News

photos by Nick Bottaro, recap by Eric Balnar

Welcome to Day 1 of the 2024 Australian Little League Championships.

Here you will find recaps, results, standings and tournament information.

The event runs alongside the Little League Division 2. The event is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

The New South Wales Government welcomes YOU to this great event.

The champion of this tournament advances to the famous 2024 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

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.

DAY 1 SCHEDULE / RESULTS

For past results, and to head to the Little League Division 1 Hub, click here.

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

END OF DAY 1 StANDINGS

POOL A (runs allowed in parenthesis)

1. Melbourne Athletics: 1-0 (2)
2. Central Firebirds: 1-0 (2)
3. Hills Red: 1-0 (0)
4. Cronulla Black: 1-1 (3)
5. Adelaide Marlins: 0-1 (10)
6. Brisbane North: 0-2 (20)

Pool B

1. Ryde Red: 2-0 (10)
2. Eastern Phantoms: 1-0 (6)
3. Adelaide Rays: 1-1 (2)
4. Canberra Rangers: 0-1 (11)
5. Brisbane SouthWest: 0-1 (10)
6. Melbourne Mariners: 0-1 (20)

*top two advance to semi-finals

RECAPS

Cronulla Black 3 def Brisbane North 2

Some great defense and pitching helped Cronulla Black win a great opening game of the 2024 Little League Championships.

Kai Shibata drove in a pair of runs in the top of the third to break a 1-1 tie and put Cronulla up for good.

Brisbane North pressured throughout, tallying nine hits throughout the game. But some great Cronulla defense and pitching kept the attack in check.

The Cronulla pitching combination of Mason Hayes-Conway and Zeke Coughlin allowed just one walk.

The tying run was nearly at third base in the penultimate inning, but a great block & throw from catcher Chris Blyton took the runner away.

Seven different players had hits for Cronulla. Brisbane North’s Patrick Fogg led all hitters in the game with two.

Melbourne Athletics 10 def Adelaide Marlins 2

The Athletics used three big innings to power to an opening day win. They scored three in the first, three in the third and fourth in the fifth.

Jackson Berg led the offence for the Athletics, going 2-for-3 with 3 RBI. He had a 2-RBI double in the third and added another run batted in during the last.

The Marlins used five pitchers and combined for 12 strikeouts as a team. Hunter Peterson and Jiro McKibbon had two hits for Adelaide.

Adelaide Rays 10 def BrisbaneSouthwest 0

Cooper Povey (above) hit an inside-the-park home run and chucked three excellent innings, as the Rays ran away to a 10-0 run rule win.

Povey’s inside-the-parker was part of a four-run third which pushed the game to an 8-0 stranglehold in favour of the Rays.

He also pitched 3.0 innings, allowing 1 hit, no runs and struck out seven.

Every player on the Rays had at least one walk or one hit each in the impressive display. They scored in all four innings as momentum continued to build.

Central Firebirds 17 def Brisbane North 2

Eight runs in both the third and fourth innings vaulted Central Firebirds to a huge win.

It was just 1-0 entered the third before they exploded. Every player reached the base paths twice for Central Firebirds.

Alex Vlasic and Summer Hiscock led the charge with two hits each for Central Firebirds. Sebastian Buckley had three RBI. It was a barrage of singles. Of the Firebirds’ twelve hits, only one was for extra bases.

Aaron Bell had two hits for Brisbane North.

Hills Red 1 def Cronulla Black 0

There aren’t many better things in sport than a good old fashioned pitcher’s duel.

Lincoln Potter was fantastic for Cronulla Black in his start, going 3.2 innings with five strikeouts, allowing three hits, one run, one walk.

Sayre Howick (below) was even better. He tossed a complete game shutout, going 6.0 innings. He stuck out nine batters while allowing just one walk and three hits.

Hills scored their lone run in the fourth off an error.

Ryde 11 def Canberra Rangers 9 (extras)

It took extra innings, but Ryde slid by a pesky Canberra side in extra innings. It’s an early contender for game of the tournament, with a wildly passionate and engaged crowd hanging on every pitch.

Canberra’s Lincoln Barrett lifted the roof off Blacktown International Sports Park, when he launched a game-tying, two-out triple to tie the game at seven in the bottom of the last.

It was the fourth run of the bottom part of the frame for Canberra, who stormed all the way back. Before that, Lucas Tanouye had an RBI single and Eric Cochrane had an RBI triple of his own.

In extra innings, Ryde were able to capitalise off patient batting, moving runners across with walks and a couple errors.

