Category: Hawks

by Matt Bell

BRITISH BASEBALL SEASON REACHES ITS CLIMAX THIS WEEKEND

British baseball fans are on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the National Baseball Championships (NBC) this weekend. Year-after-year the NBC never seems to disappoint. By Sunday evening we will know the identity of the champions in the four British baseball leagues. But before that we will be going through the emotions and excitement of 14 baseball games with enormous implications riding on every single one of them.

After Saturday’s playoff games, we now know the names of the 12 teams which will be heading to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead in the hope of making history.

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE (NBL)

The London Mets and the Bracknell Blazers already booked their places by virtue of taking the top two spots in the regular season standings. Richmond and Southampton joined them in the NBC after their playoff wins against Croydon and Mildenhall, respectively. For more on last week’s NBL playoffs read Simon Fitzjohn’s playoff roundup.

Bracknell Blazers will open the NBC on Saturday at 9:30am against the Richmond Flames on the new diamond at Grovehill Ballpark, followed by the Mets and Mustangs at 12:00pm.

AAA-LEAGUE

The last team to book their place in the AAA NBC were the Herts Eagles after their 14-3 playoff win against the Bracknell Inferno. Darrin Ward pitched a complete game for the win. He was supported by a solid Herts offence which included a 3-run home run by Mahendra Prasad, his second of the year. The Eagles may be seen as the underdogs in the AAA Championship, but they will have the advantage of playing at their home field and in front of the loyal Herts baseball fans.

The other teams in the AAA race are the Liverpool Trojans and the Oxford Kings who finished top of the AAA (North) and AAA (South) divisions, respectively. The Menwith Hill Patriots earned a place in the NBC, but due to their team’s obligations at the airbase, they have withdrawn from the Championships. The Bracknell Inferno will take their place in the AAA NBC as both the Manchester A’s and Halton Jaguars were unable to take the slot due to insufficient time to organise their trip.

AA-LEAGUE

After two weeks of exciting playoff action, we are down to the two best British teams in the AA League. One of them is Leicester after they produced yet another epic one-run win against the Birmingham Maple Leafs. Shannon Henry picked up the win and Richard Hu came in to close the game for the save and a 10-9 win. In the AA Final they will meet the Richmond Knights, who extended their incredible winning streak to 19 after a 11-4 win against the Poole Piranhas.

A-LEAGUE

MK Bucks are through to the A-League Final after a 7-0 win against the Humber Pilots. Pitchers Tom Lloyd and Tom McVay combined for a 2-hit shutout. Starter Lloyd threw 6 innings, recording 9 strikeouts and retiring 8 batters in a row at one point. McVay came in for the last three innings to close the game and he also contributed with the bat going 2-4 with a double, triple and 3 RBI. Last week we reported on Bucks slugger, Barnes, having to miss out on the NBC due to an assignment in Afghanistan. We can now confirm that Barnes will be available for the NBC having been granted extended leave to take part in this weekend’s title decider. The Bucks will meet the Guildford Mavericks after they ended the Chelmsford Clippers incredible postseason. There were no upsets this time as the Mavericks won convincingly 25-7.

A CELEBRATION OF BRITISH BASEBALL

The NBC is a unique opportunity for fans of baseball and those who are new to the sport to get close to the action and witness the crowning of the 2010 Champions. Of course it would not be a true baseball celebration without good food. A variety of food and drinks will be on offer including BBQ Beef and Pulled-Pork Sandwiches (pictured right), Gourmet Sausages, Homemade Coleslaw, Old Fashioned Lemonade and more. A commemorative NBC programme will be available. First 200 fans will receive the programme free of charge, so get there early.

