Hawks vs. Guildford Mavericks: 9-7 / 15-2[ BOX SCORE 1 ][ BOX SCORE 2 ]After two consecutive rain-out weekends, Herts Hawks managed to get back to winning ways with two crucial wins in their double-header against the Guildford Mavericks.[ view the gameday gallery ]The visitors arrived to Grovehill Field encouraged by a magnificent win against the Shropshire Panthers in their last outing. Game 1 proved to be a very tense affair but after the teams traded blows in the opening innings, Hawks managed to grab a slender but vital lead of 8-6 after 5 innings. Venezuelan powerhouse, Carlos Casal, 2006 MVP, Peter Kikel, nutrition-junkie, Rodney Naghar, notorious puller, Tim Elkins and hard-hitting Steve Nippress were just some of the Falcons who delivered key hits. Falcons rookie, Jonathon Lewys, also came through in a big way with his first ever hit for the club and his first catch in the outfield. Hawks starter, Peter Kikel, was once again impressive on the mound and he handed the ball to New York native, Larry Martillo, to close the game for the last two innings of the game. Martillo showed incredible poise and concentration to destroy any hopes which the Mavericks may have had of making a come back. The Herts Falcons won the game with a final score of 9-7.With a win in the bag, Hawks came out with even more confidence for the second game. In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Jake Kikel brought back memories of the 2006 Relegation play-off between the two teams when he stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded. With an almost identical double Kikel cleared the bases driving in 3 runs in the same way as he did in that unforgettable playoff game last year. This opened a 7-run lead for the home team. A very solid defensive performance meant that the Mavericks scored only 2 runs in that game. The Hertfordshire team won convincingly 15-2.A real confidence boost for the Falcons who all of a sudden find themselves tied in second place in their subdivision of British Baseball’s First Division. Over the two games the Falcons made only 2 errors in the field and if they can consistently put in such defensive performances, then they may have a say at the top end of the league standings despite being written off by everyone at the start of season.Game 2 was temporarily halted because of a high-speed police chase involving a young individual on a bike over the fields adjacent to Grovehill field, which provided even more excitement for the two teams and the baseball enthusiasts who came to watch the game.
