News

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Nick Bottaro

It’s the final day of the 2024 Australian Division II Little League Championships.

Pool Play will finish on Monday morning, with consolation and medal games to follow. You can view the schedule here.

Sydney’s Hills Red have won The 2024 Australian Little League Championships after winning two games on a hectic final day.

They defeated Adelaide Rays in the semi-finals and the Central Firebirds in the Gold Medal Day.

Here’s how the day unfolded. Watch the replay, free & around the world on Baseball+, or the highlights below.

The final day schedule of the 2024 Australian Little League Division I & II Championships has been released.

Please see below.

Thank you to Greenway Giants Baseball Club for stepping up as an alternate venue for Day 5 and 6.

All Division II Games + Division I Consolation Games (including the Bronze Medal) are two hours.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS, STANDINGS AND INFORMATION

Little League Division 1 Hub – Click Here

Little League Division 2 Hub – Click Here 

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The event is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Nick Bottaro

It’s Sunday Funday at the Australian Little League Division II Championships aka “moving day.”

Pool Play will finish on Monday morning, with consolation and medal games to follow. You can view the schedule here.

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Nick Bottaro

This was one of the craziest final days of an Australian Little League Division I Championship. Eight teams entered the day in contention to advance to the semi-finals. Only four could advance.

We saw a three-way tie in one group, a four-way tie in another, and a sensational comeback. Read about the day below as it unfolded. 

For past scores, visit our Little League Division 1 Hub.

Today’s Schedule

Follow along all the stats on GameChanger. Broadcast of Diamond 1 is on Baseball+.

Canberra Rangers 18 def Melbourne Mariners 1
Ryde Red 17 def Brisbane SouthWest 3

Central Firebirds 11 def Melbourne Athletics 0
Cronulla Black 6 def Adelaide Marlins 0

Brisbane North 6 def Hills Red 2
Adelaide Rays 13 def Eastern Phantoms 4

FINAL STANDINGS

*top two advance to semi-finals

First tiebreaker is head-to-head. Second is runs allowed ratio (total runs allowed / 6)

POOL A 

1. Central Firebirds: 3-2 (14)*
2. Hills Red: 3-2 (14)*
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3. Cronulla Black: 3-2 (19)
4. Melbourne Athletics: 3-2 (30)
5. Adelaide Marlins: 2-3 (24)
6. Brisbane North: 0-4 (31)

POOL B

1. Adelaide Rays: 4-1 (6)*
2. Ryde Red: 4-1 (22)*
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3. Eastern Phantoms: 4-1 (25)
4. Canberra Rangers: 1-4 (33)
5. Brisbane SouthWest: 1-4 (43)
6. Melbourne Mariners: 1-4 (80)

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9:00AM – Canberra Rangers 18 def Melbourne Mariners 1

A fifth inning spurt helped power Canberra to their first win of the tournament.

The Rangers scored eleven runs in the fifth. Overall, Canberra tallied 18 hits as a team.

It was a total team effort. Every player reached base and eleven different Rangers had at least a hit. Jaxen Bently led all Rangers with three hits.

Lucas Tanouye allowed just one run in his 4.0 inning start, striking out six.

9:30AM – Ryde Red 17 def Brisbane SouthWest 3

The Ryde bats were hot, as they finish Pool B with a 4-1 record and 22 runs allowed.

Their fate now rests on the final game of the group (Adelaide Rays vs Eastern Phantoms at 3:00PM). If the Phantoms win, Ryde will play in the semi-finals. If the Rays win, there will be a three-way tiebreaker required to determine who finishes top two, with runs allowed being a key tiebreaker.

Ryde piled on fifteen hits as a team. Every player in the line-up reached base. Benjamin Corner-Rutgers, Marcus Morrison, Hayden Love and Aleksander Puleo all had two hits. Kian Peterson had three.

Love had four RBI on the day.

Ryde had an early 4-0 lead before Brisbane scored three in the third. Ryde pulled away with five runs in the fourth and 13 unanswered overall.

Rodrigo Hernandez led Brisbane SouthWest with two hits.

