By Lance Jenkinson
The series will be on the line when local rivals Newport Rams and Williamstown Wolves hit the diamond in the Baseball Victoria summer league division 2 at K.C. White Reserve on Thursday night.
The two sides have each won once in the first two games of the three-game series, so it will come down to a deciding third game for local bragging rights.
The Rams hit back on Sunday with a 15-5 win in game two at Greenwich Reserve after the Wolves had taken game one at the same venue with a 3-1 scoreline.
While Newport is on a solid footing inside the top four, Williamstown will be desperate for a second series win to start the new year as it hunts a spot in the finals.
The Wolves are a game and a half out of the top four with eight games remaining.
Photo Gallery: Newport Rams vs Williamstown Wolves
In women’s division 1, Footscray had a tough day at the office, losing 16-6 to premiership favourite Springvale Lions.
The Bulldogs are third on the ladder.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne Aces season is over after a heavy 5-0 defeat to Canberra Cavalry in the Australian Baseball League wildcard game at Melbourne Ballpark on Wednesday night.
After the two sides finished level on wins for the regular season, it came down to one game to determine who would advance to the play-offs.
The Aces were never in the contest, ceding two runs in the third inning and one run in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
The hosts had more errors than hits.
Darryl George was the Aces hit leader with 49 hits to accompany a batting average of .329.
Infielder D.J. Burt had 45 hits for a team-best average of .338 to go. Burt led the league in stolen bases with 18.
Pitcher Dushan Ruzic picked up the most wins on the mound for the Aces with five and an impressive ERA of .282.
