Author: Rob Jones

28 August 2011 by Rob Jones

Raptors take revenge on Rays

Bottom of the 9th and the Raptors have a lead…not a massive one, but a healthy one, writes Ken Pike. A good bit of defence is all they need for a win, but when the first batter gets on base, hearts jump from chest to throat. If you are having a mild sense of deja vu reading this, it’s because the small but devout group of Raptors fans have seen precisely that same scenario go horribly wrong twice in the past 4 games, including once against the same Braintree Rays team trying to fight their way back into this game. With two down, a well delivered pitch is struck hard. Up in the air, deep, over the head of young centre fielder Senna Ashida….

Ah but what is a plot twist without a story line…

Pitcher Zack Longboy in action for the Herts All Stars

It all started at high noon when the Raptors took the field to bat and posted a healthy score, immediately followed by a stingy piece of defending led by 13-year-old prodigy Zack Longboy who had just returned from baseball training camp. The money spent by his Dad (and Raptors catcher) Arnie looked a good investment as solid pitching only let in one runs despite some wobbly early fielding.

The next three innings, however, went from good to gold as Zack locked out a Braintree side who looked puzzled at their lack of hitting. Steady returns from Raptors players at bat steadily increased the lead.

Manager Ken Pike, returning to stand in for the absent John Kjorstad, had to pull the impressive Zack Longboy from the mound in the 5th inning due to his limited pitch-count due to his age, and he threw a self-confessed complete wobbly. Pike promptly took himself off the mound for Andrew Slater to take charge, but not before letting in 5 runs. Thankfully Slater’s calm command of the mound quickly saw out the inning.

The impressive defence continued with excellent backtracking catches from Senna Ashida, an excellent double play from short stop Chris Deacon — and even a couple of decent catches from Ken Pike to make up for his pitching. The hitting meanwhile, which was lacking the triple big gun threat of John Kjorstad, Glen Downer and Theo Scheepers was undeterred and managed to pop single after single to get the scores consistently rolling in.

That’s where we return to the final inning. Andrew Slater still on the mound, but with a heavy pitch count, and having seen the rotation of Rays a couple times round already. The Rays are feeling confident, with loud voicing of ‘we were here last week and did it then’ being audible across the field, and a Raptors team that had enjoyed similar positions and found wanting.

I am afraid that I am hazy on the details as it all became a blur. Two batters reached base, I remember that. I remember getting one out myself, but I honestly can’t even tell you how. But what I can remember is the final play. With two down a well delivered pitch is struck hard. Up in the air, deep, over the head of young centre fielder Senna Ashida…. he back tracks, following the ball the whole way. His glove hand reaches back over his shoulder as the whole team stands stock still watching (except for his left fielder running to cover… another father son combo) and the ball comes down from high.

Straight in to the glove.

At this point, a much harder fought game than the Raptor’s only other victory ended. Players literally jumped for joy, fell to their knees and cheered. This was not the respectful victory celebration of the first win against an opponent that received a drubbing. This was the jubilant celebration of knowing that every last ball had been fought for and ultimately won. Every inning had been a well matched contest, and for once, the Raptors defence had not given up that one big inning. For once, the offence had not fallen quiet at the vital crunch-point. For once, they had come out tops against a well matched team in a hard game.

With two wins on the board and the final match against a team they know they can beat, having done it only a few short weeks ago in Tonbridge, the Raptors are looking to finish the last two games on a real high before entering the post-season friendliness of the Hunlock series. Though it does leave a small and slightly tangy food for thought..what if they had converted the close losses against the Old Timers and last weeks game against Braintree? They would be looking at 6 wins instead of 3…and that’s playoff hunt territory…

Next year?

23 August 2011 by Rob Jones

and so it ends…

The Herts Raptors season has ended with a flourish, a bang, and an exclamation mark. Three wins out of the last four, and a superb win on the final day of the season. I played just a small part in it, but I was glad I made the effort to be there. I was working nights, so normally I would be sleeping rather than playing baseball in the afternoon – but there was something about the day which just kept telling me it was not to be missed.

