Category: Hawks

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Falcons losing streak continues. Hawks walk-off win.

 

Falcons are still in the NBL playoff zone, but can they stay there? (photo by Paul Holdrick)

National Baseball League, Herts Falcons 10 South London Pirates 11 (box scores)

The Herts Falcons lost two more games at on Sunday extending their losing streak to six. In the first game they battled back from being 9-6 down against the South London Pirates to take a 10-9 lead in the top of the final inning. The Pirates responded with two runs in the bottom of that inning to secure a walk-off win in dramatic fashion. New signing Ian Sales made his debut in this game. He struck out 5 batters in his 4 innings of work allowing 8 earned runs. Undoubtedly he would have liked to have been on the winning side on his debut, but he will not have to wait long to have another go as there are some big games coming up.

National Baseball League, Southampton Mustangs 6 Herts Falcons 2 (box scores)

In the second game of the day the Falcons came up against the Southampton Mustangs who, to the surprise of everyone in British baseball, had only 2 wins in 10 games before the start of the day. Those who were beginning to write them off may have to reassess their predictions. Pitcher Francisco Gonzalez was very effective pitching a complete game in which he allowed only 2 runs and 4 hits against an unusually quite Herts batting line-up. Jose Sosa was the starting pitcher for the Falcons and he once again performed well. The 6 runs conceded by the Falcons all came in the first inning but for the rest of the day Sosa completely shut down the Mustangs putting up zeros in the remaining six innings of the game.

This is the team’s longest losing streak since they lost eight consecutive games in 2011. No one could have predicted this after the team’s impressive start of the season winning 5 of their opening 6 games. “We find ourselves in a difficult period and we have to battle our way out of it. We have a tough BBF Cup quarter-final away game against the Oxford Kings coming up on Sunday and that’s the only thing that we are thinking about at the moment” said Herts Falcons manager, Lee Manning.

Single-A League, Guildford Mavericks 17 Herts Hawks 18 (box scores)

There was some good news for Herts baseball fans as the Herts Hawks scored 5 runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to win 18-17 against the Guildford Mavericks. This means that they are still unbeaten with a record of 7 wins and 0 losses. They are top of their division and in a very strong position to qualify for the Single-A League playoffs.

Single-A League, Bracknell Inferno 31 Herts Raptors 12

Herts Raptors are still searching for their first win of the season after a 32-11 defeat against the Bracknell Inferno.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons unable to stop unbeaten Mets despite Azcuy record-breaking home run

(photo by Paul Holdrick)

The Herts Falcons were unable to end the unbeaten run of the London Mets on Sunday, losing both games of the doubleheader. There was a consolation for them as Maikel Azcuy hit career home run number 36 to become the all-time home run leader in the history of the National Baseball League (NBL).

 

In game one the Mets took a 4-run lead in the first inning, but the visitors from Hertfordshire showed determination to stay in the game and fight back. A towering 2-run home run to dead centerfield by Maikel Azcuy brought the Falcons back in the game in the sixth inning. The historic significance of that home run may not have been fully appreciated by Azcuy at that moment as he must have been more excited about the fact that he gave his team a lifeline to come back in this massive game in the NBL title race. However, in the coming days and weeks he will realize that he has set a major milestone in British baseball. He has overtaken the legendary Simon Pole (35 home runs) as well as other big names like Alan Bloomfield (31), Roddi Liebenberg (31), among others. Furthermore, he has many more years to add to his home run tally. Youngsters coming through the youth leagues will face an uphill task if they are to equal or better his achievement.

 

With the game finely poised at 4-2 ,the Falcons had one final inning to stay in the game, but it wasn’t to be. Their starting pitcher Jose Sosa did extremely well to shut down the Mets completely from the second inning onwards, but the best batting lineup in the league could not bring in the runs it needed to bring down the NBL’s best defence.