The event is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

Central Firebirds 10 def Melbourne Athletics 0

The Central Firebirds have moved into a top two spot for the time being, bringing in to play multiple tiebreaker scenarios at 3-2.

Taj Humble was great on the mound. He pitched 4.0 shutout innings with eight strikeouts and just one hit. He also had a day with the bat, going 2-for-2 with two runs.

Eight other Firebirds had hits.

Central Firebirds needed less than hour to reach a ten run rule margin.

They’ve won their last two games and will hope results fall their way to confirm a spot in the Top 2 and the semi-finals.

Cronulla Black 6 def Adelaide Marlins 2

Lincoln Potter pitched five shutout innings, striking out eleven, while allowing just three hits in a stellar performance.

Cronulla Black finish the group with a 3-2 record and need Hills to lose and allow 12 or more runs to advance to the semi-finals (note: unofficial).

Cronulla scored three in the first and three in the third to pull away. Mason Hayes-Conway and Christopher Blyton each had two hits and two runs driven in.

Brisbane North 6 def Hills Red 2

WE HAVE A FOUR WAY TIE!

Brisbane North picked up their first win of the tournament, improving to 1-4. Significantly, it’s a loss for Hills Red, which drops them into a four-way tie for the top-two spots at 3-2 with Cronulla Black, Melbourne Athletics and Central Firebirds.

Brisbane surged ahead to a 3-0 lead thanks to Aaron Bell and Auston Terlea RBIs. After Hills Red pegged one back, Callum Wheeler extended it to a 4-1 lead and Brisbane never looked back

Bell and Terlea each had two hits for Brisbane North. Patrick Fogg pitched 6.0 innings allowing just two runs.

The tournament committee now will confirm who the top two teams are to advance.

Update: Firebirds (first) and Hills (second) advance as top two finishers with 14 runs allowed, winning a four-way tiebreaker.

Adelaide Rays 13 def Eastern Phantoms 4

Genuine insanity. Adelaide needed to win to advance to the semi-finals. A loss? They’re outside the top two.

The Phantoms could afford a loss but couldn’t allow more than 11 runs.

Adelaide fell behind 4-0 early and were trailing by that margin in the fourth inning.

Then the Rays made their move.

They scored two in the fourth. 4-2.

They then rattled off eleven runs in the fifth inning before closing it out in the sixth.

From the brink of elimination, to finishing top of the group with a 4-1 record.

The Phantoms unfortunately fall on the outside of the Top 2, falling third in a three way tiebreak (25 runs allowed).

Every player on the Rays reached base. They totalled eleven hits.

UPDATE: The final day’s schedule has been released. Click here.

The 2024 Little League Division 2 Championships (U13) is here.

From June 5-10 in Blacktown, NSW, twelve teams from across Australia will vie for a Division 2 title.

Here you will find the schedule, results, standings and important links.

The event runs alongside the Little League Division 2.

BROADCAST & LIVE SCORING

Diamond 1 will be broadcast on Baseball+. Head to www.baseball.com.au/baseballplus for more information.

GAMECHANGER LINK FOR LIVE SCORING: CLICK HERE.

You can follow Diamond 2-4 action on GameChanger. Download GameChanger from the App Store to follow (not GameChanger Classic). Search your team name and with ‘LL’ or ‘LLD2′ at the end. For example, “Adelaide Rays LLD1’ or ‘NT Buffaloes – LLD2’. Follow as a fan or family member.

FINAL STANDINGS – END OF POOL PLAY

Group winners at end of Pool Play advance to Gold Medal Game on Monday. Runs allowed in (parenthesis).

