A grade

Wangaratta Rangers’ A Grade side produced one of its sharpest defensive performances of the season on Sunday, but a late Albury Bears Green run proved the difference in a hard-fought 2-1 loss at Springdale Heights.

The Rangers were outstanding in the field, playing error-free baseball and repeatedly shutting down Albury’s scoring opportunities.

Tanner Godenzi led the effort on the mound, striking out six batters across three innings of relief, while also combining with Owen Godenzi for a crucial pick-off at first base in the fifth inning.

Starter Aaron Parker set the tone early, retiring the Bears in order in the opening inning with two strikeouts.

The Rangers’ defence remained strong throughout, with Tetsu Kamiyama outstanding at second base, handling nine chances without an error, while Nathan Pool and Steve Johnstone were rock-solid through the infield.

Albury opened the scoring in the third inning on a sacrifice fly, but Wangaratta responded in the fourth.

Kamiyama worked a lead-off walk, O Godenzi also drew a free pass, and Parker put the ball in play to move the runners.

Kamiyama then raced home on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.

The Rangers threatened in the sixth when Kamiyama singled to bring the tying run aboard, but Albury’s defence held firm.

The decisive moment came in the bottom of the fifth when the Bears used aggressive baserunning to manufacture what proved to be the winning run.

Kamiyama, Motoki Sato and Rob Seymour each collected a hit for Wangaratta, with Seymour and Sato combining for the Rangers’ best early scoring chance in the opening inning.

B grade - Black

Rangers Black B Grade pushed the competition-leading Warriors White all the way on Sunday before falling 5-3 in a spirited contest at Black Range Park in Lavington.

Despite the narrow defeat, the Rangers showed plenty of resilience, with a strong performance on the mound from Brendan French keeping his side in the game.

French struck out seven batters across four innings and worked out of several tight situations, including a scoreless first inning and two strikeouts in the fourth.

The Rangers also produced some sharp defensive moments, highlighted by French picking off a runner at second base in the third inning after a clean relay from Mei Sato.

After trailing 2-0, Wangaratta responded in the third inning with excellent plate discipline.

The Rangers drew five consecutive walks to force in three runs and take a 3-2 lead.

Maiden, French and Ryan Brockwell were each credited with an RBI during the rally.

Warriors White answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run double, before adding a solo home run in the fourth to extend the margin to 5-3.

Wangaratta continued to battle and threatened in the fifth when Enrique Espinel and Sato singled and the bases were loaded, but the home side escaped without conceding.

Espinel, Shears, Sato and Cameron Ogden each recorded a hit, while the Rangers showed patience at the plate by drawing 12 walks.

The Rangers Black side will look to build on the strong effort when they host Albury Bears Green next weekend.

B grade - Orange

Wangaratta Rangers Orange B grade team produced an explosive batting display on Sunday, piling on 13 runs to defeat Warriors Maroon 13-4 at Gayview Park in West Wodonga.

The Rangers were dominant from the outset, scoring twice in the first inning before adding four runs in the second and five more in the third to put the game firmly under their control.

Makayla Pool was the standout with the bat, driving in four runs with two timely singles - Pool delivered a two-run single in the second inning and repeated the feat in the third to cap a huge day at the plate.

The Rangers’ defence backed Sanders superbly - Steve Peruzzo was busy at second base, while Cameron Scott handled several chances cleanly at first.

A sharp double play in the fifth inning, started by Pool at third base and finished by Scott, helped extinguish a Warriors scoring threat.

Aiden Williams continued his strong season with two hits and two RBIs, while Charlie Tracy, Sam Warfe and Tyson Godenzi all made important contributions in a 13-hit team performance.

Wangaratta was aggressive on the basepaths, stealing eight bases, with Williams, Pool and Sanders each swiping multiple bags.

With both the offence and defence clicking, the Rangers Orange side delivered one of its most complete performances of the season and will take plenty of confidence into next week’s trip to Porepunkah.

C grade - Black

Wangaratta Rangers Black C Grade exploded out of the blocks on Sunday and never looked back, defeating Albury Bears 13-9 in a high-scoring contest at Springdale Baseball Field.

The Rangers piled on six runs in the opening inning before adding another seven in the second to build a commanding 13-5 lead.