The second game seemed like a repeat of game one. The Mets took an early 4-0 lead. This included a home run by Grant Delzoppo – 26th of his career, which puts him in fifth place in the all-time NBL home run list. The Falcons fought back temporarily after a solo home run by Edwin Alcantara who has been outstanding this season. This was his third home run of the season which makes him this season’s home run joint-leader in the NBL alongside Maikel Azcuy. Unlike the first game, the Mets didn’t allow any late inning drama and moved up a gear to score seven runs and seal an emphatic 11-1 victory.

After a promising start of the season winning five of their first six games, the Herts Falcons have now suffered four defeats in a row, but manager, Lee Manning, remains positive about his team’s chances. “The four defeats have been difficult for our team to take, but there is a lot of baseball still to be played and we are in a strong position. We have a team of experienced players who have been through tougher situations in their careers and they enjoy playing when the pressure is on” said Manning.

In the Triple-A League, the Herts Eagles missed an opportunity to get back in the playoff chase after they suffered two defeats against bottom team Essex Redbacks who have now leapfrogged the Eagles. The only team from Hertfordshire to win this weekend were the Herts Hawks in the Single-A League. Their win against the Essex Archers extends their unbeaten run to six. The game included a home run by Bobby Graham on his home debut. The fact that this was only the second game of his life brought back memories of Dan Kerry who in 2007, in his very first at bat of his life hit a home run in the same location over the left-centerfield wall at the Old Diamond of Grovehill Ballpark against pitcher Darrin Ward who was playing for the Milton Keynes Hurricanes at the time.

Next weekend the Falcons travel to Croydon for games against the South London Pirates and the Southampton Mustangs.  Both of their opponents are currently below them in the standings and they cannot afford another slip up if they are to stay in the playoff places. Herts Hawks have a home game against the high-flying Guildford Mavericks (10:30am start). This game is followed by the Herts Raptors clash with the Bracknell Inferno at around 2:30pm.

Also this weekend, in the youth leagues the Herts Harriers and Herts Cardinals will play in the Under-19 and Under-15 UK qualifiers with winners progressing through to the European qualifying stage of the Little League World Series.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hawks and Tonbridge put on the dramatics

Kal Dimitrov reporting from Tonbridge in Kent

On an overcast (even for England that was a kind way to put it) day, the Herts Hawks visited Tonbridge. Both teams had the same win-loss record (4-0) and similar runs for and against records. It was shaping up to be a tight game, and did not disappoint.

Both pitchers, Gareth Nutt for Tonbridge and Nic Goetz for Herts dominated on the mound, with Nutt striking out 9 and walking 6, and Goetz striking out 6 and walking 4. The defence behind Goetz had a few shakes in the early innings, which produced some errors, but Goetz was able to keep his cool and continued dealing, helped by some timely throw downs by catcher Paul Auchterlounie, who threw out a couple of runners. The game did see a few errors – 8 for Herts and 6 for Tonbridge, which reflected on the pitchers’ ERA – 0.9 for Goetz and 4.5 for Nutt.

After some dominant pitching, by the 5th inning Tonbridge had managed to put together a good lead of 9-5, but some critical hits in the 6th and 7th brought the game to 10-9  in the 8th inning. There followed some excellent pitching and defensive displays by both teams, but in the 9th a critical error allowed Ken Pike to reach first, steel second and get to third on a passed ball with one out. The next batter, Sonny Lama, had an epic 10 pitch at bat at the end of which he produced a double that brought in the tying run, with Sonny almost scoring the go-ahead run but being tagged out at the plate. Goetz and his defence managed a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the ninth, which took the game to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, Bobby Graham and Paul Auchterlounie had successive hits, and Bobby eventually scored the go-ahead run followed by Auchterlounie’s insurance run, both on a wild pitch. Tonbridge mounted an effort and scored a run in the bottom of the 10th, but Herts held on to eventually win 12-11.

It was a rare Single-A League extra innings game that both pitchers completed, presumably necessitating extensive use of ice subsequently. The Herts co-manager Andrew Slater was rightfully delighted with the performance of the team in a tough game against difficult opponents, in particular in view of the relatively limited squad he had available for the game. The Hawks now continue their unbeaten streak, and are getting ready for a home game against Essex Archers.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Blazers bring down high-flying Falcons in NBL title race.

