Junior League Semi Final Day 4 Recaps, Highlights, Score & Photos | Gold Medal Game Game Is Set

30 May 2024 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

Junior League Semi Final Day 4 Recaps, Highlights, Score & Photos | Gold Medal Game Game Is Set

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Dan Cohen

Semi-final day! A spot in the gold medal is on the line for four teams. As it happens, four different states are represented in the games…

The Adelaide Marlins (SA) and Cronulla Black (NSW) battle in the first of a double header, immediately followed by Southern Hills Warriors (WA) and Brisbane North (QLD). Action starts at 11:45AM.

There are also three consolation games happening today. Here you will find scores, results, recaps and standings. If you’re looking for one of those just keep scrolling – it will be there!

We will be logging all results and information at the Junior League Hub. Click here for Day 1 Recap. Here is the Day 2 results story. Day three? It’s right here.

The Intermediate League event is running at same time. You can find details here.

VIDEOS FROM TOURNAMENT: Click here.

DAILY RESULTS – THURSDAY 30 MAY

LIVE SCORING & GAME CHANGER

Central Firebirds 10 def Adelaide Rays 6 – Consolation

Melbourne Athletics 15 def Melbourne Rangers 6 – Consolation

Manly Maroon 9 def Melbourne Rangers 4 – Consolation

Semi Final 1 – Cronulla Black 14 def Adelaide Marlins 4

Semi Final 2 – Brisbane North 5 def Southern Hills 2

RECAPS – Semi Finals

Cronulla Black 14 def Adelaide Marlins 4

A total team effort and an opportunistic offence helped power Cronulla to the Gold Medal game.

The Marlins scored first but it was all Cronulla from there. Adelaide’s Jack Wilton opened the scoring with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the first to cash in the Marlins’ first run.

Cronulla responded in the second, care of walks and a wild pitch. They took the lead on a Patrick Wiliams ground-out RBI, and made it a 3-1 game on a Marlins’ fielding error.

Cronulla added to their lead in the third. Jake Shorey had an RBI-single, and Will Bonham followed up with a two RBI single on a line drive to plate two more. Jacob Gallardo then drove home another score. 7-1.

On the mound, Will Bonham may have walked six, but he struck out 8.0 and allowed just three hits and one unearned run in his 4.0 innings of work. Tyce Hill finished the final two innings.

Cronulla added two more runs in the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly from Ben Croser, a double steal and a wild pitch.

The Marlins fended off a mercy rule loss by scoring three in the bottom of the fifth. Patrick Mews had a 2-RBI triple.

An RBI double to Jacob Shorey in the sixth pushed the game into run-rule territory.

Shorey, Archie Sampson, Carmody and Gallardo each had two hits in the full team approach. Bonham and Shorey led the team with two runs batted in.

Jack Wilton led Adelaide with two hits, including a triple.

Cronulla advance to Friday’s 5:00PM Gold Medal match vs the winner of Brisbane North and Southern Hills Warriors. The Marlins will play for Bronze.

Brisbane North 5 def Southern Hills Warriors 2

Clutch hitting and a dazzling pitching effort from Alonzo Zaire Griffin was the recipe for Brisbane North’s semi-final victory.

They advance to Friday’s Gold Medal Game vs Cronulla Black. For this group of kids, it represents an opportunity to go to the USA to a World Series for a third straight year after doing it in Little League (U13) in 2022 and Intermediate League (2023).

All five of Brisbane North’s runs were scored with two outs.

The clutch display was backed by Griffin on the mound. Griffin took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He surrendered just two hits and one earned run over 6.2 innings, striking out twelve batters.

Tyler White broke a scoreless deadlock with a clutch two-out RBI to score the first run of the game in the second inning.

They plated three more runs in the fourth off two outs, but this time off a couple errors in the field and a wild pitch.

Oliver Lyall doubled in another run in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 5-0. You guessed it – there were two outs on the board.

Sam Simmons put forward a great effort on the mound for the Warriors. Just two of his five runs allowed were earned. He struck out seven batters over five innings.

Jordan Trainer had a late RBI for Southern Hills, going 1-for-2 at the plate and driving in a run.

Brisbane will look for a ‘Triple Crown’ tomorrow at 5:00PM vs Cronulla Black. The game will be broadcast on Baseball+.

Recaps – Consolation Bracket

Central Firebirds 10 def Adelaide Rays 6

Chayce Humble had three hits, as the Firebirds won their fourth game of the tournament.

Humble had a big day, driving in runs in the first and third innings to help the Firebirds race out to a 7-0 lead.

They were backed by a strong pitching effort from Jon Leon, who went 5.1 innings with 8 strikeouts.

Archie Moffat also had two hits.

The Rays made a late charge in the game. Six different players had one hit apiece but they were led by Will Stock who went 1-for-2 with three runs batted in.

