Herts arrived early to the field in Richmond-upon-Thames for an extended warm-up and batting practice. It was just before game time that the Knights announced they had nine players and no one to umpire the game. Fortunately, the Falcons are stocked with sluggers willing to step up in whichever capacity… and Greg “The Motion” Bochan performed a yeoman’s service calling balls and strikes from behind the dish.
Nic Goetz – pitching on three weeks rest – earned his seventh win of the season with a confident return to the mound. He pounded the zone with five different pitches, all of which he threw consistently for strikes, and the only Richmond run to score came in the first inning on a sacrifice fly.
Two notable defense plays kept the Knights off the bases. Aspi Dimitrov made his Falcons debut at third base and lunged far out to reel in a screaming line-drive. Then, with a runner at third base, shortstop Andy Cornish made an incredible diving catch for the final out of the inning. The Richmond batter – standing wide mouthed at home plate – was overheard to mumble, “Wow. That’s a damn fine play.”
It was with disappointment in their eyes that Richmond forfeited Sunday’s second game. Unable to keep all nine players at the field – and still without an available umpire – there were simply not enough Knights to carry on. The Falcons glumly packed up their belongings and headed to the pub, content to celebrate their uncannily successful tour of the AAA… and to strategize for their presumptive post-season appearance.
Sunday was the Falcons’ quickest outing of the year. They tightened their grip on the league pennant and bumped their win-loss column to 19-3. Now, with only four games to play, the Falcons are one win away from the best AAA record of 2008 and a guaranteed spot in the Final 4.
| Herts Falcons at Richmond Knights | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score By Innings | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Herts Falcons | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| Richmond Knights | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Herts Falcons 6, Richmond Knights 1 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herts Falcons | Richmond Knights | ||||||||
| ab | r | h | bi | ab | r | h | bi | ||
| Jim Hyde lf | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Player 1 p | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andy Cornish ss | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Player 2 c | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jason Greenberg c | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Player 3 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Player 4 2b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dan Kerry cf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Player 5 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darrin Ward dh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Player 6 ss | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Marty Cullen 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Player 7 lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aspi Dimitrov 3b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Player 8 cf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rodney Naghar rf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Player 9 rf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Goetz p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| TEAM TOTALS | 23 | 6 | 5 | 3 | TEAM TOTALS | 24 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| E: Aspi Dimitrov, Player 1(2), Player 6(2). DP: Herts Falcons 1. LOB: Herts Falcons 2, Richmond Knights 3. 2B: Jason Greenberg. SB: Jason Greenberg(2), Jim Hyde, Player 4, Player 2, Player 9. CS: Jim Hyde, Kimiyoshi Saionji, Marty Cullen, Player 4, Player 9. |
| Herts Falcons | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Nick Goetz W | 7.00 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Richmond Knights | ||||||
| Player 1 L | 7.33 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
HBP: by Nick Goetz (Player 9). . , by Player 1 (Dan Kerry). . . WP: Nick Goetz,
Player 1(2). PB: Player 2(2). T: 2:05. A: 26.