Category: Raptors

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS’ SECOND BASEBALL DIAMOND STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE

The next stage of the Grovehill Ballpark Development is well and truly under way.  The contractors have commenced the work which will see the playing surface of the second diamond being levelled.  Tractors, bulldozers and other specialist vehicles were out in force this afternoon on the second diamond along with various laser measuring equipment required for this type of project. 

 

Apart from levelling the playing surface, the project will also involve the arduous task of grading the hill to make the home plate area and the foul territory around the infield aligned with the rest of the infield.  This will create a bank similar to the one on the first base side of the first diamond.  The one difference is that the hill next to the second diamond is much more pronounced and this will create a natural amphitheatre for spectators in the shade under the big trees, which will be a relief on those hot summer days, which usually see players and fans on the first diamond scrambling for their umbrellas as protection from the sun.

 

Once the playing surface has been levelled, the next step will be to inject the grass seed mixture into the surface.  At that point the weather will play a vital role in how well the grass will grow.  When the first rainfall occurs the grass seed will begin to germinate.  It will be critical that there is plenty of rain after that to ensure a high quality grass surface in 2010.

 

This stage of the Grovehill Ballpark Development has been made possible thanks to the £5,000 grant awarded to Herts Baseball Club last month from the Dacorum Olympic and Paralympic Fund, administered jointly by Dacorum Borough Council and the Dacorum Sports Network.

More images of the Grovehill Ballpark Project

by AspiDimitrov

THE LAST WALTZ-ER

This was a last ride on the Raptors rollercoaster before the Theme Park closed for the season. There were a few screams, stomachs churned, hands were waved in the air — and when it was over, we wanted to do it all again. But we couldn't. Not just because it was now dark, and the Health and Safety people were itching to shut us down, but because this was our last game of the year.

It had been a classic see-saw battle with the Old Timers. And for me, it was a pretty busy one. An extraordinary number of chances seemed to come my way, even for a game at shortstop. The dramatic highlight was a pop-up which looked to be routine — until it disappeared in the blazing sun. I was just  shouting that I had lost it, when I suddenly saw a small black dot reappear and I was able to reach out and snatch it off the very tip of the grass. Slater had to take a few minutes to recover from his heart palpitations.

Of the grounders, I'm pleased to say that a couple were dealt with cleanly but, frustratingly, others got away — one took a bad hop and I could only stop it with my bare hand, others were blocked. As the game went on, I played closer and closer in, even on to the grass, and I think it helped. You lose some range, but for anything near me, it removed the danger of the bad hop as the ball goes on to the redgra, and mader my throw shorter. Most of the ground balls were not being hit that hard. Even this late in the season, you are still figuring out what works.

I have been highly critical of my own batting this season, and with justification. The batting title has long since gone west! At least this week, faced with the milder offerings of the Old Timers pitching, I was able to get bat on ball every time. But still I only hit shallow singles. Looking at the photos afterwards, it was clear that I wasn't generating any power from my legs. A little guy like me needs to use everything, and too often I was only swinging with my arms. As consolation for myself, I include a picture of me in a more successful at-bat — this was an RBI  single to the opposite field.

So the rides have all stopped now, the gates are closed, the candy-floss machine has been switched off. Somewhere in the dark is one of those scary-looking horses you see on the roundabout. Or maybe that's just one of the team who has had a rough night. This game had all the hallmarks of the Herts Raptors — both good and bad — and was a fitting finale. It would have been perfect if we had won of course, but dreams can't always come true. Even at the fun-fair.

by AspiDimitrov

RAPTORS GRILL MARAUDERS

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, JON GAMBLE

 

The Herts Raptors travelled to Finsbury Park on a grey Sunday afternoon with hopes of edging their way closer to the season play-offs. For the London Marauders it has been a long season as they went into the game still without a single win. The barbecue sizzles in the background.

