Author: Matt Bell

by Matt Bell

Dodgers Tie the Series at Glorious Grovehill

by Herts Baseball correspondent Paul Auchterlounie

Rain. Wind. Grovehill Ballpark. The first Saturday of summer.

A typical British baseball day seemingly offered little hope for the U11 Giants and Dodgers this last Saturday 22nd June, and the situation got worse as news came that the U14 Cardinals were short of players for a double header in the league. The result? Mini Baseball!!

A 6 vs 5 game – with coaches fielding in the outfield – started with the Giants batting and Nicholas Durer struck out. Lewis Auchterlounie up next, hitting a pop up down the first base line that was caught by James Dullea. 2 up, 2 down. Batting 3rd was Josh Jones who reached base with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Alex Jones moved Josh to 3rd base but Noah Lynch striking out ended the inning with the scoreboard untroubled.

Bottom of the 1st and Dodgers batting. Jonathan Wakelam reached first as Josh Jones fielded the slow dribbler from behind the plate and uncharacteristically threw wide of 1st base. The overthrow allowed Jonathan to advance to 2nd and he was brought home by an RBI single from Rory Vangundy. It was looking ominous for the Giants, 1 run down, 0 outs. Lucas Lebrato then reached with a single. This was followed by 2 quick strikeouts for James Dullea and Thomas Garton before a hit from Noah Haines resulted in a not often seen out as Lucas Lebrato overtook Rory on the base paths, thereby getting himself out. 1-0 Dodgers at the end of 1.

Giants’ coaches were encouraging their players to take advantage of the batting opportunities with the reduced numbers and they did just that in the 2nd inning as the maximum 5 runs crossed the plate, a highlight being Lewis Auchterlounie stroking a stand up line drive double to the outfield fence. All batters except for Noah Lynch reached base putting the ball in play.

However the lead was not to last as the Dodgers did exactly the same as the Giants had just done, crossing the plate 5 times and only 1 out being recorded as James Dullea struck out and Lucas Lebrato showing power with an RBI double. 6-5 after 2.

Into the 3rd and Giants led off with Alex Jones reaching on an error. Noah Lynch struck out again unfortunately, then three straight hits for Nicholas, Lewis and Josh resulted in 2 runs scoring. A 3rd run was scored as Alex Jones reached again on a fielders choice, the Dodgers choosing to get the runner out between 2nd and 3rd base. A similar play followed as Noah Lynch put the ball in play and some over enthusiastic base running from Alex Jones allowed the Dodgers to tag him as he tried to make it all the way to 3rd.

Bottom of the 3rd and again the Dodgers scored the maximum 5 runs this time without conceding an out as a combination of errors and fielders choice plays were followed by 3 straight hits for Lucas Lebrato, Thomas Garton and Noah Haines. 3 innings completed, 11-8 Dodgers.

Into the 4th and, due to the rather ominous looking clouds overhead, final inning. No run limit this time, could the Giants mount another come from behind win? James Dullea had now switched sides due to a poorly Nicholas Durer having to leave the game and was immediately called into action as the leadoff hitter. He stroked a ground rule double to the outfield fence and came home on another double from the bat of Josh Jones. With Lewis having stuck out in between there were still the chances to make the Dodgers at least bat again. However 2 strike outs for Alex Jones and Noah Lynch left Josh stranded at 2nd base and the game was over, 11-9 Dodgers.

Both sides took advantage of the shortage of fielders to register multi hit games, highlights being Josh Jones’ 5 for 5 and 5 RBI’s for the Giants, and Lucas Lebrato hitting 4 for 4 with 2 RBI’s for the Dodgers.

This result evened the series at 3 ½ – 3 ½.

Hopefully better weather, and more of the players being able to attend, will make for continuing excitement in the games and the series.

 

Photo: Svein Håvard Djupvik

by Matt Bell

Herts Falcons make it 8 wins in a row. New generation of Falcons makes NBL debuts

Carlos Casal Jr (above) and Conner Brown (pictured below) made their NBL debuts for the Falcons

by Cristobal Hiche

On paper it was expected to be an easy outing for the league-leading Herts Falcons against the Essex Redbacks, for whom this is a first year in the NBL. But the games need to be played and underdogs can always sneak an unexpected victory. Well, it wasn’t the case. Falcons got two necessary victories to maintain their position at the top of the league. Herts looked very effective getting the necessary runs to get a comfortable lead and then relying on their solid pitching and defence to do the rest.

The first game saw Falcons winning it 6-2 suggesting a very close game. Indeed the score doesn’t lie however it never felt that way. Essex Redbacks could never really start a rally and put pressure on the Falcons. Herts looked to be in control during the entire game thanks to great pitching by Darrin Ward who pitched a complete game. Everybody was hitting well but special mention to John Blose who was on fire this Sunday and got the first big hit of the day with a deep double to left field. Falcons were hitting solid grounders and line drives but Redbacks played good defence to stop some of those laser beams. Herts took the opportunity to call up Herts Harriers/Ravens/GB players Carlos Casal Jr and Conner Brown for their first taste of the NBL with the Falcons. This was also the debut of Conner in the NBL. They took the opportunity and both played solid games both defensively and offensively.

 

The second game was more of the same. Falcons took an early lead with many multi-base hits which allowed to quickly put players in scoring position. Xavi Gonzalez started the game with a triple which set the tone for the game. Jordan Farkas pitched another solid 1-run complete game, mixing quite well between his fastball and his repertoire of breaking balls to keep the Redbacks at bay. Defensively they also took advantage of the fielding conditions. The outfield grass was quite long killing any ground ball hit to the outfield. Right fielder Carlos Velazco-Carus was aggressive charging each ball going his way and was able to make the out at first base on more than one occasion.

