Round 9
Firsts defeated Doncaster 8-3
Keen to atone for their midweek loss to Doncaster in mid-November, the Firsts found themselves in
an early two-run deficit after the Dragons opened the game with three straight hits, however with
two runners on base, Arisa Hotta recovered well to record a strike out for the third out of the
innings.
A double by Bronwyn Gell immediately gave Springvale a kick-start in the bottom of the first, and
Gell’s aggressive running saw her score on a head first slide following an errant throw from the
outfield to plate the first Springvale run.
Sinead Flanigan walked before Hotta was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and in another pivotal
moment of the game, Shirlie Bull singled up the middle to score two runs and give Springvale the
lead, before Simone Wearne’s single scored Hotta to give Springvale a two-run lead into the second
innings, having stared the half innings with a two-run deficit.
Armed with a lead, Hotta found her form in the difficult conditions, scattering four hits actoss the
next four innings, but importantly, not issuing any walks across her five innings of work, and allowing
just one runner to third base over her final four innings.
Meanwhile, Springvale kept chipping away, adding a run in the third on a hit from Gell to score
Hotta, before adding another more runs in the fourth innings as two hit, two errant throws, a hit by
pitch and a walk for the innings as Siobhan Stephenson and Flanigan scored on a hit by Bull and a
bases loaded walk to Gell.
Hotta made way for Gell in the sixth, and while she gave up a run in the sixth, excellent defence saw
Flanigan, Bull, Shae Lilywhite and Hotta combine for an out at third which ended the Doncaster
threat.
After Bull’s third hit of the game in the bottom of the sixth was the catalyst for an eighth run for
Springvale, Gell didn’t allow the ball to get out of the infield as Doncaster attempted a last hurrah,
giving Springvale a solid 8-3 victory.
The only downer for the game was a shoulder injury to Baylin Rousell, with the injury necessitating
her leaving the game. We all trust the injury is a minor one and that she is back on the diamond
again before the Christmas break.
Next Saturday is another bye week for the Firsts, before a midweek match at Essendon before
another match at home against Doncaster to complete the 2024 side of the fixture.
Hits – 3 – Shirlie Bull. 2 – Bronwyn Gell, Simone Wearne. 1 – Hannah Jackson Siobhan Stephenson,
Sinead Flanigan, Georgia Page.
Seconds defeated by Doncaster 7-3
The Seconds ventured to the top diamond at KH Wearne to take on Doncaster in a rematch of what
was a one-run match the last time the two teams met, and it looked as if it would be another close
affair following a scoreless first innings.
Doncaster took a two-run lead in the top of the second innings, only for Springvale to answer back
with a run in the bottom half of the innings as Georgia Page singled and was brought home all the
way from first base on a triple to right field by Lisa Jones.
The game got away from Springvale in the top of the third as Doncaster added five runs, to which
Springvale could only counter with two as Hayley McKenzie and Emma Jenkinson singled and were
brought home by Gabby Bevan and Molly Lewis.
With the game unable to get through another innings, the final score reverted back to the score at
the end of the third innings, which saw Doncaster ahead by four runs.
The players deserve credit for their cleaning the top diamond for the match, with Matt Tanner doing
a power of work to ensure the players could get a warm-up in so that the game could commence on
time.
The Seconds take on the Thirds for the third time this season next Saturday.
Hits – 1 – Lisa Jones (triple) Mandi Avent (double) Gabby Bevan, Georgia Page, Hayley McKenzie,
Emma Jenkinson.
Thirds defeated by Newport 16-0
A tough outing for the Third Nine, who had an excellent opportunity to open the scoring in the first
innings with runners at second and third with no outs, but couldn’t manufacture a run.
Lily Bell-Tanner kept the Newport bats quiet for two innings, however from there, the Newport bats
heated up in the cool conditions, and Lily, along with Aspen McGovern performed gallantly on the
mound, but a mix of Newport hits and defensive miscues took the game out of reach quickly.
It was another learning experience for the team, who will get another go at the Seconds in the third
all-Springvale meeting for the season next week.
Hits –
Fourths Washed Out
No game for the Fourths, who were saved the trip to Pakenham with the Pumas calling the game off
due to their ground conditions.
The team is back at home this week against Pakenham’s second team in the Regional South
competition.
Round 8
Women’s Seconds defeated the Thirds 6-2
Earlier in the season, the Seconds and Thirds played an entertaining one-run match, and while the
final margin was different this time around, the match was close, competitive and entertaining to
watch.
The Thirds jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after Hannah Woods drove a double to right field, scoring
Catherine McGilbrae and clean-up hitter Tess Wilson. Pitcher Lily Bell-Tanner then shut the Seconds
down for two innings, before giving up a run in the third innings after the Seconds put together
three straight singles, with Molly Lewis scoring on the back of hits from Mandi Avent and Lily
Strachan.
It was in the fourth innings where the Seconds took the lead, with Hayley McKenzie, Gabby Bevan
and Janine Cavanagh all reaching base, and with two-outs, Molly Lewis continued her fine game and
drove a double to right field, clearing the bases to give the Seconds a 4-2 lead.
Handed a lead, Gabby Bevan needed just twenty-one pitches to get through the final two innings,
with the Seconds tacking on two insurance runs in the final innings, as McKenzie scored on a hit from
Bevan, who then scored on a bases loaded walk by Avent for the final score line of 6-2.
The game featured some excellent pitching and defence, with Lara Murray taking three fly balls in
left fields for the Thirds and Hayley McKenzie executing a 9-3 from right field for the Seconds, while
teenagers Molly Lewis and Lily Strachan combined for three hits, a run and four RBI for the game.
The Seconds will take on Doncaster on Saturday, while the Thirds will be on the top diamond against
Newport.
Hits
Seconds: 2 – Molly Lewis. 1 – Di Ribu, Janine Cavanagh, Mandi Avent, Lily Strachan
Thirds: 2 – Hannah Woods. 1 – Lily Bell-Tanner, Lara Murray
Fourths defeated by Chelsea 12-5
Saturday’s fixture on the top diamond at KH Wearne Field was a tough one for the Fourths, who
were tied with Chelsea at two runs apiece after the first innings, however Chelsea pulled away
throughout the rest of the game, en route to a 12-5 victory.
Aleks Sklepic started for Springvale and struck out five, however over the course of the game, the
error tally mounted, extending multiple innings for Chelsea.
In the batters, Tayoi Morgan, Aleks Sklepic and Mel Morris all reached base twice, with Mel showing
some all-around skill, stepping in to catch the final innings.
Plenty to like however, with Tracy Stockdale returning for her first game of the season, and everyone
putting bat on ball throughout the game. The team will be away at Pakenham this Saturday.
Hits: 1 – Tayoi Morgan, Jasmine John, Issy Rose
Round 7 – Barky Day
Women’s Firsts defeated Footscray 7-1
Saturday featured perfect Perth-like weather – fitting for Barky Day, as Springvale welcomed
Footscray to KH Wearne Field.
Having made her debut in midweek, Arisa Hotta made her pitching debut for the Big Cats, and after
some early struggles in the first innings, where she faced a bases loaded, no out situation, Arisa then
struck out the next three batters to get out of the innings without giving up a run.
With Bronwyn Gell absent, Shae Lilywhite returned to the lead-off position and opened the game
with a single before scoring on a hit by Siobhan Stephenson. Further runs from Hannah Jackson and
Stephenson gave Springvale a three-run lead at the end of the first innings.
The three runs was enough for Hotta to go to work with, as she struck-out nine in her seven innings
of work, allowing just one run on three hits, and did not give up a hit after the third innings of the
game.
With the bats, Springvale was held until the fourth innings, when the bottom-three hitters in the
order, Lily Bell-Tanner, the returning Simone Wearne and Baylin Rousell all reached base and scored
to make the score 6-1, before Sinead Flanigan led-off the fifth innings with a hit and was driven in by
Wearne, as the Big Cats were a perfect 3-3 from three in scoring when the lead-off hitter of an
innings reached base.
The 7-1 win solidified Springvale’s position atop the Premier Division table, and provided good
momentum to take into the midweek match against Newport on Wednesday evening.
Hits: 2 – Siobhan Stephenson. 1 – Shae Lilywhite, Sinead Flanigan, Shirlie Bull, Lily Bell-Tanner,
Simone Wearne, Baylin Rousell.
