It was a busy weekend for the Pakenham Pumas, with the club’s junior, women’s and senior men’s teams all taking the game up to strong opponents. Here’s the Pumas weekly wrap.
JUNIORS
Pakenham Pumas Under-16s fell to Blackburn despite a strong effort on Sunday, with Coadhey Rebbechi collecting three hits in three at bats, but Pumas lost 12-6. Rebbechi singled in the second, fourth and fifth innings of the match. Pakenham scored five runs on two hits in the bottom of the first inning. A wild pitch scored one run, Tyler Whitelaw singled, scoring two runs, and an error scored two runs. Lachlan Collier stepped on the mound first for Pakenham Pumas. The pitcher, over two and two-thirds innings, struck out four. Whitelaw and Rebbechi each drove in two runs for the Pumas. Callum Farrow collected two hits for Pakenham in three at bats. Collier paced Pakenham with two walks. Overall, the team had patience at the plate, piling up six walks for the game. Will Mayberry and Whitelaw each stole multiple bases. Pumas stole eight bases in total. Next up for Pakenham is a game against Upwey FTG.
Pakenham Pumas Big League took on ladder leaders Newport on Saturday going down 4-1.
Rhys McKenzie and Cooper Porter were fantastic on the mound keeping Newport to four runs. Newport kept the bats quiet but a late flurry saw the Pumas go down with bases loaded in the last. Great game by the team.
Pakenham T-Ballers met again for another week of practice as we lead up to a round-robin based tournament that is creeping up quickly. All the kids did a fantastic job, with the girls’ team giving the boys a run for their money; but, with the help of Bodie, the boys did come out victorious. Huge mention this week to Austin, who over a small period has gained some incredible confidence while fielding, catching, throwing and hitting. He was best on ground for the day and took home the voucher.
WOMENS
Pakenham Women’s White started off strong and stayed competitive against Waverley Red on Saturday but couldn’t quite keep up after the third inning and fell 16-6. Waverley opened the scoring in the top of the first thanks to two ground outs. The Puma’s then tied the game up in the bottom of the first thanks to two singles. Jessica Moulding stepped on the bump first for Pakenham. The hurler allowed 16 hits and 16 runs (12 earned) over five innings, striking out four and walking five. The Waverley pitcher allowed three hits and six runs (one earned) over four and two-thirds innings. Sofia Fahy provided pop in the middle of the lineup, and led the Pumas with two runs batted in. Moulding, Katherine Walton, and Tracey Williams each collected one hit for Pakenham. Moulding, Walton, Fahy and Olivia Garcia each stole multiple bases for Pakenham; the girls ran wild on the base paths, accumulating 10 stolen bases for the game. Waverley collected 16 hits in the game, collecting five runs in both the fourth and fifth, coming away with the win. The Puma’s put up an impressive fight against a very skilled team, making some excellent plays and working well together as a team.
Pakenham Pumas Women’s Black won big over Waverley Black 17-7 on Saturday. Pakenham got on the board in the first inning after Christine Sculley grounded out, scoring two runs. Waverley captured the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the first. Pakenham then came back fighting after Sophie Corrigan singled up the middle, and Carni Dowsett singled to left field, each scoring one run. Pakenham then scored 13 runs in the next two innings with Katherine, Carni, Andrea, Jessica, Olivia, Christine and Kirby all collecting hits. Olivia Garcia stepped on the hill first for Pakenham. The starting pitcher gave up eight hits and four runs over three innings, striking out four and walking none. Leadoff hitter Dowsett led Pakenham with three hits in three at bats. Kirby, Jessica, Johanna, Olivia, and Andrea Corrigan each collected multiple hits for Pakenham. Overall, the team had patience at the plate, tallying seven walks for the game. Pakenham were lucky enough to have the Corrigan mum and daughter duo join them this week to fill out the team in the outfield. Both Andrea and Sophie were naturals at the game and fit in so well with the ladies.
SENIORS
State 3
While Premier League had a bye, Pakenham State 3 had its first away game for the season travelling to Upwey to take on the Upwey/Ferntree Gully Tigers. The Pumas jumped out to a good start scoring in the first inning to set the tone and get aggressive early. Max Vetter started on the hill for Pakenham throwing the complete game with only one-earned run allowed. While the Pumas lineup hit all day with everyone in the lineup having a hit, Pakenham beat Upwey 15-2 after two seven-run innings to finish the game. It was a great game for Pakenham who really showed off on both sides of the ball with clean defence and an aggressive offence on the basepaths with over five stolen bases for the day. Shoutout to Kyler Rinehart for hitting a left-handed stand-up triple.
