Category: Adult Leagues

by AspiDimitrov

BAPTISM OF FIRE: DRAGONS SLAY RAPTORS

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, JON GAMBLE

 

Raptors took the field against the Richmond Dragons at Grovehill on Sunday with high hopes of continuing their unbeaten start to the 2009 season. These hopes took an early dive as the Dragons raced away to 7-0 lead in a first inning blitz. Aggressive base-stealing proved to be the Dragons stock-in-trade as they indicated an early intention to run away with everything not nailed down in Grovehill.

 

Dragons pitcher Per Nilsson Eklof came out breathing fire in the top of the second and made short work of the Raptors early batting order – sending the Raptors back to the field without scoring. The Dragons second inning picked up where the first left off – Raptors defence having no answer to the Dragons audacious display of base larceny.

 

Raptors managed to get a couple of runs on the board in the bottom of the second. But there was no stopping the torrent of runs coming from the Dragons who piled on the agony in the top of the sixth with another half dozen runs – taking them to an imposing 18-6 lead by the bottom of the third. The bottom of the third proved to be the highest scoring for the Raptors as the team showed that they knew how to steal a base or two with some aggressive running from Messrs Slater, Curtis and Dimitrov.

 

The Raptors managed to put a brake on the Dragons run rate through the middle innings. However,  the Raptors were unable to build a sustained rally in spite of the efforts of Pike, Jones and and Lewys in the bottom of the fourth. Ken Pike survived a heroic collision with the first base bag to bring home the bacon. Yet Eklof had still got some fire in his belly, closing the innings with a couple of  rally-breaking strikeouts.

 

At the bottom of the sixth, the Dragons led by a comfortable 22-10. Dragons relief pitcher Woo Kim proved to be no relief for the Raptors as he kept a clean sheet in the sixth inning. Liam Green made a confident debut as relief pitcher for the Raptors in the top of the seventh. It proved to be a baptism of fire. Unfortunately, a trio of Raptors outfield rookies learned the hard way that a ball is easier to field in front than behind – as a series of errors allowed the Dragons to run rampant – adding 12 runs to their total. The Raptors were put of their misery with a mercy finish at the bottom of the seventh. It was a day of hard lessons for the Raptors. They will have to wait for another chance to slay the Richmond Dragons.

 

 

Richmond Dragons at Herts Raptors
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Richmond Dragons 7 5 6 2 1 1 12 34 21 5
Herts Raptors 0 2 4 3 1 0 3 13 7 6

Richmond Dragons 34, Herts Raptors 13
Richmond Dragons Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
John Wilkinson 3b 4 2 2 4 Ken Pike ss 2 1 0 0
Woo Kim 2b-p 7 3 3 1 (b4) Chris Brown rf-lf 2 2 2 1
Nick Hadley 1b-2b 4 4 1 2 Rob Jones 1b-ss 3 1 1 1
Stuart Hendry cf 7 4 4 2 Jonathon Lewys p-1b 5 3 2 2
Grant Bridge lf 7 5 4 1 Andrew Slater 3b 4 1 0 1
Allan Moffat ss 3 5 2 2 Paul Curtis 2b 4 1 1 1
Per Nilsson Eklof p-1b 5 5 3 4 (b6) Jon Gamble rf 1 0 0 0
John Walmsley c 4 4 2 2 Iwan Evans cf 2 1 0 0
Alvin Michael rf 3 1 0 0 (b6) Phil Hynes cf 0 0 0 0
(b5) Talha Akhtar rf 1 1 0 0 Ilya Dimitrov c 0 2 0 0
Robert Crouch lf 1 0 0 0
(t4) Phil Crooks lf-2b 2 0 0 0
Neil Brackley rf 2 0 0 0
(b4) Liam Green ss-rf-p 2 1 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 45 34 21 18 TEAM TOTALS 30 13 7 6

E: Per Nilsson Eklof(2), Allan Moffat, John Wilkinson, Alvin Michael, Andrew
Slater(2), Paul Curtis(2), Ilya Dimitrov, Phil Crooks. DP: Richmond Dragons 1. LOB:
Herts Raptors 7, Richmond Dragons 7. 2B: Allan Moffat(2), Per Nilsson Eklof, Woo Kim,
Jonathon Lewys, Chris Brown. HR: Per Nilsson Eklof, Stuart Hendry. SB: John
Walmsley(7), Stuart Hendry(4), Woo Kim(4), Grant Bridge(4), John Wilkinson(4), Allan
Moffat(4), Per Nilsson Eklof(2), Nick Hadley, Alvin Michael, Talha Akhtar, Jonathon
Lewys(5), Ilya Dimitrov(4), Rob Jones(3), Iwan Evans(2), Andrew Slater, Paul Curtis.
SF: Per Nilsson Eklof.

Richmond Dragons IP H R ER BB SO
Per Nilsson Eklof W 6.00 5 10 4 9 9
Woo Kim 1.00 2 3 2 0 1
Herts Raptors            
Jonathon Lewys L 6.00 13 22 10 13 11
Liam Green 1.00 8 12 8 2 3

HBP: by Per Nilsson Eklof (Rob Jones). , by Jonathon Lewys (Nick Hadley). . . , by
Per Nilsson Eklof (Andrew Slater). . . WP: Per Nilsson Eklof(7), Woo Kim, Jonathon
Lewys(6), Liam Green. PB: John Walmsley(7), Ilya Dimitrov(9). T: 3:51. A: 89.

by AspiDimitrov

BADGERS AND EAGLES SPLIT DOUBLE-HEADER

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, DAVE HAMILTON

 

The Herts Eagles' continued their impressive start to the season, fighting back to split their double-header with the Bristol Badgers in their home league debut at Grovehill on Sunday.