First tiebreaker is head-to-head. Second is runs allowed ratio (total runs allowed / 6)

Pool A

1. Melbourne Twins: 5-0 (18)
2. Brisbane North Vikings: 4-1 (27)
3. MacArthur Colts: 2-2-1 (32)
4. NT Buffaloes: 2-3 (51)
5. Manly White: 1-4 (51)
6. Southern Hills Warriors: 0-4-1 (58)

Pool B

1. Manly Maroon: 5-0 (6)
2. Central Firebirds: 3-2 (31)
3. Melbourne Rangers: 3-2 (40)
4. Gold Coast Cougars: 2-3 (42)
5. Carine Cats: 1-3-1 (52)
6. Brisbane North Raiders: 0-4-1 (64)

SCHEDULE / RESULTS

MEDAL ROUND RESULTS | Gamechanger | Daily Recap

Gold Medal Game – Manly Maroon 3 def Melbourne Twins 3
Bronze Medal – Central Firebirds vs Brisbane North Vikings

Consolation Results – After Pool Play

NT Buffaloes 11 def Carine Cats 5
Gold Coast Cougars 10 def Macarthur Colts 9
Southern Hills Warriors 13 def Brisbane North 2
Manly White vs Melbourne Rangers

DAY 6 POOL PLAY RESULTS | Gamechanger | Daily Recap

Northern Territory Buffaloes 20 def Southern Hills Warriors 7
Central Firebirds 13 def Carine Cats 4

Melbourne Rangers 13 def Brisbane North Raiders 12
Brisbane North Vikings 12 def Macarthur Colts 9

Melbourne Twins 11 def Manly White 7
Manly Maroon 17 vs Gold Coast Cougars 5

DAY 5 RESULTS | Gamechanger | Daily Recap

Manly Maroon 15 def Carine Cats 0
Macarthur Colts 16 def 4 N.T. Buffaloes 4

Melbourne Twins 6 def Macarthur Colts 6
Melbourne Rangers 4 def Gold Coast Cougars 2

Brisbane North Vikings 7 def Brisbane North 6
Carine Cats 11 def Gold Coast Cougars 4

Manly White 9 def Southern Hills Warriors 9
Central Firebirds 16 def Brisbane North Radards

DAY 4 RESULTS | Gamechanger | Daily Recap

Melbourne Rangers 8 def Carine Cats 4
Central Firebirds 12 def Melbourne Rangers 0

Manly Maroon 10 def Central Firebirds 1
Melbourne Twins 8 def NT Buffaloes 5

Macarthur Colts 10 def Manly White 6
Melbourne Twins 9 def Southern Hills Warriors 8

Gold Coast Cougars 11 def Brisbane North Raiders 10
Brisbane North Vikings def Southern Hills Warriors

DAY 3 SCHEDULE

Postponed due to weather. Head to this story for updates.

DAY 2 SCHEDULE

Postponed due to overnight weather. Head to this story for updates.

DAY 1 RESULTS | Gamechanger | Daily Recap

NT Buffaloes 14 def Manly White 13
Manly Maroon 10 def Melbourne Rangers 0

MacArthur Colts 9 tied Southern Hills Warriors 9
Brisbane North Vikings 14 def Manly White 4

Gold Coast 11 def Central Firebirds 0
Manly Maroon 12 def Brisbane North Raiders 0

Melbourne Twins 5 def Brisbane North Vikings 0
Brisbane North Raiders 12 TIE Carine Cats 12

The event is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

The 2024 Little League Championship (U13) is here.

From June 5-10 in Blacktown, NSW, twelve teams from across Australia will vie for the title of national champion and a spot in the 2024 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Here you will find the schedule, results, standings, important links and information on each of the teams. The event runs alongside the Little League Division 2.

BROADCAST & LIVE SCORING

You can watch all Diamond 1 games on Baseball+ live, free and around the world. Head to www.baseball.com.au/baseballplus for more information.

GAMECHANGER LINK FOR LIVE SCORING: CLICK HERE.

You can follow Diamond 2-4 action on GameChanger. Download GameChanger from the App Store to follow (not GameChanger Classic). Search your team name and with ‘LL’ or ‘LLD2′ at the end. For example, “Adelaide Rays LLD1’ or ‘NT Buffaloes – LLD2’. Follow as a fan or family member.