 

The Herts team came out of the pits firing on all cylinders. Nippy base-stealing and a willingness to take advantage of some erratic pitching  quickly put four runs on the board. The Marauders were unable to respond as sharp fielding by the Raptors – including their first double-play of the day – made short work of the early London batting order. Perrie Sherman, returning from international pitching duties in Belgium, was looking at home in the catcher's box.

 

The Raptors made the most of some not-so-sharp fielding errors to add a further four runs in the top of the second. However, debut pitcher Jeff Witter appeared to take a liking to his new job for the Raptors – restricting the Marauders to only one run in reply.

 

The top of the third inning turned into a walkfest for the Raptors as a combination of sound hitting, wild pitching and aggressive base stealing piled on the runs. Someone famously said that there is no defence against a walk. For the London Marauders this was the hard lesson of the day. The Raptors base-stealing operation was working like a high-octane machine but uncontrolled pitching was also making it too easy to get batters round.

 

By the end of the decisive third inning, the Marauders have been grilled to order – as the Raptors lead stretches to 20-2. The Marauders were never able to get a serious rally going. This was largely the result of the disciplined pitching performance of Jeff Witter backed up by a very tidy fielding display from the rest of the Raptors – in which Iwan Evans, Andrew Slater and Paul Curtis should all get special mention. The Raptors improvement in the fielding department – including another crisp double play in the bottom of the fourth – was the hallmark of the game.

 

Of the three contests between these two sides this season, this was the most one-sided. The London Marauders are a genial side who play the game in the proper spirit, while the hospitality at Finsbury Park sets the standard for convivial sportsmanship. For the Marauders the road to baseball success surely lies through solving the pitching riddle. It is a puzzle that the Raptors have also struggled with throughout the season. Jeff Witter's economical performance on Sunday suggest that they have gone a some way towards solving it.

 

 

Herts Raptors at London Marauders
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Raptors 4 4 12 0 0 3 1 24 8 2
London Marauders 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 6 4 5

Herts Raptors 24, London Marauders 6
Herts Raptors London Marauders
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Iwan Evans cf 6 5 3 3 Player 1 p 4 1 1 0
Ilya Dimitrov ss 2 4 0 1 Player 2 c 3 2 1 0
Andrew Slater 1b 6 4 2 3 Player 3 1b 1 2 0 0
Jonathon Lewys 3b 3 2 1 2 Player 4 2b 3 0 0 2
Paul Curtis 2b 2 2 1 0 Player 5 3b 2 1 0 0
Perrie Sherman c 2 1 0 2 Player 6 ss 4 0 1 0
Jeff Witter p 5 0 0 1 Player 7 lf 3 0 0 0
Robert Crouch lf 5 3 1 0 Player 8 cf 1 0 1 0
Jon Gamble rf 1 3 0 0 Player 9 rf 3 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 32 24 8 12 TEAM TOTALS 24 6 4 2

E: Paul Curtis, Perrie Sherman, Player 4(2), Player 5(2), Player 6. DP: Herts Raptors
2. LOB: London Marauders 6, Herts Raptors 12. 2B: Iwan Evans, Player 6. SB: Andrew
Slater(4), Jonathon Lewys(4), Ilya Dimitrov(4), Iwan Evans(3), Robert Crouch(3), Paul
Curtis(2), Perrie Sherman, Player 3(4), Player 5(3), Player 2(3), Player 1(2). SF:
Jonathon Lewys, Player 4.

Herts Raptors IP H R ER BB SO
Jeff Witter W 7.00 4 6 3 9 5
London Marauders            
Player 1 L 7.00 8 24 9 23 5

HBP: by Player 1 (Ilya Dimitrov). . , by Player 1 (Jon Gamble). . . . WP: Jeff
Witter(3), Player 1(9). PB: Player 2(7). T: 3:15. A: 98.

by AspiDimitrov

GOOD TO BE BACK

I can't tell you what a relief it is to be writing about playing baseball, instead of writing about not playing baseball. After five weeks off, I was back in uniform and it was simply great fun. We took on the London Marauders in a rematch of our eye-watering opening game which ended 35-34 in virtual darkness. And we nearly went the same way again. After a late start, and with rain clouds frequently threatening over Grovehill, both sides racked up huge scores. As we considered sending out for pizzas and a dozen tents, the Raptors finally managed to establish some dominance and closed it out after 9 o'clock, winning 41-26.

