The ASL Eagles managed to score five runs in the final inning of the deciding game against the Herts Falcons, coming back from a 5-3 deficit to win the 2008 HSL1 title.  The Eagles did it in dramatic fashion in the final inning of the final game. 

 

Before the game the ASL Eagles and the Herts Falcons were tied at the top of the standings both with 100% records, which meant that the winner was going to be the first ever Herts Spring League champion. 

 

The Falcons scored three runs in the first inning but the Eagles kept in touch with two runs of their own.  Both pitchers settled down after that which made for an exciting game for the purists.  Falcons starter, Darrin Ward, who played his first game after being called up from the Herts Hawks pitched 5+ innings showing great control allowing only 1 walk.  Overall the Falcons pitchers, Ward and Kikel, did not have a single earned run in the whole game. 

 

In the middle of the 6^th inning the Falcons were holding on to a slender 5-3 lead.  A combination of 3 hits, a walk and critically 3 errors resulted in 5 runs for the Eagles.  This was a dramatic come back which was met with loud cheers from the bleachers which were packed with Eagles fans.

 

The Falcons had three outs left to try and stay in the game, but the Eagles’ starting pitcher and the strong defence stayed focused and won the game in style.

 

This was a win which the Eagles thoroughly deserved, displaying fine pitching, fielding and hitting.  Congratulations to the ASL Eagles players and coaches and a special thanks to every member of their staff for their hospitality and for hosting a fantastic baseball day. 

 

One play deserves a special mention.  On a hard hit fly ball the Eagles centerfielder made an incredible diving catch.  This was applauded by home and visiting players and fans acknowledging the amazing skill and athleticism required to make such a spectacular play.  The loudest applause actually came from Lee Manning, the Falcons batter who in the process was robbed of a fine hit which would have resulted in a triple or even an inside the park home run if the centerfielder did not execute the play.  If this was an MLB game and the play was captured by ESPN it would have been shown again and again as a candidate for play of the year.

HSL1 Final Standings

More HSL Photos

Herts Falcons at ASL
Score By Innings	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Herts Falcons	3	0	1	0	1	0	0	5	9	5
ASL	2	0	0	0	1	5	0	8	10	2

 

ASL 8, Herts Falcons 5
ASL					Herts Falcons
	ab	r	h	bi		ab	r	h	bi
Player 1 p	4	2	3	3	Rodney Naghar rf	3	0	0	0
Player 2 c	4	1	0	0	Lee Manning lf	3	1	0	0
Player 3 1b	4	0	1	1	Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b	4	2	2	0
Player 4 2b	3	1	3	1	Jason Greenberg c	4	2	2	2
Player 5 3b	2	1	1	0	Peter Kikel 3b-p	4	0	2	1
Player 6 ss	3	0	0	0	Marty Cullen 1b	4	0	1	1
Player 7 lf	3	1	2	1	Nick Goetz ss	3	0	0	0
Player 8 cf	2	1	0	0	Aspi Dimitrov cf	3	0	1	0
Player 9 rf	3	1	0	1	Darrin Ward p-3b	3	0	1	0
TEAM TOTALS	28	8	10	7	TEAM TOTALS	31	5	9	4

 

E: Player 6, Player 9, Nick Goetz(2), Jason Greenberg, Peter Kikel, Rodney Naghar. LOB: ASL 4, Herts Falcons 6. 2B: Player 1(2), Jason Greenberg, Peter Kikel. SB: Player 9, Player 4, Player 5, Aspi Dimitrov. SB: Player 8.

 

ASL	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Player 1 W	7.33	9	5	1	2	8
Herts Falcons
Darrin Ward L	5.67	10	8	0	1	3
Peter Kikel	0.33	0	0	0	0	0

 

PB: Player 2(2). T: 2:00. A: 108.

 

 

In the first game of the day the Herts Falcons won 15-2 but the score does not tell the full story.  This was a much improved Northampton team from the side which played in the first HSL Sunday.  Some of their key players were back in the lineup and they put up a good fight against the team from Hertfordshire. 

 

13 of the 15 Falcons runs were scored in two of the innings when the Falcons bats really came alive.  7 of those runs were scored in the third inning and all of them came after Northampton had retired 2 batters with no one on base.  The Falcons followed this with 6 hits including a triple by Andy Cornish and a 2-run inside the park home run by Lee Manning.

 

Herts baseball fans will be relieved to learn that Andy Cornish passed through the game without aggravating the shoulder injury which he sustained in a diving play against the Nottingham Thieves last month.  Another positive for the club was the return of Nic Goetz after a week-long flu which had threatened to keep him out of the final HSL games.  He had a good outing on the mound allowing only 2 runs in 4 innings.

 

Northampton at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings	1	2	3	4	5	R	H	E
Northampton	0	0	2	0	0	2	5	6
Herts Falcons	2	0	7	6	0	15	11	1

Herts Falcons 15, Northampton 2
Herts Falcons					Northampton
	ab	r	h	bi		ab	r	h	bi
Lee Manning ss	4	3	2	3	Player 1 p	0	1	0	0
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b	2	3	1	1	(b4) Sub 1 p	1	0	0	0
Jason Greenberg c	3	1	1	1	Player 2 c	3	0	1	0
Peter Kikel 3b	2	1	0	1	Player 3 1b	3	1	1	1
Marty Cullen 1b	2	1	1	1	Player 4 2b	3	0	0	0
Darrin Ward dh	3	2	2	1	Player 5 3b	2	0	2	1
Greg Bochan lf	3	2	1	2	Player 6 ss	1	0	1	0
Rodney Naghar rf	4	1	2	1	Player 7 lf	2	0	0	0
Andy Cornish cf	1	1	1	1	Player 8 cf	2	0	0	0
Nick Goetz p	0	0	0	0	Player 9 rf	2	0	0	0
Aspi Dimitrov p	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS	24	15	11	12	TEAM TOTALS	19	2	5	2

E: Lee Manning, Player 3(2), Player 6(2), Player 4, Player 9. LOB: Northampton 5, Herts Falcons 7. 2B: Jason Greenberg, Greg Bochan, Player 3, Player 5. 3B: Andy Cornish. HR: Lee Manning. SB: Lee Manning, Greg Bochan, Darrin Ward, Kimiyoshi Saionji, Player 1(2), Player 5, Player 6, Player 2. SF: Darrin Ward, Peter Kikel.

Herts Falcons	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Nick Goetz W	4.00	5	2	2	3	3
Aspi Dimitrov	1.00	0	0	0	0	2
Northampton
Player 1 L	3.33	7	12	10	5	0
Sub 1	1.67	4	3	0	2	0

HBP: by Player 1 (Jason Greenberg), by Player 1 (Marty Cullen). , by Player 1 (Andy Cornish). , by Player 1 (Marty Cullen). . . WP: Player 1. T: 2:00. A: 60.