Team effort takes title

CHEERING on another state championship victory, Dandenong Baseball Association toasted its under-16 boys’ team last weekend as it claimed the Division 1 title with a 9-7 win over Ringwood.
Heading off to Mildura for the championships last weekend, the association made its way to the ersatz finale to clash with one of the benchmark baseball associations in Victoria and the match against Ringwood was a nail biter.
The Ringwood association hit past Dandenong in the fifth innings, but the 100-minute match clock elapsed while Dandenong had runners on base and the score reverted to the previous completed innings to give the local lads a two-run triumph.
“There were some pretty good games played and the boys played well so we’re very happy with that,” DBA coach Ian Madden said.
“We weren’t supposed to have a grand final, it was meant to be whoever finished on top over two games, but we were only half a game out, so it ended up being a grand final anyway, but it was a pity that time ran out.”
The coach praised Mitchell Wilcox on the mound, who pitched fantastically to restrict Ringwood in the last game, while Dingley’s Sam Drummond – who was named the association’s most valuable player by the opposition coaches – Aiden Willis and Angus Octigan also struck it cleanly throughout the series.
Most importantly for the coach, it was a team-wide effort that took the title.
“As a whole the boys were a really tight knit team and that’s what we selected,” Madden said.
“A bunch of boys who could play as a team – and teams like that normally come out on top.”
DBA UNDER-16 SQUAD
BERWICK – Liam Madden, Samuel Drummond, Rydge Hogan, Jayden Quinn.
DANDENONG – Rhys Bumpstead, Jayson Arthur, Aiden Willis, Josh Meyer, Kyle Parkin, Liam Richardson.
DINGLEY – Mitchell Wilcox, Jamie Hafey-Bagg, Liam McGrath.
CHELTENHAM – Jake Pocock, Angus Octigan.
COACHES – Ian Madden, Rob Hogan, Rob Bumpstead, Ed Drummond.