 

Herts second team's perfect start to the season came to an abrupt end in game one, conceding six soft runs in the second inning on a combination of bloop hits and fielding misjudgements – giving Bristol a lead that the home side never really looked like threatening.  An impressive hitting display from the visitors, spraying line drives around the outfield in the later innings added some padding to the score giving them a comfortable victory under the slaughter rule.  One of the few highlights for the Eagles were a pair of assists from center fielder Dan Kerry, who fired off two fantastic throws from his cannon of an arm to throw out runners at third and home.

 

Disappointed with their lacklustre performance, the Eagles were keen to bounce back in game two and impress the watching players from the Herts Falcons who were enjoying a week off.  A towering home run from Badgers first baseman Cook gave Bristol a first inning lead but the Eagles fought straight back, the first seven batters all reaching base to put Herts 4-1 in front.

 

With Eagles pitcher Mike Wakelam putting in another strong performance and limiting the Badgers to just three hits in five innings, the Eagles were able to take control by unleashing some power hitting of their own.  Back to back triples from Bart Schouwenaars and Rod Ariss, followed by a double by Lin Yuchih, helped five more runs cross the plate in the third inning to make it 9-2 and Schouwenaars then capped a three run fourth inning rally with an RBI double, after a huge triple to deep centerfield from Kerry and a double for Jamie Munn.

 

In this game the bottom of the Herts order (Casal, Munn and Schouwenaars) combined to go 8 for 12 with 6 rbi, demonstrating the strength of the team.  Some final inning jitters helped the Badgers halve the deficit to 12-8 but relief pitcher Dan Kerry finished the job, eventually striking out the side (as he had in the sixth) to seal victory for the Eagles.

 

Manager Dave Westfallen, whilst disappointed to register his first loss, was delighted by the way his players shrugged off the defeat and smashed their way to victory in game two, recapturing the spirit and aggression that had served them so well on Opening Day.  The Eagles now lie second in Pool 2 of the AAA league and visit Richmond next weekend.

 

GAME 1, 12:00pm Grovehill Ballpark

 

(Box scores of game one will be published shorty)

 

GAME 2, 2:30pm Grovehill Ballpark

Bristol Badgers at Herts Eagles
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Bristol Badgers 1 0 1 2 0 0 4 8 4 3
Herts Eagles 4 0 5 3 0 0 0 12 16 3

Herts Eagles 12, Bristol Badgers 8
Herts Eagles Bristol Badgers
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Rod Ariss ss 5 2 2 1 T Hollies 3b 2 2 0 0
Lin Yuchih 2b 4 1 2 1 C Cook 1b 4 1 1 1
Riley Fisher c 2 1 0 0 J Bobadilla ss 3 1 2 2
Louis Hare 1b 3 1 1 1 L Ortiz lf 4 0 0 0
Dave Westfallen dh 3 1 2 1 JC Ortiz cf 3 2 1 0
(t6) Dave Hamilton cf 0 0 0 0 R Densey c 4 1 0 1
Dan Kerry cf-p 3 1 1 1 J Lansdowne p 1 1 0 0
Carlos Casal 3b 4 2 2 2 A Loreto rf 3 0 0 0
Jamie Munn lf 4 2 3 1 C Davis 2b 3 0 0 1
Bart Snavely rf 4 1 3 3
Mike Wakelam p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 32 12 16 11 TEAM TOTALS 27 8 4 5

E: Jamie Munn(2), Rod Ariss, J Bobadilla, A Loreto, R Densey. LOB: Bristol Badgers 6,
Herts Eagles 7. 2B: Jamie Munn, Louis Hare, Lin Yuchih, Bart Snavely, J Bobadilla.
3B: Bart Snavely, Dan Kerry, Rod Ariss. HR: C Cook. SB: Carlos Casal(2), Rod Ariss,
Jamie Munn, Dave Westfallen, Lin Yuchih, T Hollies(3), A Loreto(2), J Lansdowne(2),
JC Ortiz, R Densey. CS: Carlos Casal, Jamie Munn, Bart Snavely. S: Dan Kerry.

Herts Eagles IP H R ER BB SO
Mike Wakelam W 5.00 3 4 2 3 4
Dan Kerry 2.00 1 4 1 5 6
Bristol Badgers            
J Lansdowne L 6.00 16 12 7 4 7

PB: Riley Fisher, R Densey(3). T: 2:49. A: 45.

 

by AspiDimitrov

HAWKS GO DOWN DESPITE A RESILIENT FIGHT-BACK

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, KAL DIMITROV

 

The Herts Hawks’ second game of the season was away at the Croydon Pirates III.  Irrespective of the not very encouraging weather forecast, it was a beautiful day for baseball. Unfortunately, the sun did not shine on the Hawks defence, neither were their bats very “warm” in the first half of the game.  Despite some crafty pitching by veteran Marty “I pitched in the Polo Grounds” Cullen, the Pirates’ big bats Woods and Ssali did some big damage, exacerbated by some defensive hiccups. 

In the top of the seventh inning, the Hawks were facing a 12-4 deficit. However, from the 6th inning onward, the Herts bats had started coming to life with some timely hitting, in particular a couple of big rips by Cullen and Boast and a massive double the other way by Paul Auchterlounie to bring in the runner from first.  Base-running was also adventurous, spurred on by the urgings of canny third-base coach and infielder-pitcher-outfielder extraordinaire the Motion Bochan – sometimes a tad too adventurous.

