This article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

From NBL special correspondent Simon Fitzjohn

It was a day for surprises, as Croydon toppled Bracknell.  It was a day for teams to emerge from a slump, as Herts pasted Essex.  It was a day for close-run things, as Southampton squeezed Mildenhall.  And it was a day for the London Mets to further stretch their lead in the standings with a win over Richmond.  All eight teams took to the fields at Croydon on July 3 for a National Baseball League bonanza.

Croydon Pirates @ Bracknell Blazers

The story of the day undoubtedly came from the host Pirates, who sneaked by the high-flying Blazers 12-11 in a thriller. Croydon jumped out to a 6-0 lead early on, only for Bracknell to slowly chip away at that lead. The Pirates again surged ahead, taking a 12-9 lead into the bottom of the final inning, with the Blazers scoring twice before their rally came to an end.  Tim Ssali took the win, and also clubbed a home run along with Alex Von Rosenbach. For Bracknell, Mike Cattermole was saddled with the loss. Pirates coach Dave Ward said: “This is a great day for us. Over the past few weeks we have had to try and fight our way back into games but today we took the lead early. It looked like we could still throw it away at the end but we held on. This is very uplifting for us and we know we can compete with the better sides in this league.” Bracknell coach Rob Rance said: “All around it was a bad day at the office. We just did not turn up to play. I do not want to dwell too much on the result as it was an awful performance. But credit Croydon as they played very well and I do not want to take that from them.”

Richmond Flames @ London Mets

The clash of the heavyweights took a late twist as the Mets battled back for a 12-5 win. Trailing 5-0 early on, London chipped away but took until the sixth inning to get back into the contest, where a flurry of runs eased them into the lead. Jason Roberts took the win, his 11th of a magnificent season on the mound. Mets coach Alex Pike said: “It was a tough game. Richmond really came out firing. We kept chipping away but we did not find an answer until late. I am pretty happy with the boys as they did what they had to do to find a way to win.”

Herts Falcons @ Essex Arrows

Herts got things back on track by pounding the Arrows 18-6, backed by strong pitching from Pete Kikel. Richard Chesterton took the loss as Essex were well beaten in a battle between teams looking to kick-start their seasons. Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said: “It is a real boost for us to get a win like this. We have suffered a bit recently and it has started to weigh on the minds of the players. It is great to get back on the winning trail. Apart from the top couple of teams it is still a tight league and we have to be looking for a play-off spot.”

Mildenhall Bulldogs @ Southampton Mustangs

Another thriller saw Southampton move their season record to 10-10 after a comeback 7-6 win over Mildenhall. The Mustangs grabbed two runs in the bottom of the ninth, erasing a 6-4 deficit and then struck again in the bottom of the tenth as Phil Johnson bunted home Oscar Sierra. Southampton coach Ben Davis said: “It was a really big win for us. Mildenhall had some of their players back that were huge early this season and it was a tough game. We played a really good game – we kept plugging away and we managed to sneak the win.”

We are now into the second half of the National Baseball League (NBL) season and the teams are jostling to qualify for the postseason automatically or via the Playoffs. All eight NBL teams are still very much in with a chance to make it to the postseason and this Saturday, 3 July, they all head down to Croydon for the NBL Independence Day Weekend.

This is the second of the NBL Special Events introduced by the British Baseball Federation (BBF) this year and it provides an excellent opportunity to see all of the teams from the country’s top league on the same day and at the same venue. This is also a chance to see a large number of the players who were included in the Great Britain National Team preliminary 40-men roster announced this week as the team prepares for the European Championships in Stuttgart, Germany (23 July to 1 August 2010).

 

 

Jonathan Cramman for the London Mets is one of the many NBL players

who were called up as part of the preliminary

40-men roster  of the Great Britain National Team (photo by www.event-photos.co.uk)

 

LONDON METS (17-2) vs RICHMOND FLAMES (11-6)

First pitch 3:00pm (Main Diamond)

A serious injury to short stop Robbie Unsell meant that Richmond could not complete their game against Bracknell last Sunday. They will be hoping that the swelling on his eye would reduce sufficiently and that he will be given the all clear to return for the Flames in this key game. This is a must-win game for them if they are to stay in the battle for the top two places which would give them automatic qualification to the National Baseball Championship.