Edwin Alcantara hit one of two Herts home runs in game one, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Bracknell Blazers 10 Herts Falcons 6 (Box Scores)

Herts Falcons suffered a heavy defeat at home against the Bracknell Blazers. The visitors stunned Herts by taking the lead early in the first game of the doubleheader and never relinquished it. Despite the best efforts of pitchers Mike Osborn and Robbie Almanzar, it seemed like nothing could stop the surging Blazers. Home runs by Edwin Alcantara, his second of the season, and Jose Sosa, also his second, were not enough to bring Herts back in the game which finished 10-6.

Bracknell Blazers 11 Herts Falcons 1 (Box Scores)

Bracknell’s onslaught continued in the second game this time against Falcons starting pitcher Jose Sosa. They took the lead again and never looked back. Their second win of the day was even more emphatic ending with a score of 11-1. After the game Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, felt that “we have to tip our caps to our opponents and congratulate them on a well deserved win”.

When the news of the final scores started to circulate on the internet, British baseball fans would have been stunned to see the score lines. Before the games Bracknell had 2 wins and 6 losses compared to Herts Falcons’ 5 wins and 1 loss, so based on this, the scores would be seen as a major upset, but a closer inspection would have shown that Bracknell had declared their championship ambitions with their impressive performance at the unbeaten London Mets a week ago which was overshadowed only by their 9-run collapse in the final inning which cost them the game.

It has become customary in sport to declare a major crisis when a team suffers a heavy defeat. Will this setback have a long-term negative effect on the Herts Falcons or will it prove to be the catalyst which will spur the team on in the race for the NBL title? Fans will not have to wait long to get answers to these questions as the Falcons travel to their biggest rivals, the unbeaten London Mets, this Sunday, 7 June. This clash between two of the biggest baseball clubs in Britain is a must-see event.

Herts Hawks 12 Tonbridge 11 (Final after 10 innings)

The other Herts team in action at the weekend was the Herts Hawks. They travelled to Tonbridge in an eagerly awaited clash between two of only three remaining unbeaten teams in the Single-A League. It proved to be a pitchers’ duel between Nic Goetz and Gareth Nutt who both pitched complete games. Tonbridge held a commanding 9-5 lead in the fifth inning, but the Hawks gradually found a way back into the game. Most of their rallies started with two outs and no runners on base. Sony Lama’s double with two outs drove in two runs in the ninth inning to tie the game at 9-9 and take it into extra innings. The Hawks took the lead with two more runs in the 10th inning and held on for a dramatic 12-11 win stranding the tying run on second base.

The Hawks host the Essex Archers this Sunday. The Herts Eagles are also at home where they will face the Essex Redbacks.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors continue search for first win after defeat in Guildford

The Herts Raptors came agonisingly close to their first win of the season. In a slugfest away at the Guildford Mavericks they went down by a score of 25-24. Paul Barton was very effective on the mound giving Herts a 7-1 run after 2 innings. Guildford came back thanks to a combination of good hitting and several defensive errors. Daniel Bennett (pictured right) had an outstanding game offensively and defensively. He was involved in everything including 9 catches in left field which 38% of the total outs for the whole team on the day. Similar to last week’s battle in Brighton, the Raptors fought back in the final inning driving 5 runs home, but the tying run was stranded at second base for a second consecutive week. This was their fourth loss in a row, but they are still within reach of the playoffs if they can turn these one-run losses into wins.

The other three Herts teams had no games during the Bank Holiday Weekend, but there are several crucial games coming up for the Herts Falcons in the National Baseball League. Next Sunday, 31 May, they will host the Bracknell Blazers. The doubleheader starts at 12pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. The Falcons need to win both games if they are to maintain the pressure on the unbeaten London Mets whom they will face on 7 June away from home in the biggest game of the season so far.

In the Single-A league the Herts Hawks will travel to Tonbridge. Both teams have 100% records so far, so something has to give.

