A Grade

The Rangers’ 13-4 win over Albury Bears Gold was shaped by a dramatic momentum swing and a composed response after an early blow.

Albury’s four-run first innings, capped by Mark Taylor’s home run and extra-base hitting from Brendan Simmons and Ash Borella, put Wangaratta on the back foot immediately.

But rather than panic, the Rangers began to grind their way back into the contest through disciplined at-bats and pressure on the bases.

The turnaround began in the bottom of the first, where Wangaratta clawed back three runs.

Sato sparked the response with a base hit, while Owen Godenzi and Tetsu Kamiyama showed patience to draw walks and force runs home.

Even early, the signs were clear the Rangers were prepared to make Albury work for every out.

The defining moment came in the second inning.

After Josh Wells’ leadoff double set the tone, the Rangers capitalised on control issues and defensive lapses from Albury.

Kamiyama and Godenzi were again central figures, but it was Mei Sato who delivered the breakthrough run-scoring hit that, combined with an outfield error, helped level the game before Wangaratta surged ahead.

By the end of the inning, the Rangers had turned a 4-0 deficit into an 8-4 lead.

From there, Wangaratta tightened its grip on the game.

Tanner Godenzi took control on the mound, producing a dominant stretch through the middle innings.

Across the third and fourth, he struck out the side at one point and retired hitters with authority, mixing strikeouts with routine ground balls.

Key defensive plays including clean work from Jason Jonker at third and Damien French at first ensured Albury’s early momentum was completely halted.

While the pitching steadied things, the Rangers’ offence continued to build relentless pressure in the third inning.

What followed was a clinic in plate discipline - walk after walk forced Albury onto the back foot, with Nathan Pool, Wells and Tanner Godenzi all reaching base before Motoki Sato was hit by a pitch to bring in another run.

Jonker’s patience added to the tally, as Wangaratta extended the lead without needing big hits.

Kamiyama and Owen Godenzi then chipped in with timely singles to keep the line moving, while a wild pitch and more free passes saw the score blow out to 13-4.

In total, the Rangers drew 11 walks, a statistic that underpinned their control of the contest.

Defensively, the home side remained sharp.

Tanner Godenzi continued to deal on the mound, striking out multiple hitters and limiting Albury to just one hit after the first inning.

A composed fourth inning, featuring two ground outs and a strikeout, summed up the Rangers’ control, while even a baserunner in the fifth was quickly neutralised.

Mei Sato’s impact went beyond her key RBI moments, providing stability in the outfield and contributing to the early offensive spark.

Kamiyama led the way with multiple hits, while Tanner Godenzi’s all-round performance on the mound and at the plate proved pivotal.

From 4-0 down, it was a complete response, disciplined batting, opportunistic base running and dominant pitching combining to deliver one of the Rangers’ most impressive performances of the season.

B Grade

Rangers Orange claimed a 9-5 win over Rangers Black in a competitive all-club clash.

Orange opened the scoring in the second inning when Sanders drew a walk, but Black responded to take a 3-1 lead in the third through Rob Seymour and some opportunistic base running.

Cam Scott was instrumental for Orange, finishing 3-for-4 and driving in three runs, including a game-tying hit in the third.

Black briefly regained the lead in the fourth before Orange broke the game open in the fifth, scoring six runs on five hits.

Alex Williams delivered the decisive blow with a two-run double.

Williams and Sarah Warfe both collected multiple hits, while Orange totalled 10 hits and six walks.

On the mound, Williams worked through four-and-two-thirds innings, with Darcy Sanders providing relief.

For Black, Heath French struck out 11 despite taking the loss, while Seymour led the offence with two RBIs.

C Grade

Rangers Orange completed the sweep with an emphatic 15-6 victory over Rangers Black, powered by a dominant performance from Jack Dean.

After conceding four runs in the opening inning, highlighted by Oscar Maiden’s inside-the-park home run and RBIs from Ryan Brockwell and Ian Dinsdale, Orange responded in style.

They turned the game on its head in the second inning, scoring six runs to take the lead, with Jack Dean’s three-run double the pivotal moment.

The momentum continued in the third as Orange piled on seven more runs on seven hits.

Matt Sanders, Darcy Sanders, Alex Correll, Jack Dean and Marc Sianda all contributed RBIs in a relentless offensive display, while Taylor Jones also drove in a run after drawing a walk.

Dean finished a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBIs to lead the charge, while Candice Jones showed patience at the plate with three walks.

Orange collected nine hits and seven walks overall, but it was their aggression on the basepaths that stood out, racking up an impressive 17 stolen bases, with Dean, C Jones, Sianda and D Sanders all causing havoc.

Taylor Jones started on the mound for Orange, striking out four across three innings.

For Black, Oscar Maiden and Ryan Brockwell each recorded hits and RBIs, while the side also showed discipline with seven walks and an aggressive running game that produced 13 stolen bases.

Under 15s - BYE

Under 12s

The club's two under 12s teams played each other for resulting in Orange beating Black 18-7.

Orange's Nate Martin made great contact with the ball when he had the bat in hand and Black's Nate Chilcott smashed the ball out to centre field and was solid at first base for his team.

Eli Fitzgerald from Wangaratta Orange was named player of the day for his side, while Jack King took out the Black player of the day award.

The Rangers now turn their attention to next weekend’s fixtures, with A grade travelling to face Wodonga Warriors, while both B and C grade Orange sides prepare for clashes against Albury opposition.