As you can tell from the score, this was not classic, tight baseball. There were hits a-plenty and more stolen bases than I could possibly count. I was personally delighted that I was able to slap some good line drives around the field, including my first ever triple. As the ball crawled towards the fence in the centre field gap, I rounded first at a sprint, took a big turn at second but as I considered going for the full, inside-the-park glory, I glanced right and saw the ball heading for the cut-off man. Do you test a defence which is clearly not the best in the league? Or do you accept what you've got, and make sure you keep the inning alive? In the end I slid into third, and had to call time to get my breath back, so it was probably best that I hadn't headed for home. Although I benefited from a couple of slightly lucky infield hits, I don't think I made an out all day, so that was a satisfying return to the game.

 

In the field, the boss very kindly slotted me straight back in at shortstop, and things went reasonably well. I made a couple of catches and stops, and just missed out on an unassisted double play. But I also committed two errors when the ball went under my glove, one from a dying quail on the infield, the other a rolling grounder that I rushed. They were just minutes apart in an inning where things threatened to unravel for us. So often, mistakes in baseball breed mistakes, just as success brings confidence and more success. You need to just take five minutes out of the game to really shake off a mistake, but that's not possible. My team-mates helped me get out of this one alive.

And the final out of the day was perhaps a combination of all of this, good and bad. I was in on the play, picking up a tricky dribbler which had got through Jack, our third baseman. Looking up, I was surprised to see a Marauders' runner heading home, even though he didn't have to. In my haste, I snatched at the throw to the plate, dragging it a good six feet off line. Thankfully Slater — wearing the tools of ignorance — made a fantastic move to haul in the ball and dive across to tag the runner. The place went wild. For me, I felt a wave of warmth to have been part of a win for the first time this season, and to have returned to the diamond for such a great game.

Let's not leave it so long next time.

 

by AspiDimitrov

ANOTHER RAPTORS VS MARAUDERS EPIC

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, ROB JONES

 

2 games. 138 runs. Well over 9 hours of action. The Herts Raptors and London Marauders have already built up an extraordinary history together. The first time around, it was a narrow win for the Herts team — this time, it looked like being another marathon nail-biter, until the Raptors finally managed to assert themselves and save the need for floodlights.

 

It was already gone 5pm when the rematch began. And for the Herts team, it began well. Mistakes on the bases and a strong throw from centre-fielder, Iwan Evans, meant the visitors fell victim to a quick double play, and they were up and down in the first inning without scoring.  By contrast, Raptors built on several solid base hits with an aggressive stealing policy, and racked up 7 runs. But then the familiar exchange of high scoring resumed. The London team weighed in with 6 runs of their own in the top of the second and the heavyweight contest began in earnest.

 

In the third inning London chased the Raptors starter, Andrew Slater. The Marauders had mastered the knack of hitting the ball into gaps, and mistakes and missed chances in the field only helped their cause. After an inning which seemed to last an eternity, the visitors had taken the lead 21-17.

 

Fat rain fell sporadically on the field now as the Marauders' pirate chants battled with the band of enthusiastic Herts fans. And in the gathering gloom, it was the Raptors star Jon Lewys who stepped up to lead the charge. Now pitching, he challenged and blew away a string of London batters, fielding some of the plays himself. There were catches from Paul Curtis, and Rob Jones, and hits from Jack Calow and — of course — that man Lewys. Herts gained momentum and the door was eased shut on the visitors. The lead stretched beyond the ten needed for the slaughter rule.