The closer the game became, the more the Hawks’ spirits were lifting, and Cullen made a shrewd move by picking Nick Russell from all other options that he had available in the bullpen.  Russell was outstanding, throwing strikes and getting out of jams, and would have been out of his two innings scot-free but for an outfield error. 

Despite the loss, the Hawks showed guts, and the all too-important quality of not giving up.  There are just a few things to rectify before we see the final product in action – defence, batting and base-running – but otherwise the Hawks are already showing the promise that they hinted at in spring training.

 

More images from the Hawks' game at Croydon

Herts Hawks at Croydon Pirates III
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Herts Hawks 0 1 0 0 1 2 2 4 2 12 11 7
Croydon Pirates III 3 0 2 2 0 5 0 2 0 14 16 7

Croydon Pirates III 14, Herts Hawks 12
Croydon Pirates III Herts Hawks
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
S Limn ss-c 6 2 4 0 Tim Grant ss 5 2 1 0
A Okada 2b 3 3 0 0 Nick Russell 3b-p 6 1 0 0
B Woods 3b 5 3 4 4 Marty Cullen p-3b 6 2 3 1
M Ford c-ss 4 1 3 3 Stuart Boast 1b 6 1 2 1
T Ssali p 5 3 2 2 Tim Elkins 2b 4 1 0 0
L Leboffe 1b 3 1 0 0 Kal Dimitrov rf-c 4 2 2 2
F Kucharski rf 5 0 0 1 Paul Auchterlounie c-cf 4 1 2 3
M George lf 4 0 1 0 (t8) Ilya Dimitrov cf 1 0 1 0
(t8) B Vickers lf 1 0 0 0 Chris Wylie lf 5 0 0 1
C Routledge cf 5 1 2 0 Ade Orioye cf-rf 2 2 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 41 14 16 10 TEAM TOTALS 43 12 11 8

E: S Limn(2), A Okada, B Woods, M Ford, T Ssali, L Leboffe, Tim Grant(2), Nick
Russell, Stuart Boast, Paul Auchterlounie, Chris Wylie, Ilya Dimitrov. LOB: Croydon
Pirates III 8, Herts Hawks 10. 2B: M Ford, Tim Grant, Paul Auchterlounie. 3B: B
Woods. HR: T Ssali. SB: A Okada(2), S Limn(2), C Routledge(2), L Leboffe, Tim
Grant(2), Kal Dimitrov(2), Stuart Boast, Chris Wylie, Ilya Dimitrov, Ade Orioye,
Marty Cullen, Paul Auchterlounie, Tim Elkins. CS: F Kucharski, Paul Auchterlounie.
SB: L Leboffe. SF: M Ford.

Croydon Pirates III IP H R ER BB SO
T Ssali W 9.00 11 12 6 3 11
Herts Hawks            
Marty Cullen L 6.00 12 12 6 2 4
Nick Russell 2.00 4 2 0 1 1

HBP: by T Ssali (Tim Grant). . . . . . , by T Ssali (Kal Dimitrov). , by T Ssali (Ade
Orioye). . WP: T Ssali(5), Marty Cullen. PB: M Ford, Paul Auchterlounie(2). Balk: T
Ssali. T: 3:28. A: 35.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS BASEBALL’S GOT TALENT – LITTLE LEAGUE PLAYER MAKES DEBUT FOR HERTS RAPTORS

The 2009 season of the British Baseball League started in the best possible fashion for the members of Herts Baseball Club.  The Club sent four of its adult teams against tough opponents in the four respective leagues, and picked up five wins out of six games.  Everyone at the club was rightfully pleased, but there was one aspect on Opening Day which pleased everyone connected with the club, more than any of the wins.

 

This was the day when the first player coming out of the Herts Baseball Little League made an official debut with the adult teams.  14-years-old Liam Green has been involved with the Little League, the club’s youth programme, from its inception in June 2007 when boys and girls from Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas, started attending summer baseball camps at the club’s Grovehill Ballpark.

 

Liam went on to win the Herts Little League title playing for the Herts Yankees in the League’s inaugural season last year.  The Club has been very lucky to have very passionate, dedicated and hard-working boys and girls join the Little League over the last 2 years, and Liam is no different.  Many times after the adults end their home games last season, Liam, together with his younger brother, Lewis, and father, Lawrence, would come down to the Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead wait for the league games to end and they would practice various aspects of the game of baseball for hours until the sun goes down. 

 

Liam’s progress has been obvious for all to see and the Managers of the Herts adult teams have been following him closely.  With him becoming 14 this season and eligible for selection with the adults, the Managers decided that it was time to call him up to the Herts Raptors camp, the Club’s Single-A league team.  Last Sunday, he made his official debut for the Raptors in dramatic win against the London Marauders. 

 

The club hopes that this will be the first of many more male and female players coming through the Herts Baseball Little League to join the adult teams.  There already are several other very talented players who are also on the fringe of getting a call-up.  The transition of the players into adult baseball will be done gradually and they will continue to be full members of the Little League during this process.

 

The future is looking bright for baseball in Hertfordshire.  The club’s youngsters have already started their Spring Training in preparation for the 2009 league season.  New players are joining the league every week and it promises to be even bigger and better than 2008.

 

For more details about the Herts Baseball Little League and how to join or come to one of the open training sessions, please visit the official site.

by AspiDimitrov

AHOY! FALCONS SWEEP PIRATES IN NATIONAL LEAGUE DEBUT

Opening Day in British Baseball is never a sure-fire omen of what’s to come.  It’s early.  Teams are just regrouping after the long winter or rainy spring.  And, unlike the world of professional baseball, teams play just a handful of games each month – not exactly a sizeable sample set on which to base scientific speculation.