SCHEDULE

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE

Saturday, 4 September 2010

09:30

Diamond 1

Game 1

Richmond Flames

@

Bracknell Blazers

7 innings

12:00

Diamond 1

Game 2

Southampton

@

London Mets

7 innings

14:30

Diamond 1

Game 3

Game 1 Winner

@

Game 2 Winner

7 innings

17:00

Diamond 1

Game 4

Game 1 Loser

@

Game 2 Loser

7 innings

Sunday, 5 September 2010

09:30

Diamond 1

Game 5

Game 4 Winner

@

Game 3 Loser

7 innings

15:30

Diamond 1

Final

Game 5 Winner

@

Game 3 Winner

7 innings

AAA League

Saturday, 4 September 2010

09:30

Diamond 2

Game 1

Herts Eagles

@

Liverpool Trojans

7 innings

12:00

Diamond 2

Game 2

Bracknell Inferno

@

Oxford Kings

7 innings

14:30

Diamond 2

Game 3

Game 1 Winner

@

Game 2 Winner

7 innings

17:00

Diamond 2

Game 4

Game 1 Loser

@

Game 2 Loser

7 innings

Sunday, 5 September 2010

09:30

Diamond 2

Game 5

Game 4 Winner

@

Game 3 Loser

7 innings

15:30

Diamond 2

Final

Game 5 Winner

@

Game 3 Winner

7 innings

AA League

Sunday, 5 September 2010

12:00

Diamond 1

Final

Leicester Blue Sox

@

Richmond Knights

9 innings

Single-A League

Sunday, 5 September 2010

12:00

Diamond 2

Final

MK Bucks

@

Guildford Mavericks

9 innings

Note: Start times may be pushed back if earlier games overrun. The BBF reserves the right to make alterations to the schedule if there is a change in circumstances (e.g. rain delay etc.).

VENUE DETAILS

The event will be held at Herts Baseball Club, Grovehill Park, Washington Avenue, Hemel Hempstead

Hertfordshire HP2 6NH (click for map and directions).

by Matt Bell

AUDIO: BBC RADIO 5 LIVE SX PREVIEWS THE 2010 NBC COMING TO HERTS THIS WEEKEND

British Baseball legends Jonny Gould and Josh Chetwynd took time to preview the 2010 National Baseball Championships during the Sunday evening coverage of the New York Yankees vs the Chicago White Sox on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. The preview included a guest appearance by Rob Rance whose Bracknell Blazers will look to defend their 2009 title when they go out onto Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead on Saturday, 4 September, in the opening game of the NBCs.

by Matt Bell

BRITISH BASEBALL BUZZING WITH EXCITEMENT AS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS DRAW NEARER

This article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

The British Baseball postseason is underway and the sense of anticipation and excitement around the country can hardly be contained. After five months and 521 games in the British baseball leagues, the best teams in the country are now battling in the playoffs to book a place in the National Baseball Championships (NBC) which will take place on the weekend of 4 and 5 September to decide the 2010 champions. 
Bad News Bird – 2009 MVP Ryan Bird is back in form and this can only be bad news for Richmond’s opponents in the postseason (photo by www.event-photos.co.uk)

NBL PLAYOFFS

Mildenhall advanced to the postseason with two wins against direct rivals Herts Falcons on the final day of the regular season. This sets up an intriguing playoff line-up in Britain’s top baseball league.

Both NBL playoff games will be played at Richmond’s Connare Field this Saturday. First up is the clash between Mildenhall and Southampton. The problem that has plagued the Bulldogs all season long is the fact that most of its players are US servicemen whose unpredictable working schedule can sometimes leave their squad down to bare bones. If their top performers are available then they will be a very awkward opponent and the Mustangs will have their work cut out, as they found out two weeks ago when they lost 0-6 and 2-3 to Mildenhall.

In the second game of the day starting at 3:30 pm, the Richmond Flames will meet the Croydon Pirates. After a slow start the Flames have picked up speed just at the right time. 2009 MVP Ryan Bird is back firing on all cylinders. He was the wining pitcher in the 13-0 win against 2009 champions Bracknell and that can only be bad news for the Pirates. Also returning for the Flames is Robbie Unsell, who was last year’s stolen base leader but missed several games this season after a freakish head injury trying to field a ground ball.

