.
Geelong Baycats 7, Northern Diamondbacks (B) 3
Completing the Saturday sweep, the Baycats rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to plate four runs in the third and three in the fourth to complete the impressive weekend showing. Jarryd Wood had two of the Baycats six hits while Keenan Spence had the lone tally for Northern. Wood also pitched well in relief of Connor Hickey, who conceded only two hits in three innings pitched.
With two wins each, both the Southern Mariners B side and Geelong sit atop the ladder together after the first weekend of games.
The Little League Charter & Junior League Charter Academy made its debut on Saturday, 7 November, with four games in Sandringham (hosted by the Southern Mariners) and two in Geelong.
Southern Mariners (A) 13, Eastern Athletics (Green) 5
Dominant pitching and equally superb hitting buoyed the host Mariners (A) to a win over the Athletics (Green) squad, 13-5, in one of two inaugural games marking the official beginning of the Little League Charter & Junior League Charter Academy. Southern plated four runs in the first, five in the second and another four in the third before Eastern tallied four of their own in the final inning to provide the final margin.
Dante Cerusa, Rhys Fairweather and Marcus Graham all pitched for the Mariners while Zac Busch, Kye Stehr and Tom Seddon took the mound for the Athletics. The Mariners had five hits while the A’s managed only two.
Southern Mariners (B) 8, Eastern Athletics (Gold) 1
Similar to their brethren, the Mariners (B) jumped on their Eastern Athletics (Gold) competition early, responding to a top-of-the-inning marker by tallying four runs in each the first and second innings to cruise to an 8-1 victory. At the plate, Malcolm Elliot starred for the Mariners, recording two hits (including a two bagger) while Jed Woodger, Josh Ashen and Matt West also contributed a hit apiece. Elliot also made the play of the game gunning down a runner at home after catching a fly ball in left field.
Damian Hill recorded the only knock for the Athletics, a well-struck double. On the bump, Jed Woodger was brilliant, pitching three impressive innings, allowing only the sole hit while walking one and striking out four. Josh Smith entered in the last to secure the win. For the A’s, their pitchers were Cal Vance, Charlie Collins, Hill, and Koetsu Sakamoto.
Southern Mariners (B) 8, Eastern Athletics (Green) 6
Completing a hard fought sweep, the Southern Mariners (B) eked past the Eastern Athletics (Green), 8-6. The Mariners used two runs in the first, five in the second, and one insurance run in the third to record their second win of the season. That last run proved crucial as the game Athletics outfit tallied once in the third and five times in the last to tighten the game considerably. Jason Kane, Lucas Keyhoe, Mitch Thomas, and Will Richardson all pitched very well for the visitors while Josh Ashen, Shelby Miller, and Malcolm Elliot held their own for home side. Each team finished with four hits.
Eastern Athletics (Gold) 7, Southern Mariners (A) 5
Starting on time—five runs in the top of the first—proved key to the Eastern Athletic (Gold)’s first win of the season. They conceded two runs in the first and one in the second but then responded with a single run in the third to push the lead back up to 6-3. Two runs by the Mariners in the fourth pulled the home team within one, but an insurance run plated in the top of the fifth by the A’s provided the winning margin.
A balanced effort at the plate—seven different players contributed hits for the A’s, including two by Charlie Collins—helped ameliorate three knocks by the Southern Mariners Dante Caruso and two hits each by Will Tucker and Mark Turley.
On the mound Jacob Bald, Chris Neilson, Max Charlesworth, and Mitch Shane threw for the Mariners while Cameron Jones, Nick Cleland, Riley Light, and Mitch Homfrey toed the mound for the winners.
Geelong Baycats 12, Northern Diamondbacks (A) 2
Tossing four scoreless innings to start the season, the Baycats scored two, five and five runs in the first three innings to rout the Northern Diamondbacks, 12-2. Connor Hickey led the offensive onslaught for Geelong, slugging three hits; teammates Kobe Greenhalgh and Will Brennan each tacked on two more apiece. Nick Hau was stellar on the mound, allowing just one hit and walking none in three innings. Travis Duxson and Angus McNee also pitched well for the Baycats. Ryan Morrison, Bailey Marrola and Zac Kallis had the three hits for the D’Backs.
Geelong Baycats 7, Northern Diamondbacks (B) 3
Completing the Saturday sweep, the Baycats rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to plate four runs in the third and three in the fourth to complete the impressive weekend showing. Jarryd Wood had two of the Baycats six hits while Keenan Spence had the lone tally for Northern. Wood also pitched well in relief of Connor Hickey, who conceded only two hits in three innings pitched.
With two wins each, both the Southern Mariners B side and Geelong sit atop the ladder together after the first weekend of games.