The first quick thing to say here is to pay tribute to how hard the Raptors have worked this year, and how far they have come. The team spirit has been excellent, the defense has been much sharper, and the approach at the plate has been great. The team has earned its wins. I also want to give credit to the Tonbridge Bobcats, who approached both our games in a tremendous spirit and fought for this one right til the end.

I will consider the season properly at a later date, but I want to make a quick observation which builds on the last couple of articles. Remember how I said that the final play of your game can colour your view? And also about how a baseball game is a jigsaw made up of many tiny pieces, some good some bad?

Well, on this occasion I had two “final moments”. The second of them was me receiving the throw at first base to retire the last runner on a ground ball, and close out the win. It’s always good to be in on the final play, so while Ken did the actual hard work of fielding the hit and making the throw, I can say I was there “at the death”.

More significantly, it is true that my final at bat was — in theory — a bad ending. I struck out. It’s only the second time this year that I have struck out, but doing it with my final at-bat could have been a real downer. However, things work out in curious ways. The catcher dropped the ball in the dirt, and I was alert enough to sprint up the line and get safely to first base.After catching my breath, I was able to steal second. And then able to steal third. And then, on a passed ball, I scored standing up.

So that last experience of the season, and the one my mind can latch on to, is scoring a run, instead of striking out. And I can also feel to have redeemed in some measure my base-running error from two weeks ago. Then, I had been tagged out needlessly when it was important to pad our lead. This time I had manufactured a run when it was, again, vital to keep the scoreboard ticking over. This game always offers you a second chance, and I am grateful for it.

It’s hard to believe — and sad to believe – that the season is over. But having played in far more games than usual, I feel less frustrated and short-changed than usual. The final game is a bit of a blur, to be honest, and not just because of sleep deprivation. I have a graze on my arm and a bruise on my hip which I have no idea how I acquired. But I remember impressionistic glimpses of the game, and they all look pretty good to me. It has been a fine year, and I enjoyed the ride.

23 August 2011 by Rob Jones

Raptors End it on a High

The Herts Raptors wrapped up their season with a win on Sunday, August 21st. They beat the Tonbridge Bobcats 22-17 over nine innings at Grovehill Ballpark to complete an impressive end to their 2011 campaign. The side won three of its final four games, and recorded its best win total since 2009.

Raptors after beating Tonbridge 22-17 — Herts Raptors: "Let's go to work..."

The game against the visiting Bobcats began well. Manager, Ken Pike, started on the pitching mound, and did not give up a single run in the first two innings. The Herts side, however, scored freely – Jon Gamble got two hits and Theo Scheepers was a constant menace with the bat.

After three innings it was 10-2 to the Raptors, and it was looking comfortable. But that can never be said for certain in a Single-A game. The visitors had started to have some impact and score runs – 2 in the third, 4 in the fourth, building towards a 5-spot in the fifth. But Scheepers – who has been a star of the second half of the season – had now taken over on the mound and pitched calmly to limit the damage.

The Herts defense also showed its mettle. Now moved to third base, Ken Pike made a series of good stops and throws, and showed impressive concentration to catch one line drive when the flying bat was so close to him he could have caught that instead. The father-son combo of Arnie and Zach Longboy were now in the game, too, and were bossing things on the infield to mow down a string of Bobcats on the basepaths. At second base, Longboy Snr was in on a couple of close double plays, while Jnr combined with his Little League team-mate Jose Morillo to tag out runners at home plate as they unwisely tried to score. In the outfield, Senna Ashida was once again clutch.

Even though their bats went a little quiet over the final innings, the Raptors did not fold under the pressure. They had the chance to secure mercy-rule victories in the seventh and eighth but were held to just one manufactured run. Each inning, the Bobcats inched closer. But the Raptors were always one step ahead, and they closed it out with a five-run cushion in the ninth inning.