 

With nine o'clock already a distant memory, the final play was scrappy but decisive. A ground ball which looked like it should have been called foul sneaked through two Herts fielders, before luckily ending up in the hand of one of them. The London base-runner had seen his chance to head home, but Andrew Slater, now wearing the catcher's gear, was able to pull in the wayward throw and tag the runner. It was a euphoric moment, the team's third win of the year, and a bounce-back from two weeks of disappointment. Both sides had played an even game in a fine spirit, and the 41-26 win will surely not be the end of the story.

 

Click for more Images

by AspiDimitrov

SUN SHINES ON THE MAVERICKS’ RALLY

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, Jon Gamble

 

Few things are as unpredictable as the weather in an English summer.  A sure rain-off for the afternoon's game in Guilford looks likely. Yet as the Raptors arrive to face the Mavericks, it is one of those perfect sunny June days in England that are made for a game of baseball.

 

The Raptors are confident coming out of a strong win at Richmond the previous week. The confidence shows right from the start. With bases loaded, Jonathon Lewys thumps a 3-run home run deep into the playing fields of leafy Surrey. The Raptors have turned up for a game.

 

The Mavericks reply with a couple of runs. They don't look flustered. The early innings settle into a low-scoring scrap with both sides defending with grit. At the top of the fifth, the Raptors change gear. Paul Curtis and Steve Nippress both hit doubles. Jonathon Lewys decides it's time to belt another 3-run home run – with bases loaded off course. He is in imperious form.

 

The Mavericks finally look a little rattled. Time-out. Out goes TJ Sheridan with the Mavericks' bullpen in action. Andrew Slater is promptly hit by fiery low pitch but manages to get round in some obvious pain. This is leading from the front. At the end of the inning, the Raptors are on top with a commanding 15-3 lead.

 

The Mavericks are going to have to dig deep to get out of a hole. They reply with 5 doubles in the bottom of the fifth, score 7 runs and show that they are not ready to be sent to bed early. 15-10 looks a lot better.

 

What the Maverick's new pitcher lacks in accuracy he makes up for in vim. Some of his pitches are so zesty that even the umpire is having trouble seeing how low they are. The Raptors are hustled out in the top of the fifth – with only Steve Nippress getting round.

 

They put on a couple of runs in the bottom of the sixth. It is 16-12 at the end of the innings. Everyone suddenly knows that they're in a game not a walk-over. Ilya Dimitrov and Steve Nippress both hit doubles in the top of the seventh. Steve is having a helluva game with both bat and mitt – by now. Jon Gamble strikes out looking after dodging pitches round the ankles and at head height. He is still looking for the pitch that struck him out. 19-12 at the top of the seventh.

 

The Mavericks made the most of a couple of fielding errors and picked up the rally they started in the bottom of the fifth to reply with 5 runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Mavericks are not the kind of team that gives up when they're behind. They rode their luck. Once they had pulled the game back to 19-17, their tails were up. Both teams out up a run each in the eighth with the game finely balanced.. 

 

The Raptors had lead all the way through the game, going into the ninth inning 20-18 but could not hold the Mavericks in the final inning. They had played catch-up all game and finally made it. The Raptors left Godalming a little disappointed but somehow satisfied that they had fought hard in a closely fought game. Driving home through Buckinghamshire, the heavens opened and the thunder clapped. Few things are as unpredictable as the English weather in summer – except maybe the Mavericks' relief pitcher.

 

Click for more images from the game, courtesy of Jon Gamble.