Both teams will play a final consolation game tomorrow. The schedule will be posted at the bottom of this story at the end of the day.

Melbourne Athletics 15 def Melbourne Rangers 6

The Athletics exploded for ten runs in the fifth inning to come from behind to defeat the Rangers in the battle of Melbourne on the consolation side of the draw.

The Athletics were trailing 6-2 before they piled on ten runs in the fifth to pick up their first win. Singles from Ned Richards, Oliver Von Tank, Harvey Devlin and Oliver Baillargeon started the ball rolling. Hamish Willemsen filled up with an RBI-double, Minsung Shin had an RBI single, and Darcy Squire and Alessia Petruzzielo each cashed in a score in the big inning.

It was a full team effort, as 11 different Athletics had hits, and all twelve were on base.

Jackson Burton, Jiah Cosgrave and Spencer Tyers each had two hits for the Rangers. Tyers led the team with 3-RBI.

Both teams will play a final consolation game tomorrow. The schedule will be posted at the bottom of this story at the end of the day.

Manly Maroon 9 def Melbourne Rangers 4

Kai Harris struck out ten batters as Manly Maroon picked up their second win of the tournament on the consolation side of the draw.

Austin Murdoch and Kai Riddle both had three hits in the win.

The Rangers actually had a 3-1 lead after the first, thanks to back-to-back doubles from Cliff Neilson and Jackson Burton.

Trailing 4-3 in the fourth, singles to Hamish Mallam and Alexander Clarke helped Manly score three runs to take the lead for good. They scored another three runs in the seventh to pull completely away.

Overall, Manly tallied 14 hits as a team. Alex Clarke and Will Davies had two hits.

Park, Burton, Neilson and Sam Stafilis each had two hits for Melbourne Rangers.

Both teams will play a final consolation game tomorrow. The schedule will be posted at the bottom of this story at the end of the day.

29 May 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Little League

Junior League Day 3 Recaps, Results & Standings | Semi Final Spots Secured Today

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Dan Cohen

It’s the final day of the group stage of the 2024 Australian Junior League Championships. By the end of today’s games, we will know who your four semi-final teams are and who they are playing.

Remember, the winner of this tournament goes to the USA to represent Australia at the Junior League World Series.

Here you will find scores, results, recaps and standings. If you’re looking for something, just keep scrolling – it will be there!

We will be logging all results and information at the Junior League Hub. Click here for Day 1 Recap. Here is the Day 2 results story.

The Intermediate League event is running at same time. You can find details here.

DAILY RESULTS – WEDNESDAY 29 MAY

LIVE SCORING & GAME CHANGER: Click Here.

FINAL STANDINGS

*top two from each group advance to semi finals (runs allowed in parenthesis)

Adelaide Marlins and Brisbane North advance on three-team tiebreaker of runs allowed.

Note: Southern Hills defeated Cronulla Black in a 1 vs 2 reseed game, after the group stage for Pool B was completed on Tuesday. Southern Hills advances as 1B.

RECAPS

Adelaide Marlins 7 def Brisbane North 0

With the possibility of elimination on the table, Kyan Taifui delivered a performance for the ages for the Adelaide Marlins against a group of players with two national titles to their name.Taifui chucked 6.1 innings of shutout ball, striking out 13 batters and allowing just two hits. He did it against a previously undefeated Brisbane North team, who had scored 42 runs in their previous three games. This age group is also trying to win their third

Importantly, Adelaide secured a win that moves them into first place in Group A. They have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Brisbane North and have allowed less runs (9 vs 11). Nothing on this page is official.

The offence did its job for the Marlins, too. Adelaide scored in five of their six innings they had an at-bat. They scored three in the third, and one in the others.

Patrick Mews had an RBI triple in the fourth that put a punctuation mark on the game. Harlan King led the way, going 2-for-3 with three runs batted in.

They also benefited from nice defense.

Adelaide Marlins (9 runs allowed) finish with a 3-1 record. Brisbane North finish with the same (11 runs allowed).

The standings cannot be confirmed until the Central Firebirds play their two games today. The Firebirds are 1-1 and have two games to force a three-team tiebreaker.

Melbourne Rangers 7 def Adelaide Rays 5

The Melbourne Rangers used a five-run third inning to secure third spot in Group B.Down 1-0 entering the bottom of the third, the Rangers made their move. Ryder Ochoa had a two-RBI single, Jackson Burton followed with a two-RBI double, and Chase Potts drove in the last run.

Adelaide brought the score within two but, another Burton RBI helped push the scoreline back out to 7-3 in the sixth.

Hugo Costa, who led the Rays with two hits, helped make it 7-5 in the last inning, but the comeback fell just short.

Alice Brown had seven strikeouts in her 5.0 inning start for the Rays.