The Herts club was delighted that after a tough start to 2011, its rookie team had taken three wins. The Raptors have shown great spirit and great all-around improvement in their game. In the second half of the season they competed well against the Old Timers and against Braintree even when they didn’t come away with the win. Some players will move up the ranks next year, while others will look to build on their success and make games against the top sides in the Single-A division much closer affairs.

10 August 2011 by Rob Jones

The highs and lows of the walk-off

The Herts Hawks have been as high and as low as baseball can take you in the past two weeks. Paul Auchterlounie — catcher, outfielder, and all-around baseball good guy — was in the thick of it, and shares his experience.

“The walkoff. Possibly the most exciting way to end a baseball game. It doesn’t get much closer than the bottom of the last inning, or extras, the game is tied and someone gets to be a hero.

The best kind of hero? Perhaps the hitter who clubs the walkoff home run, in the first at-bat, off the first pitch. Or perhaps the hitter who fouls off several pitches before getting to first, stealing second, then charging round third on another hit to cross the plate.

Whatever your kind of hero, the walkoff is a great way to win a ballgame, and a devastating way to lose. In two weeks, the Herts Hawks have encountered both emotions. Interestingly, on two similar plays.

Last week, on possibly the second hottest Sunday in the summer, they travelled to Croydon to take on the Latin Boys. Outclassed in Game 1 and handed a thumping loss, Game 2 needed a change. But with only eight players as one had to leave early, there could be no changes of personnel. Instead, the Hawks dug deep and behind a stellar pitching performance from Nick Russell somehow were still in the game heading into the seventh.

We needed four runs to make the Latin Boys bat again. And we got them. Then held them scoreless. Then into extras. I’m sure we played 2 extras but everyone said it was only 1 — blame my confusion on the heat! We were held scoreless in however many we played.

So, bottom half. Leadoff batter. A ground ball up the middle, under the glove of the shortstop. The runner starts to head for second, OK we’ll get him there. Oh no! Overthrow. Fielded by first, and the runner has taken off for third. We’ll get him there. Oh no! Another overthrow into the trees. Dead ball. Extra base, and the batter gets home. What a way to lose. And Nick Russell didn’t really deserve to lose on that performance, but that’s baseball.

Then onto today. At home versus Thames Valley and to the end of a somewhat fraught game, punctuated by rain delays, disputed calls, arguments, but thankfully no punches! This time the Hawks had to do it, having so nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by giving up a 6 run lead in just over 2 innings to be behind by 3. I have already forgotten the actual order of play, and who reached, who didn’t, except for Paul Curtis who scored the winning run, and Greg Bochan who hit the ball enough for Paul to score. Well……sort of….

Here’s the interesting bit, see, and how Hawks won in a similar way to how they lost the previous week. And even more exciting, this happened with 2 outs. The ball was a fly ball to very shallow centre. Infielders couldn’t make the play, outfielder had no chance. But only when the ball hits the floor does Paul decide to run to third! (haven’t we repeated enough “2 outs, run on contact”!)

Surely he’s left it too late?? The game’s going to extras……but no! The third baseman somehow lets the ball out of his glove without applying the tag. Winning run now on third…… no wait! What’s this?? Paul’s run through the stop sign. Was there one?! There was certainly a STTTTOOOOPPP shouted from the bench! He’s now heading for home. The third baseman throws, taking a good line inside the baseline. All the catcher has to do is apply the tag, and Paul’s done like a kipper……….But it’s gone past him!!! Paul stands on home plate and the home bench erupts!! (apologies to Thames Valley, but the emotions got on top of us!).

Hugs and high fives all round. A get-the-lead-let-them-back-in-it-have-to-do-it-all-now-come-from-behind win. But commiserations to Thames Valley, we DO know how it feels to lose a game on throwing errors. And their pitcher probably didn’t deserve to lose wither, because he pitched a blinder. But that’s baseball. And that’s the excitement of the walkoff.”