FINAL STANDINGS

*top two advance to semi-finals
First tiebreaker is head-to-head. Second is runs allowed ratio (total runs allowed / 6)

POOL A 

1. Central Firebirds: 3-2 (14)
2. Hills Red: 3-2 (14)
3. Cronulla Black: 3-2 (19)
4. Melbourne Athletics: 3-2 (30)
5. Adelaide Marlins: 2-3 (24)
6. Brisbane North: 1-4 (31)

Pool B

1. Adelaide Rays: 41 (6) [Next: Adelaide Rays]
2. Ryde Red: 4-1 (22)
3. Eastern Phantoms: 4-1 (25)
4. Canberra Rangers: 1-4 (33)
5. Brisbane SouthWest: 1-4 (43)
6. Melbourne Mariners: 1-4 (80)

SCHEDULE / RESULTS

Day 6 Results | RECAP | GameChanger | Watch on Baseball+

Semi Final 1 – Central Firebirds 10 def Ryde Red 2
Semi Final 2 – Hills Red 8 def Adelaide Rays 2

Bronze Medal – Ryde Red 11 def Adelaide Rays 9

Gold Medal – Hills Red 16 def Central Firebirds 3

Consolation Bracket Scores

Adelaide Marlins 4 def Brisbane SouthWest 1
Cronulla Black 5 def Eastern Phantoms 4
1:00PM – Canberra Rangers vs Melbourne Athletics, Greenway
Brisbane North 12 def Melbourne Mariners 1

Day 5 Results |  RECAP | GameChanger

Canberra Rangers 18 def Melbourne Mariners 1
Ryde Red 17 def Brisbane SouthWest 3

Central Firebirds 10 def Melbourne Athletics 0
Cronulla Black 6 def Adelaide Marlins 2

Brisbane North 6 def Hills Red 2
Adelaide Rays 13 def Eastern Phantoms 4

Day 4 | GameChanger | Recap

Adelaide Rays 16 def Melbourne Mariners 0
Melbourne Mariners 8 def Brisbane SouthWest 5

Melbourne Athletics 7 def Cronulla Black 6 (Extra Innings)
Brisbane SouthWest 3 def Canberra Rangers 2

Adelaide Marlins 6 def Brisbane North 2
Eastern Phantoms 9 def Ryde Red 4

Hills Red 6 def Adelaide Marlins 2
Central Firebirds 2 def Hills Red 0

Day 3 | GameChanger | Recap

Adelaide Marlins 2 def Central Firebirds 0
Hills Red 9 def Melbourne Athletics 4
Eastern Phantoms 6 def Brisbane SouthWest 0

Day 2 | GameChanger | Recap / Scores

Four games were played at Greenway Baseball Club due to weather. Thank you to them! Scores below.

Adelaide Rays 10 def Canberra Rangers 0
Melbourne Athletics 5 def Brisbane North 3

Eastern Phantoms 8 def Canberra Rangers 2
Ryde Red 21 def Melbourne Mariners 0

Cronulla Black 10 def Central Firebirds 9

Day 1 | GameChanger | Recap

Cronulla Black 3 def Brisbane North 2
Melbourne Athletics 10 def Adelaide Marlins 2

Adelaide Rays 10 def Brisbane SouthWest 0
Central Firebirds 17 def Brisbane North 2

Ryde Red 11 def Canberra 9 (extra innings)
Hills Red 1 def Cronulla Black 0

Eastern Phantoms 20 def Melbourne Mariners 6
Ryde Red 2 def Adelaide Rays 1

The event is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

The remaining schedule for Division I and II of the 2024 Australian Little League Championships has been announced.

Thank you to Greenway Giants Baseball Club for stepping up as an alternate venue for Day 5 and 6.

The final schedule for the remainder Division II pool will be announced later in Day 5, Sunday 9 June.

All Division II games will return to two hours. Please note, the schedule below will complete pool play, with venues and time slots to be confirmed.

Division 1 Game Times will begin 20-30 minutes after previous game concludes. Please be ready to play.

Please note this schedule is subject to change. We will endeavour to fit in a consolation game for each team, if possible, on Monday.

Tournament Results, Standings and Information

Little League Division 1 Hub – Click Here

Little League Division 2 Hub – Click Here 

Below schedule for Division II will complete pool play, with venues and time slots to be confirmed.