After the game Herts Falcons manager, Lee Manning, was happy about the victories and said: “We are happy that we have an 8-game winning streak going on and hope to extend it to a 10-game winning streak next week. The team played solid with good hitting by everyone and was happy to see many multi-base hits which hopefully can continue to do so next week”. He also said a few words about the players’ performances, “…everybody did great today. Both Darrin and Jordan pitched really well but I want to specially mention Carlos Jr and Conner, our U17 players, who did really well today. It’s not easy to step into the best team in the league and perform at the highest level of baseball in the UK. Thanks for coming down and helping us win two important games”.

The games didn’t really offer any highlights and at all times it looked like a Falcons team determined to win but not pushing too hard to avoid unnecessary injuries and stay healthy for the upcoming games. Pitching was great as usual, giving manager Lee Manning a welcoming dilemma. He has four excellent starters and of course only 2 games to play on a given weekend. However, let’s give credit to a Redbacks team who are finding their feet in the NBL and they never gave up. They finished strong and tried to close the gap, when many other teams would have given up being 10-1 behind. They even looked to make harder contact than much stronger NBL teams who have recently played against the Falcons.

Herts have a difficult weekend against the reigning champions Harlow Nationals. Last time they played Herts was able to sweep them convincingly. However Nationals will be determined to reverse history and more importantly make sure they don’t get into playoff troubles. Two losses might jeopardise their playoff chances. Meanwhile, Herts Falcons will try to extend their winning streak and ensure they stay on top of the league since the Mets and Mustangs are making sure they are still in the hunt for first place. So a perfect opportunity for baseball fans to come to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead this Sunday, 30 June, for what is expected to be another clash of the titans between two of the big guns in the league.

 

by Matt Bell

Raptors rapture at the expense of soaring Eagles

Young Eagles Star Mike Cresswell was an ever present stealing threat despite the attentions of the pitcher and catcher

At the halfway stage of the 2013 single A season both the Eagles and Raptors are still in with a good chance of making the playoffs. The Raptors sit joint top of their group fighting for either an automatic buy through the first round or at least the first wildcard spot. The Eagles sit a game off the last wildcard spot with very winnable games to see out the end of the season hunting for playoffs. While the Raptors wanted to prove that the Eagle’s victory earlier in the season was a one-off, the Eagles were out to prove exactly the opposite. Winning this fixture was about pride, position and bragging rights.

Weather forecasts throughout the week had spelled that this fathers day fixture would not happen, but the British Summer did its part for once and remained dry meaning the game could go ahead as planned.

Both teams unsurprisingly delivered their strongest lineups with the Eagle’s bringing Andrew Slater to the mound while the Raptors turned to their young mainstay Zac Longboy. In a match between two of the biggest scoring teams of the season a high scoring game was assured….

…but…

The last thing anyone expected was for the game to start as a pitching duel. Zac closed out the Eagle’s offense in order for the first inning, and the Raptors could be forgiven for a wry grin appearing at that stage thinking they could crack open an early lead. Nothing of the sort ensued as the fired up Eagles defense turned the table on the usually dominant raptors offense who got the same treatment they had just given the nominal visitors. What’s more, the second and third innings were more of the same with only a run per inning being scored by the Raptors, who had not been held to that low a score over the opening three innings of any game this year. Whether a mixture of nerves, or Andrew Slater’s tantalising looping ball not being as easy to hit as it appeared, or a solid defense that were showing the tenacious attitude that had gotten the relatively inexperienced team to within one game off a wildcard position, no one’s bats were delivering much on either side.

The first score of the day came courtesy of Ken Pike [yours truly] who managed to get himself on base in the second inning and in usual fashion worked himself around the bags in short order to put himself in scoring position. A big pop by young Brodie Caress looked to clear both in and outfield, but Pike sensibly held up just off third for long enough to see it would be caught. He tagged up at manager (and then third basecoach) Arnie Longboy’s franticly shouted commands before taking off for home and opening the Raptors’ scoring account.

Some great plays, notably an awesome diving catch by Sony Llama at third, some well caught pop fly balls, and some sharp plays from the infield meant the Raptors defence stayed strong in the second inning. A dropped pickoff attempt at second even went their way as the runner attempting to capitalise by heading for third got picked off by the backup throw signalling that things were just not going the way of the Eagles.

Some light entertainment came half way through the game as one of the local youths attempting to do tricks on his moped just outside the field managed to overturn the bike on himself, raising rapturous applause from both benches interrupting Slater’s pitch and causing umpire Ben Marques (also chuckling at the youth’s misfortune) to offer a mulligan pitch.

As the innings stretched on and Zac Longboy’s dominance on the mound continued with a total of five strikeouts, closing out the Eagles for four consecutive innings. Meanwhile the Raptors drip-feed of scoring runs managed to prise the narrowest of margins out whilst taking their toll on Slater’s arm. A crushing homerun over left field for Jim Arnott spelled the beginning of the end for the Eagles, scoring himself and Jeff Whitter as part of a four run inning that put daylight between the two sides.

To stem the flow Eagles manager Duncan Hoyle took the mound, but the Raptors offense had already smelled blood. The fifth inning notched up another five runs with a triple for Theo Scheepers. Sony Llama added hitting to his dramatic performances of the day nailing a blast that bounced agonisingly off the fence a bare foot short of a second homerun of the day leaving him with just a double. While the Eagles clawed back three runs over two innings with ever present base stealing that the fast and determined side bring to every game, the Raptors brought in a further seven in the sixth.  Zac Longboy made way for closer Will Zucker, whose dangerous sidearm curveball has been the woe of many a batter, shut down the seventh but for solitary eagles scorer. He also added to the score with a powerful shot down the line and a dash of youthful speed getting him a triple. The Eagles continued with fantastic tenacity throughout ensuring that it was never a done deal (both sides all too aware that comebacks were far from rare), but it was not to be enough on the day.