7 August 2011 by Rob Jones

Rays Squeak Past Raptors

Life has been getting much much better for the Herts Raptors recently. There were two strong performances against the Old Timers, then a long-awaited victory against Tonbridge. This week, there was a re-run of the good performance. But the final score was a repeat of the 16-15 defeat to the Old Timers, once again on a walk-off hit.

The wind blew hard across the field at Braintree, and clouds occasionally threatened rain, but two sides who have had their struggles this season matched up well. Both pitchers recorded a clean first inning, with their defenses making the plays smoothly. Then in the second Ken Pike started the scoring for the visitors, with a walk and a steal before being driven in by Senna Ashida. He was then brought home, along with Jose Morillo, by shortstop Chris Deacon’s double to right field. The Raptors had a 3-0 lead.

Catcher Oz Kemal in action against Braintree

It looked as if the Rays would answer right back. Their first two batters in the bottom of the second came around to score. But Theo Scheepers picked up his first strikeout of the day, and the Raptors fielders again kept it tight. With runners on first and second, Jose Morillo ended the threat by grabbing a sharp line drive at second base.

The top of the Herts order led off the third inning, and it did all you could ever ask really. Chris Deacon got aboard for the third time, and was driven home by right-fielder Duncan Hoyle’s single to left. John Kjorstad was next to get a hit, then up stepped Glen Downer, the clean-up hitter. The first baseman had already clouted a double to centre, but the Rays came right after him, and he hit right back. Again, it went deep to centre but this one was wayyy back. There is no fence at Braintree but with Hoyle and Kjorstad already safe at home, Downer was heading for third and showed no sign of stopping. He didn’t need to. He crossed home plate standing up for a three-run inside-the-park homer.

Downer was also part of a second offensive explosion, in the top of the sixth inning. He scored his third run of the day, while Theo Scheepers finally had some luck with his big bat, and third baseman Ken Pike also scored his third run. The Raptors now had 15 on the scoreboard and a 10-run lead. But the problem was that the Rays hit back in the bottom of the sixth, batting around to score 7 runs of their own.

And this might be where the crucial moments of the ball-game occurred. The Raptors needed to extend their lead if they were to be comfortable in the closing stages of this game. Substitute right fielder Tak Ashida led off the inning well with a double. But while Rob Jones was at the plate, Ashida tried to swipe third base. The Braintree reliver was a hard thrower, and the catcher had shown he had an arm which was strong if not always accurate. On this occasion, they combined perfectly to cut down the runner.

Jones battled on, and drove the ball over the head of the first baseman to right field. But he, too, had too much fire in the blood. An attempt to stretch the hit into a double was doomed, and he was tagged out in a clumsy collision at second base. Glen Downer took a walk, but there was little the Raptors could do to recover this one, and they ended the inning without scoring.

The Rays replied with their biggest hit of the day, a triple deep to centre. But they were held to just one run in the bottom of the inning, so the Raptors had a final chance to tack on runs. It was their first nine inning game of the year, and it was going to be tight. Pike reached again, and Senna Ashida reached again (he would make just one out from six plate appearances on the day). After a strikeout, catcher Oz Kemal drew a walk and the bases were loaded. But the Rays’ reliever was up to the task. A second strikeout left the runners frozen, and a final flyout left the Herts side empty handed again.

They now had to defend a 15-13 lead in the bottom of the final frame. Theo Scheepers was in for the complete game, and had shown a lot of fight to keep his side in front, giving up just five walks despite the high winds. The first Braintree batter hit a single, and stole unforgivingly to score on a groundout. One run in, one man out, but that ratio was not going to work for Herts this week. Another hit, more steals, and then a walk laid the table for the decisive blow. Braintree got the final hit they needed to walk off as winners, 16-15.