Seconds defeated Footscray 14-2
Thirds lost to Doncaster 7-9
In a close, entertaining affair, it took Doncaster until the final innings to overcome the thirds on the
top diamond at KH Wearne Field on Saturday, with Springvale playing some excellent baseball
throughout the match.
Lily Bell-Tanner threw well for the first three innings in the hot conditions, and hit a triple as
Springvale got on the board early. Tess Wilson’s first hit in the thirds was a double down the third
base line to score a run, and in her first appearance at third base, also managed to secure an
important fly ball late in the match.
Kellie Faye’s pitching debut showed promise, as she came out of the blocks throwing strikes, while
after catching a majority of the game, Kat Edwards showed her versatility, getting on the mound to
close out the game.
While Springvale could not score the two runs required in the last innings to take something from
the game, they can be well pleased with their efforts as they head into their second meeting with
the seconds, where they’ll look to go two runs better than in their previous meeting.
Fourths defeated Berwick 11-5
Round 4
Women’s Firsts defeated Doncaster 22-9
The firsts ventured to Doncaster for their first catch-up with the Dragos for the season, and welcomed back Shae Lillywhite for her first appearance with the team for the season.
While the duo of Bronwyn Gell and Lillywhite didn’t do any damage with the bat in the top of the first innings, where Springvale scored a run on Sinead Flanigan’s single to score Hannah Jackson, the Gell-Lilywhite combination did do damage when Doncaster came to bat, with the pair turning a double play through second base, helping out pitcher Gabby Bevan, who completed a scoreless first innings via a comebacker for the third out.
Springvale then jumped Doncaster for four runs in the second innings as Shirlie Bull, Gell, Jackson all singled, with the big hit of the innings coming from Flanigan, with a bases clearing double to centre field giving Bevan a 5-0 lead which she held through the bottom half of the innings.
A Lillywhite single to right scored Baylin Rousell and Gell in the third as Springvale pushed the score out to 7-0, however Doncaster began clawing their wan back into the game with three runs in the bottom of the third, two in the fourth and another two in the fifth to tie the game at seven through five innings.
In the sixth, Springvale wrested the lead back, with seven hitters in succession reaching base, with Lillywhite again doing damage, with a bases clearing hit to right field scoring Bull, Rousell and Gell. Lillywhite then scored from a fielding error when Hannah Jackson was at the plate. Jackson reached base with two hits in her first two at-bats, while four of her net five at-bats saw her reach via an error.
With a 12-7 lead, Gell, who relieved Bevan in the fifth, kept Doncaster scoreless in the sixth, before Springvale put the game beyond any doubt in the seventh innings. The Big Cats sent sixteen hitters to the plate, amassing ten runs in the process as Doncaster used three pitchers to get the three outs in the Springvale seventh as the Dragons threw sixty-four pitches to complete the innings. In comparison, Gabby Bevan needed sixty-eight pitches to throw 4.1 innings at the start of the game for Springvale.
Georgia Page closed the game out for Springvale, allowing a couple of unearned runs, as Springvale completed a 22-9 triumph.
Gell collected five hits, scored four runs and picked up the win on the mound, while Lilywhite in her return had three hits, six RBI and relieved Siobhan Stephenson behind the plate, catching the final four innings of the game. Sinead Flanigan had the big hit early, one of three for the day as Springvale banged out twenty hits for the game, and will take excellent momentum into next week’s Grand Final replay against Newport.
Hits: 5 – Bronwyn Gell. 3 – Shay Lillywhite, Sinead Flanigan. 2 – Hannah Jackson, Mandi Avent, Lily Bell-Tanner. 1 – Georgia Page, Shirlie Bull, Baylin Roussell.
Women’s Seconds defeated Doncaster 8-7
After being kept scoreless by Doncaster in the opening innings, the Big Cats seconds found themselves in an early four run hole after an error and four successive hits saw the Dragons jump out to an early 4-0 lead against Hannah Jackson.
No big deal for the seconds though, as all eight hitters who came to the plat in the second innings reached base as Springvale scored seven runs without recording an out, as Lily Bell-Tanner delivered a triple to score two runs to bring the innings to a close as Springvale ambushed Doncaster for seven runs on just twenty-three pitches, recording six hits in the process.
After Jackson retired Doncaster in order, both teams scored a run each in the third and held each other scoreless in the fourth, as Springvale led 8-5 going into the fifth innings.
Springvale had two runners on base but could not capitalise in the top of the innings, leaving relief pitcher Lily Bell-Tanner needing three outs to secure the game for the Big Cats.
A two-out double scored two runs and put the tying run on second base for Doncaster, however Bell-Tanner induced the final hitter to bounce out to Emma Jenkinson, who threw to the ball to Mandi Avent at first base for the final out, giving Springvale a fine 8-7 victory.
Hannah Jackson threw four innings and had two hits, giving her four hits for the day, while reaching on four errors and two fielders choices in her ten ab-bats across the two games, while Bell-Tanner had the big hit to finish off the second innings. Di Ribu proved she belonged at the seconds level with two solid hits, while the bottom four hitters in the order reached base seven times in a dozen plate appearances, scoring four runs as the team enjoyed contributions from the entire order across the game.
Hits: 2 – Hannah Jackson, Di Ribu. 1- Emma Jenkinson, Lily Bell-Tanner, Sze-Ching Leung, Kyla Houtham, Hayley McKenzie.
Women’s Thirds lost to Newport 10-0
No report provided
Women’s Fourths defeated Waverley 17-5
After last week’s 15-15 draw with Cheltenham, the Division Three bounced back with a solid victory over a Waverley side who will improve as the season progresses, but on Saturday were outgunned by the Springvale bats and pitching.
While Waverley issued fifteen free passes in walks or hit batters, Springvale struck for twelve hits across the match, with Breanna Cavanagh providing the perfect lead-off, with two hits and two walks in four plate appearances, while Tess Wilson had a walk and two hits, including the hard-hit ball of the day – a double down the left field line to round off what had been an excellent game.
There w ere also contribution from those who may not have recorded hits during their at-bats, however ball in play is important, and for Molly Van Der Kooi and Cindy Vo, they were able to plate runs by making the field make an out while a run was scoring.
On the mound, Tess Wilson started for the first time and got through two innings and showed plenty of potential, with the only issue of her game being the dropping of the lolly jar towards the end of the match. That’s Brandon’s gimmick, Tess! Aleks Sklepic returned to the mound for the first time since returning to the field and threw an innings, while Morgan showed potential and a live arm, finishing off the game with a scoreless fourth innings.
Molly Lewis was excellent behind the plate, working with three different pitchers of differing styles, and recorded a double of her own, while scoring three runs en route to being named the Women’s Player of the Week.
Plenty of positives with few negatives out of this fixture as the team ventures to Moorabbin for an 11am fixture next week.
Hits: 2 – Breanna Cavanagh, Tess Wilson, Lara Murray. 1 – Molly Lewis, Y Morgan, Rebecca Todd, Cindy Vo, Aleks Sklepic, Isabelle Rose.
Round 3
Mens Firsts
Springvale 15 defeated Melbourne 3
Fielding a very young side, it was obvious from the first inning that Melbourne was going to struggle in this game. After Scott Baillie struck out the first three batters for Melbourne, Springvale piled on seven runs from only one hit. Despite swapping out one junior pitcher for another, Melbourne struggled to contain Springvale’s scoring;
Stuart Capel opened the second with a walk, and Chris Anderton, Scott Baillie and Aaron Tanic followed up with hits. The young Melbourne bats came back bravely in the fourth, to score three. But with fifteen free passes to first base, it was a cruisy win for the Lions, who remain undefeated early in the season. Aaron Tanic led the hitting, with three singles. Stuart Capel batted 1000 for his double, and Scott Baillie added a double and an RBI to his pitching win. Chris Anderton and Zakki Sutyoko contributed a hit each.