The action is also heating up in the youth leagues. A total of 10 games were played over the three days of the Bank Holiday weekend across four age groups. This included games at the club’s new West Hendon Ballpark in North West London. Herts teams in the U19, U15 and U12 age groups will go into the Little League UK Qualifier next month where the winners will progress through to the European qualifiers for a chance to play in the Little League World Series in the USA shown across the world to millions of TV viewers. It is not to late to join the Herts teams for this prestigious event. Contact us for more details about giving baseball a try.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

4 home runs help Herts teams pick up wins in Essex

 

On Sunday the Herts Falcons emphasised their intent to battle for the title this season. They won the first and lost the second game in their doubleheader away at the Essex Arrows. Last year they lost all three meetings with the reigning national champions. This season the team seems to have the self-belief that they can beat any of their opponents, home or away.

Jose Sosa was the winning pitcher for the Falcons in game one which finished 15-6, although it was the 11 Herts runs in the final inning which give the false impression of a one-sided game. The second game was just as close. On this occasion the Arrows scored six runs in the late innings to secure a 12-6 win.

Click here to view game one Box Scores
Click here to view game two Box Scores

Maikel Azcuy had three hits over the two games – two doubles and a single – so fans will have to wait a bit longer for his record-breaking 36th NBL career home run. While the focus was on Azcuy, two other Herts players are starting to add some real power to the line-up. In the first game Joel Vallejo hit a towering home run which went over 400 feet. In the second game it was Edwin Alcantara who went deep with a home run of his own and had a total of three hits over the two games.

The Falcons are now second in the NBL standings, one game behind the London Mets who remain the only unbeaten team in the league after their two wins against the South London Pirates. Next for the Falcons is a home game against the revamped Pirates who are proving to be a major player in the playoff race. The game starts at 12pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

 

In the Triple-A League the Eagles suffered two heart-breaking losses against the Oxford Kings. Their next game is away at the Essex Redbacks where they will need to win to stay with the rest of the playoff-chasing pack. In the Single-A League the Herts Hawks are still unbeaten after they won their fourth game of the season away at the Forest Glade Redbacks. Ken Pike and Ilya Dimitrov hit a home run each in that game.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Hawks extend unbeaten run. Raptors’ game suspended after just 5 minutes.

Hawks catcher Paul Auchterlounie enhanced his reputation as a killer of base-stealers

While Herts teams in the top two leagues rested over the Bank Holiday weekend, the Herts Hawks continued their unbeaten start of the season in the Single-A League. Their opponents were the Richmond Dukes who were also unbeaten going into Sunday’s game. The Hawks won it convincingly 34-10. Andrew Slater was the winning pitcher for the Hawks, his third win of the season. There was some controversy in the final inning. The new rule which regulates plays at home plate has been causing confusion in Major League Baseball and it seems to have done the same in the BBF Single-A League. A Hawks runner was adjudged to have slid home illegally making contact with the pitcher who was covering the base. Judging by this incident managers and officials will be referring to their rulebooks frequently this season, but unlike their MLB counterparts they will not have video replays at their disposal.

The Herts Raptors faced another Richmond team, the Richmond Squires. They got off to a difficult start conceding four runs in the top of the first inning at which point a heavy downpour flooded Grovehill Ballpark within minutes. The officials declared the game suspended so the two teams will have to meet again later in the year to complete the game with the score 4-0 in the top of the first inning with one out. Time will tell whether or not nature’s intervention will work in favour of the Herts Raptors.

Next Sunday, 10 May, all eyes will be on the National Baseball League (NBL) game between the Herts Falcons and the reigning NBL champions, Essex Arrows. The Falcons (2-0) find themselves tied at the top of the standings with the London Mets (2-0). Essex Arrows (2-2) are third and they can overtake the Falcons if they win both games of the doubleheader. First game starts at 12pm at Town Mead Ballpark in Waltham Abbey.

