DEVASTATING SHROPSHIRE TRIP FOR FALCONS

A seesaw of a game ultimately ended with the Falcons 1 winning streak in the Premier Division ending at 1. The long trip to Shropshire to take on the Panthers resulted in a 23-22 loss, the game going down to the wire.

Again strong pitching from Takashi Hirai and Bruce Dullea helped the Falcons as they came back from an 18-10 deficit to take the lead in the top of the 9^th (and final) inning 22-20. Home runs from University of Herts student Kyle Hunlock, and St Albans resident Bruce helped the pitching.

However in the bottom of the 9^th inning with Shropshire batting, an umpire decision again went against the Falcons but this one ultimately affected the outcome of the game. With the bases loaded, and the Falcons up by 1, the umpire issued the batter a walk (free base), scoring the tying run. Catcher and manager Lee Manning queried the call, and was thrown out of the game by the umpire.

Shropshire managed to get the winning run in and the game was over.

Falcons 1 now look to the home opener on Sunday 1^st May, a double header (two games one after the other) against Essex Arrows to make amends. A split, or better still a sweep, of those two games will get the season back on track.