Mens Reserves
Springvale 13 were defeated by Waverley 16
In possibly the longest four innings game in history, scores were high, but Springvale could never edge the early advantage Waverley established with some lucky bloopers in the first. Each team swapped heavy scoring, Waverley coming up with four from four hits and an error in the first, to be answered by two with Sean Linley batting in the first run, and an error securing the second. Waverley punched back with six runs in the top of the second, despite Linley striking out the lead-off. But Springvale went one better scoring seven, in an inning that saw Josh Forde record his first hit for the season, with Martin Contesotto putting a double in the corner for two RBIs. With only one out, the mercy rule roadblocked our charge for the lead. The teams continue to trade runs. With bases loaded and two out in the third, Brandon Mize’s hard hit ball to centre found the glove, cutting off further scoring. Springvale scored two more in the bottom of the fourth, a round-about of walks, wild pitches, and balks, to put us three down, and with still two outs to score them in. But Melbourne changed pitcher, and the game was shut down with two Ks. For such a high-scoring game, there were few hits – Contessotto and Forde were joined by Muhammad Zakki Sukyoto, Trent Makin and Kwo Lee, also with his first hit for the season.
Women’s Seconds and Thirds
Lions defeated Pumas 5-4.
With the Women’s Firsts having the bye, Saturday’s marquee fixture was the first Premier Reserves meeting between the two Springvale teams within the competition, the Lions (seconds) and Pumas (thirds).
In all, the match featured twenty-two players from across the program, giving valuable game time to players who otherwise would have missed out had the club not entered a second Premier Reserves team.
Lili Bell-Tanner started on the mound for the Lions, and through four innings, gave up just one unearned run, while Georgia Page started again for the Pumas, and against a strong Lions line-up, struck out five and walked just the one hitter in her four innings, allowing just two runs, both being scored by Bell-Tanner on hits by Mandi Avent.
The Lions held a 2-1 lead into the fifth innings, however Janine Cavanagh led off the innings with a single, the returning Shae Lilywhite laced a double to right field to give the Pumas runners at second and third, and both scored on Georgia Page’s single to right field to give the Pumas a 3-2 lead, which became 4-2 when Page scampered home on a passed ball.
The Lions answered in the bottom of the innings as Baylin Rousell, Lara Murray both reached before hits by Avent, Molly Lewis and Sze Ching Leung wrested the lead back for the Lions as the game entered a sixth and final innings.
Mandi Avent relieved Lili Bell-Tanner and after an out gave up a hit to Lilywhite, who moved to third before being thrown-out at the plate by Gabby Bevan for the second out of the innings.
This did not stop the Pumas however, who loaded the bases after Tess Wilson and Sophia Stensholt reached base and Kellie Faye kept the game alive with a hit, however Avent was able to get a force out at the plate for the final out of the game, a 5-4 victory to the Lions, their second victory of the season.
The game was played to an excellent standard, featuring just the one fielding error and was played in an excellent spirit across all twenty-two players.
For her pitching efforts, where she struck-out nine in five innings and had two hits and scored twice, Lily Bell-Tanner was named the Waltzing Matilda Hotel’s Women’s Player of the Week.
Hits
Lions – 3 – Mandi Avent. 2 – Lily Bell-Tanner, Lisa Jones. 1 – Baylin Roussell, Molly Lewis, Sze Ching Leung, Gabby Bevan.
Pumas – 2 – Shae Lilywhite, Georgia Page. 1 – Lily Strachan, Janine Cavanagh, Kellie Faye, Ildi Klein.
Women’s Fourths
Drew with Cheltenham 15-15
The Fourths started their rescheduled match against Cheltenham by scoring three runs in the first innings after Grace Coutts, Bec Todd and Molly Lewis all reached base and scored, with Lewis having an excellent eight-pitch at-bat to get on base, before the trio were scored by a hit from Jasmine John, a bases loaded walk to Bree Cavanagh and a fielder’s choice to Tess Wilson.
Cheltenham answered with six runs of their own in the first innings, however Springvale stormed back to the lead with a seven-run second innings as Aleks Sklepic, Rebecca Todd, Molly Lewis, Tess Wilson and Cindy Vo all recorded hits over the course of the innings.
After Cheltenham scored one-run to make the score 10-7, Springvale scored another four runs as two hit batters, a walk and hits from Todd, Catherine MacGillivray and Cavanagh extended the lead.
Cheltenham managed to score five runs in the third to reduce Springvale’s lead to two runs, before the Lions added a fifteenth run in the fourth innings as Jess Adkins-Barber scored on a single from Grace Coutts.
Needing three runs to tie and four to win, Cheltenham threatened by loading the bases with no outs in the final half innings of the match and tied the game with one out and reloaded the bases, however the Lions were able to record the final out with the scores deadlocked at fifteen runs apiece.
Rebecca Todd led the way for Springvale with three hits while Molly Lewis scored three times before recording her first Premier Reserves hit later in the day, while Aleks Sklepic made a fine return to the squad, recording a hit, scoring twice and reaching base in all three plate appearances.
Hits –
3 – Rebecca Todd. 1 – Grace Coutts, Molly Lewis, Jasmine John, Catherine MacGillivray, Bree Cavanagh, Tess Wilson, Cindy Vo, Aleks Sklepic.
Next Week
The Firsts and Seconds venture to renew acquaintances with Doncaster for the first time in the 2024-25 season, the Thirds hosts Newport at KH Wearne Reserve, while the Division Three team will take one Waverley Black at home.
First pitch for both teams playing at home is 1.30.
ROUND TWO
Men’s Firsts
Springvale 12 defeated Ormond/Glenhuntly 2
It took only an explosive first inning for Springvale to put the result out of doubt. While Ormond scored with their lead-off batter for the game, Springvale had eight hits from ten batters in the bottom of the first to put the maximum seven runs in the book. Ormond’s relief pitcher did a great job in only his first appearance on the mound to retire the next six Springvale batters in order, but the score crept up from
then, with two runs in the sixth triggering the ten-run rule. Chris Anderton had three hits, Brandon Mize a double and a single. Scott Baillie continued strong form with the bat for two hits, and Stuart Capel recorded a double and three RBIs. Aaron Tanic, Connor McCloud, and Muhammad Zakki Sukyoto had singles, and we welcomed back one of our old favourites, Doc Anderton with a single. Adam Degrabrielle had a busy time in his corner, with nine plays for six assists.
Men’s Reserves
Springvale 6 defeated Ormond/Glenhuntly 5
In contrast to last week’s big loss, the Seconds this week played a game that was tight throughout, and only decided in the bottom of the final inning. Springvale took the lead early, with some loose pitching seeing Sean Linley and Francis Rault cross the plate in the opening two innings. Linley was pitching strongly, too and fielding well – in the third, he knocked down a hard-hit ball to get the out at first, and
followed up one better, snaring the line drive with great reflexes. Ormond took the lead with strong hitting in the fourth. Springvale came close, scoring two when Rault and Ben Newton opened the bottom of the frame with two hits, but were still one down. Reliever Rowan Hall held out the Ormond batters to give Springvale a final chance. Stuart Capel led off with a hit, but it was Ormond’s errors that handed the
game to Springvale – interestingly, we won with no RBIs for the day. Stuart Capel led the hitting with two singles, and Brandon Mize Jnr showed his father how it’s done by recording a hit in his first game in the seniors.
Women’s Firsts – Round Two
Defeated Essendon 7-6
In the first meeting of Springvale and Essendon since last year’s enthralling Grand Final qualifier, Saturday’s match was much a case of history repeating as the Big Cats stormed home to overcome an early deficit and secure a last innings victory over a valiant Bombers team.
It looked bad for Springvale early as Essendon scored two runs and had the bases loaded with no out, however pitcher Gabby Bevan managed to entice a fly-out before striking out two Bombers to limit the scoring to two runs.
Springvale answered with a Bronwyn Gell triple and Shirlie Bull sacrifice, while a bases loaded walk later in the innings to Baylin Rousell to tie the scores, however over the next three innings, Springvale allowed four further runs, giving Essendon a 6-2 advantage headed into the fifth innings.
Gell replaced Bevan on the mound and allowed just two baserunners over three innings, striking out five in the process, giving the Big Cats the opportunity to overcome the four-run margin.
Springvale clawed two runs back in the fifth thanks to a double from Sinead Flanigan, scoring Georgia Page and Lily Bell-Tanner, however with just three-outs to play with in the seventh innings, Springvale still trailed 6-4.