Burton and Joathon Park had two hits to lead the Rangers. Burton led the way with 3 runs batted in

Central Firebirds 2 def Manly Maroon 1

The Firebirds held on for a narrow win to improve to 2-1.

They needed some timely pitching and excellent defense to do it. Manly stranded eight base runners on the day.

Alexander Clarke pitched a complete game, allowing nine hits, two walks and just one run in the win.

Manly even had the bases loaded in the sixth inning with a chance to take the lead. But some big time defense helped Central Firebirds hold firm.

Central Firebirds scored one in the third and another in the fourth before Manly responded with one in the sixth.

Manly also benefitted from some nice defense, including a great diving catch and double play.

The Firebirds have one game left in the tournament. They’ll need to win it to improve to 3-1 to force a three-way tiebreak in Group A.

Southern Hills Warriors 9 def Cronulla Black 7

The Warriors finish as 1B after a 9-7 win over Cronulla Black in a back-and-forth affair.

Cronulla had the go-ahead run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh before Jet Dipane induced a groundout to seal it for the Warriors.

Cronulla were leading 2-0, thanks to a Will Bonham homer, but a seven run fifth inning from the Warriors proved large.

The biggest blow of the inning was a Rhys Wharton bases-clearing double which plated three.

Cronulla responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to one.

The Warriors pushed it back out to a 9-6 advantage thanks to RBI hits from Jaxon Tander and Jason Valenti.

Cronulla threatened late, but couldn’t score. The Warriors have won three in a row to finish as 1B. They’ll play the runners up of Group B in Thursday’s semi-final. Cronulla will play the winners of Group B.

Central Firebirds 4 def Melbourne Athletics 0

Chayce Humble took a perfect game into the fifth inning as the Firebirds won their third straight game to finish Group A with a 3-1 record.

Humble pitched a complete game. His final stat line reads: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB and 8 strikeouts.

Archie Moffat, Aiden Cooper and Alex Clark collected the three hits for the Firebirds, who scored one in the second, two in the fifth and one in the sixth.

They also made some nice defensive plays.

The Firebirds forced a three-team tiebreaker at 3-1 with Brisbane North and Adelaide Marlins. Because no team could be separated on head-to-head, the tiebreaker goes to runs allowed.

Adelaide finishes first with nine conceded, followed by Brisbane North with 11. Unfortunately, this means the Firebirds move on to the consolation bracket.

But still, tremendous fight and defensive prowess from the players today.

The schedule for tomorrow is below:

29 May 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Little League

Intermediate League Day 3 Recaps, Results & Standings | Semi Final Spots Secured Today

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Dan Cohen

What an incredible final day of the group stages of the 2024 Australian Intermediate League (U14) Championships. All four games featured comeback victories and the final placings went down to the wire.

The top two teams from each group advance to tomorrow’s semi-finals.

Remember, the winner of this tournament goes to the USA to represent Australia at the Intermediate League World Series.

Here you will find scores, results, recaps and standings. If you’re looking for something, just keep scrolling – it will be there!

We will be logging all results and information at the Intermediate League Hub. Click here for Day 1 Recap. Here is the Day 2 results story.

The Junior League event is running at same time. You can find details here.

Results & Schedule

LIVE SCORING & GAME CHANGER: Click Here.

DAY 3 STANDINGS – FINAL

*top two advance to semi finals

RECAPS

Melbourne Mets 7 def Brisbane Metro 6

It came down to the final pitch, but the Melbourne Mets held off Brisbane Metro’s valiant comeback attempt to finish Group A with a 2-1 record and advance to Thursday’s semi-final.

A six run third inning raced the Mets way out in front, holding a 7-2 lead after three. They scored all six runs with two outs.

Cale Morris sent the Mets’ dugout into ecstasy when he launched a three-run homer in the third to make it 7-2. Prior to that, RBIs to Flynn Scargill, Flynn Suggett and Huga Turnley scored three straight runs.

Brisbane Metro scored three in the top of the sixth to make it a one run game late. Ambrose Ryan and Jacob Dingli had RBI hits for Metro.

Christian Papadopolous closed the game for the Mets. He held Metro scoreless in the seventh, including a game ending strikeout.

Melbourne Mets finish with a 2-1 record and finish second place in Pool A. They will play the winner of Pool B in tomorrow’s semi-final and are still alive in the national championship.

Central Firebirds 4 def Ryde Hawks 3

A three-run fourth inning was the signature in the Firebirds first win of the tournament. Cooper Truong hit a two-run homer, his second of the tournament, in the big inning.

Charlie Moffatt had the other RBI.

Truong also starred on the mound, tossing 2.1 innings of perfect ball with three strikeouts. Daniel Western Goncalves had nine strikeouts in 4.2 innings of relief for the Firebirds.

