Hertfordshire’s Baseball Little League may have started less than a month ago, but it already has a trophy in its trophy cabinet.
A strong contingent from Hertfordshire invaded Coventry early on Saturday morning for the 10th MLB PlayBall World Series involving 12 teams from around the country. The Herts Little League was represented in this prestigious national event by two All-Star Teams. The Herts Red Sox, which included some of the older Little League players, were drawn in a tough group with the Nottingham Pirates and the Sunderland Giants. The Herts Indians included younger players from the Herts Little League and they faced the Windsor Astros and the Gloucester Orioles in Group C.
Despite being much younger than their opponents the Herts Indians booked their place in the elite AAA bracket with two magnificent wins. The Herts Red Sox lost against the Nottingham Pirates in the final inning which was heartbreaking, but they quickly picked themselves up to take a win against the Sundarland Giants to secure a place in the AA second-tier bracket of the World Series.
The competition moved into the afternoon with the semi-finals and the finals to decide the winners in the respective brackets. The Herts Indians finished 4th in the AAA Finals which is an incredible achievement.
The Herts Red Sox really turned it on in this final stage and swept through the Horsham Padres and then the Horsham Angels, who included two members of the Great Britain Juveniles National Team. With these two wins the Herts Red Sox clinched the PlayBall World Series AA Winners’ Trophy. The Herts Little League was not prepared for this and now has to search for a trophy cabinet and hopes that there will be many more trophies to come. One thing is for sure – the future of baseball in Hertfordshire is looking bright judging by this outstanding performance by the club's next generation of baseball players.
Stay tuned to the Herts Baseball Newswire over the next few days for video and photos from the event.
