Good day on the mound for Robbie Almanzar (photo by Paul Holdrick)
The Herts Falcons ended a run of six consecutive league defeats with a win in the BBF Cup quarter-final tie away at the Oxford Kings. Robbie Almanzar was the winning pitcher. Manager Lee Manning was also able to give some of the club’s younger players their Falcons debut and they performed well. Both Takaya Miki and Warwick Byrne did well defensively and offensively.
Young prospects Takaya Miki (pictured above) and Warwick Byrne made their Falcons debuts
This win comes as a relief but psychologically the pressure of the lengthy losing streak in the league will still be on the back of the players’ minds until they can return to winning ways in the NBL. They will aim to do this on 5 July when they travel to the surging Southampton Mustangs who recorded a third consecutive win at the weekend and can leap over the Falcons in the NBL standings if they win both games of that doubleheader next month.
It is now eight wins out of eight games for the Herts Hawks this season. They beat the Old Timers 14-7 away from home and are sitting comfortably on top of their Single-A League Division. On paper this Sunday, 28 June, they should be able to pick up their ninth win of the season easily as they face the Herts Raptors which is one of only two teams in the league yet to record a win this season. However, this is “the Herts Derby” and local rivalries often bring out the best in the underdogs.
The Herts Eagles also have a home game this Sunday against third-placed Brighton Bulldogs. Both games start at 12pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.