The intensity didn’t waver for Canberra. They loaded the bases with two out. Iorwerth Evans then cashed in two runs on a double. 11-9.

Eventually, Aleksander Puleo struck out the final Canberra batter to end the game.

Teams were jockeying for position early in the game. Ryde led 2-1 after one, but Canberra tied it at three by the end of the second.

It felt like Ryde were home clear when Will Connors blasted a pull-away double in the top of the sixth. Ryde scored two that inning to push the score to 7-3, before Canberra mounted the last inning comeback in the sixth, scoring four runs.

Damien Mendham and Aleksander Puleo had two hits each for Ryde.

Ryde 2 def Adelaide Rays 1

Ryde won a 2-1 thriller, capping off a second win of the day after defeating Canberra in extra innings just a couple hours earlier.

The Rays actually outhit Ryde 5-2, with Jordan Brown and Charlotte Whinnett collecting two hits each.

But Ryde struck first. Hayden Love broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with an RBI single. Marcus Morrison also cashed in a run on a ground out.

Harrison Backhouse struck-out eight batters in his 4.0 innings start, allowing just three hits.

Lucas Povey and Archie Wallis combined to allow just two hits in 5.0 innings, striking out nine.

Walks were the boo-bug of the Rays. They walked six.

Eastern Phantoms 20 def Melbourne Mariners 6

The Phantoms piled on 16 hits and plated 20 runs in a dominating defensive display.

Right from ‘play ball’, the bats were firing. Lincoln Ellis starred, going 3-for-4 with 4RBI, a single, double and a triple. He even had a ‘Little League Home Run’ in the first inning.

Riley Malcolm, Jake Hayden, Harry Mann and Josh Watts all collected two hits. Every player in the Phantoms line-up reached base at least once.

The Phantoms scored seven in the third and eight in the fourth to push the game into run rule territory.

Quinn Matthews had two RBI to lead the Mariners.

Welcome to Western Sydney for the Little League Baseball Championships, supported proudly by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. 

The Little League Baseball Championships is an important pipeline for our nation’s baseball stars of tomorrow, providing participants with a wonderful opportunity to play baseball in a competitive environment at the Blacktown International Sports Park, one of the state’s best sporting facilities.

Blacktown is a vibrant community in the heart of Western Sydney, with a diverse arts scene, picturesque parklands and a trove of visitor experiences, from the thrills of Sydney’s largest water park and motorsport megaplexes, to enchanting zoos and the city’s only drive-in cinema.

The Little League Baseball Championships also makes a vital social and economic contribution to Western Sydney by attracting hundreds of participants with their families and friends who stay in the region’s hotels, dine at restaurants and cafés, and visit local attractions.

With a vibrant sport and cultural events calendar, a range of outdoor adventure activities and numerous fine dining precincts all within proximity to the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains and an easy train ride to Sydney’s CBD, Western Sydney is fast developing a reputation as one of the nation’s must-visit destinations.

Best of luck to all participants, enjoy the event and take some time to explore the exciting and diverse visitor experiences on offer throughout Western Sydney waiting to be discovered at sydney.com.

by Eric Balnar / photos from Dan Cohen

Cronulla Black won an all-time great Gold Medal Game, defeating Brisbane North in a high-drama extra innings game by a score of 3-2.

They advance to the Junior League World Series. You have to read about this game. 

There were also four consolation games including a bronze medal match. You can find the schedule below.

Here you will find scores, results, recaps, standings and full highlights of the gold medal game. 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.  Day four, the semi-final day, is found here.

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

VIDEOS FROM TOURNAMENT: Click here.

DAILY RESULTS – FRIDAY 31 MAY

Cronulla Black 3 def Brisbane North 2 (extras)

Bronze Medal – Southern Hills Warriors 5 def Adelaide Marlins 4

Consolation – Manly Maroon 18 def Adelaide Rays 0
Consolation – Central Firebirds 6 def Melbourne Rangers 2 (extra innings)
Consolation – Central Firebirds 7 def Melbourne Athletics 5

RECAPS

Gold Medal – Cronulla Black 3 def Brisbane North 2 (extras)

Cronulla Black won one of the greatest Gold Medal games you’ll ever see in a second extra inning.

They had to come back from two runs down in the final inning just to force the tiebreaker. They scored the tying run while down to the final strike. They even threw out what would have been the Championship-winning run at the plate.

Archie Sampson’s RBI double in the top of the ninth proved to be the winner, and some stone cold pitching from Harrison Thomas-McLean closed it out as Cronulla toppled Brisbane to win a championship and advance to the World Series.