 

Herts Raptors at Guildford Mavericks
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Herts Raptors 4 1 1 0 9 1 3 1 0 20 16 5
Guildford Mavericks 2 1 0 0 7 2 5 1 3 21 22 9

Guildford Mavericks 21, Herts Raptors 20
Guildford Mavericks Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
TJ Sheridan p 6 1 1 1 Matt Johnston cf 5 2 1 0
Michael Burdett c 7 3 3 2 Nick Read c 4 2 1 0
Tom Sheridan 1b 7 2 3 4 Jonathon Lewys 3b 6 3 4 7
Dante Taglucop 2b 5 2 3 2 Andrew Slater p 5 3 1 1
Ally Carr 3b 5 2 1 0 Ilya Dimitrov ss 5 4 3 1
Peter Badenhuizen ss 5 2 3 2 Jack Calow 2b 3 1 1 0
James Cumper lf 6 4 4 2 (t5) Neil Brackley 2b 2 0 0 0
Marty Poulter cf 6 3 3 1 Paul Curtis 1b 5 2 3 4
Rik Travers rf 4 2 1 1 Steve Nippress lf 5 2 2 2
          Phil Hynes rf 2 0 0 0
          (t4) Robert Crouch rf 3 1 0 1
          (t7) Jon Gamble rf 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 51 21 22 15 TEAM TOTALS 45 20 16 16

E: TJ Sheridan(2), Michael Burdett(2), Tom Sheridan(2), Dante Taglucop(2), Ally Carr,
Paul Curtis(2), Jonathon Lewys, Ilya Dimitrov, Jack Calow. LOB: Herts Raptors 9,
Guildford Mavericks 11. 2B: Tom Sheridan(3), Michael Burdett, TJ Sheridan, Dante
Taglucop, Peter Badenhuizen, Marty Poulter, Jonathon Lewys(2), Steve Nippress(2),
Ilya Dimitrov, Andrew Slater, Paul Curtis. HR: Jonathon Lewys(2). SB: James
Cumper(4), Michael Burdett(2), Dante Taglucop(2), TJ Sheridan, Marty Poulter, Ally
Carr, Rik Travers, Ilya Dimitrov(3), Steve Nippress(2), Jonathon Lewys(2), Matt
Johnston(2), Paul Curtis. CS: Andrew Slater.

Guildford Mavericks IP H R ER BB SO
TJ Sheridan W 9.00 16 20 13 10 11
Herts Raptors            
Andrew Slater L 8.33 22 21 16 6 3

HBP: by TJ Sheridan (Andrew Slater). . . . . WP: Andrew Slater(3). PB: Nick Read(2).
T: 4:35. A: 32.

by AspiDimitrov

RAYS EXTEND RAPTORS’ LOSING STREAK

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, ROB JONES

This was another tale of bold battling from the Herts rookies, but two bad innings consigned them to a tough but honourable defeat.

The Raptors started well in the Essex sunshine. Four of the first five hitters reached base, and the visitors plated three runs. But the Rays pounced when Herts' starting pitcher, Hunter Devine, struggled with his control as he nursed a tight shoulder. With the help of merciless base-stealing, Braintree took a 9-3 lead in the first inning, and that helped them keep their noses in front. 

The next few innings saw the initiative ebb and flow. Having left the mound, Hunter Devine was a menace at the plate and on the bases. He stole 7 bags in all, and Jon Lewys — the Raptors' player of the year so far — came up big again with hits and with strikeouts. By the middle of the fifth it was 16-8 to Braintree, and the match was finely balanced.

Then the Rays bats suddenly got to work. Their hits managed to find gaps in both the infield and outfield and it was death by a thousand cuts for the Raptors as seven runs scored. Throughout the game there had been notably few big hits from the Rays — the outfield had a mostly quiet day, save for one booming hit which turned into a 3-run homer because of the lack of any outfield fence. But, however they are scored, the runs all count.

Raptors tried to strike back in the top of the sixth but a little bit of bad luck sealed their fate. After Ilya Dimitrov earned the latest in his series of walks, he stole his way to third. Rob Jones worked the count and fouled off pitches before finally connecting with a sharp line drive. But rather than finding a gap for an RBI it whizzed straight into the shortstop's waiting glove, and he sharply doubled off Dimitrov at third base. A potential rally was decisively stifled.