Siobhan Stephenson led-off the seventh with a hit before Rousell followed with her second walk of the match to give Springvale the opportunity to bring the winning run to the plate.
Following an out, Flanigan worked a walk to load the bases and a wild pitch scored Stephenson and advancing Rousell and Flanigan. Simone Wearne stroked a clutch single to centre field to score Rousell and tie the game.
Essendon chose to intentionally walk Gell to load the bases with one out, and while Shirlie Bull’s ball in play was fielded by the pitcher, Flanigan put on enough pressure at home to force an error at the plate, scoring the winning run to give Springvale a 7-6 come from behind victory.
Hannah Jackson and Georgia Page, who was pulling double-duty after pitching in the first game in Premier Reserves for the Thirds earlier in the day, led the way with two hits, while Bronwyn Gell, who hit the ball hard in every at-bat and was stellar in relief, received the Win less than twenty-four hours before running a personal best in the half-marathon at the Melbourne Marathon Festival.
Hits: 2 – Hannah Jackson, Georgia Page. 1 – Bronwyn Gell, Siobhan Stephenson, Gabby Bevan, Lily Bell-Tanner, Simone Wearne.
Women’s Seconds – Round Two
Lost to Essendon 4-14
After an opening day victory against Footscray, the seconds faced a much tougher assignment in Essendon, who scored three runs in the first innings and a further six runs in the second innings before Springvale could bat once through the order.
Aspen McGovern and Lisa Jones battled hard on the mound over the course of the first three innings, and after a scoreless third innings for Essendon, the Big Cats had a chance to get back into the game with a big innings, but could only manage three runs after Lily Bell-Tanner, Gabby Bevan and McGovern recorded hits.
In further positives, Kyla Houltham recorded two RBI’s and Joell Murray continued her hot hitting to start the season with a couple of hard hit balls, one which was a hit, for a team that will only get better as the season progresses.
Hits – 2 – Lily Bell-Tanner. 1 – Lisa Jones, Gabby Bevan, Aspen McGovern, Joell Murray
Women’s Thirds – Round Two
Defeated Footscray 8-4
The club made the bold and exciting step during the week to enter a fourth women’s team for the first time in the club’s history, and after missing Week One, entered what will be the program’s ‘Third Nine’ in the Premier Reserves competition, partnering our Second Nine in the competition.
Footscray visited KH Wearne Field for the second time in as many weeks, and took a 4-1 lead against Georgia Page and the Big Cats after two innings, however after struggling for a couple of innings, Page found her rhythm over the next two innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, keeping the Bulldogs off the scoreboard.
In the third innings, Springvale used hits to Simone Wearne, Ildi Klein and Kellie Faye, five walks and a hit batter to score the innings maximum of seven runs to take an 8-4 lead, which Page held into the fifth innings before being relieved by Klein.
With bases loaded and just one out, it was a tough spot for Klein, however an unassisted double play by Page at third base secured the Thirds their first victory at Premier Reserves level.
Janine Martin returned to the diamond for her first game post off-season surgery and recorded two hits, a run and a stolen base, playing a flawless first base in the process, while Lily Strachan showed good form behind the plate in her first game at Premier Reserves level.
Hits – 2 – Janine Martin. 1 – Hannah Wood, Simone Wearne, Ildi Klein, Kellie Faye.
Women’s Fourth – Round Two
Lost to Upwey Ferntree Gully 5-13
It will be a challenging season for the Fourth Nine, who will be taking on a host of club’s First Nines in the Division Three competition, and while Upwey deserve credit for their performance and victory, there was much to like about the Fourths on the weekend.
Rebecca Todd, first gamer Molly Lewis, Jasmine John and the returning Brianna Cavanagh all recorded hits as all eleven Springvale players reached base. Lewis performed well behind the plate, and there was potential shown in the field as several good plays nearly came off for important outs, and the game would have been somewhat different had they been made.
There will be plenty to like about the Fourths as the season goes on.
Hits: 1 – Rebecca Todd, Molly Lewis, Jasmine John, Brianna Cavanagh.
ROUND ONE – Saturday 5th October 2024
Women’s Firsts Defeated Footscray 9-0
The defending Premier Division Premiers began the defence of their title on Saturday against Footscray, and came away with a 9-0 victory in a match impacted by inclement weather which forced a near forty-five minute delay at the start of the match, and finished the game early due to fading light and incoming rain.
Gabby Bevan started for the Big Cats and threw a scoreless opening innings, bookending the innings with strikeouts, which game the opportunity for the hitters to establish some early dominance, and the first four hitters in Bronwyn Gell, Shirlie Bull, Georgia Page and Hannah Jackson all reached base and came around to score for a 4-0 first innings lead, with the final two runs coming on a single to centre field by Mandi Avent, who made her return to the firsts on the weekend.
Staked to a four-run lead, Bevan proceeded to dominate on the mound, retiring eleven of the final twelve hitters that she faced, finishing the game having thrown just forty-five pitches en route to a four innings, one-hit shut-out performance, which earned her the award of Women’s Player of the Week for the opening round.
Gell scored three runs for Springvale, leading off each innings and reaching base every time, while Bull and Page both scored twice, while it was Avent in the eight-hole who had the big RBI day with three. A big thank you to the grounds crew which ensured the field was playable when the weather allowed, to Janine for umpiring and to Tess for jumping into the canteen while the grounds crew were out on the field.
Hits: 1 – Bronwyn Gell, Shirlie Bull, Georgia Page. Hannah Jackson.
Women’s Seconds Defeated Footscray 15-2
Despite the Spring rain, Springvale’s bats were red-hot to begin the season as the team tallied fourteen hits in a solid win over Footscray. After Footscray scored a run in the top of the first, the Big Cats came out swinging as the first six hitters in the line-up all came around to score, and after keeping Footscray off the board in the second, Springvale went one better, scoring the maximum of seven runs in an innings where nine of the ten hitters either scored or had a hit.
The Bulldogs scored once in the third, before Springvale scored twice in the bottom half of the innings to finish off the rain-interrupted game comfortable winners. Simone Wearne led the way with three hits, Alyssa Jones had two, as did first-gamer Di Rubu, while Joell Murray, who was up from the thirds given their forfeit victory, also had two hits for the team.
On the mound, Aspen McGovern started and threw two innings without giving up an earned run, while Jones threw the final innings, allowing just one run. Di Ribu was Player of the Day for her two hits and making the first two outs in the field in her Springvale debut which has been a full twelve months in the making.
Hits: 3 – Simone Wearne. 2 – Alyssa Jones, Di Ribu, Joell Murray. 1 – Emma Jenkinson, Kyla Houtham, Sze-Ching Leung, Ildi Klein, Lily Bell-Tanner.
Women’s Thirds Defeated Melbourne via Forfeit
No game for the Thirds this week, who recorded an opening day victory the day before the game after Melbourne notified they were unable to field a team.
Next Week – The Premier 1 and Premier Reserves teams take on Essendon in a rematch of last season’s pulsating Grand Final qualifier on the main diamond at K H Wearne Field on Saturday , while the Thirds look to get their first on-field action when taking on Upwey Ferntree Gully on the top diamond.
Men’s Firsts Defeated Bonbeach 11-7
After a solid rivalry with Bonbeach last season, we renewed acquaintance with the Blue Jays in a rare Saturday fixture in our first State 3 East fixture, which saw us facing Bonbeach’s 3rds. In comparison, last season we were playing the Bonbeach 5ths.
Chris Anderton returns to Springvale this season and the squad also welcomes the incoming Aaron Tanic, which will assist in giving the squad added depth and experience. After a scoreless first innings, Tanic led off the second innings with a walk, one of four straight walks to begin the second innings, and after an out, Brandon Mize, Stuart Capel and Scott Baillie all recorded hits which helped propelled Springvale to a six-run lead.
Mark Anderton started on the mound for Springvale, and gave up a couple of runs as the Bonbeach bats started to heat up in the wet conditions, and the Blue Jays pulled to within two after another two-spot in the third innings after Baillie replaced Anderton on the mound.
Needing to respond, Frank Rault led off the fourth with a hit and after an out and an error, Baillie hit a ball through the cones in centre field for a double, the big hit in an innings which tallied five runs for an 11-4 lead.