It’s the fourth day of a rain-affected Australian Little League Championship.

Today, four Division 1 games are slated for Blacktown International Sportspark. The other four will be played at Chifley Sports Reserve, home of the Eastern Suburbs Dolphins.

Here you will find schedule, results, standings and recaps. Here is a link to the Division 1 Hub, where you will find all results and useful links + schedule.

Tiebreaker info and tomorrow’s schedule at bottom of the article

RESULTS

Follow along all the stats on GameChanger. Broadcast of Diamond 1 is on Baseball+.

Adelaide Rays 16 def Melbourne Mariners 0

Melbourne Mariners 8 def Brisbane SouthWest 5
Melbourne Athletics 7 def Cronulla Black 6 (extras)

Adelaide Marlins 6 def Brisbane North 2
Brisbane SouthWest 3 def Canberra Rangers 2

Hills Red 6 def Adelaide Marlins 2
Eastern Phantoms 9 def Ryde Red 4

Central Firebirds 2 def Hills Red 0

CURRENT STANDINGS

*top two advance to semi-finals
First tiebreaker is head-to-head. Second is runs allowed ratio (total runs allowed / 6)

POOL A 

1. Hills Red: 3-1 (8) [Next: Brisbane North]
2. Melbourne Athletics: 3-1 (20) [Next: Central Firebirds]
3. Central Firebirds: 2-2 (14) [Next: Melbourne Athletics]
4. Adelaide Marlins: 2-2 (18) [Next: Cronulla Black]
5. Cronulla Black: 2-2 (19) [Next: Adelaide Marlins]
6. Brisbane North: 0-4 (31) [Next: Hills Red]

POOL B

1. Eastern Phantoms: 4-0 (12) [Next: Adelaide Rays]
2. Ryde Red: 3-1 (19) [Next: Brisbane SouthWest]
3. Adelaide Rays: 3-1 (2) [Next: Eastern Phantoms]
4. Melbourne Mariners: 1-3 (62) [Next: Canberra Rangers]
5. Brisbane SouthWest: 1-3 (26) [Next: Ryde Red]
6. Canberra Rangers: 0-4 (32) [Next: Melbourne Mariners]

RECAPS

Adelaide Rays 16 def Melbourne Mariners 0 

Cooper Povey opened the scoring with his second inside-the-park homer of the season, and the Rays never looked back in a big win.

The Rays scored sixteen runs off 11 hits before the game was called due to run rule. Cooper Povey and Ed Taintey led the team with three hits. Max Schenk and Lucas Povey each had two hits. Lucas and Cooper Povey had three runs driven in each.

Ethan Zootjens, Callan Rowe and Mason Rann pitched an inning each and allowed no hits.

The Rays have allowed just two runs in four games and have a 3-1 record – no team has conceded less. It sets up an epic clash on Sunday with the Eastern Phantoms (3-0) in a game which will likely help determine who finishes top two and will be playing for a spot in the USA.

Melbourne Athletics 7 def Cronulla Black 6

The Athletics walked off Cronulla Black in extra innings, in a crucial Pool A clash that could go a long way to determining who advances to the semi-finals.

Jack Downs stepped up to the plate with bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of extra innings. He dropped two-out, two-RBI hit to the outfield to walk it off and win it for the Athletics. Oliver Friend slid under a tag in a play at the plate to score the winning run.

Cronulla scored two runs off three straight hits in the sixth inning to force the tie-breaking inning.

It was a back-and-forth battle the entire game. There were five lead changes in this thriller.

Leo Vigil, Kai Shibata, and Ben Napier had two hits for Cronulla. Kobe Chu led Cronulla with three hits and two RBI.

Jack Downs and Leo Moulton had two hits each, with Downs leading the charge with two-RBI.

The Athletics are 3-1 and play the Central Firebirds (1-1) tomorrow for their final contest. Cronulla (2-2) play the Marlins (1-1) in their final game.