Raptors did manage one last hurrah, in the top of the seventh, as they tried to avoid the slaughter rule. A single and a walk got runners on base, and as Chris Brown beat the throw to first on a dropped third strike, Jeff Witter ran in to score from third. He slipped, but was able to literally crawl across home plate and keep the game alive. The Raptors managed to score four runs, but finally the Rays were too strong.

More images of the Raptors' trip to Braintree provided by Rob Jones

Herts Raptors at Braintree Rays
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Raptors 3 1 0 4 0 0 4 12 10 1
Braintree Rays 9 1 5 1 7 1 0 24 14 3

Braintree Rays 24, Herts Raptors 12
Braintree Rays Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 2 4 2 2 Hunter Devine p-1b 4 2 3 0
Player 2 c 4 4 3 3 Ilya Dimitrov cf 2 2 1 1
Player 3 1b 4 3 3 2 Rob Jones ss 4 2 0 0
Player 4 2b 3 0 1 1 Andrew Slater 3b 3 2 1 1
Player 5 3b 3 4 2 1 Jonathon Lewys 1b-p 4 1 4 3
Player 6 ss 2 3 0 0 Jeff Witter 2b 3 1 0 0
Player 7 lf 3 1 1 5 Nick Read c-3b 2 0 0 0
Player 8 cf 4 2 1 1 (t4) Perrie Sherman cf-c 2 0 0 0
Player 9 rf 3 3 1 0 Phil Crooks lf 3 0 0 0
Chris Brown rf 3 1 0 0
(b4) Paul Curtis rf-lf 2 1 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 28 24 14 15 TEAM TOTALS 32 12 10 5

E: Player 2(2), Player 3, Hunter Devine. LOB: Braintree Rays 5, Herts Raptors 7. 2B:
Player 2, Player 3, Player 1, Jonathon Lewys(2), Paul Curtis. HR: Player 7. SB:
Player 2(10), Player 3(7), Player 1(6), Player 5(5), Player 8(4), Player 9(4), Player
7(3), Player 4(2), Player 6(2), Hunter Devine(7), Ilya Dimitrov(7), Jonathon
Lewys(5), Andrew Slater(2), Rob Jones(2), Jeff Witter, Paul Curtis. CS: Hunter
Devine. SB: Player 1.

Braintree Rays IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 7.00 10 12 6 8 11
Herts Raptors            
Jonathon Lewys 5.00 11 14 13 8 5
Hunter Devine L 1.00 3 10 10 10 1

HBP: by Player 1 (Nick Read). WP: Player 1(2), Jonathon Lewys. PB: Player 2(2). T:
3:20. A: 60.

by AspiDimitrov

RAPTORS 12 BRACKNELL BLAZERS II 23

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, KEN PIKE

 

The Raptors travelled to Bracknell to face the Blazers II knowing it would be a tough showdown with the opposition fielding three team GB cadets in their line up. With this in mind the brave young Raptors squad put fear aside and produced their best performance of the year.

 

Some commanding pitching from Jon Lewys was the trademark of the game as he went the full nine innings showing an ever increasing confidence on the mound. His command of the strike zone was a further step in his development and improvement. Jon is looking to be a star of the team by the end of the season both as a glove, a bat and an arm.

 

Backing Jon up in the field was no easy task though with Bracknell hitting some powerful shots around the park, including one home run to left field. Never the less, some amazing plays kept the scores within reach including a spectacular sliding catch from Rob Jones to close out an inning.

 

The batting performances of the day came from player-manager Andrew Slater with two double RBIs, and Steve Nippress who nearly cleared the boundary himself for the Raptors but fell only a couple of yards short of the first HR of his career. The team did well over all racking up 12 runs against two powerful pitchers.