 

Nevertheless, the Falcons’ National League debut has given the Herts Baseball Club a surge of pride and optimism for the season to come.  By sweeping the Croydon Pirates and jumping out to a 2-0 start, the Falcons have quickly justified their off-season promotion to Britain’s top league of play and silenced any naysayers.

 

Manager Jason Greenberg reportedly came to Croydon bearing the Herts championship game ball from the 2008 Final 4, in which the Falcons bested Oxford 6-3 to take home the trophy.  It was that game – capping a magical 21-3 stroll through the AAA – that earned the Falcons advancement to the NBL.  Despite admonitions from select baseball insiders that Herts was “flying too high on waxen wings,” the Club’s Executive Committee voted unanimously to accept the BBF invitation.  Now entrenched at the game’s top level, the Falcons cannot be relegated to a lower league and will work over the months and years toward their first National Title.  It was this message that Greenberg carried with the championship game ball: the Falcons have earned their promotion and are here to stay.

 

 

Game One – 12:00
FALCONS 11, PIRATES 5

 

Herts sent crafty veteran Darrin Ward to the mound in game one.  Ward was magnificent, working out of several runners-on jams, and holding the Pirates scoreless with seven hits over six innings.

 

With an 11-0 lead in the bottom of the 7th, things seemed to slip away for Herts.  After striking out the leadoff batter, a quick series of three hits, a fielder’s choice and a walk (only Ward’s second of the day) allowed 5 Pirates to cross the plate.  All the runs scored with two outs, and that final out of the game was proving elusive.  Nevertheless, catcher Greenberg made a sharp throw down to second to catch a would-be base-stealer for the final out of the game.

 

Ward was easily the player of the game, with nine strikeouts in his first complete game of ’09.  At the plate, he smacked two doubles and had three hits overall with two runs batted in.  Rookies  Jamie Munn and Lin Yuchih had clutch hits in their Falcons debuts; Munn drove in two RBI with a hard single up the middle, while Lin was 2-4 with a double and an RBI.  2008 Falcons batting champion Kimiyoshi Saionji was 3-4 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI.

 

Game Two – 14:30
FALCONS 10, PIRATES 3

 

Hard-throwing Nic Goetz started Game Two for the Falcons.  The good dynamic between Goetz and catcher Andy Cornish was quickly apparent, as the two worked seamlessly to retire nine of the first ten Pirates to come to the plate.  Goetz worked both sides of the dish and changed speeds effectively to hold Croydon to one earned run on eight hits in the game.

 

Again, the Falcons defense shined.  Two spectacular double plays were turned in by rookie phenom Yuchih Lin – the first on a gutsy 5-4-3 move from the versatile Ward at third base, and the second on a hard-hit liner taken by Lin at the second base bag, doubling up a Pirate trying to dive back to safety.  Centerfielder Dan “Hollywood” Kerry made a signature all-out diving catch in centerfield, and right fielder Aspi Dimitrov made a spectacular run to cut down a deep down-the-line fly in the bottom of the 6th.  The Falcons outfield should prove one of the fastest and gutsiest in the National League.

 

Dimitrov was also sharp at the plate going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI, and Cornish had a pair of doubles batting 3-for-5 with 4 RBI.

 

On Deck – National Champion London Mets
GROVEHILL, SUNDAY 3 MAY 12:00

 

Herts batted .352 on the day with eight doubles and thirteen stolen bases.  It was a complete reversal from the Herts Spring League, in which their bats were mostly silent and, for the most part, they failed to get runners into scoring position.  While the Falcons defense has always been strong, it was their offense that truly came alive on Sunday and just in time for their entrance onto the National stage.

The Herts organisation made a splash on opening day, winning 5 of its 6 games, with victories for the A Raptors, AAA Eagles and NBL Falcons.  Only a nail-biter 14-12 loss by the AA Hawks prevented a clean sweep.

 

The Falcons can enjoy their undefeated status for an extra week with an off-day this Sunday.  On May 3rd they face the reigning National League champion London Mets for the home opener in Grovehill.  No doubt, as the season plays out we’ll quickly have a better sense of how Herts will contend against the country’s top pitching… how their pitching will cope with Britain’s top batters.  But, for now, the Falcons are content to have proved that their promotion was no mistake.

 

 

GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Herts Falcons at Croydon Pirates
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 3 0 0 0 0 4 4 11 12 2
Croydon Pirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 13 8

Herts Falcons 11, Croydon Pirates 5
Herts Falcons Croydon Pirates
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Jamie Munn cf 4 1 1 2 Tim Ssali 2b 4 0 1 0
Lin Yuchih ss 4 1 2 1 Aki Okada lf 4 1 3 0
Andy Cornish rf 4 1 0 0 Jose Sosa ss 4 1 2 1
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 4 3 3 1 Maikel Azcuy 3b 4 1 1 1
Darrin Ward p 4 1 3 2 Brett Woods 1b 3 1 2 0
Dan Kerry lf 4 2 1 1 Mike Ford c 3 1 1 0
Jason Greenberg c 4 2 1 1 C. Richie Limm cf 1 0 0 0
John Oliver 1b 4 0 0 1 (b4) Brandon Florence cf 3 0 2 2
Nick Goetz 3b 4 0 1 0 Jared Uys p 3 0 0 0
Frank Kucharski rf 2 0 1 0
(t6) Player name TBC rf 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 36 11 12 9 TEAM TOTALS 32 5 13 4