It was a painful defeat, but it must also be seen as a welcome change from the overwhelming defeats early in the season. Manager Ken Pike — who had a 3-for-5 day with a pair of RBIs – has seen the team grow in confidence and ability during the season. This was the second time in three games that the Raptors had lost by just one run, and a walk-off at that. The third game of the three was a convincing win. The season still holds the return fixtures against Braintree and Tonbridge, so hopes are high that the Herts Raptors can put another win on the 2011 record.

7 August 2011 by Rob Jones

Thinking Things Over

I am not a big man. About 5’8″, maybe 120lb soaking wet. But I’m big enough to admit that a dumb bit of baserunning by me helped cost the Raptors today’s game at Braintree.

There was one out in the eighth inning, and the Raptors needed to pad a 15-12 lead to be safe. With maybe a 2-2 count, I lined the ball exactly where I had wanted to, over the head of the first baseman and into right field. I was running hard to first and as usual looking to make the turn. The right fielder was a big guy, moving only slowly to the ball. So although I was vaguely aware of the base coach telling me to stop, I went for two. Off I went, full tilt. And I was out by about six feet, I think, clattering into the second baseman as he fielded the throw and tagged me out.

So instead of us having one out, one on, it was bases empty, two down. A world of difference. If I had to analyse the decision right now, I’d maybe say I was sticking too closely to my original plan. Having hit it where I wanted it, I therefore ran for what I had hoped to achieve. In fact, the right fielder was slow but was pretty much standing next to the ball. And I would have had a decent chance to steal second, anyway.

To be fair to myself, I will add that mine was the second baserunning mistake of the inning. The first out had been Tak stealing third after hitting a brilliant double. He didn’t really need to do it, and he wasn’t really close to getting there. But we should make no apologies for playing aggressively, and — until recently — we didn’t steal third anything like often enough. I should have learned from Tak’s experience, rather than compounding the error.

I remember writing an article a couple of years ago, coincidentally also after a losing game at Braintree, about how your final play can colour your view of an entire game. On that occasion I had enjoyed one of my best days fielding at shortstop, but my final at-bat was poor and had helped to snuff out our rally. That was what I chewed on all week. Today’s could be my last game of the season, so I will get to chew on it all winter!

Of course, I will admit to being able to find something to kick myself about after any game. How else can I hope to get better?! After we blew out the Tonbridge Bobcats last week for our maiden victory, I spent much of my time arguing with myself about whether I should have caught the flare into shallow right field which ultimately ended the game (when Will came in from right field, and made the throw to tag out the aggressive base runner heading for second…. somehow that all sounds familiar … anyway…). Victory was very sweet, but I still found something to grumble about. Ridiculous.

And therefore I should stop being ridiculous and finish this post on a more upbeat note. First, I should of course say that lots of plays go to make up a baseball game, that’s part of its beauty. Yes, some are key, some are routine, but they all play a little part. A glance at the scoresheet shows the Rays also made unnecessary outs on the base paths. And I also know that I hustled to beat out a throw to get a single earlier, and ran for home hard and alertly to score when the Rays attempted a play on someone else at first. So if I hadn’t done that good stuff, we wouldn’t have had as many runs as we did when I did the dumb thing. Does that make sense? The upshot is that we can all take pride in something after a game, but also find something to learn from.

The real good point today was the fact that the Raptors turned in another strong performance. That’s four good games in a row — we competed with the Old Timers before blowing the game in one inning; then we lost 16-15 on a walk-off; then we beat Tonbridge; now we go down 16-15 again on another walk-off. Those are proper baseball games, not like the silly blowouts from earlier in the season. Guys made good plays today. Senna made good outfield catches; Ken made intelligent plays at third; and I can’t remember Oz letting through a single passed ball. And I have to mention Glen’s inside the park home run. More of that in the match report, to follow shortly, but for now let’s say well played Raptors, and let’s keep learning.

3 August 2011 by Rob Jones

Raptors make it count

The batter hits a flare to shallow right field. Second base goes back, and back, but can’t get it and the ball drops. The runner digs for second but the right fielder makes a perfect throw, and the shortstop is waiting to apply the tag. And that is how the Raptors won their first game of the season.