Bonbeach threatened again in the bottom half of the innings and had scored twice and had runners on second and third with one out before Springvale recorded a rare 5-4-6-8 double play to get an out on a run down between second and third, while also getting the hitter, who was trying to advance to second, ending the Bonbeach threat.
Baillie shut down Bonbeach in the fifth as the light faded, striking out the last two hitters, securing the ‘W’ for Springvale, in a game which saw each member of the starting nine score at least one run.
Thank you to Sharni Bryant for coming out of her scoring retirement to assist for a day in Jenni’s absence, and for the seconds players who stayed around in uniform for the game – hopefully this continues over the course of the season.
Hits: 3 – Scott Baillie. 2 – Stuart Capel. 1 – Brandon Mize, Aaron Tanic, Frank Rault, Adam DeGabrielle.
Men’s Seconds Lost 0-14 to Bonbeach
The reintroduction of the men’s seconds has seen the team incorporate some new players to baseball, and we welcomed Kwo (Kory) Li and Josh Forde to the club for their first ever baseball game as players, while we also welcomed Sean Linley for his first game with the club.
Until the rain interruption, the game was close, however as we were in the field upon the resumption of play, Sean had trouble with the mound and the wet balls, as did our field, as we allowed Bonbeach too many baserunners through misplays.
Not much went right with the bats, with just two hits, and the hardest hit ball of the game arguably came from Connor Dalby, who lined a shot straight up the middle which was caught by the pitcher on reflex, doubling off Sean at first base.
That was the kind of luck the team had on the day. Both Kory and Josh fought hard in their at-bats, while Zakki Sutyoko recorded defensive highlight with an excellent sliding catch in centre field for a very good out. The score line suggests a harsh reintroduction to play for the team.
Reality is that while there is plenty to improve on, those areas can be fixed over the course of the season, and it will be an enjoyable ride as the team improves as the season goes on.
Thank you to Darryl, who managed to stay dry during the rain delay in the scorer’s box, for scoring, and to our lone spectator Angela Capel, who did not stay dry having been caught in the rain while walking to the ground, but managed to see out the rain delay and the rest of the game
Hits: 1 – Stuart Capel, Sean Linley.
Spectators: 1 – Angela Capel
Next Week (Sunday 13th October) – Home openers for both the men’s teams as we host Ormond-Glenhuntly on Sunday at K H Wearne Field.
Old Match Reports
Grand Final Springvale 6 defeated Bonbeach 2
Springvale completed the perfect season with a hard-fought Grand Final win, with runs in the eighth inning breaking the deadlock and Rydge Hogan providing a storming relief performance in the top of the ninth.
Things began badly for Springvale. After the first out, Bonbeach’s Matt Burton ran out an infield hit. Daniel Conway-Jones then homered to score two (although this writer knows a credible eye witness who says the ball squeezed under not over the fence). Nevertheless, the two runs stood, and would have scored anyway, when another multiple-base hit was banged out to left-field.
Springvale could not counter that firepower, with only Lucas Anderson putting the ball safely to the outfield. After giving up the three hits in the opening innings, Anderson was back to his best in the second inning, putting the ball past the bat for a first-up strike-out and allowing no further runs.
Springvale, too, had difficulty putting bat on ball in the bottom of the second, but opened the third with a walk to Adam Thatcher. Anderson had his second for the day, a hard-running infield hit.
Rydge Hogan was hitting long, but to fielders, and he was the first out on a long infield fly that allowed Thatcher to take 3rd. Matt Cameron’s single scored Springvale’s first run for the day, and Steve Hughes followed up with a double to level the scores.
And it was two-all for the next four innings. Springvale failed to take advantage of a hit in the fourth; while Joel Stubbs bunted perfectly to advance Scott Baillie, and was safe on an error, Springvale pushed too hard to advance on a fly ball, giving up the inning-ending double play. But Anderson gave up only one further hit, assisted by Cameron’s spectacular stop at 3rd to make the third out inn the fourth. Springvale had base-runners in the fifth – with a lead-off walk, a double to Cameron, and another two-out walk, but left the runners on base to continue the tense stand-off.
Scott Baillie relieved Lucas Anderson in the seventh, and two infield errors had Bonbeach with 1st and 2nd occupied. Following a strike-out, a walk loaded the bases, and then a pop-up to the infield, with no call of infield fly, was grounded. The out was made at 2nd, but there was no opportunity for the out at 1st . Still, the runner at 3rd had hesitated going home, and the play was made at the plate.
From bases loaded, with one out, Springvale had choked off the go-ahead run with a complex double play.
Again, in the eighth, Bonbeach had early runners, with a pitched ball feathering the sleeve of the opening batter, followed up by a single. Matt Prior executed his bunt to advance the runners, and give Bonbeach another chance to put themselves in front. Coolly, Baillie had the next two batters swinging at third strikes.
And it was in the eighth that Springvale seized its moment. Neal Cavanagh opened with a sweetly hit ball to centre-field. Baillie, too, was able to execute the bunt, and then, not one of those fleet-footed
younger players, but Cavanagh stole 3rd to get that go-ahead run closer to the plate. Joel Stubbs was safe on a catcher’s interference, before the second out came up on a strike-out. Was Springvale, too, going to waste its chance? Anderson walked to load the bases – batting 1000 for the day – before Rydge Hogan, who had flied out long each time at bat finally had his hit, scoring two. Matt Cameron hit again, for another run, and a wild throw to 1st for what should have been the third out added some padding to the lead.
Considering the drama of last week, it was brave all round for Rydge Hogan to take the mound in the top of the ninth. But no one was going to steal this one from Hogan – three batters, three Ks, and Springvale had gone back-to-back.
This successful team is younger-looking, but is still backed by significant contributions from the veteran players. Scott Baillie continues to rack up the wins as a pitcher, with a .79 ERA. Neal Cavanagh fills any hole in the field when asked and is a thoughtful batter. Adam Thatcher remains a
reliable pair of hands in the outfield. Lucas Anderson had an outstanding year – one of the three regular batters in the team to have a 400+ batting average, he also had an ERA of .97 from the mound, and he batted an amazing 889 in the finals, hitting when it counted. Matt Cameron’s batting average was also in the 400s, and he held on to his hitting streak for almost the entire season. Rydge Hogan hit in 16 games of the 16 games to lead the batting averages of the regular team on 493, and his pitching firepower was harnessed much more consistently. But much of the joy for the season came from the return of players who had been lost to the team. Ryan Kirby was the lynch-pin of the defence behind the plate. Steve Hughes’ reach was an important factor for the year, and he batted powerfully. Joel Stubbs’ speed meant he chased down flies in the outfield, bunted provocatively, stole bases almost automatically, and he, too, hit in nearly every game. With determined
appearances from coach Rowan Hall, Brandon Mize, and Max Chew, the perfect season was built on contributions from a happily unified team.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “Old friends are always best, unless you can catch a new one that’s fit to make an old one out of.” [SARAH ORNE JEWETT]
Semi Final Springvale 8 defeated North West Titans 7
In this semi-final decided under tie-breaker rules, Springvale had to win twice over the twelve innings to secure its place in the Grand Final, relying on match-winner Lucas Anderson to both close out the game under rules that significantly disadvantage the pitcher, and to bat in the winning run under those same rules. In the end, it was probably Springvale’s leg-speed which won us the game – a thing that would not have been said about the team for many a year!
The game was tight from the very first inning. The Titans scored the first run of the game, when lead-off batter and heroic pitcher Daniel Hamilton singled, and was batted in by one of the Wilson brothers. Springvale countered with a run from a double to Lucas Anderson, scored by Rydge Hogan, extending his season-long hitting streak into the post-season.
Over the next three innings, it was the Titans who looked most likely to score, sprinkling hits but unable to convert, while Springvale’s only base-runners came through errors, on which its batters were unable to capitalise. Hamilton was racking up the strike-outs, while Baillie was relying on strong fielding to choke off any scoring.
In was in the fifth that Hamilton wobbled. He opened the inning with the first walk for the game, to Scott Baillie. Joel Stubbs’ bunting expertise got Baillie over, and Hamilton was rattled by the runners on. He gave up another walk, and then Anderson hit neatly to put the go-ahead run over the plate.