E: Lin Yuchih, John Oliver, Jose Sosa(4), Maikel Azcuy(3), Tim Ssali. DP: Croydon
Pirates 2. LOB: Herts Falcons 5, Croydon Pirates 8. 2B: Darrin Ward(2), Kimiyoshi
Saionji, Lin Yuchih, Jose Sosa. SB: Dan Kerry(2), Jason Greenberg(2), Lin Yuchih,
Andy Cornish, Darrin Ward, Kimiyoshi Saionji, Jamie Munn, Brett Woods(2), Maikel
Azcuy, Aki Okada. CS: Lin Yuchih, Brandon Florence.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Darrin Ward W 7.00 13 5 4 2 9
Croydon Pirates            
Jared Uys L 7.00 12 11 5 1 9

WP: Jared Uys(3). T: 2:24. A: 55.

 

 

 

GAME TWO BOX SCORE

 

Herts Falcons at Croydon Pirates
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 0 4 0 2 2 1 1 10 13 2
Croydon Pirates 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 8 3

Herts Falcons 10, Croydon Pirates 3
Herts Falcons Croydon Pirates
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Jamie Munn lf 5 1 1 0 Tim c 4 0 2 0
Lin Yuchih 2b 5 1 2 1 Paul Stevens 1b-p 4 1 1 0
Andy Cornish c 5 0 3 4 Jose Sosa p-1b 3 0 1 1
Kimiyoshi Saionji dh 2 1 0 0 M. Asuya ss 3 0 0 0
Darrin Ward 3b 4 0 2 0 Brett Woods 3b 3 0 0 0
Dan Kerry cf 4 1 1 1 Brandon Florence cf 2 2 1 0
John Oliver 1b 3 2 1 1 F. Kucharski 2b 2 0 0 0
Lee Manning ss 4 2 1 0 (b7) Oscar Silva 2b 1 0 1 1
Aspi Dimitrov rf 3 1 2 2 G. Shepherd rf 2 0 1 0
(t7) Jason Greenberg pr-rf 0 1 0 0 (t6) Aki Okada rf 1 0 0 0
Nick Goetz p 0 0 0 0 Rod Stevenson lf 3 0 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 35 10 13 9 TEAM TOTALS 28 3 8 3

E: Lee Manning, Nick Goetz, Brett Woods, Brandon Florence, F. Kucharski. LOB: Croydon
Pirates 5, Herts Falcons 9. 2B: Andy Cornish(2), Darrin Ward, Lin Yuchih. 3B: Paul
Stevens. SB: Kimiyoshi Saionji, Dan Kerry, John Oliver, Jamie Munn. CS: Andy Cornish.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Nick Goetz W 7.00 8 3 1 1 4
Croydon Pirates            
Jose Sosa L 5.00 9 8 5 3 5
Paul Stevens 2.00 4 2 2 0 2

HBP: by Jose Sosa (Kimiyoshi Saionji). . , by Paul Stevens (Kimiyoshi Saionji). . WP:
Nick Goetz. PB: Tim. T: 2:00. A: 55.

by AspiDimitrov

LATE RALLY NOT ENOUGH FOR HAWKS

Strong early innings from the Bisons left the Hawks trailing and their late rally was not quite enough.

Thames Valley Bisons at Herts Hawks
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Thames Valley Bisons 3 2 1 3 0 0 0 2 1 12 12 3
Herts Hawks 2 1 0 0 0 1 4 0 2 10 17 3

Thames Valley Bisons 12, Herts Hawks 10
Thames Valley Bisons Herts Hawks
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 3 4 2 2 Hunter Devine cf-2b 4 1 2 1
Player 2 c 4 2 2 1 Matt Johnston lf 5 0 0 0
Player 3 1b 5 1 1 0 Mark Hoffman p 4 2 3 0
Player 4 2b 4 3 3 0 David Baird 2b-c 3 4 2 0
Player 5 3b 3 0 1 3 Marty Cullen 1b 5 2 4 0
Player 6 ss 5 0 2 0 Stuart Boast 3b 5 0 3 5
Player 7 lf 4 0 0 0 Tim Grant ss 5 1 2 2
Player 8 cf 3 2 1 0 Chris Wylie rf 5 0 1 0
Player 9 rf 4 0 0 0 Ilya Dimitrov c-cf 4 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 35 12 12 6 TEAM TOTALS 40 10 17 8

E: Player 1, Player 3, Player 5, Marty Cullen(2), David Baird. LOB: Thames Valley
Bisons 5, Herts Hawks 7. 2B: Player 4, Hunter Devine. SB: Player 1(6), Player 3(2),
Player 4(2), Player 8(2), Player 2, Player 6, Player 5, Hunter Devine, David Baird,
Mark Hoffman, Marty Cullen, Tim Grant.

Thames Valley Bisons IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 9.00 17 10 7 4 9
Herts Hawks            
Mark Hoffman L 9.00 12 12 9 9 14

WP: Mark Hoffman(4). T: 4:18. A: 43.
by AspiDimitrov

OPENING DAY THRILLER AT GROVEHILL

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, NEIL BRACKLEY

 

The London Marauders travelled to Grovehill to face the Herts Raptors on opening day but neither team would have anticipated the momentous 69 run game that was to follow. With both teams dominated by people new to Baseball, this was the first competitive league game for the majority of players who took to the field and a game that most are unlikely to forget. 