Melbourne Mariners 8 def Brisbane SouthWest 5

The Mariners rattled off seven runs in the fifth inning, to storm back from four runs down to stun Brisbane SouthWest to pick up their first win of the tournament.

Mia Wang broke a 5-5 tie in the penultimate inning. She also pitched the final two innings, shutting out the opposition.

Before Wang’s deadlock breaking hit, Spencer Evans and Sam Wang had hits. The Mariners worked six walks in the inning to help plate seven runs.

Brisbane raced out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth, when Ky Jackson sent a thrilling two-RBI triple before scoring himself on an error.

Melbourne also benefitted from tidy defensive plays.

Brisbane SouthWest 3 def Canberra 2

Brisbane SouthWest came from behind to claim their first ever win at a national charter championship.

It was a pitcher’s duel early. Ky Jackson chucked 5.1 innings, allowing just two runs while striking out nine for Brisbane SouthWest.  Eric Cochrane allowed six hits and one earned run while striking out six for Canberra.

John Catchpole struck out a batter to end the game and claim the historic win for Brisbane SouthWest.

Parker Stone broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning with an RBI single. Brisbane entered the innings down 2-1. Stone led all Brisbane batters with two hits.

Cochrane also had two hits for Canberra at the plate.

Adelaide Marlins 6 def Brisbane North 2

The Marlins moved up the standings in Pool B, keeping their hopes a live for a top two spot and a place in the semi-finals.

Archer Spratt rang up ten strikeouts in the Marlins win over his 6.0 innings of work while allowing just six hits, two runs and two walks.

Jack Zischke had a big day with the bat. He went 3-for-3. William Page and Charlie De Vizio each collected two hits in the win. Five different Marlins had RBIs.

Spratt’s pitching performance provided a springboard for the offence. While the Marlins never trailed, they pulled away with two runs in the fifth inning to move the score to 6-1.

Hills Red 6 def Adelaide Marlins 2

Hills Red are on the cusp of clinching a semi-final spot after a 6-2 win at Chifley.

The game was tied 2-2 in the third, but Hills exploded for three runs. Hudson Dobb and Ethan Cross had RBIs in the third.

Hudson Dobb also had a big day on the mound. He pitched 4.1 shutout innings of no-hit baseball, striking out four and allowing one walk. He led the team with two hits.

Five different Marlins had hits.

The Hills move to 3-0 and are a win away from clinching a spot in the semi-finals.

Eastern Phantoms 9 def Ryde Red 4

The Phantoms piled on 12 hits to improve to 4-0 and remain the only unbeaten team in Pool B.

Riley Malcolm, Lincoln Ellis, Brody Warner and Shu Kamata had two hits. Harry Mann led the team with three RBI.

Warner and Kamata drove in three runs in the third to push the Phantoms out to a 7-1 advantage. Ryde clawed back with three runs in the third, including a triple from Marcus Morrison.

They pulled away with a pair in the fifth.

Central Firebirds 2 def Hills Red 0

The Firebirds shutout Hills Red to improve to 2-2 and open up a world of tie-breaking scenarios on Sunday, the final day of Division 1 pool play.

Summer Hiscock allowed just three hits in 6.0 innings of shutout work, striking out seven in a complete game effort.

Austin Parry had an RBI single in the third for the Firebirds. Jackson Howarth added another run to the Firebirds’ tally in the fifth.

Ethan Cross allowed just one earned run off three hits in his 5.0 innings for Hills Red.

It’s turned into a five horse race for the top two spots and a place in the semi-finals in Group A. There is just one day to go and one game each. Sunday will go down to the wire.

The first tiebreaker is head-to-head, and the second is runs against ratio (total runs allowed / six).

Hills (3-1, 8 runs allowed) are in first. They play Brisbane North (0-4) on Sunday.

Melbourne Athletics (3-1, 20 runs allowed) are currently in second. They play Central Firebirds (2-2, 14 runs allowed).

Adelaide Marlins (2-2, 18 runs allowed) play Cronulla Black (2-2, 19 runs allowed).

Please note this is just the media guy’s story. This is not tournament official.

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The event is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.