The Titans’ pitcher was clearly unnerved, pitching wildly to give Springvale another run, before Hogan hit again to score one more. A dropped fly in the outfield added another run to the total, with Springvale looking much more comfortable at with a four-run lead. With runners on, and young legs, each of the runs that scored included a stolen base; and it wasn’t just the youngsters, with Baillie stealing 3rd , one of the five stolen bases for the inning.
Baillie continued his strong performance on the mound, but could not snag a hit in the sixth with his line drive gloved by the Titans’ Brendan Robinson at 1st . Hamilton had clearly gathered himself, striking out the next two.
Baillie was relieved by Rydge Hogan in the eighth. After a simple infield out, the Wilson brothers struck the ball cleanly up the middle for two singles, before Hogan came back with a K. Proving more hittable than usual, there was another short single to left-field, and bases were loaded. Hogan was working the count well, with two strikes and no balls, and looking to strand the runners, when he was controversially balked, gifting the Titans its second run. Significantly unsettled, Hogan gave up a
hit to the struggling batter, for another run, before a double infield error allowed two unearned runs to cross the plate, tying the score. He continued, but after another single base hit, was replaced with Joel Stubbs who showed steel to come back from down in the count to strike out the final batter.
Springvale could not retrieve the lead, although Stubbs ensured the opposition did not go ahead in the top of the ninth, after Lucas Anderson took a wonderful running fly-ball at right-field off the opening batter. Stubbs hit the ball hard as lead-off in the ninth, but was lined out by a pitcher who was still doing everything despite being well over the hundred pitch mark.
And so, we entered extra innings under the new tie-break rules, when each team starts the inning with runners on 1st and 2nd (will no one think of the scorers!). The Titans catcher bunted well, and Stubbs chose to go for the lead runner. But, safe at 3rd, the Titans now had bases loaded and none down. Stubbs struck out the next batter, but in the course of that count, pitched wildly for a run to come over the plate, giving the Titans the lead. The next batter was intentionally walked, setting up a double play – but that play could not be executed, with an out at 2nd on the next ground ball, but the run scoring. With enormous tension in the game, there was a dropped third strike to load the bases again, before the cool and composed Lucas Anderson managed to sight a fly ball into the sun and safely make the third out.
The ladder leaders were now two runs down, but started the inning with two runners on base. Anderson and Hogan executed the double steal on the first pitch, and then Matt Cameron had his first hit of the day (and the first hit to another batter other than Anderson and Hogan). With Hogan’s long legs, he ate up the two bases and scored to tie the game. But Springvale could not score the go-ahead run, and the game continued into the eleventh inning.
Anderson needed all that cool composure when he relieved Joel Stubbs in the eleventh. The Titans bunted their automatic runners over, and it was 2nd and 3rd occupied with only one down. The batters could not pierce the infield, with Cameron taking a pop-up, and Anderson fielding from his own pitching.
Springvale, too, bunted its runners over, bringing up bunting specialist Stubbs. In a perfectly executed suicide squeeze, Ryan Kirby was nearly at the plate when Stubbs laid down his bunt, and the Springvale players and spectators celebrated a win. Dramatically, the umpire called Stubbs for batting out of the box, and, thus, failing to score, the game continued.
In the twelfth, Anderson held his nerve, and the field backed him. Springvale began its inning with the very quick Stubbs at 2nd , and the speedy Adam Thatcher at 1st , and, again, played the double steal
immediately, leaving Anderson to pick up his fifth hit of the game and put the Lions into the Grand Final.
Lucas Anderson was Springvale’s star. Not only did he steal four bases, and take several clutch flyballs, he was the winning pitcher and batted in the winning run on his fifth hit for the day. Rydge Hogan had two hits and Matt Cameron one.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens ourskills. Our antagonist is our helper.” [EDMUND BURKE]
Springvale 11 defeated Footscray 1
The final game of the home and away season was played in a lacklustre spirit, with both teams channelling the long weekend feeling and Springvale cruising its way into next week’s final.
Joel Stubbs threw the opening two innings for Springvale, and while Footscray managed base-runners, they could not convert, Stubbs’ four Ks damping things down, and Neal Cavanagh’s spectacular infield fly ball closing out the second inning. With his back to the ball, Cavanagh
managed to snare it into his glove, only to see it dribble out again, seemingly to add to the infield’s list of muffed flies, before stunning the “crowd” as he caught it again on the way down.
Springvale had managed one earned run off Australian pitcher Abbey McLellan in the first, with Rydge Hogan securing his regular season-long hitting streak with a double, and scoring on Matt Cameron’s single. There were a further four runs in the second, but all of them were unearned despite the four hits, two of which were infield balls. And the number of fielder’s choice plays for the game demonstrated that Springvale batters found it difficult all day to pierce the infield, with some great plays by both shortstop and 3rd base during the game.
Stubbs was replaced by Hogan in the 3rd , and despite some inaccuracy, he, too was able to ensure that Footscray’s runners did not cross the plate, neat infield play complemented by a sharp pick-up by 1st baseman Steve Hughes in the third.
McLellan held her nerve and held the Springvale batters over the next two innings. Despite Max Chew leading off with a single in the fourth, and there being two follow-up hits, no runs scored, inattention on the base paths and good fielding off her own pitching seeing McLellan record two assists for the inning.
Baillie came on to see out the game, racking up consecutive outs in the fifth, while Springvale inched closer to the ten runs required for an early finish, Matt Cameron smoking the ball past 3rd to open the inning, followed up with some shallow hitting and an error for two runs.
Footscray’s George Baxas registered the team’s first multiple base hit in the sixth, but was not scored, and Springvale, too, failed to score.
So, entering the triggering seventh inning, Springvale were only seven runs up, and in the middle of the inning, they were only six runs up, when a rampantly wild throw on the third out allowed a runner on, and Thomas Medland, who had fielded well all day, whacked a ball over rightfield to score Footscray’s one and only run for the day.
For an early finish, Springvale had to score four off reliever Shane Kinlough, and this was duly achieved, with assistance from some errors, and some good hitting from Rowan Hall and Max Chew.
Brandon Mize was, perhaps surprisingly, the leading hitter for the day, batting 1000 with four from four and two RBIs. Max Chew, also up from the Seconds, followed him with three hits, including a double. Joel Stubbs had three singles. Rydge Hogan secured his season-long hitting streak with a double and a triple, and Matt Cameron also had two hits. Steve Hughes, Rowan Hall, and Scott Baillie contributed to the seventeen hits on the day.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “Do you know what my favourite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.” [MIKE SINGLETARY]
Springvale 21 defeated North Coburg 0
Springvale went into the game with three players on season-long hitting streaks, but only Rydge Hogan came out with his streak intact. Some spectators might have suggested that this was the only interest in the game – but consider if the scoreline had been reversed before you decide whether this was a boring win.
Rydge Hogan has been used more in relief this season, but started on the mound, and was well backed up by the field, scrambled from their usual positions, but making the three ground outs.
Adam Thatcher hit neatly to centre-field to open Springvale’s offensive attack, but was only scored because of an error, Springvale not impressing with power early.
Hogan opened the second inning with a walk, before he found his rhythm, three batters watching over three third strikes. In the bottom of this frame, Springvale batters showed both power and patience. Coburg’s Jack Pinches struggled to put the ball in the strike-zone, with seven walks and a HPB for the inning. Most enjoyable for Springvale was Hogan’s home run, scoring three and holding his streak safe.
Pinches was not relieved, and, while he threw bravely, he stood little chance of holding back the spate of Springvale scoring. Hogan opened the third inning with a double, with Matt Cameron accepting his second HPB of the game. Steve Hughes looked to have driven a home run over left-field fence, but umpire Pete Gelsi judged the ball foul, and Hughes had to be content with hard-run single to 3rd base. Coburg fluffed a chance for a double, erroring for no outs, and Scott Baillie hit in a
run for his single. Pinches had thrown a lot of pitches, and began struggling, again, to throw strikes, loading up the bases before securing the second out of the inning on an outfield fly. But a further three walks, and a single base hit awarded to Hogan, when the Coburg fielders failed to cover 1st, saw the opener relieved. While Craig Learmonth gave up two hits to his first two batters, he was able to keep control, and he allowed only a further two runs for the game.