 

Comedy moment as well as dedication and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds awards go to Iwan Evans who decided to steal home on a passed ball at third. Beaten to the bag by a mile Iwan went for an acrobatic avoidance of the tag resulting in his legs being higher than his head. Result: one out, an injured hip (to add to his arm) and a mouthful of dirt. Luckily our Jackie Chan wannabe was walking again after a brief respite and is sure to be playing next week, even if he is sporting a bruised ego and gluteous maximus.

 

Returning from an injured right shoulder Ken Pike was forced to take the field earlier than the coach wanted due to the third inning injury of new starter Jeff Witter. As is always the way in such matters the very first hit of the inning went straight to Ken. As was, it ended up in his glove and produced an out at first. Sadly, half an inning later and he was on the ground again having attempted a throw to home plate. After moving to first base he managed to finish the game, and he assures us his arm will be ready next week.

 

Sadly, despite the team’s bravery and effort, the damage had been done early on and the Raptors were fighting to come back from a 10 run deficit after two innings. The end result of a 12 -23 loss does them credit having kept the gap to 11 by the end of the game. They can still hold their heads high knowing they avoided the mercy rule against a team likely to be a league higher next year.

Herts Raptors at Bracknell Blazers II
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Raptors 0 0 2 2 0 4 4 12 6 1
Bracknell Blazers II 5 5 0 2 6 5 0 23 22 2

Bracknell Blazers II 23, Herts Raptors 12
Bracknell Blazers II Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p-rf 4 2 3 2 Rob Jones cf 1 3 1 0
Player 2 c 6 2 3 0 Ilya Dimitrov ss 0 3 0 0
Player 3 1b 4 2 1 0 Jonathon Lewys p 1 2 1 1
Player 4 2b 3 1 1 2 Andrew Slater c 4 1 2 2
(t5) Sub 1 2b 1 2 1 0 Steve Nippress 2b 4 0 1 2
Player 5 3b 4 4 3 2 Ken Pike 1b-2b 4 0 1 1
Player 6 ss 2 3 2 2 Phil Crooks lf 3 1 0 0
(b5) Sub 3 ss 1 2 1 0 Iwan Evans 3b 2 1 0 0
Player 7 lf 4 1 1 0 Neil Brackley rf 3 1 0 0
(t5) Sub 2 cf 1 2 1 0
Player 8 cf-lf 6 1 4 2
Player 9 rf-p 4 1 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 40 23 22 11 TEAM TOTALS 22 12 6 6

E: Player 2, Player 3, Steve Nippress. LOB: Herts Raptors 7, Bracknell Blazers II 11.
2B: Player 5, Player 6, Player 9, Steve Nippress, Ken Pike. 3B: Player 6. SB: Player
1(5), Player 3(4), Player 5(3), Sub 1(3), Player 9(2), Player 8(2), Sub 3(2), Player
2, Player 6, Player 4, Player 7, Sub 2, Rob Jones(3), Ilya Dimitrov(3), Andrew
Slater(2), Jonathon Lewys, Iwan Evans, Ken Pike, Neil Brackley, Phil Crooks. CS: Iwan
Evans.

Bracknell Blazers II IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 6.00 4 8 7 12 9
Player 9 1.00 2 4 4 3 2
Herts Raptors            
Jonathon Lewys L 6.00 22 23 23 10 2