Oscar Maiden was the standout performer, starring both on the mound and at the plate - batting leadoff, Maiden collected two hits, including a two-run double, and drove in two runs to spark the Rangers’ attack.

Cameron Ogden also had a big impact, delivering a clutch two-run single in the second inning and finishing with two RBIs.

Paul Maiden and Brockwell each contributed two RBIs, while Hayden Kiker showed excellent patience at the plate, drawing three walks and scoring multiple runs.

The Rangers were disciplined offensively throughout the game, earning 11 walks and making the most of every scoring opportunity.

Ian Dinsdale added a key RBI single, while Brooke Thomson and Isaac Maiden helped keep constant pressure on the Bears defence.

Defensively, Wangaratta made several important plays to preserve the lead.

Dinsdale was dependable at first base, and Maiden battled strongly on the mound before the Rangers closed out the game under pressure.

After building a substantial early advantage, the Rangers showed composure to withstand Albury’s comeback attempts and record a well-deserved victory.

The result was another strong team performance from Wangaratta, combining patient hitting, timely batting and determined defence to claim an exciting 13-9 win.

C grade – Orange

Wangaratta Rangers Orange C Grade produced a remarkable comeback on Sunday, overturning a six-run deficit to defeat Wodonga Warriors 15-7 at Gayview Park.

After taking an early 1-0 lead, the Rangers found themselves trailing 7-1 after a difficult first inning.

Rather than panic, Wangaratta responded with one of its best offensive innings of the season, piling on seven runs in the second to edge in front 8-7.

The momentum continued in the third inning when the Rangers added another seven runs to put the game beyond reach.

Jack Dean was a standout, driving in three runs and delivering a crucial two-run double during the decisive third inning.

Dean also starred on the mound, taking over in relief and throwing one and a third scoreless innings while striking out two batters to shut down the Warriors' offence.

Darcy Sanders was equally influential, collecting a hit and driving in three runs, including a two-run single that stretched the Rangers’ lead.

Sanders was also aggressive on the bases, stealing multiple bags as part of Wangaratta’s 11 stolen bases for the game.

Alex Correll delivered one of the key hits of the match, lacing a two-run double in the second inning to tie the scores before later drawing a bases-loaded walk.

Candice Jones battled through the opening inning before contributing with the bat and on the bases.

The Rangers showed excellent patience at the plate, drawing 10 walks.

Zac Williamson and Sarah Warfe each earned two walks, while Mark Sianda and Frank Ciccone scored important runs during the comeback.

After a shaky start, the Rangers settled defensively and kept the Warriors scoreless over the final two innings to complete an outstanding 15-7 victory.

Under 15

Wangaratta Rangers under 15s delivered an outstanding all-round performance on Sunday, powering to an 11-4 victory over Albury Bears Gold at Black Range Park.

The Rangers set the tone immediately, exploding for six runs in the opening inning to take control of the contest.

Jack Dean sparked the early charge with a run-scoring double, while Ryder Penney added an RBI single to cap the rally.

Wangaratta extended the lead in the third inning with another five-run burst.

Dean continued his big day with an RBI single, while Riley Coyne drove in a run and the Rangers capitalised on their speed and aggressive baserunning.

Kazu Anderson-Ohata was outstanding both on the mound and at the plate - the right-hander struck out five batters over two-and-two-thirds innings and collected two hits.

Dean also finished with two hits and was one of the offensive stars, while Hinston Lai showed his trademark patience at the plate and was flawless in the field.

Lilly Brockwell, Lai and Dean each swiped multiple bases as Wangaratta constantly pressured the Bears defence.

After Albury narrowed the margin early, Charlie Smedley came on in relief and helped close out the victory as the Rangers shut down the Bears over the final innings.

The convincing win keeps the Rangers building momentum ahead of next Sunday’s home clash with Albury Bears Green.

Under 12

Wangaratta Black lost to the Bears Gold 11-18.

Patrick Mahoney earned ‘Play of the Game’ for making multiple plays to first base to secure outs, and Angelica was awarded player of the game for the Rangers Black team.

Wangaratta Orange just scraped home the win 18-14 over Wodonga.

First-year player Nino Tripodi picked up player of the game, and Toby Fitzgerald won ‘Play of the Game’ for his amazing catch as catcher.