Lucas Anderson, though, was even more impressive in relief; he matched Hogan’s five strike-outs, gave up no walks, and conceded no runs.
Rydge Hogan was, again, the stand-out, with his three hits, including a home run, batting in four runs. Ryan Kirby also netted the team four runs from his three hits. Scott Baillie had two hits before being rested. Adam Thatcher, Lucas Anderson, Steve Hughes, and Max Chew were also hitters for the day.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “May you live in interesting times.” [CHINESE CURSE]
Springvale 16 defeated North West Titans 1
Springvale only scored in two innings, but that was enough to secure a huge win over the fourth- placed Titans.
Springvale set up the win in the bottom of the first inning. While Scott Baillie had accounted for the Titans’ batters consecutively, Springvale opened with three hits, singles to Adam Thatcher and Lucas Anderson, and a double to Rydge Hogan. While Thatcher scored on that double, Anderson could not quite leg out the three bases, cut down at home on a strong throw from centrefield. Hogan went to 3rd on that play. But when Matt Cameron walked, and then set out to steal 2nd , Hogan was indecisive on the feinted throw-over, and was put out at the plate.
It was lucky for the Titans that the Springvale runners were handing themselves over since Conor Wilson was making little headway on the mound with the outs. There were three hits, three walks, and two HPBs before a diving knee high fly ball from rightfielder Alan McGaughey saved the inning.
Baillie continued, but injured his leg in the fourth, having recorded five Ks, no walks and one shallow hit that plopped between rightfield and the infield. Joel Stubbs took over, and the same batter hit the same spot in the same fashion. But with two down, Hogan’s spectacularly dived his full and considerable length to take an exceedingly difficult fly ball.
Springvale had been held scoreless since the first, but unleashed again in the fourth. Strong batting from the strong hitters saw the first infield out followed by four hits, doubles to Hogan and Ryan Kirby and singles to Matt Cameron and Steve Hughes. Max Chew had replaced Baillie in the line-up, and he chimed in with a useful sacrifice fly. Then the cavalcade resumed, and, after eight hits and six runs, Conor Wilson was replaced by his brother, Cameron. There was no relief for the reliever though, with Hogan belting his third double for the day, and Cameron delivering another single base hit. After a walk, bases were loaded, when a simple flyball went up to the rightfielder. Unable to repeat his spectacular performance from the first inning, this out went begging, and three more runs scored before the second Wilson struck out the last batter in a fifteen-batter inning.
Springvale didn’t need to score again, and they didn’t. The Titans managed a consolation run, when a regulation play at 1st saw the pitcher throw wild. Hogan came on for short relief in the 7th , and with three Ks swept the inning and game clean.
Rydge Hogan led the hitting for the day, with three doubles and three RBIs. Matt Cameron followed him up with three singles, and Adam Thatcher and Lucas Anderson had two hits each. Ryan Kirby recorded a double. Scott Baillie, Neal Cavanagh, and Joel Stubbs were also hitters, and so, with two weeks of regular season play to go, three players in the team continue their season-long hitting streak.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “Hitting a baseball has absolutely nothing to do with being big or small, short or tall.” [JOSE ALTUVE]
Springvale 11 defeated Geelong 0
It was business as usual as the team at the top of the table neatly dispatched the more lowly ranked Geelong. While Springvale only overpowered the pitcher in one of the seven innings, Geelong were
never going to score, with only five base-runners sprinkled over the game.
One of those base-runners was lead-off batter for the game Tyson Sherry (he was on base three out of three to dominate Geelong’s list) with a double over centre-field’s head. But Lucas Anderson recovered from his loosener, with a pop-up and two strike-outs to leave Sherry stranded.
Springvale did not make that mistake when Adam Thatcher opened our account with a double. From one down, Rydge Hogan tripled, and then Matthew Cameron hit another double, and Springvale had scored two – two more than Geelong would manage for the game.
With Anderson in control in the second, Springvale could not push its advantage further. While Geelong’s Connor Hughes was lacking in control, batters early in the inning were too eager to hit, so the two walks from two down did not lead to further scoring.
Hogan was the lucky recipient of an infield error when the 1st base fielder did not manage to trap a panicked throw. He then stole 2nd and 3rd (stolen bases have been a feature of this year’s team – this
scorer has not used her yellow pencil so often for many a season), so scoring on Joel Stubbs’ single was easy. Stubbs himself stole 2nd , and was then able to score from Steve Hughes’ two down single.
Anderson continued his tight performance on the mound. Having given up his only walk of the game in the third, he gave up his only other hit in the fourth, but from two down, and with no support, Cade White could not advance from 1st . Springvale’s big hitters were too keen to knock Geelong’s junior reliever off the mound, failing to push out each pitch count, and swinging at pitches that were clearly not strikes.
But in the fifth, those lower down the order showed more patience, three consecutive walks and a wild pitch forcing another change. Steve Hughes greeted the new pitcher with a double, and Rowan Hall
followed that up with a single. There were two HPBs among all of this, and by the time Matt Sage had struck out the last batter for the inning, Springvale had scored six.
Springvale scored one more in the sixth. Rydge Hogan came on to tidy out the game, striking out the first batter, and fielding the final ball of the game.
Rydge Hogan, Matt Cameron, and Joel Stubbs all kept their season-long hitting streaks alive, and it will be interesting to see if one of them stumbles over the next few weeks. Hogan had two hits with two RBIs, Cameron and Stubbs one each with two RBIs also. Steve Hughes’ two hits netted three RBIs. Adam Thatcher, Lucas Anderson, Scott Baillie, and Rowan Hall recorded one hit each.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “Taste the relish to be found in competition — in having put forth the best within you.” [Henry Kaiser]
Springvale 3 defeated Pakenham 1
With no earned runs in this game, and only eight hits to four, it’s clear the pitchers were on top of the batters. Scott Baillie threw the complete nine innings for 86 pitches, with only 15 balls, and no free passes to 1st base, ensuring that the hitters’ failure to convert scoring chances did not cost the team the game.
The infield opened the game neatly – with no balls in the air, a ground ball double play backed up Baillie’s first-up strike-out. With no contact made, Springvale had had two runners on, but a caught stealing dampened enthusiasm, and Pakenham’s Tim Bellerby seized on this, striking out two to end the inning.
Ryan Kirby matched that caught stealing on Pakenham’s next batter who had singled to centre. For the second and third innings, there were no further base-runners for either team. Baillie was well in control, but so was Bellerby. It was not until there were two out in the fourth that Springvale showed some spark in the batter’s box, Cameron’s long double to leftfield followed by a walk.
But the team could not score, and this was repeated more pointedly in the fifth and sixth; Springvale opened both innings with two hits, but wasted the chance to push for a lead in a very tight contest, double plays leaving runners stranded.
Springvale had been generating all the scoring chances, but, disappointingly, it was Pakenham that was the first to score, having had only two base-runners in six innings. From one down, a ball swirled
behind first base and between three fielders. In the confusion, the hitter raced to 2nd base for a very short double-base hit. It should have been two down on the next batter, but a fielding error at 3rd allowed both the lead runner to advance, and the batter to reach safely. From there, the unearned run could score on a ground ball, and a further error at 3rd gave greater heart to Pakenham.
Fortunately, Springvale’s determined manager, who had been making great pick-ups at 1st all day, snared the final out. But Springvale was in an unfamiliar position – down and heading into the later stages of the game.
Infield errors had proved costly for Springvale, but would hurt Pakenham even more. In the bottom of the seventh, Jesse Hunter scooped up the groundball from the first pitch of the inning, and made the out. But two pitches later, and with the same play to make, he threw wild. And three pitches later he fumbled. Steve Hughes hit his own swirler and bases were loaded, opening up the opportunity for Rydge Hogan to hit strongly and score two. Bellerby was relieved by Jesse Hunter, and, unsettled by his errors, he pitched wild to put Hughes over the plate.
Baillie had two down in the eighth, when, yet again, the Springvale infield was perplexed by a simple pop-up; luckily, the advancing runner tried too hard to capitalise on this perplexity and pushed for two bases, Hogan’s awareness and long legs making the out at 3rd on a desperate lunge.
