Bottom of the 9th and the Raptors have a lead…not a massive one, but a healthy one, writes Ken Pike. A good bit of defence is all they need for a win, but when the first batter gets on base,  hearts jump from chest to throat. If you are having a mild sense of deja vu reading this,  it’s because the small but devout group of Raptors fans have seen precisely that same scenario go horribly wrong twice in the past 4 games, including once against the same Braintree Rays team trying to fight their way back into this game. With two down, a well delivered pitch is struck hard. Up in the air, deep, over the head of young centre fielder Senna Ashida….

Ah but what is a plot twist without a story line…

It all started at high noon when the Raptors took the field to bat and posted a healthy score, immediately followed by a stingy piece of defending led by 13-year-old prodigy Zack Longboy who had just returned from baseball training camp. The money spent by his Dad (and Raptors catcher) Arnie looked a good investment as solid pitching only let in one runs despite some wobbly early fielding.

The next three innings, however, went from good to gold as Zack locked out a Braintree side who looked puzzled at their lack of hitting.  Steady returns from Raptors players at bat steadily increased the lead.

Manager Ken Pike, returning to stand in for the absent John Kjorstad, had to pull the impressive Zack Longboy from the mound in the 5th inning due to his limited pitch-count due to his age, and he threw a self-confessed complete wobbly. Pike promptly took himself off the mound for Andrew Slater to take charge, but not before letting in 5 runs. Thankfully Slater’s calm command of the mound quickly saw out the inning.

The impressive defence continued with excellent backtracking catches from Senna Ashida, an excellent double play from short stop Chris Deacon — and even a couple of decent catches from Ken Pike to make up for his pitching. The hitting meanwhile, which was lacking the triple big gun threat of John Kjorstad, Glen Downer and Theo Scheepers was undeterred and managed to pop single after single to get the scores consistently rolling in.

That’s where we return to the final inning. Andrew Slater still on the mound, but with a heavy pitch count, and having seen the rotation of Rays a couple times round already. The Rays are feeling confident, with loud voicing of ‘we were here last week and did it then’ being audible across the field, and a Raptors team that had enjoyed similar positions and found wanting.

I am afraid that I am hazy on the details as it all became a blur. Two batters reached base, I remember that. I remember getting one out myself, but I honestly can’t even tell you how. But what I can remember is the final play. With two down a well delivered pitch is struck hard. Up in the air, deep, over the head of young centre fielder Senna Ashida…. he back tracks, following the ball the whole way. His glove hand reaches back over his shoulder as the whole team stands stock still watching (except for his left fielder running to cover… another father son combo) and the ball comes down from high.

Straight in to the glove.

At this point, a much harder fought game than the Raptor’s only other victory ended. Players literally jumped for joy, fell to their knees and cheered. This was not the respectful victory celebration of the first win against an opponent that received a drubbing. This was the jubilant celebration of knowing that every last ball had been fought for and ultimately won. Every inning had been a well matched contest, and for once, the Raptors defence had not given up that one big inning. For once, the offence had not fallen quiet at the vital crunch-point. For once, they had come out tops against a well matched team in a hard game.

With two wins on the board and the final match against a team they know they can beat, having done it only a few short weeks ago in Tonbridge, the Raptors are looking to finish the last two games on a real high before entering the post-season friendliness of the Hunlock series. Though it does leave a small and slightly tangy food for thought..what if they had converted the close losses against the Old Timers and last weeks game against Braintree? They would be looking at 6 wins instead of 3…and that’s playoff hunt territory…

Next year?

The Herts Raptors wrapped up their season with a win on Sunday, August 21st. They beat the Tonbridge Bobcats 22-17 over nine innings at Grovehill Ballpark to complete an impressive end to their 2011 campaign. The side won three of its final four games, and recorded its best win total since 2009.

The game against the visiting Bobcats began well. Manager, Ken Pike, started on the pitching mound, and did not give up a single run in the first two innings. The Herts side, however, scored freely – Jon Gamble got two hits and Theo Scheepers was a constant menace with the bat.

After three innings it was 10-2 to the Raptors, and it was looking comfortable. But that can never be said for certain in a Single-A game. The visitors had started to have some impact and score runs – 2 in the third, 4 in the fourth, building towards a 5-spot in the fifth. But Scheepers – who has been a star of the second half of the season – had now taken over on the mound and pitched calmly to limit the damage.

The Herts defense also showed its mettle. Now moved to third base, Ken Pike made a series of good stops and throws, and showed impressive concentration to catch one line drive when the flying bat was so close to him he could have caught that instead. The father-son combo of Arnie and Zach Longboy were now in the game, too, and were bossing things on the infield to mow down a string of Bobcats on the basepaths. At second base, Longboy Snr was in on a couple of close double plays, while Jnr combined with his Little League team-mate Jose Morillo to tag out runners at home plate as they unwisely tried to score. In the outfield, Senna Ashida was once again clutch.