The final play of the game, with runners on first and third,  Raptors catcher Pike threw a fake pickoff to Zac Longboy who had taken over at short instead of trying to gun down the steal attempt. Eagle Mike Cresswell was fooled into attempting to run home but instead found the ball beating him there on the short throw back. His attempt to run through the well armoured catcher who carried a 4 stone weight advantage didn’t go so well and he found himself hanging in Pike’s arms gazing longingly at the home plate…still a good yard away.  The 15 run advantage was enough to bring the mercy rule into effect allowing the Raptors some solace over their previous defeat and Zac Longboy walking away with another addition to his rapidly growing collection of game balls adding weight to an early but loud call for MVP.

Raptor’s coach Arnold Longboy praised his team’s clinical performance: “I’m really proud of the team and how we executed on the field.  We of course had great pitching but more importantly we had the fewest errors yet for the season.  Combined with great cut off execution and fielding tactics we held an excellent Eagles hitting team to their lowest run production yet.  Also one of the challenges I put to the team  before the game started was to limit base running mistakes.  In this regard we also shined and it made the difference in the early part of the game.  If we continue in this fashion we should do well for the rest of the season.”

Eagles coach Duncan Hoyle meanwhile challenged his side to go on from the encouraging display to fight for a spot in the postseason: “I know the guys tried their guts out to beat the Raptors, and that is commendable, but ultimately we have proven we can get better results and we simply didn’t do that today. We know we can beat teams who are at the top of the tables, the Raptors included, and we need to get back into the groove of doing that for the last few games of the season so we have a real shot at the finals. We need to eliminate the errors that still plague us, as without that we won’t be able to stay in contention for the playoffs.  I will be expecting everyone on the team to redouble their efforts, raise the bar several notches and make sure that whatever the post season brings we do it in a blaze of glory, not rueing what could have been had we applied ourselves fully.”

The record between the two teams now stands at 1-1 for the season. Raptors will point out a preseason win edging the stats in their favour, but with both teams in the hunt for playoffs, could a competetive decider be played under knock-out conditions? Wait and see what August brings.

by Matt Bell

What’s in a halfway point? The Single A playoff scenarios.

by Ken Pike

Halfway through the season for the Raptors and Eagles and both teams are well within the expectations placed upon them at the start of the season. In the Eagles’ case it is fair to say they are well ahead of expectations bearing in mind the number of genuine rookies on the squad. However, the playoff picture is far from clear.

These are the playoff rules: 12 teams in three pools play in single A South. The two best pool winners get first round bye into the NBC. 3rd pool winner (#3 seed) and next 3 best teams based on win %, regardless of pool play wild card round on September 1st, with the Semi Finals and Championship game at Farnham Park on September 7th and 8th. As in all leagues, all teams will be seeded based on win % to establish post season ranking.

Excluding the Leicester – Redbacks result which hasn’t been filed yet the current league standings are as follows:
Marauders 6-2 (fewer runs per game conceded than MK)
Coyotes 6-2 (HTH win v Raptors)
Blackjacks 4-3
——————–
Raptors 6-2
Mavericks 4-2
Tonbridge 4-4
=============
Archers 2-3
Eagles 3-5 (1-0 v 2Sox/Redbacks)
2Sox 2-4 (0-0 v Eagles/Redbacks)
Redbacks 2-4 (0-1 v Eagles/2Sox)
Dukes 2-5
Old Timers 1-6

As you can see, the pool leaders are Coyotes, Blackjacks and Marauders in A, B and C pool respectively.

Pool A

The Raptors are neck and neck with the Coyotes, with only the head to head loss earlier this season between them. Furthermore, the Coyotes go to Grovehill next week where the winner will put daylight between themselves and the rest at the top of pool A. The Eagles are behind in the race for the group, but are well in the running for playoff places, only a game behind the last wildcard spot.

Pool B

Pool B is pretty close with the Blackjacks heading the group but the Archers’ two games in hand able to draw them level. Having won a game each the tiebreaker between them would be down to runs conceded.

Pool C

In pool C the Mavericks can yet tie with the Marauders as they have two games in hand. The rest of the teams will struggle to catch up with the significant lead those two teams have or can build.

The Raptors and Mavericks are in pole position for the wildcards at the moment (or if results go their way, the teams they replace at the top of their pools over the coming weeks). Tonbridge close out the last wildcard spot, but are in shaky grounds due to having forfeited a game, which as I understand it acts as first tiebreaker against a team.

Close behind them, the Archers, having played only 5 games so far can overhaul both Tonbridge and Mavericks if they win those extra ties. The Eagles meanwhile have no games in hand, but are only 1 game back. They have also faced most of the league leaders already so their season run in could certainly be a lot worse.

Behind the Eagles, the 2Sox, Redbacks, Dukes and Old Timers will need results to go in their favour as well as drastic turnarounds to their own seasons to stand any chance of reaching the knockout stages. While Pool B remains close, allowing for each of them to get through by virtue, it is also likely that this pool will not be the source of the wildcard places, while stronger competition at the top of A & B will be the real battlefield.

Furthermore, each of the main contenders has yet to play each other at least one more time meaning that the ultimate destiny for each of them remains in their own hands. Victory across the board for any one team will guarantee finals, but throw in the usual suspects of team availability, the British weather and pure blind luck and you have the ingredients for a perfect British Baseball season.

It may still be far too early to have a clear understanding of what the playoffs will look like, but what is also certain is that the picture will become a lot clearer over the next two or three weeks as the amount of time remaining to catch up reduces.