Despite Richmond’s recent return to form, Croydon have proven this year that they are capable of beating any NBL opponent. They have some very dangerous players in their line-up, most notably Home Run Champion Maikel Azcuy.

NBL Playoffs (Connare Field, Richmond, Saturday 28 August 2010)12:00, Mildenhall Bulldogs (10-16) @ Southampton Mustangs (13-15).
15:30, Croydon Pirates (10-18) @ Richmond Flames (17-11).

AAA-LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

Oxford’s win against the Bracknell Inferno on Sunday confirmed them as the AAA (South) winners and they go straight through to the AAA NBC. This leaves the Bracknell Inferno and Herts Eagles fighting for the last remaining place in the AAA National Finals. They will meet this Saturday at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. The two teams have been involved in some epic encounters so far this year so this playoff game is a mouth-watering prospect.

AAA Playoff (Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead, Saturday 28 August 2010)12:00, Bracknell Inferno (16-8) @ Herts Eagles (18-6).

  
Catcher Dave Westfallen is expected to be one of the key men for the Eagles as they play the Bracknell Inferno for a place in the NBC (photo by www.HP2photographic.com)
Can the Blue Sox repeat their walk-off win against Birmingham or will the Maple Leafs get their revenge

AA-LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

While the National Baseball League (NBL) and AAA League completed their regular season schedule on Sunday, teams from the AA and Single-A Leagues were already going head-to-head.

The Leicester Blue Sox appear to be carrying a great deal of momentum into the postseason. After winning the AA (Midlands) divisional title earlier this month they met the Sheffield Bladerunners who were the runners-up in AA (North). The Blue Sox eased to a 19-9 win with Shannon Henry picking up another win on the mound, while Oscar Martinez provided the highlight of the game with a towering two-run home run.

Meanwhile, a second team from the Midlands booked a place in the AA Semi-Finals. The Birmingham Maple Leafs produced the most dominating performance in the 2010 postseason so far with a 18-1 blowout win over the Bolton Robots of Doom, which is the best team in AA (North). Birmingham and Leicester will clash once again at Western Park this Saturday at 12.00 noon in a repeat of the Midlands title decider. The Blue Sox came out on top that time, but the Maple Leafs will feel that have been given an opportunity for sweet revenge.

The team with the best record in the AA League, Richmond Knights, booked their place in the Semi-Final with a 10-6 win over the Windsor Bears. A two-run home run by Windsor slugger Clint Milner was not enough for the team from Berkshire. The Knights will meet the Poole Piranhas in the Semi-Final, after they overcame the Essex Archers by a score of 17-3. Shannon Hall was the winning pitcher, while Archers Manager, Darren Ludlow was saddled with the loss.

Despite the loss, Essex can be very proud of reaching the AA League playoffs in their first year after promotion from the Single-A League. And so, in accordance with the formbook, the Poole Piranhas will be travelling to Ham Ground to face the Richmond Knights. They Knights have the upper hand as they won convincingly when the two teams met in the first week of August in the regular season. 

AA Playoffs (Semi-Finals) Saturday, 28 August 201012:00, Birmingham Maple Leafs (15-5) @ Leicester Blue Sox (15-5) (Western Park, Leicester).
12:00, Poole Piranhas (13-5) @ Richmond Knights (17-1) (Ham Ground Richmond).

A-LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

The Chelmsford Clippers stunned British Baseball with a 16-12 win over the Richmond Dragons, who went into the playoffs as the favourite to go all the way and win the A-League title.

The Clippers clinched a place in the postseason in the last minute after the Old Timers dropped out. They may have had an average regular season with a modest 6-7 record, but that doesn’t seem to have affected them and their win over Richmond was an amazing achievement for a team in their first year of existence.

