There were runs aplenty on Saturday as Wangaratta Rangers topped Sloth Bears 13-9 to keep their distant finals hopes alive.

The Wangaratta Rangers women jumped out to the lead in the bottom of the first inning after Kimberley Flood hit a sacrifice fly, scoring one run.

Candice Jones then doubled, driving in one run, along with a Lauren Dinsdale single which scored two runs.

Rangers added one run in the second after Flood tripled to left field following a seven-pitch at-bat.

Sloth Bears flipped the game on its head in the top of the third, scoring seven runs on two hits to take the lead, 8-5.

Rangers settled in the bottom of the fourth, scoring eight runs on four hits to take the lead, 13-8.

Flood then closed out the game for the Rangers with another strong inning in the fifth, finishing the game 13-9.

The Rangers tallied 12 hits in the game.

Newcomer Karen Coats collected three hits in three at bats in the win - Coats singled in the first inning, doubled in the third inning and singled in the fourth inning.

Dinsdale and Coats each drove in three runs for the Rangers, while Jones and Brooke Thomson each collected multiple hits.

The win leaves the Rangers holding on to a faint hope of making finals, with a 4–6 record in seventh place.

The junior Rangers cemented a place in the 2026 playoff series after a strong 19-10 win over the Bears.

The Rangers got off to a strong start with a spectacular pitching display from Olive Canning, who held the Bears to one run.

The junior Rangers then showed their aggression with the bats, scoring nine runs in the first inning.

Isaac Turner pitched a strong second inning and then the Rangers’ electric bats finished the game, with a 10-run second inning, to put the game out of reach of the Bears.

All players contributed with the bat, with key hits to Olive Canning, Brigitte Liphuyzen and Edward Churchill.

Olive Canning was named player of the game.

The win elevated the Junior Rangers to second on the ladder with a 6-4 record on the season.

With three games remaining, this will be the first Rangers team to play in the finals since joining the competition three seasons ago.