But there was so much more involved in the four and a half hours leading up to that moment, and so much more in the three months and the ten games since the season started. A 37-23 victory over the Tonbridge Bobcats capped off a process of battling, and learning, and wrestling the game of baseball to a point where the Raptors could win, and win well.

Glen Downer at bat — Glen Downer smashes another shot into the Tonbridge outfield

The game started with two relatively tight innings. The visiting Raptors showed patience at the plate, with Arnold Longboy and Duncan Hoyle each taking a walk, and scoring a run on steals and pass balls. The Bobcats did manage a scatter of early hits against Ken Pike, but then either struck out or were dealt with by the defense. After two innings, it was 8-6 to the home side.

Then the Raptors put themselves on the right side of a “big inning” for once. All season, a single meltdown had undone good work by the Herts rookies. Now, they took their bats and pummelled the game into the shape they wanted it. Right fielder Will Belbin led off with a hit and eventually scored twice in the inning. Arnie Longboy took two of his six walks to score two of his seven runs on the day, the highest total on the team. And newly recruited slugger Glen Downer began a series of towering hits which menaced the Bobcats all day. The Raptors batted around twice and scored 13 runs.

Tonbridge had little reply, getting just two hits off Pike in the next inning, and tacking on just a few runs each time to their total. There were pitching changes and conferences, but it all became academic once the Herts bats opened up again in the fifth inning. The rookies had shown both patience and confidence at the plate, an ideal combination. After using early walks to manufacture runs, there were now big hits too. Shortstop Theo Scheepers got two doubles in the inning, while Rob Jones got his third and fourth hits and catcher Oz Kemal scored his fourth run.

The Raptors reliever on the mound now was Jose Morillo, a graduate of the Herts Little League. He blew away the first batter he saw, and persevered through the heat and the pressure heaped on him to finish off the game. Tonbridge put up their best score in the final inning, with Shaun Dary even getting a home run to make his 4-for-5 figures look more gaudy. But all the time the game was ebbing away from them, with Herts defending a commanding lead and giving up runs to secure outs.

In the end there was that flare to right field, and the throw from Belbin to Scheepers, and the celebrations. On a baking hot day in Kent this had been a strong team performance to secure the deserved victory. The manager-of-record for the season, Ken Pike, scored five runs to go with his four strikeouts to help his own cause and secure the big W. John Kjorstad, who has taken over game-day duties, even managed to come off the DL and take part with a hit. There were still fielding errors and baserunning misadventures, because this is still British single-A baseball. But there was relief and delight for the Raptors to break their duck and take the win. Credit goes to the Tonbridge Bobcats who have also had a long and tough season against more powerful teams — they played this game in a tremendous spirit and battled right to the end with a lot of heart.

Arnold Longboy — Outfielder-catcher Arnie Longboy scored a team-leading 7 runs on the day

The rest of the Herts club extended congratulations to the rookies for their win. At some point in the season, both the Falcons and the Hawks had found themselves looking longingly at the Win column, and in time, they both managed to put some numbers in it. This weekend, they both played hard and took games to extra innings, but were ultimately denied. The Hawks lost 18-2 but then 12-11 to the Latin Boys in the AA-division. By the end of the day, the travelling Hawks had only eight players so the result was even more creditable. The Falcons went down 9-5 to the Essex Arrows in their first game before taking them to extras in a tighter second half of the double-header. Falcons scored five to surge ahead in the fourth inning, but were pegged back and then could not hang on to a one-run lead in the bottom of the seventh. After a scoreless eighth, Essex snatched the win 9-8 after nine.

25 July 2011 by Rob Jones

Within a whisker

Theo Scheepers had to fight off some nasty pitches from former Herts player, the legendary Paul Raybould

This was a proper game of baseball, with twists and turns and big hits and injuries, and a dramatic walk-off hit. Sadly for Herts, it ended in defeat. But this was the closest the Raptors had come to the big W this year.