The Ryde Hawks had two hits in the loss. Jacob Martin starred on the mound, striking out four in two perfect innings.

Despite the loss, the Ryde Hawks finish top in Group A. They will play the runner-up in Group B in Thursday’s semi-final.

Hills 7 def Gold Coast 5

Hills had to come from behind to do it, but a tense 7-5 victory secures a 3-0 record and top spot in Group B. They will play in Thursday’s semi-final vs the Melbourne Mets.

Jack Drummon’s two run homer put the Hills up 2-0 in the first. They added another in the third.

But Gold Coast’s Ashton Wise hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the fourth to put the Cougars up 4-3.

Hills jumped back in front thanks to RBIs from Jacob Sawyer and Benjamin Baitch. Jaden Jang added to the tally in the sixth with a booming RBI double.

Tyson Weavell added to the intensity when a two-RBI in the seventh cut the lead to 7-5. Gold Coast had the tying run at the plate. But the Hills shut things down.

Five pitchers on Hills combined for 14 strikeouts, led by Jack Drummon with seven.

Melbourne Athletics 6 def Southern Titans 4 (extras)

The Athletics came from four runs down to secure a semi-final spot with a dramatic extra innings victory.

A double from Peter Baade, followed by a single from Joel Roberts, cashed in a pair of runs in the eighth inning to give the Athletics a 6-4 advantage.

Baade tossed 3.2 innings of relief, including extras, allowing two hits, no runs and five strikeouts.

The Athletics were behind 4-0 early. Rylan Hunt hit a three-run homer in the third inning to put the Titans up 4-0 and put the Athletics in danger of missing the semi-finals.

Melbourne responded with three runs in the fourth before Baade tied the game in the sixth.

Baade went 3-for-3 with three RBI in the win. Jacob Tayler and Joel Roberts each had two hits.

Noah Russell had two hits for the Titans.

The Athletics advance as Pool B’s second place squad and will face Ryde Hawks in tomorrow’s semi finals.

The remaining schedule is below.

28 May 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Aussies Abroad ABL

Here's how all Australian professional players fared in May, 2024 | Aussies Abroad

There are 33 Australians who played some form of professional baseball in May, 2024 in leagues across Canada, USA and Mexico.

Here’s how they performed.

28 May 2024 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Little League

Junior League Day 2 Recap, Stats & Info | Semi-final spots become more clear after dramatic Day 2

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Dan Cohen

It’s Day 2 of the 2024 Junior League Championships (U15). With one day down, teams are jockeying for positions to advance to the semi final rounds. Only two teams in each group will advance to Thursday’s knock-out portion of the event and still be alive for that trip to the USA to the Junior League World Series!

It’s time to enjoy “moving day” at the Intermediate League titles…

Here you will find scores, results, recaps and standings. If you’re looking for something, just keep scrolling – it will be there!

We will be logging all results and information at the Intermediate League Hub. Click here for Day 1 Recap.

The Intermediate League event is running at same time. You can find details here.

Daily Results – Tuesday 28 May

LIVE SCORING & GAME CHANGER: Click Here.

Top two teams at end of Day 3 advance to semi-finals.

RECAPS

Manly Maroon 5 def Melbourne Athletics 1

Austin Murdoch starred as both pitcher and batter, as Manly picked up their first win of the tournament.

Murdoch went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three stolen bases with the bat. He drove in the first runs of the game to give Manly an early 3-0 lead.

He also tossed four innings of near perfect baseball. Murdoch’s final stat line reads: 4.0 innings pitcher, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 runs.

Manly capitalised off walks and errors in the fourth to extend their lead to 5-0. Hamish Mallam tossed the last three innings of relief.

There were just eight hits total in the game – five from Manly and three from the Athletics.

Manly improves to 1-2 with one game to play. The Athletics drop to 0-2 and play a double header today.

Brisbane North 16 def Melbourne Athletics 0

The party continues for Brisbane North. They move to 3-0 on the tournament and have now outscored opponents 48-4.

Tirrell Waiwai was perfect in his 2.2 innings start while striking out six. Mason Clem closed it out, allowing just one hit in 1.1 innings.

Alonzo Zaire Griffin went 2-for-2 with a monster shot of a home run in the win.

Brisbane North tallied eight hits and six walks as a group. Archie Baert also had a multi-hit game.

Tirrell Waiwai, Griffin, Baert, Xavier Honsa, Kauri Hunter and Oliver Lyall combined for the RBIs.

Brisbane move to 3-0 and are on the verge of a semi-final spot as this group of kids tries to complete the triple crown by winning the Little League, Intermediate League and Junior League in successive years.

Southern Hills Warriors 4 def Melbourne Rangers 2 (nine of the innings)

GAME. OF. THE. TOURNAMENT. This was genuinely incredible to see unfold.