 

by Matt Bell

Bingo-Bango baseball takes Falcons top of the NBL

Jordan Farkas is putting up impressive pitching and batting numbers this season (photo by Will Baxter)

written by Cristobal Hiche

NBL (Game 1) Herts Falcons 9 Bracknell Blazers 1 (click to view box scores)

And they’re back! There are no words to describe the feeling of this weekend in which finally fans didn’t have to bite their fingernails. Herts Falcons finally looked like the hitting team of last year but even better, because the pitching was once again exceptional. It’s becoming a routine and this reporter might continue writing about other aspects of the game throughout the season, but the entire pitching staff has just been superb and carrying this team to the top position in the league. Game 1 was again dominated by Robbie Unsell who threw a complete 1-hitter game. The only run came by two errors in the bottom of the 2nd. After that, defence was perfect and Robbie was able to cruise to the end not allowing any walks throughout the game. Offence was back with two early runs in the top of the 1st and then slowly building the gap. Although Blazers were keeping it close not allowing runs in the 3rd and 4th inning (3-1), Falcons bats decided to wake up and score in the last 3 innings to win 9-1. It’s hard to say who had the best hitting performance of the game when everybody was hitting but Jordan Farkas continues to be ‘hot-like-a-jalapeno’ (going 3-5).

A grand slam home run for Cris Hiche put the game beyond Bracknell (photo by Will Baxter)

NBL (Game 2) Herts Falcons 13 Bracknell Blazers 1 (click to view box scores)

Another outstanding performance by Mike Osborn on the mound

The question before Game 2 among fans, and in the press box, was to know if Falcons would carry with the momentum from Game 1 or if the bats would go to a ‘siesta’ (nap) as it has been the norm this year. Fortunately it was a ‘fiesta’ (party) rather than a ‘siesta’. The bats were in full swing and by the top of the 3rd it was already 5-0. On my pre-game interview with starting pitcher, Michael Osborn, he told me his arm wasn’t feeling great and you could see from the press box, he was moving his arm with some sort of discomfort in the dugout after the 1st. Well, that shows how great he has been this year because even not feeling 100% he managed to allow only 1 run in 5 innings, striking out 5 and keeping Blazers on bay. Like Game 1, everybody was hitting well and in typical Herts fashion slowly building a gap. However, Cristobal Hiche KO’d Blazers with a grand slam in the top of the 5th to seal the game and leave the score 10-1. It was a bomb to right field on a knuckleball that just danced around the middle of the plate. But they weren’t done and in the top of the 7th they scored another 3 runs even though Blazers decided to focus on auditioning new relievers. They went through 3 different pitchers in the 7th.

The manager for the Blazers was not available for comments after the game but Lee Manning was very happy after the game. He summarised the day by saying: “Defence played great bingo and offence brought the bango. All four pitchers hit their spots and kept Blazers at bay. Very happy with the results and we are hoping to keep the momentum going until the end of the season”. He also finished with the remark that “…finally it’s the first week we haven’t had a player injured”.

So far this report has been full of praise for the Falcons (deserved), but let’s not forget that Bracknell played well and are a talented team. They made a few errors and it looks like inexperience was a key in these games. With many GB juniors in their squad, it’s a team to look out for in the future and even for the rest of the season. Unfortunately they just faced an inspired Falcons team who are determined to take the top spot in the table.

Number 64 Ryan Bird was back and that had a positive on the rest of the batting lineup (photo by Will Baxter)

It’s no coincidence that besides the absence of Dave Tretheway and Dave Westfallen (DL), Falcons finally had a full squad. Having Ryan Bird back in the middle of the lineup is a big boost because it brings the big bat that’s needed. It also offers more protection for Jordan and Darrin who should see more fastballs. Also, this means the rest of the lineup is hitting more relaxed which in turn makes everybody more dangerous at the plate. The relaxed attitude seen from the press box throughout the day was even more visible than in previous weeks even though some players argued laughter brings wrinkles. This team is a bit odd because the more relaxed this team looks (to the point it looks they don’t even care about the score and who wins), the better they perform. That’s what was seen in 2012 and this is what was seen this Sunday. It’s exciting time for every fan and they’re showing it. The fans are even turning to away games to support Falcons and the team is really welcoming it. Keep the support and those who haven’t been able to go often, please do because you’ll see some great Bingo Bango baseball!!!

 

by Matt Bell

Herts U11s: The Late, Late Breaking News

“Hey, Jones. D wants to see you in his office. Now.”

Jones sighed deeply. This didn’t sound like good news. He trudged across the hallway, and knocked twice on the door. “Yeah,” barked the voice from within.

“You wanted to see me, Chief.” Jones glanced around the familiar room. Piles of newspapers covered the floor, some stacked higher than the filing cabinets that lined the wall. The window shades were drawn; the only light came from the green lamp on the huge mahogany desk. Behind it sat the editor himself: a lean man of vaguely eastern European appearance, hunched over a Remington typewriter. Behind his left ear was a chewed-up pencil.

“Jones – where’s your copy? Late again, huh? What’s the excuse this time – the dog ate it?” The editor stared across the desk. “Well, Boss, I… it’s just that… well, sorry Boss,” stammered Jones.

“Look – this isn’t some two-bit local rag. This is the leading baseball website in the greater Hemel Hempstead area, ya hear me ? We have literally tens of readers from around the world relying on us to bring them breaking stories of under-11 games, and it’s down to you to write them. Now, get outta here and start writing. I want reports on the Richmond trip, and the last two Grovehill gamedays on my desk first thing tomorrow morning. Or you’re fired. Ya want me to call Trautman?”

The Richmond Trip

On Saturday 25th May, a combined Herts under-11 side took on the Essex Redbacks U11 team in a double-header at Richmond. The games were held as part of Richmond Baseball Club’s 20th anniversary celebrations,and involved teams from Herts, London Mets, LYBL and Leicester Blue Sox. The club had set up five diamonds at its field in Ham, and laid on a pork roast too. But far from being lambs to the slaughter, the Herts team brought home the bacon, with a tie in game 1 and a win in game 2.