In the semi-final Chelmsford will play against Guildford, who produced a dominant performance to beat the Braintree Rays 22-14. Matt Bruce pitched a complete nine-inning win, recording 10 strikeouts for the Mavericks. Their better regular season record has given them home field advantage in the Semi-Final.

The other Semi-Final will be between the Humber Pilots and the MK Bucks, both of whom progress after convincing wins in their quarter-final games. Humber beat the Leicester Blue Sox in a high-scoring 36-12 win. MVP for the Pilots proved to be Lee Evans, who was the winning pitcher and also contributed offensively with a home run. MK Bucks beat Manchester Torrent 22-3. Tom Lloyd was the winning pitcher for the Bucks and his teammate Ross Barnes scored an inside-the-park home run. Barnes’ may have played his last game of the season as he is due to be posted to Afghanistan imminently. Will this setback prove to be decisive when the Bucks host the Pilots this Saturday?

A Playoffs (Semi-Finals) Saturday, 28 August 201014:00, Humber Pilots (14-8) @ Milton Keynes Bucks (13-7) (Woughton on the Green, Milton Keynes).
14:30, Chelmsford Clippers (6-7) @ Guildford Mavericks (9-4) (Broadwater School, Guildford).

  
Matt Bruce pitched a 9-inning complete game as the Mavericks knocked Braintree out of the postseason
by Matt Bell

OXFORD STAY TOP DESPITE BRAVE EAGLES EFFORT. HAWKS END SEASON ON A HIGH

OXFORD STAY TOP DESPITE BRAVE EAGLES EFFORT

 

While the Falcons were battling in the race for the National League playoffs, their club mates the Herts Eagles were trying to book an automatic place in the AAA National Championships.  This was their final game of the season and they were facing the league-leading Oxford Kings.  The Eagles needed to win both games to claim top spot.  This first versus second match-up didn’t disappoint producing two very competitive and closely fought games. 

 

Oxford came out on top with a 6-3 win in the first, but a 7-4 win for the Herts Eagles in the second means that Oxford still have work to do before they can book their automatic place in the AAA National Championships.  Their last games of the season are this Sunday against the third-placed Bracknell Inferno.  A sweep for Bracknell would allow the Eagles to go above them in first place.

 

HAWKS END SEASON ON A HIGH

 

2010 has been a difficult year in the AA League for the Herts Hawks.  It has been a much stronger league then in previous years with three of the top AAA teams from 2009 choosing to drop down into the AA League, including the Richmond Knights, Poole Piranhas who won their respective AA Divisions.

 

The Hawks had picked up only 3 wins in 16 games before Sunday’s final games of the season.  Their opponents were the Brentwood Stags.  Manager Greg Bochan from St Albans, gave AA League debuts to several members of the Herts Raptors, which is the Single-A affiliate of Herts Baseball Club.  One of the players was Will Belbin (pictured right) who sloted right into the team.

 

This proved to be the teams best results of the year.  In the first game they won convincingly 9-1 and battled hard to clinch game two by a score of 13-11.  Greg Bochan and Jeff Witter (pictured left) were the winning pitchers in game one and two, respectively. This meant that they ended the season in fourth place in their division with a .278 win-loss percentage which is slightly lower than the .350 for the Hawks last year, but it is a very good achievement given the strength of the AA League this season.

 

images courtesy of www.HP2photographic.com

by Matt Bell

HERTS GLOBETROTTERS

Apart from reporting on the Herts adult and youth teams, the Herts Baseball Newswire also keeps Herts fans updated on news from overseas related to Herts Baseball Club.