They nearly didn’t get there. They were down to a final strike. You’ll read about that here. But the highlights are well worth a watch…

This game had everything. Great pitching. Insane defensive plays. A late comeback. A couple runs thrown out at the plate. High-drama. And of course, a championship.

We’re a bit lost on how to summarise this one for you, so this story with some highlights will have to do.

It was tense from pitch number one. Brisbane’s starting pitcher Lachlan Richards was superb. He tossed 4.2 shutout innings with six strikeouts.

He left the game with a 2-0 lead. Brisbane manufactured the first runs of the game in the third. Mason Clem worked a bases loaded walk to bring the first score across the board. Alonzo Zaire Griffin’s sacrifice fly to deep centre pushed the Brisbane North lead to 2-0.

That score held all the way to the seventh inning large in part to great pitching from Cronulla starter Jake Shorey.

His final stat line: 6.0 innings, five hits, two runs and 10 strikeouts.

It allowed Cronulla to strike late.

The drama was taken to another stratosphere in the seventh and final regulation inning.

Down 2-0, Cronulla made their move. Archie Sampson led off with a double. Will Bonham cashed him in two batters later. Heads up base running from Samson on a ground-out moved him to third.

Then, with two strikes and two outs on the board, a wild pitch scored Bonham. Bedlam. Tie-ball game.

They had a couple runners on base and a chance to take the lead, but Hayden Radloff made an impressive leaping grab on a line drive that surely would have scored a Cronulla go-ahead run.

Brisbane had a chance to walk it-off in the bottom of the seventh. Tirrell Waiwai smashed a double and was in scoring position.

But, Ben Croser later threw him out at home, saving the Championship winning run from crossing the plate.

Brisbane later loaded the bases but somehow Cronulla pitcher Harrison Thomas-McLean worked out of the jam to force extra-innings.

The drama didn’t stop in the tie-breaking inning. After making quick work of the Cronulla offence in the top of the eighth, Tyler White crushed a double to the left field wall and later advanced to third.

Runner on third. No outs.

But Thomas-McLean induced a fly ball in shallow fly territory and Will Bonham took a tremendous catch. Thomas-McLean then worked back-to-back strikeouts to force a ninth inning.

It allowed Cronulla to seize the lead in the ninth. Archie Sampson’s one-out double drove in the go-ahead run.

Harrison Thomas-McLean closed the door with two strike-outs and a ground out to secure the championship.

Thomas-McLean (below) ended with just two hits conceded with five strike-outs and importantly no runs.

Archie Sampson (Cronulla) and Tirrell Waiwai were the only players who recorded multiple hits.

Cronulla advance to the 2024 Junior League World Series.

Bronze Medal – Southern Hills Warriors 5 def Adelaide Marlins 4

The Warriors scored a seventh inning run to break a 4-4 tie to claim a bronze medal at the Junior League titles.

Rhys Warton scored on a wild-pitch with two outs in the top of the seventh to move Southern Hills ahead.

They also benefitted from some tidy defense. Shortstop Sam Simmons anchored a pretty double-play to end the game with the tying run aboard.

Nine different Marlins had hits as the Warriors dodged their way out of high basepath traffic all afternoon.

It was a tense affair. Patrick Mews drove in two runs for Adelaide in the bottom of the sixth to tie a game that Southern Hills had been leading the whole way.

Simmons put Hills up by two with an RBI in the first. They added two more in the sixth to lead 4-1 before the Marlins mounted a comeback.

The Marlins outhit the Warriors 9-5.

Consolation – Central Firebirds 6 def Melbourne Rangers 2

The Firebirds won a thriller in extra innings, scoring four in the eighth to defeat the Melbourne Rangers in an epic pitcher’s dual.

Starting pitcher Archie Moffatt tossed all 8.0 innings for the Firebirds, striking out 10 batters.

He also had the winning runs driven in. Moffat cashed in the go-ahead run in extra innings to put the Firebirds up 3-2, before three more runs scored on wild pitches.

The game was forced to extras when Melbourne’s Jackson Burton’s RBI-single tied the game at two late.

Jackson Burton also started on the mound for Melbourne, going 7.0 innings with two hits and 15 strikeouts.

Consolation – Central Firebirds 7 def Melbourne Athletics 5

Two games, two thrilling wins that went down to the wire for the Firebirds.

The Firebirds came from behind by scoring three runs in the top of the seventh, to wrangle a 5-4 lead away from the Athletics. Walks, errors, and a wild pitch proved costly for Melbourne.

Moments earlier, Hamish Willemson broke a 4-4 deadlock for the Athletics with an RBI double in the top of the sixth.