Despite traffic problems on the M25, we had a good showing of Herts regulars by the first pitch at 10am. In a break with our normal practice, it was agreed that runners could steal bases on wild pitches or passed balls, which would prove a new challenge for our players.

Game 1 started off quietly. Herts were first up, but three quick strike-outs later, we were on the field. Taking the mound, Christian Lynch confidently struck out the Essex side allowing only one run. Herts were again scoreless in the second; in reply, despite two early strikeouts, Essex took full advantage of passed balls to advance around the bases and score three runs. Herts heads drooped a little with the score 4-0 to Essex after two.

In the third, a trio of Zneimers plus Alex Trautman all got on base with a combination of singles and fielding errors, before a Lewis Auchterlounie double and a Noah Haines single brought Herts the maximum five runs for the inning. Christian kept things tight, conceding just one run after combining twice with Joe Gipple to make ground-outs at first. The ballgame was tied 5-5. And there it stayed, after a scoreless fourth inning pitched on the Herts side by Ozan Martin. Joe Gipple was again solid at first base.

At this stage, the Herts U14s were starting on the far diamond, but were a little short-staffed. Christian Lynch, Alex Trautman and Ozan Martin moved across to face the imposing Essex U14 team, while Herts recruited a couple of floating players, Alex Sollecito and Stephen Aboucher. Herts’ starting pitcher for Game 2 was Josh Jones. Some strong Essex hitting saw Herts conceding three runs in the first, replying with one run thanks to a Joe Gipple single.

Josh hit his pitching stride in the second inning, with two strike-outs and a pop fly well taken by catcher Alex Sollecito. Herts picked up another run in the second on fielding errors, keeping the score close at 3-2 to Essex. The Redbacks piled on the runs in the third, with some confident hitting before Josh despatched three Essex batters in ten pitches.

7-2 down, Herts fought their way back into the game, batting through the order to record a five-run maximum, including singles from Joe Gipple, Alex Jones, Josh Jones and Stephen Aboucher.

Stephen took over pitching duties and duly struck out one batter and partnered with Josh Jones, now at first base, for a couple of 1-3 groundouts. More solid Herts batting brought two more runs at the bottom of the 4th, with singles from Noah Haines, Alex Jones and our two guest players. Essex were unable to score in the top of the 5th, and that was the ballgame, with Herts winning 9-7.

The day’s work done, your correspondent headed over to watch the under-14 game, about which an excellent (and timely) write-up was filed by Jennie Lynch.

Gameday: 1st June 2013

After an extended training session, the Dodgers and Giants met for game 4 in the series. The Giants went into the game with a 2-1 lead, although with both Durer brothers and Ben Jupp missing this week, were somewhat under-strength. But we were delighted to welcome Caitlin Rainford and James Dullea to the Giants line-up.

Josh Jones pitched again for the Giants, following a successful outing in Richmond. The Dodgers worked a run thanks to singles from Thomas Garton, before Josh caught a flyball and struck out the next batter to end the inning. With Alex Trautman pitching for the Dodgers, the Giants also earned one run, as Josh hit an RBI single to bring home Christian Lynch.

The second inning continued in a similar vein. The Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs, but Joe Gipple could only drive the ball to Josh on the mound, who threw to Christian Lynch for a regulation tag on Leo Zneimer at home plate. The Giants then took a 2-1 lead at the bottom of the 2nd, as Lily Zneimer rounded third and reached home on a fumble by the catcher.

The Giants now secured three quick outs in the third, but were two down themselves when Josh Jones came to the plate. He clubbed a majestic solo home run clear over the right field fence, the second home run in this series.

The Dodgers were now 3-1 down after three innings, and Christian Lynch now took over pitching. However, the Giants failed to press home their advantage, and a few fielding errors later, the Dodgers had closed the gap, as both Leo Zneimer and Noah Haines reached home plate. Pitching for the Dodgers, Ozan Martin was clinical, taking just eleven pitches to account for three Giants batters.

Neither team could find a run in the fifth and last inning, so the game was called a tie. This was as close as we get in U11 to a classic pitchers’ duel: 11 hits, and a 3-3 scoreline.

Gameday: 8th June 2013

This was the first double-header of the year between the Dodgers and Giants. The Giants went into the day leading 2½ to 1½.

It was a cold, early Saturday morning, and we were missing a few regulars, so we started with coaches pitching and Ben Jones making a guest appearance as catcher.

The first inning was scoreless on both sides. A somewhat messy second inning from the Dodgers’ fielders saw the Giants score twice, before Lucas Lebrato closed things out, tagging Sebastian Bohn at third base. The Dodgers chalked up a run after singles from Joe Gipple and Alex Trautman. Alex nearly made it two, but was tagged at home. 2-1 Giants after two innings.

The Giants left two on base in the top of the third, but couldn’t score. The Dodgers, though, moved nearly all their batters around the bases, including singles from Alex Trautman, Jonathan Wakelam and Thomas Garton, before Lucas Lebrato stepped up to pound the ball to the fence. Lucas gets credit for an inside-the-park home run and three RBIs, although only two were needed to reach the five-run maximum. 6-2 to the Dodgers.

But the Giants have shown this season that they don’t know when they’re beaten. In the next inning, they hit ten singles, went more than twice through the batting order and scored 12 runs to leave the Dodgers reeling.  Shell-shocked, the Dodgers crumbled in the bottom of the final inning, adding no runs to limp away with a 14-6 loss and conceding a two-run deficit in the series.

After a short lunch break, we played the second game. After one inning, the Giants had a one-run lead; the Dodgers levelled at the top of the second as Lucas Lebrato singled, then took advantage of a fielding error at short stop to run home.

It looked bleak for the Dodgers, when the Giants piled on the runs at the bottom of the second. Singles from Sebastian Bohn (2), Ben Jupp, James Dullea, Christian Lynch and Alex Jones brought the maximum five runs and left the Giants 6-1 up.

