WOMEN’S BLACK
PUMAS ROAR INTO GRAND FINAL AS CHEER SQUAD BRINGS THE NOISE
Pakenham Pumas Women’s Black is grand final bound after an impressive semi-final victory over Cheltenham Rustlers Women White on Saturday, powering to a 15–7 win in front of a vocal home crowd.
With the Puma cheer squad out in full force on the sidelines – bringing the noise, the energy and plenty of black-and-gold spirit – the stage was set for a big afternoon of finals baseball. The Pumas wasted no time getting on the board in the opening inning. Emily Devine worked a walk to spark the rally, pressure in the field forced a Rustlers error, and a wild pitch allowed another run to cross as the home side grabbed early momentum. The game truly broke open in the second inning when the Pumas piled on six runs in a dominant burst. Devine was hit by a pitch to force in a run before Carni Dowsett delivered the biggest blow of the day; a booming triple that cleared the bases and sent the Puma faithful into celebration mode. Dowsett later tagged up and scored, while Emily Williams added another RBI via a walk. Pakenham kept the foot firmly down in the third, adding another six runs through disciplined at-bats and smart base running. RBIs flowed from across the lineup, with Williams driving in two with a timely single as the Pumas built a commanding lead. In the circle, Devine was outstanding to start the contest, striking out nine across three hitless innings to put the Rustlers on the back foot early. Olivia Garcia came on in relief to help see the game out. To their credit, Rustlers mounted a late push with a seven-run fourth inning, but the early damage proved too much to overcome as the Pumas held firm to secure the win. Dowsett led the offence with three RBIs from the heart of the lineup, while Garcia, Holly Lunn, Dowsett and Williams each recorded hits. The Pumas also showed excellent patience at the plate, drawing 11 walks, with Devine and Williams leading the way with two apiece. The victory caps off a strong season for Women’s Black and books a place in this Saturday’s grand final at Melbourne Ballpark. With momentum building and the cheer squad already warmed up, the Pumas will head into the big dance full of confidence…and ready to make some more noise.
PREMIER FIRSTS
ROLLER COASTER SEMI-FINAL SERIES CAPS OUTSTANDING SEASON FOR PAKENHAM PUMAS
Pakenham Pumas Premier 2 Firsts delivered a gripping three-game semi-final series against Mulgrave that had everything; early heartbreak, a powerful fightback, and a season-ending finale – in what has been a campaign the club can be proud of.
After finishing the home-and-away season in strong form to secure their finals berth, the Pumas entered the best-of-three semi-final determined to punch their ticket to the grand final.
Game One: Mulgrave strikes first
The series opened under lights on Thursday night, where Mulgrave came out firing to claim a 12–1 victory. The Pumas actually drew first blood when John Bicos singled to bring home the opening run in the first inning. However, Mulgrave responded quickly, putting together a four-run reply in the bottom half and never looking back. Despite the scoreboard, the Pumas continued to battle. Jesse Hunter and Hiroke Goke each collected two hits, while the side turned a sharp double play in the field. Hunter worked hard on the mound across five and two-thirds innings, striking out five.
With their backs to the wall, the Pumas headed into Saturday needing a response; and they delivered in style.
Game Two: Hector leads the charge
Saturday’s clash saw the Pumas flip the script emphatically, powering to a 12–3 win to level the series and force a winner-take-all decider.
Rohan Hector was the headline act, driving in four runs on three hits in a dominant performance. His three-run double in the fourth inning broke the game open and had the Pumas dugout buzzing. The visitors set the tone early when Danny Cannizzaro singled home the first run, before additional RBIs from Hiroke Goke and Jesse Hunter helped build momentum. A five-run fourth inning put the game firmly in Pakenham’s control. On the mound, Goke produced a complete-game gem, allowing just six hits and three runs (one earned) across nine strong innings while striking out six. The bats were alive across the lineup, with the Pumas piling up 14 hits. Hunter led the way with four hits, while Cannizzaro and Daniel Harris also recorded multiple knocks. Rhys McKenzie showed excellent plate discipline with four walks as the Pumas forced the series to a dramatic Game Three.
Game Three: Mulgrave pulls away
Sunday’s decider began as a competitive contest, but Mulgrave’s late offensive surge saw the Pumas fall 19–7, bringing their finals run to an end. Jesse Hunter did everything he could to keep Pakenham in the fight, collecting three hits from four at-bats with singles in the first, third and seventh innings. Kyler Rinehart also picked up three hits, while Cannizzaro drove in two runs and John Bicos added a pair of hits. Mulgrave built steady pressure through the early innings before a big seventh inning – highlighted by a grand slam – blew the game open.
A SEASON TO BE PROUD OF
While the result means the Pumas fall just short of a grand final berth, the Premier 2 Firsts can hold their heads high after a season defined by resilience, depth, and strong team culture.
From clutch hitting to dominant pitching performances and a never-say-die attitude across the finals series, the Pumas showed they belong among the competition’s contenders. With a talented core and valuable finals experience now under their belt, the future looks bright for Pakenham as they regroup and reload for the seasons ahead.
STATE 3
LATE FIGHTBACK HIGHLIGHTS PUMAS’ FINAL GAME OF THE SEASON
The final game of the season delivered plenty of fireworks on Sunday, with bats swinging freely as Pakenham Pumas State 3 wrapped up their campaign in a high-scoring 21–8 contest against Chelsea State League 3.