Teams traded shots earlier. Melbourne scored a single run in the first but the Firebirds answered with four unanswered to lead 4-1. The Athletics scored three in the third to tie it.

Consolation – Manly Maroon 18 def Adelaide Rays 0

Manly scored in every inning, including nine in the fifth, in a runaway victory to finish consolation round play.

Ten different Manly batters had hits, as the team combined for 16 on the afternoon. Austin Murdoch, Jesse Hanrahan, Jude Trevitt, Tennyson Bragg, Cooper Williams and William Davies all had two hits.

Kai Riddle and Will Davies led the team with 3-RBI.

Murdoch also pitched, allowing just one hit in 4.0 innings with five strikeouts.

by Eric Balnar / photos from Dan Cohen

Congratulations to Hills (NSW) – your 2024 Australian Intermediate League Champions. They won the gold medal game over the Melbourne Athletics 12-0 and will advance to the Intermediate League World Series.

There were also two consolation games and a bronze medal match today.

Here you will find scores, results, recaps and standings. We’ve also produced mini-match highlights of the gold medal, available just below.

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. Here is the Day 3 Recap. And finally, here is Day 4.

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

VIDEOS FROM TOURNAMENT: Click here.

Results & Schedule – Day 5

LIVE SCORING & GAME CHANGER: Click Here.

Gold Medal Game – Hills 12 def Melbourne Athletics 0

Bronze Medal – Ryde Hawks 7 def Melbourne Mets 2

Consolation – Gold Coast 7 def Brisbane Metro 3
Consolation – Southern Titans 7 tie Central Firebirds 7

RECAPS

Gold Medal Match – Hills 12 def Melbourne Athletics 0

Strong team hitting and a sensational pitching performance from Jet Creamer has vaulted Hills to a 2024 Intermediate League Championship.

They will now advance as Australia’s representative at the 2024 Intermediate League World Series in Livermore, California later this year.

Jet Creamer was dominant on the mound. The lefty took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, finishing with 4.2 innings pitched, zero runs allowed, two hits and an amazing eleven strikeouts.

The bats were on fire too. Eight different players had hits, seven had runs batted in, and ten reached. Everybody contributed in some way.

Hills scored their first runs of the game in the second inning. Jayden Crane cashed in the opening score. Jacob Sawyer followed with a two-RBI single to centre. 3-0.

The third inning was where Hills really did their damage. They scored seven runs in an inning where six different players had hits and three others walked.

A pair of walks to open the big inning plus singles to Tom Hayhow and Jaden Jang pushed the scoreline to 7-0. Jet Creamer added an RBI single to his stat line. Then, Tamati Stealey sent a booming  double to centre. Jayden Crane picked up his second RBI-single of the day.

Just like that, 10-0 Hills. They added a pair more in the fifth.

Hills will advance to this year’s World Series in August, 2024. It’s the second trip to the USA in as many years for this group of kids, who also won the 2023 Australian Little League (U13) titles.

The Athletics take home the silver medal.

Bronze Medal Match – Ryde Hawks 7 def Melbourne Mets 2

The Ryde Hawks used strong pitching and a balanced team offence to claim a Bronze Medal.

Ryde jumped on the board early when Toby Kelman hit a solo shot. Up 2-0 in the third, Kelman added to his RBI total to push the score to 3-0. Aaron Hsieh followed with a 2-RBI single and just like that it was 5-0 Ryde.

Jeremy Durham was excellent on the mound for Ryde. He tossed 4.0 innings, striking out five, allowing just one run and one hit. Kelman finished it off in relief.

Kelman and Hsieh both led the Ryde offence with two hits. The team combined for eight hits total.

The Mets scored two fifth inning runs before the game was called due to time.

Christian Papadopolous had the lone RBI.

Consolation – Gold Coast 7 def Brisbane Metro 3

In a battle of Queensland, Gold Coast emerged victorious by winning their second straight consolation game. They finish the tournament with a 3-2 record.

There was no scoring until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Gold Coast played four runs. Tyson Weavell cashed in a pair with a 2-RBI single. Kai Tanaka and Charlie Growcott also drove in runs.

Tyson Weavell was sensational on the mound, taking a no-hitter into the fifth. He finished with 5.0 innings, surrendering two hits, three runs and struck out twelve.

Brisbane cut the Gold Coast lead to just one in the sixth inning, making it a 4-3 game. Levi Duke and Phoenix Morton had RBIs.

But Gold Coast scored three quickly in the sixth to blow it back out, before ending the game on a great double play between centerfielder Xavier Leigh and Growcott.

