Wildcats and Ringwood bound for LL Nationals
Kingsley Collins, Tuesday, 7 April 2009 Waverley Wildcats have won the State Little League title and will join Ringwood at the National Championships – this year to be held at Surfers Paradise Baseball Club, from 4 - 7 June....
Waverley Wildcats won the State Championships, while Ringwood goes through as the Winter Little League team.
Both teams and their support staff are congratulated on achieving the opportunity of representing their state.
Held at Napier Park from 4 – 6 April, the State Little League Championships produced some intense competition, some great baseball and some very close results that were a credit to all squads involved.
Results for the Saturday games were as follow:
Melbourne West Giants 17 defeated Eastern Kangaroos 5
South-East 9 defeated North-East Sluggers 2
Waverley Wildcats 6 defeated Melbourne West Giants 2
North-East Sluggers 12 defeated Eastern Kangaroos 2
Waverley and South-East had byes on Day One.
The Sunday games produced some mixed results that threw the tournament wide open:
Waverley 11 defeated North-East 1
South-East 12 defeated Eastern Kangaroos 3
South-East 11 defeated Waverley 4
Melbourne West Giants 4 defeated North-East Sluggers 3
Melbourne West Giants and Eastern Kangaroos had byes on Day Two.
The Sunday results saw South-East leading the standings with three wins from three, Melbourne West had two wins and one loss, Waverley Wildcats two wins and one loss, North-East Sluggers one win and three losses and Eastern Kangaroos three losses.
This set up an exciting scenario for Day Three, with the Monday morning games crucial to final placings for the play-offs.
Melbourne West Giants shocked the previously undefeated South-East 14-10 in a terrific game, while Waverley Wildcats blanked the Eastern Kangaroos 7-0. The results were sorted and the Championship was to be decided between Waverley Wildcats and Melbourne West Giants (for first and second), while South-East and North-East Sluggers were to play off for third and fourth.
Waverley Wildcats took the title 7-0 over Melbourne West Giants, while North-East defeated South-East 6-5.
Finals standings were as follow:
Waverley Wildcats (four wins, one loss)
Melbourne West Giants (three wins, two losses)
North-East Sluggers (two wins, three losses)
South-East (three wins, two losses)
Eastern Kangaroos (five losses)
Understandably delighted with his team’s performance, Waverley Wildcats Head Coach Richard Mason was effusive in his appraisal of the worth of the tournament and the efforts that had been expended to make it another great success.
“Along with all the people who attended the Little League Tournament, I would like to congratulate Baseball Victoria and the Waverley Baseball Club for putting on a fantastically-run tournament,” Mason said.
“I’d like to thank all of the participating teams for playing the games in such great spirit and really showcasing the true spirit of Little League baseball.”
“A special thanks needs to go to Dean Jamieson - as Tournament Director – and the many helpers from the Waverley Baseball Club,” he said.
“Without these people, a tournament of this size could not have been made possible.”
“My executive group and I are honoured to be leading one of Victoria’s representative teams at the Little League Nationals in June.”
TOURNAMENT IMAGES TO COME
LITTLE LEAGUE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW
|