While the scoreboard didn’t fall the Pumas’ way, the visitors showed plenty of character, highlighted by a spirited offensive surge and a clean defensive performance to close out the year. Chelsea jumped out early, capitalising in the opening innings to build scoreboard pressure. A combination of timely hitting and patient at-bats saw the home side establish a strong lead through the first three frames. But true to their never-quit attitude, the Pumas mounted their best charge in the fourth inning, producing a seven-run rally that reminded everyone exactly what this lineup is capable of. Brad Jones got things rolling with a run-scoring double before Dylan Eldridge and Jesus Camacho followed with RBI singles. Mathew Howden was hit by a pitch to force in another run, Harvey added an RBI single, Duncan worked a bases-loaded walk, and the rally continued with another run crossing on a fielder’s choice. Camacho and Eldridge led the hitting effort with two hits apiece, while seven different Pumas drove in runs – a strong sign of the line up’s depth and teamwork. Duncan showed excellent discipline at the plate, drawing three walks as part of a patient team approach that produced six free passes for the game. Defensively the Pumas were rock solid, playing error-free baseball in the field. Brad Jones was particularly busy, leading the side with two clean plays. Although the result didn’t go their way, the Pumas’ late offensive push and tidy defence provided a fitting snapshot of a side that continued to compete right through to the final out of the season. With valuable experience gained and plenty of positives to build on, Pakenham State 3 will look to carry that fighting spirit into their next campaign.
STATE 4
DANIEL KIRBY GOES FULL SUPERHERO AS PUMAS RUN WILD AGAINST CHELSEA
If anyone at Sunday’s State League 4 clash brought popcorn expecting a quiet afternoon, they left with a full-blown action comedy instead, as Pakenham Pumas State 4 romped to a 13–5 win over Chelsea; powered by one very loud swing from Daniel “Boomstick” Kirby.
Kirby finished the day with four RBIs from a single hit… but oh what a hit it was. In the fourth inning, with the bases juiced and Chelsea nervously checking the outfield fence for structural integrity, Kirby launched a grand slam to left that may or may not still be orbiting somewhere over Edithvale. Local wildlife is reportedly still filing noise complaints. The Pumas didn’t waste time getting cheeky on the scoreboard. In the first inning Andrew Mayberry laced a single that brought home two runs, before Brad Jones chipped in with a groundout RBI to make it 3–0 and set the tone for what would become a very long afternoon for the home side. By the second inning the Pumas were treating the basepaths like a Sunday stroll through the park. Dylan Elderidge singled in a run, Gregg McCormick politely accepted a walk and also drove one in, and suddenly Chelsea was reaching for the aspirin. An error in the third helped stretch the lead to 7–2, but the real fireworks came in the fourth when the Pumas piled on five more runs. One crossed on a miscue, and then Kirby stepped up and delivered the kind of grand slam that makes scorekeepers run out of ink and outfielders reconsider their life choices. On the mound, Kirby started proceedings with a tidy inning of work, while Brad Jones handled the bulk of the relief, tossing three innings, allowing two hits and three runs (just one earned) while fanning two. Mayberry led the hit parade going 2-for-3, but the real chaos came on the basepaths. The Pumas showed patience at the plate with six walks – two each to McCormick and Scott Dale – before turning into certified base-stealing bandits.
In total? Fifteen stolen bases…Fifteen!
At one point Chelsea’s catcher was seen checking if the Pumas had secretly entered a track and field team by mistake. Multiple swipes came courtesy of Daniel Wells, McCormick, Blake Hughes and Elderidge as the Pumas ran wild, ran often, and occasionally may have run just for fun. When the dust settled (and the Chelsea outfield fence finished filing its incident report), the Pumas walked away with a convincing 13–5 victory; and one very memorable Kirby grand slam that will be talked about at the canteen for weeks.
Baseball: sometimes a game of inches… and sometimes a full-blown comedy sprint
SL80
Pakenham Pumas SL80 edged out Malvern Braves 4–3 on Sunday at Pakenham Pumas Baseball Club, riding a dominant pitching performance from Timmy and some clutch early hitting.
Malvern wasted no time getting on the board, launching a solo home run to centre field on the very first pitch of the game to take a 1–0 lead. The Pumas responded immediately in the bottom of the first. Timmy came up big with a single that drove in two runs to flip the scoreboard, and Liam followed with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 3–1. Pakenham added what proved to be a crucial insurance run in the third inning when Timmy grounded into a double play, allowing a run to score and extending the margin to 4–1. Timmy was electric on the mound, striking out 14 batters across five and two-thirds innings. He allowed five hits and two runs while issuing just one walk in a commanding performance. Ollie came on in relief to help secure the narrow victory. At the plate, Timmy anchored the middle of the lineup, driving in three runs and finishing 1-for-2. Liam, Timmy, and Hunter each recorded a hit, while Timmy, Ollie, and Hunter were aggressive on the bases, each swiping multiple bags. In total, the Pumas stole nine bases to keep constant pressure on the Braves’ defence. A gritty team effort sees the Pakenham Pumas SL80 take a thrilling 4–3 win; and now all eyes turn to next week’s grand final at home against Chelsea!
-Jessica Moulding-