Consolation – Southern Titans 7 tie Central Firebirds 7

Two Western Australian sides played out a wild 7-7 tie.

The Firebirds fired off three runs in the seventh inning to come back from what was once a 6-1 deficit.

The Titans scored six runs in the first inning off four hits. Rylan Hunt had a huge two-run homer.

But the Firebirds kept plugging away. Charlie M played a starring role, collecting three hits going 3-for-3. He also pitched six innings in relief after the first.

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, it’s two battles between New South Wales and Victoria…

The Ryde Hawks (NSW) and Melbourne Athletics (VIC) battled in the first of a double header, immediately followed by Hills (NSW) and Melbourne Mets (VIC). You can watch both game replays on Baseball+ or catch the condensed game highlights in this story.

There are also three consolation games happening today. Here you will find scores, results, recaps and standings. We’ve also produced mini-match highlights of the semi-final games.

If you’re looking for one of  above, 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. Here is the Day 3 Recap.

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

VIDEOS FROM TOURNAMENT: Click here.

Results & Schedule

LIVE SCORING & GAME CHANGER: Click Here.

It allowed the Athletics to explode in the fourth. They plated five runs off four hits.

Peter Baade broke the deadlock with an RBI double. Edison Bush followed by whacking his second double of the day, this one scoring two runs to make it 5-1. Heath Keiper drove in the Athletics’ sixth run.

They added two more in the fifth off passed balls. Joel Roberts continued his big day by smashing a solo homer in the sixth to make it 9-1.

Meanwhile, Ollie Allen was grooving on the mound. He allowed just three hits and one run in his 6.0 innings of work, striking out nine Ryde batters.

Jacob Tayler and Edison Bush led the Athletics with two hits each. Toby Kelman led the Hawks with two hits.

The Athletics advance to the Gold Medal Game at 11:45AM on Friday morning. They’ll play the winner of the Hills and the Melbourne Mets.

Hills 15 def Melbourne Mets 2

The Hills scored runs from start to finish in a commanding in a win to send them to the Gold Medal Game on Friday vs the Melbourne Athletics.

A group of players on this Hills squad is coming off a 2023 Australian Little League title and they’ll look to go back-to-back.

The scoring started early in this one. They scored five runs in the first inning. Isaac Meighan, Hayden Salman, Jet Creamer, and Tamati Stealey all had RBIs.

Benjamin Baitch blew it open in the second with a monstrous three-run home run to straight away centrefield. It’s his second homer of the tournament.

They added six more runs in the third. Hayden Salmon, Jet Creamer, Jacob Sawyer, Ben Baitch and Adrian Jankulski all contributed RBIs

Twelve Hills players reached the base paths. Salmon and Sawyer each had two hits. Creamer and Baitch led the Hills with three runs batted in.

Adrian Jankulski tossed the whole game, going 5.0 innings, allowing two runs, five hits and striking out seven.

Hills advance to Friday’s Gold Medal Game at 11:45AM. They’ll play the Melbourne Athletics.

The Mets will play Ryde for Bronze.

CONSOLATION GAMES

Gold Coast Cougars 8 def Central Firebirds 3

Zavier Leigh struck out eleven batters while three different Cougars hit homers in Gold Coast’s consolation bracket win.

Leigh had himself a day. He pitched 4.2 innings, allowing one hit, three unearned runs, while tallying 11 strikeouts. He also went 2-for-2 with a home run and two runs batted in.

Ashton Wise and Max Arlow also went deep, both hitting their second homers of the tournament.

Gold Coast jumped out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to the Wise home run in the first. Leigh’s two-run shot in the fifth expanded the lead to five in the third.

Central Firebirds responded with three unanswered runs, large in part to Cooper Truong’s third home run of the tournament. But Max Arlow’s solo shot and Brock New’s RBI-single pushed the lead back out to 8-3 late.

Southern Titans 8 def Brisbane Metro 4

Southern Titans raced out to an 8-1 lead early and held on late for their win of the tournament.

Connor New was brilliant on the mound for the Titans, tossing a complete game with seven hits, no walks, one earned run and 13 strike outs.

Rylan Hunt went 2-for-2 with 2RBI and a walk. Noah Roberts & Tremaine Roberts each had two runs driven in as well.

The Titans soared ahead by scoring six runs off four hits in the second inning, with the biggest blow coming from a 2-RBI single by Tremaine Roberts.

Levi Duke and Hamish Trotter each had a pair of hits for Brisbane Metro, who plated two in the fifth to make it 8-4 late.

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.

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.

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.

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