The Raptors actually played two games against the Old Timers on Sunday, July 24th, one the scheduled game and one a make-up from a rained out fixture earlier in the year. There was no hint of rain this time — in fact Grovehill was even quite warm in the sunshine. It was the second game which was the classic, but the first one almost matched it.

On the mound, Andrew Slater was taking on the former Herts legend Paul Raybould, and the early exchanges were tight. The visiting Old Timers put up 3, then were shut down in the second inning. The home side squeezed in 1 run in the first, but smashed 4 to take the lead. The big moment came when, leading off the fourth for the Raptors, John Kjorstad deposited a pitch way over the left field fence for a spectacular home run. The side’s first homer of the year helped them establish a 9-8 lead.

But as has been the frustrating pattern this season, a big inning undid a lot of the good work. A handful of walks but also a string of tight singles helped the Old Timers bat around. They scored 12 runs and buried the game. Little League star Jose Morillo came in to pitch and closed out the inning, but there was no way back. The final score was 27-9, not a reflection of how tight the first half of the game had been. Slater and Chris Deacon each scored two runs, while Senna Ashida got on base 3 out of the 4 times he came to the plate.

Rob Jones began the second game on the mound, his debut as a starter. Two walks from the first three batters showed a little tension, but the Raptors defense did its job to get the lower order hitters and hold the Old Timers — now the home side — to 6 runs. By the top of the third it was 9-3 to the Old Timers but rather than be downcast the Raptors fought back. Kjorstad got two hits in the inning, and Theo Scheepers started his sparkling game with a hit and a run. After three innings, it was tied 10-10.

Raptors chose this unfortunate moment to go down 1-2-3, giving the Old Timers a chance to surge ahead. Scheepers had taken over on the mound and also took time to settle in. Raybould got the veterans started with a walk and two steals before scoring. The next three batters also scored, but then the defense stepped up. Ken Pike fielded a fly ball at third; Chris Deacon juggled a ground ball and made the out at first; then Pike finished it all with a neat play of a ground ball.

Old Timers reliever Tony Smyth — Old Timers releiver Tony Smyth

Herts stayed focused and re-took the lead, only for the Old Timers to tie it again with a single run. That meant it was 15-15 going into the top of the seventh and final inning. It started promisingly. Kjorstad reached with a single, Senna Ashida followed with another walk. Two men on, nobody out. But things can change fast in baseball, and as Jose Morillo struck out, Kjorstad tried to steal third. Not only was he gunned down but he sprained his ankle on the play and is doubtful for the remaining games. Now it was two down and advantage to the Old Timers. Jones got aboard again, but had no escape when Andrew Slater’s ground ball was neatly fielded by the shortstop and he was forced at second.

Herts had to have a clean inning if they were to take the game to extra innings.But the first batter reached on a single and was gifted second by an overthrow. Once the Old Timers’ clean-up hitter worked a walk, the signs were ominous. And, indeed, a single through the left side of the infield brought home the winning run.

It was deflating for a Herts team which had worked so hard and made so many good plays. But the Old Timers are the total opposite of the Raptors. They are veterans who maybe don’t run so fast any more, but have played the game for years, and made only one mental mistake in the entire game. Herts are young, mainly rookies with potential and rough edges, and they can take confidence for the next game.

8 July 2011 by Rob Jones

Hawks take two

AA-league South, July 3rd 2011

Another week and another win for the Herts Hawks, who are finally seeing good work pay off with victories. Joint manager and spiritual leader Greg Bochan returned for the trip to Brentwood Stags, and was delighted to see that once again his players had brought their best game.

In both halves of a double-header, the Hawks jumped out to an early lead. In the first game, they then exploded for 6 runs in the third inning to put it beyond reach of the Stags. Perrie Sherman ended it in the fifth inning, hitting a sacrifice fly to secure a mercy rule victory 12-2.