With no pop-ups in the ninth, Springvale managed to get out of the game as neatly as it had started. Joel Stubbs, Matt Cameron, and Rydge Hogan maintained their season-long hitting streak, with two hits each, Stubbs using his speed on a clever bunt, Cameron having the only multiple-base hit for Springvale, and Hogan recording the only RBIs. Steve Hughes and Neal Cavanagh rounded out the hitters’ list.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “That love is all there is/ Is all we know of love”. [EMILY DICKINSON]
Chelsea 3 was defeated by Springvale 14
This was a tidy win for Springvale, without being overwhelming, built on the back of strong pitching and pretty clean fielding, contrasting with Chelsea’s six errors.
Springvale scored in the first; with the wind blowing in, Lucas Anderson batted for the conditions, looking to hit the ball safely, rather than lofting for distance. He stole, and was then advanced on a wild pitch, giving him the opportunity to cross the plate on Rydge Hogan’s groundball.
Joel Stubbs struck out two in his opening inning, and recorded Ks in each of the next three innings to keep Chelsea scoreless. Springvale, meanwhile, scored heavily in the third. With no outs over four batters, and runners scoring on hits to Anderson and Matt Cameron, Hogan’s long sacrifice fly for the first out put another run over the plate. Chelsea’s 3rd base made his second error for the day, Stubbs hit neatly, and another run scored on a groundball. With hits early in the fourth, again, Springvale could score from infield groundballs, and had pulled
ahead by eight runs to nil.
In the fifth, Stubbs opened with two HPBs, and this was to prove costly when both these were converted to runs. Springvale’s infield failed to turn a double play, and then yet another infielder dropped a fly ball (a long way from the infield, it must be said), putting a runner on 3rd , and setting up for a sacrifice fly.
It looked as if the chance of an early ending to the game had been blown. Springvale responded with two runs in the top of the sixth, but some messy base-running was costly, with an out on a throw-over to 2nd with the runner on 3rd failing to advance on the catcher’s decision to go for the caught stealing. Anderson then tried to push for a run on a two-base dropped fly ball in the outfield, but could not make the three bases safely, tagged out at the plate.
Anderson had relieved Stubbs in the bottom of the sixth, beginning authoritatively with a strike-out. Stubbs and he had swapped places, and Stubbs pushed hard for a long-running foul fly ball to help out his replacement. Then Rowan Hall seized a throw in the dirt for the 3rd out.
Springvale failed to score, and had not put the required ten run distance between themselves and Chelsea when the seventh inning opened.
At ten-three, Springvale needed to score at least three and keep Chelsea scoreless to head home early. The batters scored four from two down, with stronger base-running proving key to converting scoring chances. Anderson struck out two, then wobbled with two HPBs and a walk, before another K for an entirely blue inning.
Lucas Anderson was strong in the batter’s box, with four hits. Adam Thatcher and Rydge Hogan also hit twice, and there were hits recorded by Matt Cameron, Ryan Kirby, Joel Stubbs, Max Chew, and Rowan Hall.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “All nature laughed in the sunshine.” [ANNE BRONTE]
Footscray 1 were defeated by Springvale 19
The scores were tied after the first dig, but Footscray could not manage more than one base-runner an inning from then on, while Springvale amassed twenty-three hits to four to notch up a large-scale win.
There were hits to Lucas Anderson and Matt Cameron in the first, but it was a walk to lead-off Adam Thatcher, and, eventually, a wild pitch that saw the first run of the game over the plate. Footscray’s line-up opened the day with a hard hit to 3rd, and a neat bunt got the runner over. He was scored from two down on a centre-field single, before Baillie closed the inning out with a strike-out.
Joel Stubbs showed that Springvale was not without bunting smarts in the second, when he recorded a safe hit on a bunt down the 3rd baseline to load the bases, but Springvale could not convert, and Footscray looked to go ahead when it replicated its first inning, with a lead-off single and a clever bunt. Baillie rallied for two strike-outs, and realistically, that was Footscray’s final chance to score for the game.
Springvale took the lead in the third, with two red runs. Cameron started the inning well with what looked like it would be a double, only to be thrown out at 2nd . Steve Hughes walked, and Neal Cavanagh scampered to 1st on an error. It looked as if Springvale might again burn their chances with Jake Cole-Sinclair striking out the next batter, before Scott Baillie worked to secure his win with a single scoring two.
Despite some howlers in the field – with several infield pop-ups dribbling away – Springvale were never seriously challenged. Three consecutive hits, with doubles to Adam Thatcher and Rydge Hogan, saw Springvale pull further away in the fourth. A further three runs were scored in the sixth, Hogan leading off with a single, advancing on a past ball, and stealing 3rd . From two down, Cavanagh singled to score Hogan, Ryan Kirby hit a double, and Scott Baillie continued his strong day with the
bat with a two RBI single.
Springvale ran over the top of the opposition in the eighth and final inning of the game, with seven hits from thirteen batters, and two errors contributing to a nine-run inning. With strong hitting all round, Adam Thatcher led the way with a single and three doubles. Scott Baillie’s four singles contributed four RBIs, and Rydge Hogan also had four RBIs from two singles, a double and a sacrifice fly. The pitchers put in with the bat, Lucas Anderson also recording four singles. Ryan Kirby had three hits, Matt Cameron two, and we batted through the list, with Steve
Hughes, Neal Cavanagh and Joel Stubbs contributing single hits.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “It’s possible to be special, proud, and humble all at once. It ought to be our national motto.” [GREG BAUM ON ASH BARTY]
Springvale 12 defeated Bonbeach 7
This was a tight game over the opening innings.
While Springvale had three hits in the first inning, it was an error on the lead-off batter, and a wild pitch, which put its first run over the plate. Bonbeach did not have a hit until the fourth – and then it was a running bunt that bogged the infielders in confusion. While this lead runner was out on the next play, Springvale could not complete the double, and two wild pitches from the usually reliable Lucas Anderson put the runner on 3rd, allowing him to score from Bonbeach’s second hit of the day.
In the next inning, Bonbeach hit the lead, when an errant throw from the catcher on a runner stealing 3rd guaranteed Bonbeach its only time in the lead for the game.
This lead was snatched back in the bottom of the frame, when Springvale’s big hitters took to Daniel Conway-Jones. After a ground out on Joel Stubbs, Adam Thatcher and Lucas Anderson singled. When Rydge Hogan doubled to left-field, two runs scored, and another two hits in the inning, from Steve Hughes and Neal Cavanagh, gave Springvale a two run buffer.
Bonbeach paid for underestimating the Springvale outfield, when left-fielder Chris Davies set off for a long fly ball. Taking it cleanly, he turned to find that the runner had sped off from 2nd and was rounding 3rd, with no way back before the ball was returned.
And the Springvale bats continued to fire. After a lead-off walk to Ryan Kirby, Joel Stubbs singled, Max Chew took an HPB, and Lucas Anderson’s walk put a run over the plate. Rydge Hogan was able to sacrifice fly, and then Matt Cameron’s long double to centre-field scored two. Conway-Jones was struggling and two wild pitches to the next batter saw Cameron cross the plate, putting Steve Hughes ahead of the count before he, too, was walked. A double to Cavanagh scored yet another run, and forced a change in the pitcher, with Ben Donald seeing off the inning.
Joel Stubbs finished his two innings in relief with only one unearned run against his name – again the infield failed to work in sync, undecided whether to attempt an out on the double steal, or cut off the ball.
Rydge Hogan came to the mound for the last two innings of the game, and seemed out of sorts, giving up a double to his first batter faced. After a pop-up to Steve Hughes at 1st , Hogan gave up two walks. And then, again, the infield was perplexed by the bunt, and so a single base hit to the pitcher also recorded an RBI. Hogan came back with the two strike-outs to close the inning, and the run was countered when Springvale scored two.
Hogan’s mishaps continued in the ninth. After a simple ground ball for the first out, Hogan struck out the next batter, only for the ball to plonk through the catcher, allowing the K-ed batter to reach 1st.
Bonbeach managed to score three for the inning, but they were consolation runs, with Springvale taking out the game.
Matt Cameron was the leading hitter for the day, with two singles and a double. Neal Cavangh and Rydge Hogan each had a double and a single. Lucas Anderson and Steve Hughes had two singles, and Adam Thatcher and Joel Stubbs also recorded hits.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?” [STEVE WRIGHT]