But the Dodgers were up to the challenge. Singles from Joe Gipple and Lucas Lebrato, and a double from Josh Jones generated five runs to level the score.

Back came the Giants in the bottom of the third, to add another four, as most of the lineup contributed a base hit. The Giants were back in front, with a 10-6 lead.

The Dodgers weren’t finished this time, though. Lucas Lebrato continued his sparkling form with the bat, with a 2-RBI triple, and Joe Gipple doubled, amidst a string of singles which produced seven runs and gave the Dodgers a 13-10 lead. Could the Giants produce one more turn-around in this up-and-down game ?

Not this time. With two men on base, a ground-out from Alex Trautman at 2B to Josh Jones at 1B closed it out, and brought the Giants back to a one game deficit. The series stands 3½ to 2½.

It remains a puzzle why we saw so few runs the previous week and so many this week. Perhaps our batting improved dramatically in the space of a few days. Or maybe it’s that our U11 pitchers are more fearsome than our Head Coach. Only time will tell.

 

by Matt Bell

Mets unbeaten run ended by Falcons. The NBL race tightens.

Robbie Unsell about to unleash his breaking ball against the London Mets (photo by Joe Gray)

written by Cristobal Hiche

Déjà vu. That’s probably what every fan is thinking because for the 3rd weekend in a row both games have been decided in the last inning. This is becoming the trend but the good news for Herts fans is that the Falcons are coming on top and winning these close games.

Game 1 was almost a repeat of last week as Robbie Unsell was throwing another gem and keeping a shutout through the first six innings. Knowing pitcher Pietro Sollecito dominated Falcons last time, Mets manager Erick Hanson was smart to start him again. He was delivering, just allowing 2 runs in 6 innings. However, this time around, Pietro wasn’t getting the run support and ultimately ended up on the losing side. Jordan Farkas was on fire going 3-3 but Falcons couldn’t get more “insurance runs”. Mets hitters were determined not to remain scoreless and in the top of the 7th they managed to tie the score thanks to some timely hitting and an unusual error by the Herts defence which has been solid all year. The big difference seen this time was the determination of all Falcons players to come back and ensure that this game didn’t go to extra-innings and they didn’t disappoint. Dave House, who also was on fire at the plate, delivered a line drive, RBI and game-winning single to end the game and hand the first loss of the season for the Mets.

The second game was no different and Michael Osborn was throwing a nasty curveball and using his fastball to second guess each Mets player. Herts hitters were starting to show the solid hitting performance of last year and managed to score runs in the first 2 innings. However, Mets did some small adjustments and did quiet down the Falcons, but also with the help of the defence as Jonathon Cramman threw Cristobal Hiche out on a bang-bang play at home trying to score from 2nd on a single. On the other side, although pitcher Michael Osborn was pretty much single-handedly beating the Mets, it also got great defence behind. The highlight was an amazing diving catch by Dave House at third base after a laser beam to his left side. Going into the 6th the score was once again 2-0 for the Falcons and it looked like a repeat of the previous game, especially as the Mets finally managed to do some damage and score a run. Yet again Falcons showed that determination seen in the bottom of the 7th in game 1 to score 2 runs to try and close the game. Mets were not ready to give up and were able to manufacture a run with some hits and being aggressive on the bases. Unfortunately it was too little, too late and Falcons got the win with a final score of 4-2.

Falcons manager Lee Manning said after the game: “Fantastic pitching, fantastic defence, good timely hitting again. Really happy for both wins”. He was really full of praise for both his starters (Robbie and Michael) and also had a few words for reliever Jordan Farkas: “In Game 1 when they tied up in the 7th inning, Jordan came in…I was really impressed with the way he managed to hold them, especially when I put them in a bad situation [with men in scoring position]”. On the other side of the field, manager Erick Hanson wasn’t happy about the losses but he had the following to say: “We knew coming to Herts we would have two tough games today, they came out and did the small things to win the games. Game 1 was a close game and could have gone either way”. Reflecting on the positives of the day he said: “We’ve been fortunate to be winning a lot so it’s nice to get these losses out of the way, regroup, and learn what we need to do in training to get better”.

The only bad news for the Falcons is that Dave Westfallen might have re-injured his knee and might be added to the now long list of players on the DL. Although this is another heavy loss, manager Lee Manning sees the positive side and said: “It’s a terrible loss but let’s hope it’s nothing serious and he can be ready for the playoffs. This being said, we now know we can call up AAA players and can perform to very high standards”.

I have been saying it for the last two weeks and I’ll repeat it again, this is quality baseball not only by the Falcons but by most teams in the NBL. Every game is going to be close with great pitching, good hitting, and fantastic defence. Just as an example, only 2 errors were made in the 2nd game by both teams combined! That’s MLB level right there. Just take a look at the box score and replace the Falcons name with the Yankees and you would think this box score was taken out from the MLB subway series (i.e. Yankees-Mets rivalry). So come down to the ballpark and check out the Falcons next time!

 

by Matt Bell

Mustangs and Falcons put on a show on par with MLB

Sunday's NBL clash proved to be a real battle (photo by Richard Lee)

written by Cristobal Hiche

NBL (Game 1) Herts Falcons 2 Southampton Mustangs 0 (click to view box scores)

If last week games were close, these games were literally down to the wire. Both games were decided in the last 2 innings. The first game was a pitching duel between injured Robbie Unsell and Gary Davison for Southampton Mustangs. The duel was so good that Robbie ended up with 10K and Gary with 5K. Clearly not much was happening on the field and solid defence on both sides kept more or less the bases empty. Both teams had a few men on base. While Mustangs tried playing small ball to advance the runners, Falcons were looking for line drives to spark a rally. In the bottom of the 6th, Falcons 2nd batter Phil Clark managed to walk and all indicated Falcons should try to play small ball and advance the runner. However the dilemma for manager Lee Manning was that the heart of the order (3rd-5th batter) was coming up. Ryan Bird solved this dilemma by hitting the 1st pitch deep into RF. A blast that put Herts 2-0 ahead and psychologically KO’ing Southampton. They couldn’t do anything on top of the 7th with Robbie striking out the last 2 batters. A solid, much-needed win for a Falcons that didn’t have the starting line-up. Dave House, Jordan Farkas, Dave Tretheway, and Xavi Gonzalez were all missing this afternoon. However, AAA call-ups Louie Hare and Mike Cattlemore, and the season debut of Kevin Niedringhaus and Felix Perez did a tremendous job to minimise the absence of the regular players.