 

The Raptors came firing out of the starting blocks and quickly established a lead in the early innings. The game was on the verge of being called in the 7th with the Raptors 7-19 up, but the Marauders put on a remarkable stand in the top of the 7th with 2 outs, sending 18 batters to the plate. The Raptors were just unable to get that 3rd out and the Marauders piled on the runs and took the lead 24-19. The Raptors suddenly found themselves behind in a game they thought was already in the bag.

 

Both teams found themselves pulling together, supporting each other and digging deep as the game see-sawed. Runs came freely as the benches stood to cheer on their teammates on every play. Finally, after 5 hours of play and with the sun already dipping below the horizon, the Raptors found themselves 7 runs adrift at the bottom of the 9th.

 

The inning didn’t start well for the Raptors, with a line drive straight into a glove. However, as the inning progressed, a mixture of hits, walks, stolen bases, and errors allowed the Raptors to slowly pull back the deficit. As the evening gloom descended they finally managed to punch in the winning run, causing an amazing celebration on the Raptors Bench with bear hugs and high fives all round. Little leaguer Marty Jnr found himself the new mascot of the Herts Raptors and was held aloft.

 

The game had been played in a fantastic spirit with good play recognized by both sides. The London Marauders, Herts Raptors and the spectators still remaining all knew they’d taken part in and witnessed great game. Both squads left the field exhausted but stronger and more united because of it.

 

NEXT GAME: Herts Raptors vs Richmond Dragons, (16:00, Sunday, 3 May 2009, Grovehill Ballpark),

London Marauders at Herts Raptors
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
London Marauders 0 0 1 2 4 0 16 1 10 34 20 7
Herts Raptors 4 4 5 1 2 3 0 8 8 35 22 6

Herts Raptors 36, London Marauders 35
Herts Raptors London Marauders
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Ade Orioye 3b-p-pr-rf 6 6 3 0 Player 1 p 4 5 2 1
(t4) Neil Brackley lf 2 0 1 0 Player 2 c 6 4 2 1
Ken Pike ss 6 4 3 2 Player 3 1b 7 4 4 2
Marty Cullen p 3 1 1 1 Player 4 2b 6 4 2 2
(b8) Greg Bochan p 0 1 0 0 Player 5 3b 6 5 4 3
Iwan Evans cf-3b 2 5 1 1 Player 6 ss 4 6 2 3
Andrew Slater 1b 6 7 4 4 Player 7 lf 5 2 1 0
Paul Curtis 2b-lf 6 2 3 6 Player 8 cf 4 4 2 1
(b4) Hunter Devine 2b 4 4 3 2 Player 9 rf 5 1 1 1
Elissa Baird cf 0 0 0 0
(b4) Jon Gamble rf 2 1 1 1
Ilya Dimitrov c 5 2 1 1
Robert Crouch rf 3 1 1 0
(b4) Liam Green cf-rf 2 0 0 0
(b8) Matt Johnston cf 2 2 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 49 36 22 18 TEAM TOTALS 47 35 20 14

E: Matt Johnston(3), Iwan Evans(2), Ade Orioye, Player 5(3), Player 2(2), Player 1,
Player 6. LOB: Herts Raptors 9, London Marauders 10. 2B: Paul Curtis(2), Hunter
Devine, Player 5, Player 2, Player 6, Player 3. 3B: Player 8. SB: Ade Orioye(8), Iwan
Evans(6), Hunter Devine(4), Ken Pike(3), Andrew Slater(3), Ilya Dimitrov(2), Paul
Curtis(2), Matt Johnston, Greg Bochan, Player 3(5), Player 1(5), Player 9(4), Player
2(3), Player 6(3), Player 4, Player 5, Player 8. CS: Elissa Baird, Player 9.

Herts Raptors IP H R ER BB SO
Ade Orioye 4.33 12 22 17 17 5
Marty Cullen 4.00 2 3 2 3 5
Greg Bochan W 1.00 6 10 6 4 2
London Marauders            
Player 1 L 8.67 22 36 20 16 7

HBP: by Marty Cullen (Player 7). . , by Ade Orioye (Player 1). . , by Player 1
(Andrew Slater), by Player 1 (Hunter Devine), by Player 1 (Ilya Dimitrov), by Player
1 (Ade Orioye). , by Player 1 (Greg Bochan). WP: Greg Bochan(2), Player 1(6). PB:
Ilya Dimitrov(4), Player 2(13). Balk: Player 1(2). T: 4:47. A: 78.

by AspiDimitrov

EAGLES GET OFF TO A FLYING START

 

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, DAVE HAMILTON

 

A dominant pitching performance from Louis Hare and dream Herts debut for Mike Wakelam led the Herts Eagles to a pair of victories in their AAA league debut against the London Metros.  Despite a tough opening-day fixture, away to more seasoned AAA opposition, the Eagles focus, determination and aggression over 14 innings saw them run out worthy winners.

 

Playing in glorious April sunshine in Finsbury Park, Herts baseball's newest team got off to the perfect start, leading from start to finish in their league debut before battling back to clinch victory with a last-inning rally in game two of the double-header. 

 

In the season's opener, leadoff man Rod Ariss didn't waste his opportunity to make history by scoring the first Eagles run in the top of the first inning, and the honour of the Eagles' first league hit went to Bart Schouwenaars in the second inning.  However, these stats were soon overshadowed by the pitching of Louis Hare who retired the first six Metros hitters and went on to strike out 12 batters (including an astonishing five in a row) with his combination of fastballs and knee-buckling curves.  The home team were off balance throughout and managed just four hits off the Herts right hander in his complete game effort.