 

BRACKNELL BLAZERS (17-2) vs CROYDON PIRATES (5-12)

First pitch 12:00pm (Main Diamond)

Despite being the visitors in this game, the Croydon Pirates will have a significant advantage as they are playing on home soil and can count on their fans’ support. Bracknell know that automatic NBC qualification is not secured yet and they would not want to slip up especially as they are expected to be hit the most out of all the NBL teams during the European Championships with as many as six Blazers included in the preliminary 40-men GB roster and likely to miss key NBL games at the end of the month.

 

 

(photo by www.event-photos.co.uk)

SOUTHAMPTON MUSTANGS (9-11) vs MILDENHALL BULLDOGS (3-12)

First pitch 3:00pm (Diamond 2)

After taking the league by surprise and leading in the NBL Standings in the early weeks of the season, the Mildenhall Bulldogs are suffering from the absence of a large number of their players who are away on military duty. However, they expect their key players to make their return gradually in the coming weeks and they can still reach the playoffs if they can pick up wins against their direct opponents starting with the game against Southampton on Saturday. The Mustangs have been the surprise team in this year’s NBL. A win on Saturday will bring their win-loss percentage back up to .500 and a step closer to securing a Playoff spot.

ESSEX ARROWS (3-14) vs HERTS FALCONS (4-11)

First pitch 12:00pm (Diamond 2)

The Essex Arrows come into the game with momentum on their side. They have won 3 of their last 6 games while the Herts Falcons have not won a game since 5 June 2010. In their last meeting the two teams served up a thriller which the Falcons won 12-11. The game had everything you could ask for, including 4 home runs. The fans who will be coming to this event will be hoping for more of the same. Both teams still have a chance to reach the playoffs but a loss would be a major setback for either team.

For a map and directions to the venue visit the official Croydon Pirates website

Car park spaces will be available on the field behind the Main Diamond. Food and drink will be on sale throughout the day.

 

The Herts Falcons have had a difficult first half of the 2010 season.  They find themselves with a 4-11 record, but they are still very much in the race for the playoffs.  The Falcons face the Essex Arrows this Saturday at the NBL Independence Day event which will take place in Croydon and ahead of this vital clash they have received a major boost.  Riley Fisher, who moved back to the Australian League after the 2009 season with Herts, is flying in to join up with the Falcons for these crucial weeks of the season.  Fisher was one of the most influential players from last season.  He will reinforce the team's injury-ravaged pitching staff and his ability to play in any position on the field will certainly re-energise the team.

The game against the Essex Arrows starts at 12:00 at Roundshaw Plaing Fields in Croydon this Saturday, 3rd July.  The event also includes three other NBL games so baseball fans will be able to see all eight NBL teams on the same day and at the same venue as we enter the second half of the season and the games start to get that October feel.

From BSUK NBL Correspondent Simon Fitzjohn.  This article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

It was a field day for the road teams on June 20, with all six National Baseball League games going the way of the away side. League leaders Bracknell Blazers and London Mets continued to flex their muscles atop the standings, while the Southampton Mustangs continued to show signs of improvement.

BRACKNELL @ ESSEX

The Blazers eased to a sweep by virtue of 15-2 and 10-2 victories against the Essex Arrows. Mike Trask pitched a complete game to claim the win in Game One, with Matt Maitland taking the mound honours in Game Two. Matt Gilbert and Richard Chesterton were the losing pitchers.

Bracknell coach Rob Rance said: “It was a case of getting the job done. We had a couple of our guys back from university and we brought some guys up from AAA and it was great to see we are becoming such a solid unit. The platform is there for us to take things on and have a great season.”

Essex coach Phil Chesterton was far from downbeat despite the losses. He said: “I certainly don’t think we disgraced ourselves. I’m not going to be too down about it. We are continuing to play much, much better. Bracknell are easily the best hitting team we have faced and in the main we lived with them.

LONDON @ HERTS

The Mets moved into top gear at Herts, cruising to impressive 11-0 and 30-5 wins. Jason Roberts and Rob Anthony claimed the pitching wins, but it was on offense that London really hit form. Dan Williams led the way, going 8 for 8 with two home runs, including a grand slam. Kyle Hickson also homored to leave Mets coach Alex Pike purring. “There were shades of our 2008 team out there on Sunday,” he said. “I am very happy with how the guys played and everyone in our line-up hit. Strangely enough, I do not think Herts played that badly – we were just that good.”