The Herts Eagles are also in action. They will play at home against the Oxford Kings. Two wins in this doubleheader could see them leap from seventh to third place in the Triple-A League standings. The Herts Hawks will travel to the Forest Glade Redbacks looking to extend their unbeaten start of the season. Before that the Herts Harriers will host the London Mets in the Under-19 baseball league on Saturday.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Eagles eliminated but Falcons will carry Herts flag in the next round of the BBF Cup

Another home run for Maikel Azcuy, this time in the BBF Cup (photo by Paul Holdrick)

BBF Cup (1st Round), Herts Falcons 15 London Metros 9

The Herts Falcons are through to the second round of the BBF Cup after a 15-9 win over the London Metros, however the score line does not tell the whole story of the game. The Londoners led for most of the game. The Falcons recovered to tie it 8-8 going into the final inning and ultimately secured the win driving in 7 more runs in that ninth inning, but they knew that they were involved in a real battle. Pitcher Jose Sosa was awarded the win for the Falcons. Record-chasing Maikel Azcuy hit another home run, but this was a BBF Cup game and will not count towards his NBL career home run tally which stands at 35. He needs one more to overtake record-holder Simon Pole. The Falcons are also starting to see power from other members of the team. On Opening day it was John Blose. This time it was Yvan Pena who hit his first home run for Herts.

BBF Cup (1st Round), Bracknell Blazers 10 Herts Eagles 3

The Herts Eagles were the underdogs in their BBF Cup first round game against Bracknell Blazers, a team playing one league tier above them. They had to face GB pitcher Jordan Edmonds which made the likelihood of a giant-killing even more improbable. Despite losing 10-3, the Eagles had one of their better performances of the season so far which will boost team spirit as they turn their attention to the race for the Triple-A League playoffs.

NEXT WEEKEND

Both the Falcons and Eagles will have a rest this coming Bank Holiday weekend, but there is a Herts-versus-Richmond double bill on Sunday, May 3, as the Herts Hawks meet the Richmond Dukes at 10:30am while the Herts Raptors will play against the Richmond Squires immediately after that at around 2:30pm. Both games are at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Weekend round-up: Wins for Hawks and Eagles. Raptors and Herts u12s suffer defeats

Herts Hawks continue winning run (photo by John Kjorstad)

HERTS EAGLES vs LONDON MAMMOTHS (Triple-A League)

While the Falcons were resting, three other Herts teams were in league action. The Herts Eagles suffered two heavy defeats on opening day. It became three losses in a row after the London Mammoths won the first of two games on Sunday. However the Eagles fought back in the second game of the doubleheader to end the losing streak with a 13-4 victory.

HERTS HAWKS vs BRIGHTON RED HAWKS (Single-A League)

The Herts Hawks remain unbeaten this season after a 22-18 win over the Brighton Red Hawks, who came close to pulling off a major come-from-behind win in the late innings.

HERTS RAPTORS vs TONBRIDGE (Single-A League)

Herts Raptors came up against a Tonbridge side who have made big strides over the winter and look like they will be a major playoff contender this year. It proved to be an uphill task for the team from Hertfordshire who went down 27-9. Six Raptors players made their league debut so it may take several more games for them to find their feet, but the signs are good at this stage of the season especially with several big names expected to return to the lineup shortly.

HERTS U12 vs LONDON METS U12 – (pre-season friendly)

photo by Vicky Sinclair

The youth baseball season is about to get underway. In a under-12 pre-season friendly on Saturday the London Mets proved too strong for the Herts under-12 team. With teams in every age group it is not too late for players between 4 and 18 years of age to join the Herts teams in Hemel Hempstead and North West London. Contact us for more details.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Record-breakers, home runs, forgotten rules and more on Opening Day

Herts Falcons pitcher, Matt Gilbert – making British baseball history (photo by Paul Holdrick)

The Herts Falcons had the best possible start of the season winning both of their opening games and one of its debutants setting a new National Baseball League record.

Herts Falcons 16 South London Pirates 15

It has been a busy close season for the team from Hertfordshire with six players making their debuts on Opening Day and another expected to do so next week. Their opponents were the South London Pirates, a team which has struggled over the last few years, but by the end of the day they showed that they have quietly built a squad which will be very difficult to beat this season.