State 4
Pakenham Pumas State 4 took on Upwey FTG away at Kings Park. Pakenham’s powerful batting lineup picked up where they left off from last week scoring three runs in the top of the first inning, but a shaky start and multiple errors in the field saw Upwey take a 4-3 lead into the top of the second. Not liking being behind on the scoreboard for the first time this season, Pakenham came out swinging in the top of the second piling on five more runs on multiple hits including a double by Travis Hough. After a quiet third inning, the Puma’s put the game beyond doubt in the top of the fourth, piling on six more runs with hits to Scott Dale (double), Liam Hough, Kyler Reinhart, and Will Mayberry. Pakenham score another three runs in the fifth inning to finish up winning 17-5. Travis Hough was a bulldog on the mound for Pakenham with the stater throwing four solid innings giving up five runs (zero earned) on only four hits. Travis was replaced by his son Liam Hough who closed out the fifth inning giving up no hits while striking out two batters. Pakenham was strong again with the bats compiling 15 hits as a team. Travis and Scott collected three hits a piece while Andrew and Will Mayberry each picked up two. The Puma’s ran wild on the base paths, tallying 14 stolen bases for the game.
Regional White
Sunday afternoon at the Tom O’Halloran field at St Kilda, Pakenham Regional White faced off against St Kilda in a spirited contest. Though Pakenham ultimately fell 11-4, they showed determination and grit throughout the game. St Kilda took the lead early in the first inning, crossing the plate three times to set the tone. Pakenham rallied in the second inning, putting up their first run to get on the board. Building on that momentum, Pakenham fought back even harder in the third inning with three more runs, narrowing the gap and keeping the game close. The fourth inning saw St Kilda add another run, making it a 4-4 game going into the fifth. However, the fifth inning proved decisive as St Kilda surged ahead with a big inning, scoring seven runs and taking firm control of the game. Despite the loss, and only having five out of the six O’Halloran’s playing, there were strong performances from Pakenham’s roster. Dillan Collier was a standout on the mound, delivering an impressive pitching performance and showcasing his skills at the plate, where he notched multiple hits and stole two bases. David O’Halloran, in his first game of the season, made his mark with an RBI, contributing to Pakenham’s third-inning rally. Noah O’Halloran added further firepower with two hits and two RBIs, one of those hits being a solid stand-up triple that energized the Pakenham dugout. Archer O’Halloran did an impressive job behind the plate, catching with focus and skill all game, and adding a hit and a stolen base to his stat line. while Jamie D’Arcy and Kevin D’Arcy each recorded hits, with Kevin swiping a base as well. Though the score ultimately favored St Kilda, Pakenham White’s performance demonstrated the team’s potential and determination as they battled hard through every inning.
Regional Black
Pakenham Black powered to their biggest win of the season, overwhelming Cheltenham 13-1 on Sunday with a relentless offensive and improved defensive display. The improved defence was highlighted by some sharp plays at third base by Tristan White, another diving stop at 2B by Adam Duncan, and some tidy work behind the plate by Billy Marks, which included a first-inning caught stealing at 2B to silence the running game right at the beginning. Cheltenham briefly took the lead in the top of the first, scoring on an RBI single, but Pakenham responded emphatically in the bottom half with a seven-run rally. Tristan White’s two-RBI double, Billy Marks’ timely single, and Jake Bone’s two-run single quickly turned the tables. Jones capped off the rally with a clutch double to bring in Bone, putting Pakenham up 7-1. The offensive surge continued with three more runs in the second inning sparked by singles from Liam Duncan, Tristan White, and Adam Duncan. Another RBI single from Darren Reeves in the third and a two-run rally in the fifth, led by Bryce Haley, rounded out Pakenham’s scoring. Every member of the lineup recorded at least a one hit, while four players had multiple hits. Brad Jones led the charge with three and Liam Duncan, Reeves and White all had two. On the mound, Jones was solid, allowing only one run on five hits over four innings, striking out five and walking one. Bryce Haley followed with two innings of scoreless relief, surrendering just two hits and adding two strikeouts to close the game. The Pumas’ baserunning added to Cheltenham’s challenges, as Pakenham tallied 12 stolen bases. White led with three RBIs, while Jones, Duncan, and Bone each contributed multiple stolen bases, underscoring a well-coordinated effort both offensively and defensively. This win reflects Pakenham’s significant improvement in defense since the last game and sets an exciting stage for next week’s much-anticipated “Pakenham v Pakenham” Derby.
-Jessica Moulding-