 

This summer Herts was represented in the European qualifiers for the Little League World Series.  Herts Little Leaguer, Mikito Ariga, was selected to play for team England.  The games were played at the baseball complex in Kutno, Poland.  Despite a difficult start losing to Italy (L0-10), England bounced back with wins over Lithuania (W7-1), Belgium (W7-3) and Poland (W10-0).  Mikito’s team rounded up their group stage schedule with a loss to the Netherlands (L5-4).  England’s 3-2 record placed them third in the group standings and they qualified for the next stage where they beat Ukraine 10-0.  This took them to the Semi-Finals where they once again faced Italy and once again the Italians came out on top (L2-9).  England came very close indeed to qualifying for the World Series and potential live coverage on ESPN, but it wasn’t to be. 

 

Mikito and his family have now returned and are getting ready for another exciting postseason with the Herts All-Stars next month.  Mikito was a member of the 2009 Herts All-Stars who produced the incredible run of 5 consecutive wins to reach the final where they lost 1-0 to the London Mets.

 

Another player representing Herts overseas is Jesse Reinebold.  He and his father, Jonathan, joined the club this year and apart from appearing for the Herts All-Stars Jesse played alongside his father for both the Herts Raptors in the British Single-A League and the Herts Hawks in the AA League.  Jesse is now in America where he is the official bat boy (pictured right at work) for the South Bend Silverhawks, which is the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

 

Like Mikito, Jesse is also scheduled to return in time to join up with the Herts All-Stars in the postseason.

by Matt Bell

NBCs ARE COMING TO HERTS FORTHE FIRST TIME IN THE CLUB’S HISTORY

 

Grovehill Ballpark has been chosen to host the 2010 National Baseball Championships

 

The British Baseball Federation has announced that the National Senior Baseball Championships (NBC) event has been awarded to Herts Baseball Club. It will take place on the weekend of 4 and 5 September at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Major development of the venue has taken place over the last few years and this year a second baseball diamond was added to the venue. It is now the only baseball venue in the country with two diamonds and permanent outfield wall on both of them.

The NBC is the showpiece event in the British Baseball season to decide the 2010 champions in the four British Baseball Leagues. The NBL and AAA League NBCs will adopt last year’s double-elimination format with four teams battling it out over a total of six games in each League over the two days. The champions in the AA and Single-A Leagues will be determined over a three-week knockout playoff format with the two best teams in each league meeting in their respective Finals on 5 September 2010.

Some of the teams have already booked their place in the NBC, others are still fighting for automatic qualification or entry via the playoffs which will be played on Saturday 21 and Saturday 28 August at different venues around Great Britain.

 

 

The Herts Falcons (Left) and the Herts Eagles (right) have a big battle ahead of them but they must reach the NBCs

 

This news is fantastic for everyone connected with Herts Baseball.  The key now is for the Herts teams to reach the Championships.  The Herts Falcons are involved in a dramatic battle with Croydon and Mildenhall to clinch a playoff place in the NBL.  Only two out of the three teams will make it.

 

In the AAA League the Herts Eagles have a 4-game winning streak which has taken within touching distance of the league leaders, Oxford.  The two teams meet in the final game of the regular season on Sunday, 15 August.  Whoever come son top will go to the NBC automatically.  But first the Eagles face the London Metros this Sunday at Grivehill Ballpark.

 

The Hawks and Raptors may be out of the AA and Single-A races, respectively, but players in those teams may still play a part in the postseason if they are called up by the Falcons or Eagles.

 

Click here to view full details and schedule of the postseason Playoffs and NBCs.

by Matt Bell

DON’T SAY IT’S OVER

The thing about baseball more than any other sport is that having played a game, what you most want to do the next day is play it all over again. My aching bones certainly don't want to do it again, but my mind and heart do. But that is never possible (unless you play in the Major Leagues, and have six games a week). And it is certainly not possible for me this time as, in July, my competitive season has come to an end.

It's good to end with something new — and so on my last appearance I finally played my first game as a Herts Hawk. I have been on their roster all year, but spent most of my time trying to offer wisdom and experience (don't laugh) to the Raptors. Sadly it wasn't to be my first win of the season, as we were outplayed by an eight-man Sidewinders team.

