Though it wasn’t the best day for the six Victoria teams vying for national championships—two under 16 and under 18 boys’ squads and a youth and adult women contingent—there were bright spots. At Blacktown International Sportspark, the Under 16 Blue team won both games: 10-0 over Queensland and a 3-2 nailbiter over the Australian Capital Territory, 3-2. The White squad wasn’t as fortunate, falling 15-2 to Western Australia and 10-2 against New South Wales Country.
The Under 18s, also playing in Blacktown, lost both contests, the Whites in heartbreaking fashion. In a wild back-and-forth affair, the Victoria White team led 3-1 after one and then gave up six runs in the third and two in the fourth before answering with five in the fifth to narrow the deficit to one, 9-8.
After giving up a run in the sixth, they scored two in the bottom half to tie the game. The teams then traded single runs (the top of the seventh for SA, the bottom of the eighth for Victoria) before the visiting team scored three in the top of the 10th to provide the winning margin.
Despite two hits from catcher Chase Hodkinson (including a triple), the Victorian Blue team fell to New South Wales Country, 8-4.
Below are some photos (courtesy of Trevor Bird) from the Under 18 Blue’s game against New South Wales Country.
Staying loose before the game.
Justin Burke's triple . . .
. . . and then Hodkinson does likewise from the other side of the plate.
Jackson Boyd allowed just one run in two innings of work.
Showing a remarkable amount of adversity, the Victorian Youth Women’s team rallied to tie the Queensland contingent 6-6 after losing earlier in the day 25-0 to New South Wales at the Narrabunah Ballpark in Canberra. Pitcher/third baseman Jamieson Bastian starred in the nightcap, going 2-3 with a run and an RBI.
Jackson Boyd allowed just one run in two innings of work.
Showing a remarkable amount of adversity, the Victorian Youth Women’s team rallied to tie the Queensland contingent 6-6 after losing earlier in the day 25-0 to New South Wales at the Narrabunah Ballpark in Canberra. Pitcher/third baseman Jamieson Bastian starred in the nightcap, going 2-3 with a run and an RBI.
The Victorian adult women managed just four hits—Belinda Cannington, Abbey Kelly, Amy Collins and Risa Tanaka each had one apiece—in a 17-0 whitewashing by a powerful New South Wales team.
The Victorian adult women managed just four hits—Belinda Cannington, Abbey Kelly, Amy Collins and Risa Tanaka each had one apiece—in a 17-0 whitewashing by a powerful New South Wales team.