Moments after the game-ending play of game two

NBL (Game 2) Herts Falcons 4 Southampton Mustangs 3 (click to view box scores)

The second game was no different. Mustangs were able to score 1 run in the top of the 1st and Falcons couldn’t get anything going in their favour. But in the bottom of the 3rd all of a sudden Falcons looked like the team we used to see last year. Everybody started to hit or being selective at the plate, drawing walks. The result was 4 runs in one inning which we haven’t seen since the game against Nationals a few months ago. Michael Osborn, who before this game had a lifetime record of 5-0 against Southampton, was keeping their bats quite with his nasty curveball. The curveball was impressive as seen from the press box but that meant that Michael’s arm was getting a bit tired and Mustangs managed to score a run thanks to a solo HR by Alberto Rodriguez. Falcons allowed the Mustangs to load the bases but Osborn used his remaining energy to induce ex-Falcons player Kimiyoshi Saionji to a pop-fly to end the inning. Manager Lee Manning took the right decision to bring Robbie Unsell who was sitting on the bench due to his injury to come and close the game. It was a gamble since Robbie had already pitched 7 innings and Mustangs knew what to look for. Southampton managed to have men on 1st and 3rd thanks to a dropped 3rd strike that Lee Manning couldn’t properly handle. The reason was that Lee had just come into the game due to (again!) a minor injury to starting catcher Dave Westfallen and Robbie’s slider was wicked all day long. Lee didn’t expect that big drop at the end of the pitch. However, in a very strange decision that will leave many Mustang fans puzzled, Justin Frosina who was 1-3 in the game, was sent to try the squeeze play not once, not twice, but 3 times and that meant he bunted foul with 2 strikes which is an automatic strikeout. And to add drama to this ending, another nasty slider meant Lee had to block the ball which escaped just a few feet down the 3rd base side. Alberto Rodriguez decided to take the risk and steal home and in a very close play at home he was tagged out by Robbie Unsell who went to cover the plate. Unfortunately he re-injured his ankle. This meant it wasn’t much of a victory celebration as all teammates went to home plate to check on him. He had to be carried off the field and in a class act, all Southampton players clapped to wish Robbie all the best in his recovery.

Lee Manning said after the game: “Our pitching and defence were amazing today. We got some timely hitting but our hitting still needs to improve a bit.” Asked if it’s still a worry that Falcons are not scoring many runs, Falcons manager replied: “[Given the amount of injuries] I’m not too worried about the lack of hitting. Once we get our 9 starters I think our hitting will pick up. Now it’s a matter to win enough games to get us into the post-season. These 2 victories take us a bit closer to that goal.” On the other side of the field we were given a similar analysis: “[Both games] were hard fought. I think for both sides they were not bad games. These two low-scoring games went against expectations given the offensive power we both have shown in the past. We’re obviously not happy with the two losses and with the amount of runs that we scored”.

Both games were fantastic and as a reporter I will allow myself to give an opinion. Although I agree with both managers that these have been very good offensively teams in the past and the box scores for today clearly shows a lack of that, I think they were not just good games. I think they were MLB type games. I think this does not reflect that hitting was missing but rather that pitching has greatly improved. As a reporter who has covered many leagues around the world, it is always the case that pitching is always behind hitting. You just need to look no further than lower-tier leagues here in the UK where most games end up with 20+ runs. The average MLB game is only about 8 runs. Thus to me these games were better quality, still with some offensive action (2HR, one in each game by each team), close plays, close calls, and every single error by all those involved in the field can make a big difference. What does this mean? Better quality baseball in the UK and an open invitation to all fans to come down support Herts Falcons knowing you’ll have a great experience at the ballpark!

 

by Matt Bell

Giants Take a 2-1 Lead in U11s

You can learn a lot of surprising things from following @hertsbaseball on twitter or HertsBaseballClub on facebook.

Sure, you get the latest results from the Herts baseball community, including the Eagles’ recent 31-30 triumph over the Raptors. (As our friends at Southampton Mustangs commented, when did Herts switch to playing American football?)

But you also pick up snippets of news from the baseball world outside the HP postcode area. Such as the story that Prince Harry hit a ball out of the park when visiting a team in New York. Or the revelation that David Cameron has been mugging up on baseball books to prepare for his latest meeting with President Obama. Clearly, we need to sign Harry up for the Raptors, and I’m sure Coach Mike can find a role for the PM as assistant U11 coach.

While those negotiations are ongoing, our existing coaching staff continues its work in developing this promising group of Under-11s. And so to the third game in the Giants v Dodgers series, on 18th May. The series was tied 1-1, after the Giants recorded a 7-6 win the previous week.

This time the Giants were the visitors and first up. On the mound: Alex Trautman. Nicholas Durer got the scoring underway with a triple, bringing Christian Lynch home for an RBI. Three strike-outs later, the Dodgers had a chance to reply, as Lewis Auchterlounie made his pitching debut for the Giants. After Alex Trautman reached on error, Lucas Lebrato hit a line drive to the fence and got right round the bases before the Giants were able to get the ball back to the catcher. 2-1 Dodgers.