Both teams entered the competition at 1-1. The winner? Through to the semi-finals. The loser? Consolation bracket.

It need extra-innings.

Jett Dipane put the Warriors on the board in the first with an RBI double. Cliff Neilson responded with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first to tie it.

While each team pegged a run in the middle innings, this was one for the pitchers.

Enzel Takuta, Lachlan Vincent and Eban Raymond allowed just six hits over the first eight innings for the Warriors.

Cliff Neilson chucked 5.1 innings of four hit baseball with just one earned run for the Rangers. Jackson Burton pitched the next 3.2 innings of relief.

The Warriors turned a clutch double play in the bottom of the seventh, catching a fly-ball and tagging the runner out at third to force the tiebreaker.

Despite starting with a courtesy runner in the first extra inning, the eighth, neither team could score.

Jackson Burton struck out the last two batters with runners in scoring position in the top of the eighth for the Rangers.

Enzel Takuta took a screaming diving catch in extra innings to help keep Melbourne scoreless in the ninth.

In the top of the ninth, Jett Dipane broke the tie by putting the ball in play and plating two.

Raymond closed the ninth by retiring the Rangers in order.

Epic stuff. The Warriors will advance to the semi-finals. They will have a chance to finish top if they beat Cronulla Black tomorrow.

Central Firebirds 6 def Adelaide Marlins 4

The Central Firebirds broke a late 2-2 tie to squeak past the Marlins and into the win column.

The win sets them up for a big final day, where they likely will need to win both games to advance in the Top 2.

Alexander Clark broke the deadlock with a two-RBI single to put the Firebirds up 4-2. Chayce Humble added two more RBIs to a busy day immediately following with a single of his own. 6-2 just like that.

The Marlins pressured in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs off wild pitches. But the Firebirds shut down scoring in the seventh to lock down the win.

Four different Firebirds combined for four hits.

Adelaide tallied five hits, with Ricky Ferris leading the way going 2-for-2. Jack Wilton was impressive in his start, striking out six batters in 3.0 innings.

The Marlins drop to 2-1 and the Firebirds move to 1-1 with two games tomorrow vs Manly and the Athletics. There are some tiebreakers at play, with no team yet clinched in Group A. The bottom of this story has standings and tie-breaker scenarios.

Cronulla Black 15 def Adelaide Rays 0

Cronulla put an exclamation mark, clinching a Top 2 spot in Group A with a commanding win. They scored eight runs in the sixth inning to put the cherry on top.

Eight different players combined for 11 hits. All twelve players hit the base paths. They also worked nine walks as a team.

Jake Shorey, Harrison Thomas-McLean and Tyre Hill had two hits apiece. Archie Sampson, Thompson-McLean and Hill had two RBI each.

Four different Cronulla players pitched.

Cronulla can win Group B if they beat Southern Hills tomorrow.

All teams in Pool B will still play games tomorrow, but positions can’t change.

END OF DAY 3 STANDINGS + TIEBREAKERS

Top two teams at end of Day 3 advance to semi-finals. The first tie-breaker is head-to-head. In event of a multi-team tie where everybody has beat each other, the first tie breaker is runs allowed.

*Clinched spot in next round
(runs allowed in parenthesis)

GROUP A

Brisbane North – 3-0 (4)
Adelaide Marlins – 2-1 (9)
Central Firebirds – 1-1 (14)
Manly Maroon – 1-2 (26)
Melbourne Athletics – 0-3

GROUP B

Cronulla Black – 3-0
Southern Hills Warrior – 2-1
Melbourne Rangers – 1-2
Adelaide Rays – 0-3

28 May 2024 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Little League

Intermediate League Day 2 Recap, Stats & Info | Game winning drama, LOTS of homers, and teams secure spot in semi-finals

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Dan Cohen

Day 2 of the 2024 Intermediate League Championships (U14) is in the books.

On “moving day” of the tournament we saw a lot of long balls, a game winning home run, a team clinch a spot in the semi-finals, and Pool B set up for a bunch of crazy final day scenarios.

27 May 2024 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Little League

Intermediate League Day 1 Recap, Stats & Info | Two near no-hitters and three homers on opening day

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Dan Cohen

A trip to the Intermediate League World Series in the USA is on the line in addition to the title of ‘National Champion’, as the 2024 Australian Intermediate (U14) League Championships launched this morning in Lismore.

And what a start we had! Two teams flirted with no-hitters, and a player from Gold Coast Cougars, Hills and Central Firebirds each hit a homer! You’ll have to read to find out more.

About the tournament: Eight teams from across the country are divided into two groups. Over the first three days of the tournament, each team will play each other once in the group, with the top 2 advancing to Thursday’s semi finals.

Here you will find scores, results, recaps and standings. If you’re looking for something, just keep scrolling.