Even though their bats went a little quiet over the final innings, the Raptors did not fold under the pressure. They had the chance to secure mercy-rule victories in the seventh and eighth but were held to just one manufactured run. Each inning, the Bobcats inched closer. But the Raptors were always one step ahead, and they closed it out with a five-run cushion in the ninth inning.

The Herts club was delighted that after a tough start to 2011, its rookie team had taken three wins. The Raptors have shown great spirit and great all-around improvement in their game. In the second half of the season they competed well against the Old Timers and against Braintree even when they didn’t come away with the win. Some players will move up the ranks next year, while others will look to build on their success and make games against the top sides in the Single-A division much closer affairs.

Life has been getting much much better for the Herts Raptors recently. There were two strong performances against the Old Timers, then a long-awaited victory against Tonbridge. This week, there was a re-run of the good performance. But the final score was a repeat of the 16-15 defeat to the Old Timers, once again on a walk-off hit.

The wind blew hard across the field at Braintree, and clouds occasionally threatened rain, but two sides who have had their struggles this season matched up well. Both pitchers recorded a clean first inning, with their defenses making the plays smoothly. Then in the second Ken Pike started the scoring for the visitors, with a walk and a steal before being driven in by Senna Ashida. He was then brought home, along with Jose Morillo, by shortstop Chris Deacon’s double to right field. The Raptors had a 3-0 lead.

It looked as if the Rays would answer right back. Their first two batters in the bottom of the second came around to score. But Theo Scheepers picked up his first strikeout of the day, and the Raptors fielders again kept it tight. With runners on first and second, Jose Morillo ended the threat by grabbing a sharp line drive at second base.

The top of the Herts order led off the third inning, and it did all you could ever ask really. Chris Deacon got aboard for the third time, and was driven home by right-fielder Duncan Hoyle’s single to left. John Kjorstad was next to get a hit, then up stepped Glen Downer, the clean-up hitter. The first baseman had already clouted a double to centre, but the Rays came right after him, and he hit right back. Again, it went deep to centre but this one was wayyy back. There is no fence at Braintree but with Hoyle and Kjorstad already safe at home, Downer was heading for third and showed no sign of stopping. He didn’t need to. He crossed home plate standing up for a three-run inside-the-park homer.

Downer was also part of a second offensive explosion, in the top of the sixth inning. He scored his third run of the day, while Theo Scheepers finally had some luck with his big bat, and third baseman Ken Pike also scored his third run.  The Raptors now had 15 on the scoreboard and a 10-run lead. But the problem was that the Rays hit back in the bottom of the sixth, batting around to score 7 runs of their own.

And this might be where the crucial moments of the ball-game occurred. The Raptors needed to extend their lead if they were to be comfortable in the closing stages of this game. Substitute right fielder Tak Ashida led off the inning well with a double. But while Rob Jones was at the plate, Ashida tried to swipe third base. The Braintree reliver was a hard thrower, and the catcher had shown he had an arm which was strong if not always accurate. On this occasion, they combined perfectly to cut down the runner.

Jones battled on, and drove the ball over the head of the first baseman to right field. But he, too, had too much fire in the blood. An attempt to stretch the hit into a double was doomed, and he was tagged out in a clumsy collision at second base. Glen Downer took a walk, but there was little the Raptors could do to recover this one, and they ended the inning without scoring.

The Rays replied with their biggest hit of the day, a triple deep to centre. But they were held to just one run in the bottom of the inning, so the Raptors had a final chance to tack on runs. It was their first nine inning game of the year, and it was going to be tight. Pike reached again, and Senna Ashida reached again (he would make just one out from six plate appearances on the day). After a strikeout, catcher Oz Kemal drew a walk and the bases were loaded. But the Rays’ reliever was up to the task. A second strikeout left the runners frozen, and a final flyout left the Herts side empty handed again.

They now had to defend a 15-13 lead in the bottom of the final frame. Theo Scheepers was in for the complete game, and had shown a lot of fight to keep his side in front, giving up just five walks despite the high winds. The first Braintree batter hit a single, and stole unforgivingly to score on a groundout. One run in, one man out, but that ratio was not going to work for Herts this week. Another hit, more steals, and then a walk laid the table for the decisive blow. Braintree got the final hit they needed to walk off as winners, 16-15.

It was a painful defeat, but it must also be seen as a welcome change from the overwhelming defeats early in the season. Manager Ken Pike — who had a 3-for-5 day with a pair of RBIs – has seen the team grow in confidence and ability during the season. This was the second time in three games that the Raptors had lost by just one run, and a walk-off at that. The third game of the three was a convincing win. The season still holds the return fixtures against Braintree and Tonbridge, so hopes are high that the Herts Raptors can put another win on the 2011 record.