Top of the second – Lewis Auchterlounie drove in a double, and Alex Jones hit a single to move Lewis to third. Alex turned to run for second, but was tagged out, although this allowed Lewis to reach home base for the Giants’ second run. After detailed post-game consultations regarding rule 10.04, the scorers, perhaps harshly, declined to grant Alex the RBI in this case.

Christian Lynch pitched the second inning for the Giants. A strikeout and two professional-looking groundouts between third baseman Josh Jones and first baseman Nicholas Durer kept the Dodgers scoreless. 2-2.

Back to the top of the order for the Giants. Nicholas Durer hit another double, and made it to home base on error after a single from Ben Jupp. For the Dodgers, Alex Trautman, Lucas Lebrato, Joe Gipple, Noah Haines and Rory Vangundy all hit singles, resulting in three runs to bring the score to 5-3 Dodgers.

In the fourth, both teams had runners in scoring position but couldn’t add to their totals.

In the fifth and final inning, the Giants hit their stride. With Lucas Lebrato now pitching, Josh Jones singled, and Ben Jupp hit a ground rule double. These two made it home on the next play after a couple of errors in the field, to tie the score. At this point, Lucas had struck out two Giants batters, and the Giants had two runners in scoring position. The match hung in the balance. Then Alex Jones singled for an RBI and the Giants had a one-run lead.

Maybe it was the tension, or maybe a little tiredness was creeping in. But the Dodgers seemed to be losing their edge in the field; a string of errors allowed the Giants to score two more, and load the bases once again. Josh Jones then drove in a two-RBI single, and suddenly the Giants were up 10-5.

This proved too much for the Dodgers, who were scoreless in the final inning under pressure from some accurate pitching from Josh Jones.

The Giants and Dodgers now combine forces to represent Herts in under-11 games at an event in Richmond on Saturday 25th May. Results for those games, together with other important breaking news stories, will be available on your social network of choice.

Season Statistics

by Matt Bell

A setback for injury-hit Falcons in NBL title race

Xavier Gonzalez (left) and Robbie Unsell sustained injuries in game one at the Essex Arrows (photo by Will Baxter)

written by Cristobal Hiche

It’s hard to fully describe these two games. They were very good, and more importantly, very close games. There was very good defence, good hitting, good pitching but nothing out of the ordinary. Giovanni’s triple for the Arrows was probably the only big hit of the day. John Bloise’s tremendous diving catch in CF was probably the only web gem of the day. There were just very few errors made by both teams but nothing that probably affected the games. If there’s a way to describe it, I would say they were “vanilla games” but probably the best vanilla you have ever eaten in your life! Why?

The answer is pretty simple. Two games that went to the wire will always be a good game to watch. In these types of games, players and managers are battling it out there and giving their 100% the entire game because there’s no chance to get relaxed since that can cost you dearly. Any small mistake can swing one way or the other and one pitch could make the difference.

The first game started with Arrows scoring a run in the 2nd but the Falcons were able to score a run in the next 3 innings. By the top of the 5th inning it was 3-1 for the Falcons but they could never mount a rally to give themselves some room to breathe. Barry Wiles was pitching a solid game. Although at times he would put a few men on base, Essex Arrows also couldn’t start a rally. By the 6th inning it was 4-2 and both teams were just trying to produce a run playing small ball and getting the fundamentals right because it was going to be a close game ‘til the end. However, Herts was able to score a few more in the 7th and was 6-2 for Herts in the bottom of the 7th. A Herts fan would have thought that was definitely enough to win it, but they would have been wrong. Essex managed to get some timely hits and make it 6-5 before Ryan Bird came to close the game. With a man on 3rd and 2 outs, an unrostered new Essex player had just entered the game and with limited baseball experience he had to face one of the fastest pitchers in the league. Somehow, and credit to him, he was able to put the ball in place with a slow chopper down the middle and in a rare error by the dynamic Xavi-Robbie duo, they both couldn’t get to the ball and make the final out. Game tied. The Falcons responded well by scoring 3 runs in extra innings and shutting down the Arrows in the bottom of the inning to seal a 9-6 win.

John Blose made the play of the day with a diving catch in centerfield

The bad news of that first game was the injuries to both Xavi (hamstring) and Robbie (ankle) which meant they both sat out the second game. Without their 1-2 batters and the defensive duo, Herts still went to battle and tried to get that 2nd win. Darrin Ward and and Lance Louw got into a pitching duel taking a 1-1 score into the bottom of the 6th. Arrows again were able to start a small rally and were able to score 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th to put a dagger into Herts. Herts showed some heart (pun intended) and looked to repeat the scenario from the first game. They scored a run and had runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs. A single would tie the game, but Lance Louw showed composure and struck out Carlos Velazco-Carus to end the game and give the victory to the Arrows.

Manager Lee Manning said after the game: “In the first game we played the way I expect us to play. Second game we didn’t hit the way I expected us to hit. Not taking anything away from Essex but we seem to be struggling with all these weeks off not playing.” Asked if the injuries could have affected the outcome of the second game, he added: “I think any team in the league would suffer if they lose their middle infielders, and in our case we feel our middle infielders are the best in the league, so their absence is bound to affect us. The guys that filled in did an amazing job but that meant we left holes in other parts of the field.” Essex Manager Steve Simmons summarised the day by saying: “I’m very pleased the way we played all day long. Unfortunately [in the first game] we ran out of pitching and they managed to score.” And then added “…[Second game] we played basics ball, we played fundamentals, ran the bases well, clutch hitting and didn’t make any critical errors.”

The season is getting quite interesting with all teams close together and the London Mets look like they are running away with it at the moment. This is the stage of the season where the fans can have a big impact. The Falcons are playing against a tough Southampton team at home next Sunday, May 26. An opportunity to come down to the ballpark and make some noise to try to grab two necessary wins against their immediate opponents.