The focus today was firmly on Falcons starting pitcher, Matt Gilbert. Apart from making his debut and being their opening day starter, he was looking to make British baseball history as he needed two strikeouts to overtake Cody Cain who led the NBL in career strikeouts with 408. The Pirates had no intention to make way for Gilbert. He was getting the outs but they were coming by way of groundouts and flyouts. Eventually that record-breaking strikeout came and Matt Gilbert received a standing ovation and, in accordance with baseball tradition, the ball he threw for that 409th strikeout was taken out of the game for Gilbert to keep and perhaps auction on eBay in a few years.

 

History was made but there was no time to celebrate. The Falcons had a game on their hands. The Pirates had a 3-1 lead and that was the wake-up call which the Falcons needed. John Blose struck the first blow – a three-run home run to left field. Next it was Maikel Azcuy’s turn. He also went deep with a 2-run home run again to left field, which is not an easy feat on diamond two of Grovehill Ballpark.

 

John Blose (left) and Maikel Azcuy (right) greeted at home plate after their home runs (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Just when it seemed like the Falcons had secured the win, the Pirates struck back in the late innings reducing the deficit to one run. Herts manager, Lee Manning, made what seemed to be a risky move putting 17-year-old Carlos Casal Jr on the mound to replace Gilbert and close the game. The youngster from Hemel Hempstead came through with flying colours shutting down the Pirates in the final inning and ending it in style with a strikeout.

Southampton Mustangs 4 Herts Falcons 5

The second game of the day for the Herts Falcons was against the Southampton Mustangs, who were the favourites to win it before the start of the day. The visitors took a 2-0 lead, but Herts responded immediately.

It was new signing Maikel Azcuy who hit his second home run of the day, a 3-run bomb to left centerfield, which was a reminder that Matt Gilbert is not the only player chasing a record. That home run was Azcuy’s 35th of his NBL career tying the current NBL career home run leader Simon Pole. Before the start of the season some have argued that it would be easy for Azcuy to add to his home run tally given the favourable dimensions of Grovehill Ballpark, but this home run would have been out of any ballpark in British baseball, including Farnham Park. It was measured at around 390 feet.

The Falcons had a 3-2 lead but despite another outstanding performance by starting pitcher, Jose Sosa, this proved to be a very tense game. Things weren’t made easier by a highly unusual event which occurred between innings. New signing Joel Vallejo was making his way to left field from the dugout before the start of the new inning and as he passed the mound he asked catcher Lee Manning to receive one pitch from him while Jose Sosa was preparing to take the mound. He did and the umpiring crew deemed it to be an official warm-up pitch which meant that Vallejo had to start the inning as the pitcher and face at least one batter. He did and Jose Sosa retook his place on the mound, but they certainly would have been happier not to go through the drama which ensued. In football terms this could be compared to Michael Carrick being asked to swap places with Joe Hart and be in goal for 5 minutes for England while Joe Hart plays in central midfield.

The Falcons held on for a 5-4 win – a great start to the new season. There were no more home runs from Maikel Azcuy. He will have to wait until the next league game on 10 May at the Essex Arrows for another shot at breaking the record. Before that he and the rest of the team will have to turn their attention to the BBF Cup on 26 April when they will travel to the highly-touted London Metros.

OTHER HERTS TEAMS ON OPENING DAY

The Herts Eagles couldn’t have faced a tougher opponent than last year’s Triple-A League Finalists, London Metros. They were stunned by 3 home runs in the first inning. Despite recovering well from that early shock, the damage was done and the Metros won it 13-1. It didn’t get much easier in game two of the doubleheader which the visitors won again, this time 24-5. Despite what seems to be a demoralising start of the season, the Eagles will know that if they can win the remaining winnable games, they will be in the playoff race this year.

The Herts Hawks picked up an away win at the Haverhill Blackjacks, which will surprise the rest of the league as the Blackjacks have been the national runners-up for two years in a row in the Single-A League.

The Herts Raptors rested this Sunday. They will begin their season next Sunday, 19 April, at home against Tonbridge. The Herts Hawks and Herts Eagles are also at home on that day.