The Hawks are a different bag of fish to the Raptors in many ways. There is lots of talent on the team, and it plays with a positive spirit, but is probably disappointed with its results. I played a role in preventing the win this time around, so I am certainly not here to find fault! As further examples of the “value added” plays I was talking about last week, I caught two straightforward fly balls, but dropped two tougher balls which I had run down successfully but then needlessly put on the ground. It all exemplified the frustration I talked about last week.

It was a busy day in the outfield, and early in the game a booming hit came my way. It was sort of a fly ball, but was a little lower and a little faster than that. At first as I backtracked I thought I would make it, though it would be tough. For anyone who saw Ben Zobrist's catch for the Rays yesterday, it would have looked like that. But I didn't reach it, the ball bounced barely a yard shy of the home run fence and skipped over. I kicked myself about that, so you can imagine what I did later when I carefully chased down a shallow fly ball in left-centre, only to see it bobble out of my glove. I'm still not sure how I dropped it — guru Kal said I had overrun it, so he is probably right, but I maybe just didn't squeeze the glove at the right half-second.

I managed to redeem myself with two catches, and by hitting a 2-RBI double — so imagine my vibes when I then dropped another outfield ball! And that was to be my last actual play of the season. D'oh! Again it was shallow, a sinking liner, but I had seen it early and was running in so called off Tak from left field. I maybe took my eye off it as I saw him, though I should stress he did absolutely nothing wrong! Again I reached it and again the ball went down.

Other Hawks did a far better job than me, I am happy to say. Perrie made good plays from third base and, perhaps more importantly, smart plays. Knowing instantly where to throw the ball is one of the toughest things on the infield, and he did it with a sixth sense. Simon made a tremendous double play from shortstop, catching a bloop over his shoulder then making the quick throw to get the runner straying off second. And Greg showed me how it's done, taking a pop-up on the first base line even as the runner attempted to crash into him and put him off. He did crash into Greg, and they all went down in a heap, but the catch was made and the inning was over. Single-minded fielding.

So, for me, the season is over. Two weeks of work and then a summer holiday will keep me away from our remaining games. Despite my incessant grumbling on these pages, it has been great fun. Herts still shows the ideal way to play amateur sports — with passion to win, but with the ultimate aim of sharing the joy of playing. Raptors players have really come on, and have stuck with baseball despite learning some tough lessons. I don't think my own game has come on much, although I did get my first experiences of pitching and umpiring. On the positive side, I can say that after two years after stepping away from the outfield I can now volunteer myself to play almost anywhere on the diamond. Maybe next year, I'll be pulling on the tools of ignorance as the league's skinniest catcher …. OK maybe not.

 

by Matt Bell

HAWKS GO DOWN AT RICHMOND

A severely under strength Hawks side travelled to Richmond on the 18th of July hoping to extract revenge for the thrashing the Knights handed out to them last time the two met. Unfortunately — despite a much improved performance — it was not to be, with Richmond winding up 19-4 winners. They still sit comfortably at the top of the table.

On the mound, the Hawks welcomed back their manager, Greg Bochan, from injury. He valiantly pitched the full 7 innings. However, nine errors along with eighteen Richmond hits took their toll and allowed the home side to rack up the runs.

 

Offensively, the Hawks bats were relatively dormant, only managing six hits and four runs in response to Richmond’s effort. The positive for Herts was the contribution made by several Raptor players who, due to missing personnel, got their chance at AA level and did not disappoint. Simon Elkington led the way with three hits and a run, Tak Ashida managed a hit and a run and Jeff Witter got himself an RBI.

 

The effort of these Raptors, however, would not be enough and the game ended in the seventh inning on the 10 run slaughter rule. It was still a much better outcome than the previous performance against Richmond.