 

Meanwhile powerful hitting from player-manager Dave Westfallen helped the Eagles build a 5-0 lead after five innings which, given Hare's mastery on the mound, looked like being more than enough for victory.  Nevertheless, the visitors took advantage of some erratic relief pitching to add some insurance runs and make the final score an emphatic 15-1, Mike Wakelam's 3-run double the highlight in the 10-run last inning rally.

 

Game two was always likely to be a closer affair although Carlos Casal launched his Eagles career in style with a hit, coming round to score and again give Herts an early lead.  This time though the Metros responded with two first inning runs of their own to take the lead.  Casal put the Eagles back ahead 3-2 in the third, with the second of his four runs in the game, before the home team got some luck in the fourth inning – managing to scrabble two infield singles with the bases loaded to take a 5-3 lead.

 

Trailing late in the game, the Eagles' determination was undeniable, with shortstop Nick Russell sliding hard into team-mate Rod Ariss as they raced to field a ball that bounced up off the mound, and relief pitcher Mike Wakelam diving full stretch to snare a pop up.  This aggression proved invaluable in kick starting the offense however, with some excellent base running forcing mistakes from the Metros and enabling the Eagles to tie the score at 5-5 in the fifth inning before the bottom of the order sparked a four run seventh inning rally to give them a 9-5 lead.  This was more than enough for Wakelam who, with a little help from his infield, claimed the final three outs for a 9-6 victory.

 

After describing the first victory as 'not bad', new manager Dave Westfallen was more enthusiastic about the Eagles come-from-behind victory in game two, commenting “this was a fantastic team effort and a great start to the season”.  Having also spilt blood for the cause after a foul tip caught him in the ear in game 1, Westie was keen to quash rumours that he had requested an injury time-out by saying “please ump my ear really hurts”, insisting that he wanted to keep playing! 

 

While the exact truth behind that story may never be known, one thing is certain – if the Eagles can repeat this form over the next few months, the rest of the league better watch out! Hertfordshire's newest team are not just here to make up the numbers – they're here to WIN.

 

GAME 1 BOX SCORES

Herts Eagles at London Metros
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Herts Eagles 1 0 2 0 2 0 10 0 15 13 2
London Metros 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 1

Herts Eagles 15, London Metros 1
Herts Eagles London Metros
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Rod Ariss 2b 3 2 2 0 Player 1 p 3 1 1 0
Nick Russell ss 3 1 1 1 Player 2 c 3 0 1 0
Mike Wakelam 3b 4 2 1 4 Player 3 1b 3 0 0 0
Louis Hare p 4 1 0 0 Player 4 2b 3 0 1 0
Dave Westfallen c 3 2 2 1 Player 5 3b 3 0 0 0
Bart Schouwenaars 1b 4 2 3 2 Player 6 ss 3 0 0 0
Rodney Naghar rf 2 2 1 0 Player 7 lf 3 0 1 0
Dave Hamilton cf 1 2 0 0 Player 8 cf 2 0 0 0
Tim Elkins lf 3 1 1 1 Player 9 rf 2 0 0 0
Jonathon Lewys xf1 1 0 1 0
Carlos Casal xf1 1 0 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 29 15 13 9 TEAM TOTALS 25 1 4 0

E: Mike Wakelam(2), Player 8. LOB: London Metros 3, Herts Eagles 12. 2B: Mike
Wakelam, Bart Schouwenaars. SB: Bart Schouwenaars(2), Rod Ariss(2), Dave
Westfallen(2), Rodney Naghar(2), Nick Russell, Louis Hare, Player 4, Player 1. CS:
Nick Russell, Player 2. SF: Dave Westfallen.

Herts Eagles IP H R ER BB SO
Louis Hare W 7.00 4 1 0 0 12
London Metros            
Player 1 L 7.00 13 15 11 16 3

HBP: by Player 1 (Tim Elkins), by Player 1 (Nick Russell). . T: 2:17. A: 39

 

GAME 2 BOX SCORES

Herts Eagles at London Metros
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Eagles 1 0 2 0 2 0 4 9 5 6
London Metros 2 0 0 3 0 0 1 6 7 4

Herts Eagles 9, London Metros 6
Herts Eagles London Metros
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Rod Ariss 2b 3 2 1 1 Player 1 p 2 2 0 0
Carlos Casal 3b 3 4 3 1 Player 2 c 4 0 1 1
Nick Russell ss 3 0 0 1 Player 3 1b 2 0 0 1
Louis Hare 1b 2 1 0 0 Player 4 2b 4 2 1 0
Dave Westfallen c 4 0 0 0 Player 5 3b 4 0 2 0
Bart Schouwenaars p 1 0 0 0 Player 6 ss 4 0 1 1
(b4) Mike Wakelam p 2 0 1 1 Player 7 lf 3 1 1 0
Rodney Naghar lf 4 0 0 0 Player 8 cf 3 1 0 0
Dave Hamilton cf 2 1 0 0 Player 9 rf 3 0 1 0
Jonathon Lewys rf 2 1 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 26 9 5 4 TEAM TOTALS 29 6 7 3

E: Carlos Casal(3), Nick Russell, Dave Westfallen, Bart Schouwenaars, Player 2(2),
Player 1, Player 3. LOB: Herts Eagles 4, London Metros 8. 2B: Carlos Casal, Player 4.
SB: Carlos Casal(5), Rod Ariss(3), Dave Westfallen, Louis Hare, Dave Hamilton, Player
1(2), Player 6. S: Nick Russell.