We will be logging all results and information at the Intermediate League Hub.

The Junior League event is running at same time. You can find details here.

Daily Results

LIVE SCORING & GAME CHANGER: Click Here.

Current Standings

Top 2 teams advance to Thursday’s semi-finals.

Tomorrow’s Schedule

Recaps

Ryde 11 def Brisbane Metro 0

Ryde scored six runs in the bottom of fourth inning to push themselves into a run rule victory over Brisbane Metro. The Hawks were buoyed by strong pitching, allowing just two hits on the afternoon.

The top of the Ryde line-up was firing. Toby Kelman, Jakob Cruz and Jacob Hackett each tallied two hits. Kelman stared, cashing in the first run of the game and driving in three.

Hackett also had three RBI.

Cruz also dazzled on the mound, to complement his multi-hit performance. He had nine strikeouts in his three innings pitched, and allowed just one hit. Aaron Hsieh faced the minimum in his two innings of work, allowing one hit and striking out four.

In total, Ryde struck out 13 batters in five defensive innings.

Hills 7 def Melbourne Athletics 2

Hills took a no-hitter into the seventh and final inning during an impressive pitching display.

Jet Creamer opened the game, tossing 3.0 innings with eight strikeouts, allowing just one walk and no runs.

Zach Martyn followed, striking out six in his 2.2 innings, allowing just one walk and no runs.

Down 7-0 and staring down the barrel of a no-hitter, the Athletics got on the board thanks to back-to-back hits from Finn Welte and Jacob Tayler.

It was a full team effort with the bat for Hills, who saw eight different players register hits. Isaac Meighan had two RBI.

Adrian Jankuloski went deep for Hills, hitting a solo shot to centrefield in the third.

Melbourne Mets 5 def Central Firebirds 4

The Mets held off a late charge from the Firebirds in a dramatic one-run victory.

The Firebirds had the tying run at third base in the seventh but Lucas Kelly came into the game and slammed the door shut to secure the win. It came moments after Cooper Truong hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 5-4. It was a three run last inning for the Firebirds.

The Mets did all their scoring in the first inning. A Cale Morris RBI single, George Steer 2-RBI double and a pair of RBI singles from Lucas Kelly and Christian Papadopolous pushed Melbourne ahead 5-0.

The Firebirds responded in the second with a run, but were held scoreless until the seventh and final dig. Cohen Van Endel started for Melbourne, striking out five in 2.0 innings.

Sam Crutchett was impressive for the Firebirds, tossing 2.0 innings with one hit allowed and four strikeouts.

Gold Coast Cougars 8 def Southern Titans 5

Eleven Gold Coast hits, highlighted by a Max Arlow home run, helped the Cougars claim their first win of the tournament.

Thomas Hueston led all Gold Coast batters with by going 3-for-3 with 4RBI. He had an RBI-single in the second, a 2-RBI single in the third, and another RBI in the sixth.

Max Arlow kicked off the scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning. They poured four more runs on in the sixth to pick up an early 7-0 lead.

Southern Titans battled back valiantly, scoring two in the third, and one in the fourth, fifth and seventh. They even loaded up the bases in the last inning in a late push to level the score.

Five different Titans had hits.

Tyson Weavell and Brock New also had two hits for Gold Coast, who play the Athletics tomorrow. The Titans will take on the Hills.

There are three Intermediate League games streamed on Baseball+ on Tuesday.

27 May 2024 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad

Jack O'Loughlin becomes 38th Australian to play Major League Baseball, throws three scoreless innings

Adelaide’s Jack O’Loughlin became Australia’s 38^th Major Leaguer today when he entered the game for the Oakland Athletics in the seventh inning vs the Houston Astros. He pitched three scoreless innings.

On his very first pitch, O’Loughlin induced a ground ball to record an out. He recorded his first Big League strikeout just two batters later.

After loading the bases, O’Loughlin forced Astros hitter Yanier Diaz into a shallow fly ball popout to end his MLB debut unscathed.

He settled down in his second and third innings of MLB work, retiring the next six batters in order. Big names Jack O’Loughlin retired includes future hall-of-famer Jose Altuve.

His final stat line on his MLB debut: 3.0 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 earned runs.

“There were so many emotions flooding through. It was a surreal moment for me,” he said after the game. “I like to say it went really well. It was an incredible moment to be out there, to do what I was asked to do, it was an incredible feeling. I would rate this better than you could ever expect for the first time for me to touch the mound out there.”

O’Loughlin becomes the 70th player to advance to the Major Leagues after playing in the ABL since 2010. He is the fifth South Australian to reach the top competition in the world.

The 24-year-old just added to an already impressive Australian baseball legacy. The lefthander was Team Australia’s go-to starting during his country’s historic run to the quarterfinals at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, opening games in an upset win over powerhouse Korea and the knock-out round clincher vs Czechia.

