Job done. Herts Eagles win convincingly against the always dangerous Bracknell Inferno
Special Report by Paul Auchterlounie
Postseason Baseball. What we all play for. A time when the form book can be torn up, and regular season meetings count for nothing. One game. 9 innings. All or nothing. To the victors the spoils, to the vanquished the disappointment of an early start to the off season.
This is what it came down to for the Herts Eagles last Saturday, 28th August. A single game playoff against Bracknell Inferno for the right to go to the AAA NBC’s on September 4th / 5th.
The regular season meetings had gone the same way – a sweep for the home team. Would the Eagles prevail again on their own ground, or would Bracknell spoil the party?
It was good weather for baseball, not too hot and no rain. Around 12 noon the game got underway. On the mound for the Eagles was veteran pitcher Darrin Ward; behind the plate Lee Manning for the absent Dave Westfallen. Infield of Rad Nagher (1B), Perrie Sherman (2B) Louis Hare (SS) and Liam Green (3B). Outfield of Paul Auchterlounie(LF), Mahendra Prasad (CF) and Jon Lewys (RF).
The game got off to an awkward start as Ward fielded a leadoff bunt and threw over the head of Naghar for an error. The 2nd Bracknell batter Jordan Edmonds singled and stole to put 2 runners in scoring position and no outs. Could the Eagles’ season be unravelling so soon?? Thankfully not as Ward’s experience prevailed, retiring the next 3 batters with no runs scored.
In the bottom of the 1st leadoff Prasad failed to reach base, then Naghar was allowed to reach base on an error from the Bracknell LF Norio Kenjo who unfortunately failed to hold his fly ball down the line. A strikeout for Hare followed, before Ward was the recipient of another Kenjo error on a running fly ball that came out of his glove, which brought Naghar round to score. A final strike out and the inning was over. Eagles 1 up.
Another error in the top of the 2nd allowed the leadoff Bracknell batter on and he promptly stole second, advanced to third on a deep fly ball from Kenjo when the Eagles LF lost his footing after making the catch, then came home to tie it up on a Chambers groundout. No other runs crossed the plate though. In the bottom of the 2nd things started badly for the Bracknell pitcher Wagner as he walked Sherman, Auchterlounie, Green and Manning before being pulled by Inferno manager Paul Vernon. New pitcher Jordan Edmonds was welcomed to the game by Prasad hitting a 3 run HR. It would have been a grand slam but for a passed ball a couple of pitches before allowing the runner on 3rd to score. 7 more batters came to the plate through the inning, as Herts scored 6 runs in total to take early control 7 –1.
That control was never really relinquished through the rest of the contest. Bracknell were held scoreless through the next 3 innings as Herts scored 1,5 and 0 to lead 13-1 going into the 6th inning. Unfortunately for Bracknell the Herts batters were getting on base through successive walks being issued as the pitchers were unable to find the strike zone on a consistent basis. Indeed both Auchterlounie and Manning walked every time at the plate.
Into the 6th and the Eagles were looking to close out the game early on the 10-run slaughter rule. Bracknell scored 1, Ryan Soan leading off with a double before Huxley finally brought him home with a bases loaded fielder’s choice single. Eagles replied in the bottom of the 6th with 1 of their own, Hare scoring on a Ward RBI groundout. This put Herts up 14-2 going into the 7th.
Jordan Edmonds reached again on a walk, and made it round to home on another Eagles error. Eagles then made it interesting, allowing a runner to reach 3rd base with less than 2 outs and Bracknell looking as though they might yet make the Eagles bat again. However after a missed double play ball up the middle Ward again made key pitches when it counted, getting the last 2 outs on a force at 2nd and a pop fly to 1st with no further runs scored.
So the Eagles made it.
A final score of 14 – 3 somewhat lop-sided and not a reflection of the close games played through the regular season.
Whether Bracknell were missing some key personnel or whether it was just post season baseball nerves I’m not sure – their pitching was unfortunately not quite good enough. They will be back next year I’m sure; and will no doubt be better prepared for having experienced disappointment in the unpredictable chaos that is postseason baseball.
Up next for the Eagles – the NBC’s on home turf and the fight to win it all.
View more images from Saturday’s playoff triumph for the Eagles.
BOX SCORES
|
Bracknell Inferno at Herts Eagles |
||||||||||
|
Score By Innings |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
|
Bracknell Inferno |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
|
Herts Eagles |
1 |
6 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
14 |
7 |
5 |
|
Herts Eagles 14, Bracknell Inferno 3 |
|||||||||
|
Herts Eagles |
Bracknell Inferno |
||||||||
|
|
ab |
r |
h |
bi |
|
ab |
r |
h |
bi |
|
PRASAD Mahendra cf |
3 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
GITTOES Cam 2b-p |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
NAGHAR Rodney 1b |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
EDMONDS Jordan cf-p-2b-ss |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
HARE Louis ss |
3 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
WAGNER Shayne p-cf-c-ss |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
WARD Darrin p |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
MATEY Scott 1b |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
LEWYS Jonathon rf-2b |
5 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
SOAN Ryan rf |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
SHERMAN Perrie 2b |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
VERNON Connor ss-p |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
(b5) RUSSELL Nick rf |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
KENJO Norio lf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
AUCHTERLOUNIE Paul lf |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
(t6) GRAY Danny lf-rf |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
(b6) HAMILTON Dave lf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
(t7) MATTHEWS Chris lf |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
GREEN Liam 3b |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
CHAMBERS Zack 3b |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
MANNING Lee c |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
HUXLEY Adam cf-c |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
TEAM TOTALS |
26 |
14 |
7 |
11 |
TEAM TOTALS |
31 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
|
E: GREEN Liam(2), HARE Louis, WARD Darrin, LEWYS Jonathon, KENJO Norio(2), VERNON |
|
Herts Eagles |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
|
WARD Darrin W |
7.00 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
|
Bracknell Inferno |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GITTOES Cam |
3.00 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
EDMONDS Jordan |
1.00 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
|
VERNON Connor |
1.00 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
1 |
|
WAGNER Shayne L |
1.00 |
0 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
|
HBP: by GITTOES Cam (PRASAD Mahendra). . , by GITTOES Cam (HAMILTON Dave). . WP: |