 

by Matt Bell

NEW HERTS BASEBALL CAP AT THE HERTS SHOP FROM TOMORROW

 

 

 

The new Herts Baseball Caps have finally arrived. They will be available to buy at the ballpark starting from Sunday, 25 July, during the adult league games and in the following weekends at most Little League and Adult events.

The new Herts cap is a premium model fitted cap available in three different sizes. It features a 3D raised stitch logo as well as “hertsbaseball.com” on the back. The manufacturer’s brand name is embroidered on the left side of the cap.

This is a higher grade cap and its price is slightly higher than the previous model. The price is £12. Registered Little League players receive a discount so the price for them is £10.

 

 

by Matt Bell

HERTS GIANT-KILLERS RUIN LONDON METS PLANS

The four Herts adult baseball teams had a week away from league action and headed South to Croydon for the International London Tournament. Every year this event provides an opportunity for British Baseball clubs to have an All-Star week similar to the MLB All-Star week.

18 teams entered the tournament including teams from France and Holland. Herts Baseball Club was represented by a team which included a mix of all four of its adult teams, from a few experienced NBL players to first year Single-A League players. The team was drawn into one of the toughest groups of the competition with NBL teams like the Mildenhall Bulldogs, the Birmingham Maple Leafs who are leaders of the AA (Midlands) League, and a combined team from the NBL London Mets and the Dutch team Zuidvogels.

In their first game Herts faced Birmingham. The Hertfordshire team found it difficult to get on base in the early innings but stayed in touch in the hope of a big rally in the final innings. They managed to put several hits together and just when it looked like the team was coming back into the game, the rally was cut short by two questionable decisions by the two base umpires. After this 5-1 loss and with the London Mets/Zuidvogels winning a nail biting game against Mildenhall 8-7, Herts knew that they needed to beat the London Mets/Zuidvogels by 4 runs or more in the final group game on Saturday in order to make it into the elite bracket on the second day of the tournament. This was unthinkable as their opponents were all NBL-calibre players while Herts had an experimental squad made up of 40% Falcons (NBL), 7% Eagles (AAA), 33% Hawks (AA) and 20% Raptors (A).

The London Mets/Zuidvogels took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and everyone who had gathered at field 3 in Croydon was expecting Herts to capitulate. Not even the most optimistic supporters of the Hemel Hempstead-based club could have predicted what was to follow. The boys from Hertfordshire started to put runners on base and a combination of some aggressive running and clutch hits gave Herts the lead in the second inning. The Herts assault continued in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings while at the same time precision pitching from Nic Goetz and solid defence was making the London Mets/Zuidvogels visibly frustrated. The Herts defence had to hold on to the required 4-run lead in the face of the Mets onslaught in the final three innings of the game, and they did. The 4-run lead was maintained every inning, 6-2 in the fourth, 8-4 in the fifth and 9-5 in the sixth and final inning. The game ended very fittingly with Herts centerfielder, Mahendra Prasad, making a spectacular diving catch.

The result meant that Herts were through to the elite bracket on the final day of the tournament while the London Mets/Zuidvogel team were relegated to the lower bracket in true FA Cup giant-killing fashion.

On day two Herts were hoping to continue the fairytale but it wasn’t to be as they came short against Richmond losing 6-1 and later had to battle against the eventual winners, Bracknell who had added an array of superstars including former GB players to their existing 2009 NBL-winning roster. No one could match them all weekend as they destroyed every single opponent that came up against them.

Overall this was a fantastic weekend for Herts as players from the four different adult teams had a chance to play side-by-side and also to cause the shock of the tournament. Herts had more reasons to celebrate on Saturday evening as its representative in the Home Run Derby, Kimiyoshi Saionji, reached the final and finished in third place with a total of 3 home runs. In second place was London Mets slugger, Daniel Williams, who put on a show with 6 massive homers, some of which reached distances of well over 400 feet. Mildenhall’s Mike McClure was the Home Run Champion after hitting 8 home runs.

 

Other news from the 2010 London Tournament