Big Third Inning Powers Eastern Phantoms Past Wanneroo Giants
It was all about the third inning for JL Eastern Phantoms, who exploded for 11 runs to power past JL Wanneroo Giants 13-2 at Empire Ballpark on Saturday.
After an even start — with both teams grabbing a run in the first — the Phantoms took a narrow 2-1 lead in the second thanks to a wild pitch. Then came the third, where everything clicked. Noah Mills and Dion Nicholas both drove in two runs with a single and a triple respectively. A pair of walks, a couple of wild pitches and a costly error helped the Phantoms pile on the runs and blow the game wide open.
On the hill, Mills was tidy early, giving up no earned runs through two innings while striking out four. Dion Nicholas came in later to shut it down, keeping the Giants scoreless in relief.
The Phantoms didn’t smash the ball around all day, but they made the most of their opportunities, drawing eight walks and playing heads-up base-running. Mills and Nicholas also did the job with the bat, collecting two RBIs each.
For Wanneroo, Toby Kimber, Kai Palmer, Zacc Still, Taylor Benseman, and Ryder Carlino all picked up a hit, but they couldn’t convert it into scoreboard pressure. The Giants just couldn’t recover from that third-inning blowout.
Carine Cats Roar Past Central Firebirds in Free-Scoring Battle
The bats were alive and well at Tom Bateman Reserve as JL Carine Cats got the better of JL Central Firebirds in a high-scoring 13-7 contest.
After a quiet start, the Cats got on the board in the second. But the Firebirds responded with a couple of quick runs to take the lead. The back-and-forth continued until the fifth, when the Cats ran wild with a five-run inning, capped by a booming triple from Cambell Weir that drove in two.
Daniel Western-Goncalves did his bit for the Firebirds, driving in two runs and pitching over three innings in relief. He also picked up seven strikeouts, showing good stuff despite a few runs coming across.
The Firebirds showed discipline at the plate, racking up 10 walks, and were active on the basepaths too — with Truong and Western-Goncalves nabbing multiple bases. But Carine were just as sharp — if not sharper — swiping 11 bases on the day.
Aidan Corkill starred for the Cats, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, while Weir matched his efforts with three of his own. Flynn Nelson drew three walks and added to the havoc on the basepaths. The Cats used their speed, patience, and clutch hitting to outpace a Firebirds side that didn’t go down without a fight.
Sixth-Inning Blitz Seals it for Southern Hills Warriors
JL Southern Hills Warriors put the game beyond reach with a monster nine-run sixth inning to thump JL Central Firebirds 15-4 on Saturday afternoon at Tom Bateman Reserve.
The Warriors set the tone early, scoring in the second and third to build a 4-0 buffer. But the Firebirds came alive in the third, tying it up 4-all thanks to a booming triple from Daniel Western-Goncalves and a solid knock from Sam Crutchett.
Just when it looked like a tight one, the Warriors blew it open in the sixth. A mix of singles, a wild pitch, and an inside-the-park home run from Thomas Massimini lit up the scoreboard. The Firebirds couldn’t find a response.
Jaxon Valenti and Jaymee Ridley were tidy on the mound for the Warriors, giving up next to nothing. Meanwhile, their lineup did damage across the board. Brodie Young and Leyton Nagle led the charge with two hits apiece, with Young, Nagle, and Massimini each driving in a pair.
Despite some bright moments from the Firebirds, including more production from Western-Goncalves, the Warriors’ final surge proved far too much.
Titans Edge Out Phantoms in See-Saw Thriller
In one of the more evenly contested games of the round, JL Southern Titans came out on top of JL Eastern Phantoms 7-5 in a rollercoaster match on Saturday at Tom Bateman Reserve.
The Titans opened the scoring in the third, but the Phantoms kept answering back — even tying the game twice, in the seventh and eighth. A clutch sacrifice fly from Dion Nicholas and a late single from Jensen Mortimer kept the Phantoms in the hunt.
But the Titans found another gear in the ninth. Noah Russell delivered a go-ahead single, followed by a booming double from Tremaine Roberts to give them a two-run cushion they wouldn’t surrender.
James Mann was solid out of the bullpen for the Phantoms, going four innings and picking up four strikeouts. Hudson Ostaszewskyj also threw well early, giving up just one hit across two innings.
Offensively, Noah Romeo was the standout for the Phantoms, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and showing spark on the bases. The team stole 10 bags overall, putting pressure on the Titans’ defence.
Roberts led the way for the Titans with three RBIs, while Russell and Charlie Pavitt also notched up multi-hit games. The Titans kept it clean in the field and capitalised when it mattered most — a tight win in a quality contest.