HBP: by Jonathon Lewys (Player 9). . . . , by Jonathon Lewys (Player 3). , by Player
1 (Ken Pike). , by Player 9 (Rob Jones). WP: Player 1. T: 4:00. A: 34.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 1st:
Rob Jones walked, batted forward to 2nd, tagged out going to 3rd.
Ilya Dimitrov walked, stole 2nd.
Andrew Slater struck out swinging.
Steve Nippress struck out looking.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Bracknell Blazers II – Bottom of the 1st:
Player 1 singled, batted forward to home.
Player 2 singled, batted forward to home.
Player 3 singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Player 4 flied out, 1 RBI.
Player 5 walked, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Player 6 walked, batted forward to home.
Player 7 flied out.
Player 8 singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, 1 RBI.
Player 9 hit by pitch, batted forward to 2nd.
Player 1 walked, 1 RBI.
Player 2 popped out.
5 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 2nd:
Ken Pike grounded out.
Phil Crooks grounded out.
Iwan Evans grounded out.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Bracknell Blazers II – Bottom of the 2nd:
Player 3 popped out.
Player 4 singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home, 1 RBI.
Player 5 struck out looking.
Player 6 doubled, batted forward to home, 1 RBI.
Player 7 singled, batted forward to home.
Player 8 singled, batted forward to 3rd, stole home.
Player 9 walked, batted forward to 3rd, stole home, 1 RBI.
Player 1 singled, stole 2nd, 1 RBI.
Player 2 singled.
Player 7 popped out.
5 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 3rd:
Neil Brackley popped out.
Rob Jones singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Ilya Dimitrov walked, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Jonathon Lewys walked, batted forward to 2nd, stole 3rd.
Andrew Slater singled, stole 2nd.
Steve Nippress struck out looking.
Ken Pike struck out looking.
2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Bracknell Blazers II – Bottom of the 3rd:
Player 8 popped out.
Player 9 doubled, stole 3rd.
Player 1 walked, stole 2nd.
Player 2 struck out looking.
Player 3 popped out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 4th:
Phil Crooks walked, advanced to 2nd on wild pitch, batted forward to 3rd, stole home.
Iwan Evans walked, batted forward to 2nd, advanced to 3rd on error, batted forward to
home.
Neil Brackley struck out swinging.
Rob Jones walked, advanced to 2nd on error, tagged out going to 3rd.
Ilya Dimitrov reached on interference, batted forward to 2nd, forced out at 3rd.
Jonathon Lewys singled, advanced to 2nd on error.
2 runs, 1 hit, 2 errors, 1 LOB.
Bracknell Blazers II – Bottom of the 4th:
Player 4 popped out.
Player 5 singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Player 6 tripled, stole home, 1 RBI.
Player 7 reached on error, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd.
Player 8 popped out.
Player 9 popped out.
2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 5th:
Steve Nippress walked, picked off.
Ken Pike doubled, stole 3rd.
Phil Crooks struck out looking.
Iwan Evans popped out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Bracknell Blazers II – Bottom of the 5th:
Player 1 singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, stole home.
Player 2 walked, advanced to 2nd on error, tagged out going to 3rd.
Player 3 hit by pitch, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Sub 1 singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, stole home.
Player 5 singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Sub 3 singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Sub 2 singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Player 8 singled.
Player 9 popped out.
Player 1 popped out.
6 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 6th:
Neil Brackley walked, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Rob Jones walked, batted forward to home.
Ilya Dimitrov walked, batted forward to home.
Jonathon Lewys walked, batted forward to home, 1 RBI.
Andrew Slater struck out swinging.
Steve Nippress struck out swinging.
Ken Pike hit by pitch, 1 RBI.
Phil Crooks struck out swinging.
4 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Bracknell Blazers II – Bottom of the 6th:
Player 2 singled, batted forward to 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Player 3 popped out.
Sub 1 walked, batted forward to home.
Player 5 doubled, batted forward to home, 2 RBI.
Sub 3 walked, batted forward to home.
Sub 2 walked, batted forward to home.
Player 8 singled, batted forward to 2nd, 1 RBI.
Player 9 popped out.
Player 1 walked.
Player 2 popped out.
5 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 7th:
Iwan Evans walked, stole 2nd, caught trying to steal 3rd.
Neil Brackley struck out swinging.
Rob Jones hit by pitch, batted forward to 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Ilya Dimitrov walked, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Jonathon Lewys walked, batted forward to home.
Andrew Slater singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home, 2 RBI.
Steve Nippress doubled, 2 RBI.
Ken Pike struck out swinging.
4 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Bracknell Blazers II – Bottom of the 7th:
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
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

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.