In the second game, it was the fourth inning which was the big run-fest. Five came across and although Brentwood managed to take this one the full distance, they never threatened. It ended 12-3.

Nick Russell was a master on the pitching mound once again. He pitched nine innings over the two games, allowing just four runs. Jim Arnott had a great game with the bat, finding a gap in the field every time he came to the plate, and he also picked off a runner at second to end the second game.

The Hawks now have four wins under their belt, and are on a three-game winning streak. On this form, their remaining schedule does not look daunting. Instead it offers a good chance to push for a highly creditable .500 record — or even better.

The Herts Falcons were taking part in the National League’s second special event of the season, facing the London Mets at Richmond. It was a tough day for Herts’ top team, with base-running errors costing them dear in an otherwise decent performance. The Mets rolled to an 11-1 victory, with Darrin Ward taking the loss.

The Falcons now stand with a 2-12 record for the season. Coach Lee Manning is taking the positives though: “I think we are definitely getting stronger and I believe we are very close to getting a couple of wins. We had problems baserunning and that cost us runs. It was not a great day for us.”

Their next opponents are the Mildenhall Bulldogs, who have had struggles of their own this year, so the Falcons will be looking to get back on track.

1 July 2011 by Rob Jones

The Hawks strike back

Richmond Dragons 16-21 Herts Hawks — Sunday 26th June, Connare Field

Another hard-earned victory is in the bank for the Herts Hawks. After last week’s epic struggles which ended in defeat, this week the Hawks came out on the winning side of another see-saw battle. They travelled to Richmond to face the Dragons, who came from behind to win when they visited Grovehill earlier in the year.

This time Herts set out their stall from the very start. Ilya Dimitrov got aboard with a walk, and then stole both second and third bases. He was finally driven home by Hunter Devine. That one run was the difference at the end of the first inning, and Hawks would never fall behind.

Matt Johnston at bat — Matt Johnston was an offensive powerhouse for the Hawks

Dimitrov and Devine would keep up their contributions in the field, too. The Herts infield was widely praised for keeping Richmond in check, and Devine and the veteran first baseman Jeff Witter turned two double plays. Witter also made a diving catch, as the Hawks list of heroes grew ever longer.

In fact there were just ten Herts players to go round, and one of them got injured, so on a baking hot day they all knew there was no choice but to stick with it and bring their A-game. Last week’s MVP Andrew Slater once again was a towering presence, while Ilya Dimitrov complemented his speed with two doubles to centre field and four runs. Matt Johnston also racked up impressive offensive figures on the day, hitting.500 and getting 3 RBI’s. Team-mates said he was “on fire” on the base paths.

This is not to say that Richmond rolled over. These two clubs have a long history of tough battles, and this game remained tight throughout. The visitors led 8-7 after five innings. The Dragons tied it up at the bottom of the seventh, after holding the Hawks scoreless for the first time.

But the Herts pitching did its job. Nick Russell, who pitched his full nine innings last week, was the starter again this time and kept Richmond off balance. His stuff was said to be electric. Jim Arnott, last year’s phenom in the Raptors, replaced him late in the game and kept the Richmond bats in check. Herts pitchers were charged with a total of only 6 walks but 9 strikeouts, and excellent ratio.

It was 16-14 going into the final inning, and everything was on the line. Herts chose this moment to match their biggest inning of the game, putting five runs on the board to build a vital cushion. Richmond were able to pull back two runs, but it was never going to be enough. The Hawks ran out 21-16 winners.

This had been another fine team performance. Even those who did not have gaudy stats contributed an enormous amount – outfielder Dave Hamilton picked up 5 walks with his patience at the plate, while the reassuring presence behind the dish, Kal Dimitrov, gunned down a runner at second to end an inning.

The team’s managers, Greg Bochan and Andy Cornish, could not be in Richmond to witness the latest Hawks victory, but they were blown away by what their team had done. They even joked that maybe they should stay away more often.