Herts’ manager Jason Greenberg was less enthusiastic about how his team performed. “We failed to execute in every sense,” said Greenberg. “Pitching, hitting, fielding… everything was a bust this week. There’s not much more to say. We know we’re a quality team, and it’s time to start playing like it.”

SOUTHAMPTON @ CROYDON

Southampton won the battle of the sides with top-four aspirations, rolling to 9-7 and 18-7 wins in Croydon. Gary Davison and Dave Wrigley took the wins, with Tim Ssali and Jose Sosa saddled with the losses.

Game One was the real thriller, with the Pirates coming close to clinching victory in the seventh inning, only to succumb in the eighth and the Mustangs took that momentum into a more routine Game Two win.

Pirates coach Dave Ward said: “We were really hoping to split the two games but it was not to be. Our problem at the moment seems to be conceding runs early on in games. We are always on the back foot and having to chase games and it is a case of trying to keep our spirits up.”

This article first appeared on www.britishbaseball.org

There was plenty to savour in Week 9 of the BBF’s National Baseball League, with heavyweights London Mets and Bracknell Blazers splitting their doubleheader in the weekend’s big showdown, Essex Arrows recording their first wins of the season, a comfortable sweep for the Richmond Flames and an impressive brace of triumphs for the Southampton Mustangs.

NBL Special Reporter Simon Fitzjohn provides the details.

There is only one place to start this week’s round-up: the NBL’s top two teams going head-to-head. Fittingly, London Mets and Bracknell Blazers were to share their doubleheader. The Blazers eased to a 10-3 win in Game One, with Henry Collins taking the win, but the Mets struck back with a 7-1 win in Game Two thanks to strong pitching from Jason Roberts and home runs from Jonathan Cramman and Reid Wilson. Bracknell‘s Rob Rance said, “I am very satisfied with splitting the doubleheader. We showed some real guts in both games and I am pretty happy. “I think a split against a team like London is huge in terms of confidence. To prove yourself against the bigger sides is really important and it helps you build a bit of momentum.”

Herts Falcons @ Southampton Mustangs

Dan Kerry returned after several weeks on the DL but even his come back wasn’t enough for the Falcons to overcome the Mustangs (photo by www.hp2photographic.com)

The Southampton Mustangs closed in on a .500 record for the season by seeing off the stuttering Herts Falconsto the tune of 8-2 and 7-6. Chuck Truelson pitched the win in Game One. Lee Ralph earned the verdict in Game Two, thanks in part to Oscar Sierra’s home run. Southampton‘s Ben Davis said, “They were both tough games and we really had to be at our best. We made very few mistakes and that makes a very big difference. We got ourselves out of a couple of jams and deserved the wins. “We are finally hitting our stride as a group of players,” Davis added, “and hopefully we can carry that on.”

Essex Arrows @ Mildenhall Bulldogs

Essex won their first games of the season against the Mildenhall Bulldogs. They are still i with a chance of reaching the playoffs.

The Essex Arrows finally eased into the win column after eight weeks of frustration, sweeping the struggling Mildenhall Bulldogs on their own turf. Essex claimed 1-0 and 8-4 wins as they ended a streak of 11 losing games. Game One was a real pitching duel, with Matt Gilbert squeezing past Nick Chenausky thanks to Luke Foley’s RBI single. In Game Two, Richard Chesterton outpitched Mike McClure as the Arrows completed the sweep. Arrows coach Phil Chesterton said: “I am really delighted. All of our hard work is coming to fruition. Our defence was magnificent and in the first game it was a remarkable performance from Matt. I know Mildenhall had some players missing but this is great for us. “I always thought we would start clicking around the half-way point,” Chesterton added, and that is proving the case.” A dejected Gabriel Macias said: “It is very frustrating at the moment and we have certainly had better days. I have a core of six guys but apart from that it really is a case of who turns up. “Essex played really well today, though, and I take nothing away from them.”

Croydon Pirates @ Richmond Flames

The Richmond Flames subdued the improving Croydon Pirates by 8-0 and 15-1 scorelines, taking control of third place in the process. Ryan Bird outpitched Jose Sosa in Game One, with Carlos Mancheno claiming the win in a more one-sided Game Two. Richmond‘s Grant Delzoppo said, “I think Croydon have definitely improved but it was a good two wins for us. We had some good pitching and some very good defence. We got leads in both games and never really looked back. We were pretty much in control and I am happy with the two wins.”