FALCONS LOOK TO CLOBBER SHARKS IN PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL

Division 1 Play-off Semi-Final

2pm, Sunday, 29 August 2004

Grovehill Field, Hemel Hempstead

It’s play-off time for the Herts Falcons Baseball Club.  The prize – a place in the prestigious British Baseball Premier League. 

There is no doubt that this Sunday’s game against the Bournemouth Sharks would be the most important game of the season so far for the Falcons.  It will determine whether who will be part of the Division One Play-off Final, the gateway to the Premier Baseball League.

The Falcons, who won the title in their Division One section, face the Bournemouth Sharks, who ended runners-up in their division.  Up to the last few weeks of the season the Bournemouth Sharks were the favourite to finish top, but a determined effort in the final stretch by the Windsor Royals meant that the Falcons will have to contend with the strong hitting Bournemouth team.

In the upcoming battle, the Falcons will mainly count on the hitting power and defensive cohesion that has grown within the team throughout the season.  At the same time, new pitching and batting talent has been added to the roster, promising an exciting game.

The men to watch for the Falcons:

Paul Auchterlounie – the club’s leading run-generator, leading in runs batted in.

Lee Manning – the Great Britain under-25 player who has battled through injury to come back very strong with the bat and the glove for these critical months of the year.

Jim Denison – one of the most exciting signings in recent history for the Falcons, since the days of Falcons legend Stuart Boast.

In the last few months of the season an increasing number of fans have been attending the Falcons’ home games, enjoying the often tense baseball atmosphere and having a picnic, and you can join them for this all-important play-off semi-final on Sunday, 29 August 2004, at Grovehill Field, Hemel Hempstead.  First pitch is at 2:00 pm.