O’Loughlin has been a key part of the Adelaide Giants last two ABL Championships. He was the starting pitcher for the Giants’ 2023 ABL Championship Series win, a victory which ended a 43-year title drought.

He grew up playing baseball in South Australia. O’Loughlin got his start at a tiny club – Playford City Baseball Club – before moving to Port Adelaide Magpies.

“It’s incredible. The atmosphere. Everything about it has just been a wild ride,” says Jack before the game. “It feels good to be in green & gold [with Oakland] – it’s the Australian colours so it’s awesome. Seeing the clubhouse this time knowing I was going to be on the roster was a completely different feeling. I just tried to take it all in.”

O’Loughlin says he feels gratitude towards his baseball community in Adelaide.

“I need to thank everyone who has helped me out on the way. I’ve had lots of coaches, lots of pitching coaches and been part of different teams. Really need to thank mum and dad for helping me get here and be part of this journey.”

27 May 2024 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Little League

Junior League Nationals Day 1 Recap, Stats & Info | Some insane pitching displays highlights Day 1

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Dan Cohen

A trip to the Junior League World Series in the USA is on the line in addition to the title of ‘National Champion’, as the 2024 Australian Junior League Championships launched this morning in Lismore.

Nine teams from across the country are divided into two groups. Over the first three days of the tournament, each team will play each other once in the group, with the top 2 advancing to Thursday’s semi finals.

Here you will find scores, results, recaps and standings. Scroll down to bottom for the recaps and stat leaders after Day 1 is completed.

You can join CJ Barnes or all Diamond 1 Broadcasts through Baseball+ at www.baseball.com.au/baseballplus.

We will be logging all results and information at the Junior League Hub.

For Intermediate League results, also running at same time in Lismore, click here.

LIVE SCORING & GAME CHANGER: Click Here.

Day 1 Results & Standings

Top 2 teams in each group at end of round robin advance to Thursday’s semi-finals.

RECAPS

Brisbane North 22 def Manly Maroon 4

Tirrell Waiwai drove in five runs as Brisbane North as last year’s Intermediate League Champions piled on 22 runs off 10 hits in their opening day win.

Mason Clem and Archie Baert each recorded two hits and Tom White led the team with three. Alonzo Griffin was great in his start on the mound, tallying four strikeouts and allowing no hits and just one run in his 2.1 innings of work.

The game blew open when Waiwai cleared the bases on a 3-RBI double in the third to pull them away.

Brisbane’s biggest inning came in the sixth, when they tacked on 11 runs to extend what was an 11-2 game.

Adelaide Marlins 12 def Melbourne Athletics 3

Kyan Taifui struck out five batters in his 2.0 inning start, and the Marlins held the Athletics scoreless to pick up their first win over the tournament.

Harlan King and Jack Wilton both had booming RBI doubles. Tyson Soraghan had a two-RBI single in the third to push the score to 7-0.

Adelaide scored three in the second and four in the third inning, while shutting out the Athletics for all seven innings.

The Athletics pushed back before Adelaide tagged another five runs late in an impressive full squad display.

Cronulla Black 10 def Southern Hills 0

Will Bonham gave an epic performance in Cronulla’s shutout win. The young starter struck out all eleven batters he faced.

His final stat line is as perfect as it can be: 3.2 innings, 11 strikeouts, no walks, no hits, no runs.

While he was pitching, the Cronulla offence was capitalising. Eight different players had hits, and nobody had more than one, in a total team approach.

Jacob Gallardo and Archie Sampson each had two RBI.

Patrick Williams pitched the final 2.1 innings for Cronulla, allowing two hits and no runs. He also ended the game when he pushed the margin to ten runs in the fifth inning with an RBI to the right fielder.

Cronulla pulled away with six runs in the fifth inning to seal the run-rule victory.

Adelaide Marlins 3 def Manly Maroon 0

What a day for the Marlins, who win both games in their double-header without conceding a run.

They scored early. Patrick Mews had an RBI single, and the rest of the team capitalised off a Manly error.

Owen Hughes opened the game for the Marlins, allowing just two hits over four innings and walking just one. Will Wildman, Patrick Mews and Liam Trembath closed the game out without walking a single batter or conceding a hit.

Five different Marlins had hits. Adelaide scored their third run in the fourth inning to extend their lead.

Adelaide sits at 2-0 at the end of Day 1, with Manly at 0-2.

Brisbane North 10 def Central Firebirds 0

Brisbane North look good. Really good. It’s no wonder this group of players are coming off a 2022 Little League title and 2023 Junior League championship.

Brisbane allowed just one hit in the five-inning shutout performance. Their pitchers? Impressive.

