Anxious wait for the Guildford Mavericks in the race for the HSL Single-A title
The Essex Arrows won their second HSL Majors title in a row. The Herts Falcons were hoping of overtaking them in the direct clash between the two teams but it was rained out. The London Mammoths took full advantage of this on Saturday beating the Herts Eagles 9-4 which moved them into second place tied with the Falcons. With fewer runs per inning conceded by the Mammoths (Mammoths 0.57 runs per inning and Falcons 1.22 runs per inning) they overtook the Falcons pushing them into third place.
Before the final weekend of the HSL the Herts Hawks had a commanding lead at the top of the HSL Double-A standings with 3 wins and no losses. Only the Haverhill Blackjacks had a mathematical chance of overtaking them. The Herts Raptors were Haverhill’s opponents and they gave their club mates a helping hand with a 8-4 win which confirmed the Herts Hawks as this year’s HSL Double-A Champions.
The umpires have been fantastic once again this HSL. Great effort in tough weather conditions.
The HSL Single-A race went right down to the final game of the competition. The Guildford Mavericks were sitting comfortably in first place at the start of the weekend. The London Musketeers needed two wins to overtake them. They seemed on course after taking a 6-0 lead into the final inning of their game against Kent Mariners, but 8 Kent runs in the final inning derailed the Musketeers’ title hopes. That gave Guildford an even firmer grip on the Single-A title, but as news of Tonbridge beating Haverhill 5-1 came through on Sunday they had to wait anxiously for the score of Tonbridge’s final game. Tonbridge won that game but it was once again those Herts Raptors who played the role of the spoilers as they drove in seven runs in the process which pushed Haverhill’s runs conceded per inning up to 1.43 compared to Guildford Mavericks’ 1.18.
With Spring Training completed, British baseball teams up and down the country will hope that this will be their year. The 2015 League Opening Day is this Sunday, 12 April, with five games at Grovehill Ballpark. Follow us on twitter and facebook for a comprehensive coverage of the 2015 baseball season.