Herts Eagles IP H R ER BB SO
Mike Wakelam W 3.67 2 1 0 1 6
Bart Schouwenaars 3.33 5 5 2 5 3
London Metros            
Player 1 L 7.00 5 9 5 5 5

HBP: by Player 1 (Bart Schouwenaars). . . . . , by Player 1 (Louis Hare). WP: Bart
Schouwenaars(2), Player 1. PB: Player 2(2). T: 2:23. A: 39.

by AspiDimitrov

HOPE SPRINGS, HERTFORDSHIRE

from Newswire special correspondent, Rob Jones

“Spring Training”. It always has to go in those inverted commas — “Spring Training” — because the disparity between the sun-kissed Major League experience and the often rain-soaked British version is stark. An American friend of mine always goes to watch pre-season games in Florida and often sends me smug, if well-meaning, text messages from the stands. I send him back little black clouds of jealousy. But in many ways spring training is the same on both sides of the Atlantic.

Ball-players emerge from months of hibernation to revive aching limbs and slowing reflexes, ready for another summer on the diamond. It's exciting, but also frustrating as you try to pick up where you left off. Baseball is a game which really repays your time – the more you play, the better you get and, to be honest, you can only ever be so good when you’re a casual like me. Last season, I was lucky enough to win the Raptors batting title – and so far this year my hitting has been going pretty well. Chalk one up in the “plus” column.

But in the field, I am trying to convert from an outfielder to a shortstop, and realising that things happen much quicker on the infield dirt! I always try to have realistic expectations, and so I am content with steady and unspectacular progress. But you still want the spectacular! It is so galling when a player is safe at first by just a step, or when you make a good stop then get the ball trapped somewhere in your glove. And in the “minus” column I’ve already had one bungled rundown, and one truly absurd fumble of a simple pop-up. But maybe that’s what “Spring Training” (remember those commas) is for.

For a second year, we have been taking part in a spring league, the HSL, and clubs from all over the region have taken part. The games have a spirit all of their own. There is banter between the two teams, and a tolerance of unusual behaviour – on Sunday, an opposing player shouted out “’Have it!” as he connected with a line drive to centre field, and nobody did anything but laugh. But in the same game a player who had just been called out on the base paths exclaimed “Bo****ks!” and nearly squared up to the umpire. Yes, it’s an exhibition game, but why play if you don’t want to win?

The spring league actually saw some sunshine this year, and some good baseball. The team known as Herts 3 for this tournament even won its division. I think the club is very optimistic entering another big year for us. The Raptors have a big intake of rookies, but they have showed great promise in the HSL games and if they show the same mix of fun and determination as they did during “Spring Training”, there will be no problem. Here’s hoping that the “summer” weather doesn’t need those inverted commas!

by AspiDimitrov

DRAMATIC END TO 2009 HERTS SPRING LEAGUE

 

The 2009 Herts Spring League ended on Sunday with the races for the Pool 1 and Poll 2 titles coming alive.

 

At the start of the final round of matches in Pool 1 three teams were in with a chance to win it.  The Alconbury Braves knew that in order to jump above the leading Bracknell Blazers, they needed to win their final game by 3 runs.  But in that final game they faced the Southampton Mustangs who were also in with a chance to win the title if they could overcome the Braves. 

 

We were set for a clash between two title contenders and this certainly was no Spring Training game.  Both Southampton and Alconbury went out on the field visibly motivated to win.  There were even some heated clashes between individual players of the two teams when Mustangs pitcher, Ralph, was determined to get to second base and collided into the Braves’ second baseman who simply wanted to apply a routine tag on him for the third out of the inning.  The Braves showed a lot of class by not getting physically involved after what was a slightly overaggressive play by Southampton. 

 

Both teams will probably have their own different views on the incident but it was proof of the desire which both teams had to win the HSL title and that’s the way every baseball game should be played.

 

The Mustangs were holding on to the lead until Braves first baseman, Matt Walker, launched a home run over the right field wall to tie the game at 7-7.  This was also the first home run at the new-look Grovehill Ballpark in Hertfordshire and its new permanent outfield fence.

 

With HSL games being timed, the clock was ticking for both teams as a tie was no good to either of them.  In the top of 9th inning Southampton retired the Braves batters and they had just a few minutes left in the bottom of the inning to win the game.  Alconbury held on and so the game was declared a tie.  This meant that both teams had knocked each other out of the title race and the Bracknell Blazers were declared the 2009 Herts Spring League Pool 1 winners.

 

In Pool 2 the battle was just as exciting.  Braintree Rays, Richmond Dragons and the Herts 3 were all in the running.  Herts 3 were in pole position with a 100% record so far, but they stumbled against a tough MK Bucks team who won 13-5.  This meant that Herts 3 had to rely results of the games played at Connare Field in Richmond.  The Braintree Rays lost to the Kent Mariners and were no longer a threat to Herts 3.  The only remaining contender were the Richmond Dragons.  They were up against Herts 2 who were determined to help their club mates, Herts 3.  After going neck-and-neck for a few innings, Herts 2 opened up a big lead with a devastating 9 runs in the fourth inning.  Richmond were not able to catch up and so Herts 3 were declared the HSL Pool 2 Champions.

 

The second year of the Herts Spring League has proven to be better than the first year with more teams and fans taking part.  Teams are already submitting their applications to enter the 2010 HSL, which is great to see.

 

But right now it is time for all the teams to get set for the real thing as the 2009 British Baseball season is about to get under way this coming Sunday, 19 April 2009, with games taking place across the whole country.

 

Images courtesy of HP2Photographic.com

 

For full list of results, standings and more about this year's Herts Spring League visit the official HSL website.