Lachlan Richards started the game and gave up just one hit and no runs in his 3.1 innings pitched. Thomas White followed on with 1.1 innings of no-hit, no-walk, no-run ball, while striking out four. Archer Peterson recorded the final out.

Brisbane’s bats worked well as a unit, too. Seven players combined for eight hits, led by Archer Peterson who had two. Alonzo Griffin had two-RBI. Mason Clem, Peterson, White, Logan Lokeni and Kauri Hunter each had one RBI apiece.

Brisbane’s biggest inning came in the third, when they compounded their 2-0 lead by scoring five. The first eight batters in the third all reached by some way, shape or form.

Archer Peterson capped off a three-run fifth with an RBI single to centrefield to move the game into run-rule territory.

Melbourne Rangers 10 def Adelaide Rays 5

The Rays scored first, but the Rangers scored a lot more, in a big Melbourne win where eleven different players reached base.

Spencer Tyers and Blake Pickard tallied RBI hits in the second inning to put Melbourne up 2-1 and give the Rangers the lead for good.

Sam Stafilis extended the lead to 5-2 in the three-run third with a 2-RBI single. The Rangers padded their lead with three more in the fourth before adding two insurance runs in the seventh.

The Rays scored three in the bottom of the last in a mini comeback.

Tyers and Stafilis each had two hits. The Rangers combined for nine hits as a team, and drew 10 walks.

Jonathan Park, Ryder Ochoa and Cliff Nielson only allowed one hit combined in the first six innings.

Ben Smith, Alice Brown, Frankie O’Reilly, and Chace Wallis had RBIs for Adelaide.

Southern Hills Warriors 11 vs Adelaide Rays 4

It was close until Sam Simmons stepped up to the plate.

The Adelaide Rays had just scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut a three run deficit to just one.

Simmons came to the plate with two runners on in a 5-4 ballgame and blasted a two-RBI triple to put the Warriors up 7-4. They scored five in the inning to pull away late.

Simmons starred for the Warriors, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Aden Lynn also had two hits while leading the team with 4RBI.

Both teams scored twice in the first inning before the Warriors pulled ahead. But the Rays kept clawing back.

Jordan Turvey and Will Stock both had two hits in the loss.

The Warriors were tough from 1-to-12 in the lineup. All players reached at least once.

The Warriors keep their hopes of advancing the semi-finals with a win.

Cronulla Black 18 def Melbourne Rangers 0

Cronulla scored ten runs in the top of the first and added eight more in the third during their runaway victory.

A double to Ben Croser, a single to Patrick Williams, and a hit to Jesse Garnero all helped Cronulla’s cause in the busy inning.

They tallied another six hits in the top of the third, plating eight runs.

All twelve Cronulla players reached base during the game. Garnero, Williams, Archie Sampson and Lachlan McGuckin all had two-hit performance.

Starting pitcher Jake Shorey had a bases clearing triple on his 3RBI day. He also struck out seven in 2.2 innings on the mound.

Tyce Hill also had a big strikeout day on the mound, sitting down three in 1.1 innings.

26 May 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Little League

HUB + RESULTS: Junior League and Intermediate League National Championship | Tournament Info & Links

All eyes are on Lismore, NSW from May 27-31 for the 2024 Junior League (U15) and Intermediate League (U14) Championships.

Two tournaments at once is a lot to follow. This page will link you to the right place in terms of event hubs, broadcast and Game Changer scoring links.

You can also visit the respective event pages for a running list of stories.

Tournament Hub Links

Visit these pages for up-to-date scores, standings, and links to daily recaps

Intermediate League: Click here for Hub. | Click here for Event Page | Schedule

Junior League: Click here for Hub. | Click here for Event Page | Schedule

Tournament Medalists

Intermediate League
1. Gold – Hills (NSW)
2. Silver – Melbourne Athletics (VIC)
3. Bronze – Ryde Hawks (NSW)

Junior League
1. Gold – Cronulla Black (NSW)
2. Silver – Brisbane North (QLD)
3. Bronze – Southern Hills Warriors (WA)

Game Changer Links

Intermediate League: Click here.

Junior League: Click here.

Broadcast Links

Download Baseball+ for select game broadcasts. The app is free and available around the world. More info at www.baseball.com.au/baseballplus.

Social Media Links

We will be posting updates on Baseball.com.au. Follow on Instagram and Facebook for highlights, photos, stories and more.

Photos

Photo links will be made available to each EO and coach. Please contact them for imagery.

26 May 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Little League

2024 Junior League Championship HUB: Schedule, Information, Links, Results, Teams

The 2024 Junior League Championship (U15) is here.

From May 27-31 in Lismore, NSW, nine teams from across Australia fought for the title of national champion. Congrats to our 2024 winner – Cronulla!

Here you will find the schedule, results, standings important links and information on each of the teams.

News