Category: Hawks

HERTS BASEBALL STARS TO APPEAR ON BBC THIS SATURDAY

BBC Radio ThreecountiesMembers of Herts Baseball Club will be paying a visit to the BBC Radio studios this weekend.  They will appear on the Saturday Breakfast Show on BBC Three Counties Radio at around 8:45am.  You can listen to BBC Radio Online

 

The show is expected to preview the 2008 baseball season for the three Hertfordshire teams – Herts Falcons, Herts Hawks and the Herts Raptors and of course will look forward to the first ever season of the Herts Baseball Little League which will be an unmissable event for boys and girls in and around Hertfordshire this summer.

 

Baseball has never been so popular in Hertfordshire and Herts Baseball Club is beginning to attract a lot of attention from the written press, radio and TV.

HERTS HAWKS OPEN SEASON WITH A WIN

Posted on behalf of Herts Newswire Correspondent, DAVE HAMILTON

 

The Hawks got their season off to a flying start at Grovehill on Sunday, putting in a strong all-round performance to beat the Northampton Bucks 12-7 in their league opener.

 

After watching the Falcons starting their season with a pair of wins, the Hawks were keen to make it a clean sweep for the home team, and did well to quell an early threat from the Bucks without conceding any runs.

 

With their manager's team-talk ringing in their ears, the squad then produced an impressive combination of patient hitting and aggressive baserunning to take a 2-0 first inning lead, that they never lost throughout the game.  After two quick outs, Humberto Concalves sparked the  rally with a base hit, coming round to score on starting pitcher John Oliver's two run single.

 

Paul Auchterlonie's lead-off triple in the second inning helped the Hawks to extend their lead to 3-0, and Oliver held the Buck's hitters in check with the help of some excellent defensive work, right fielder Ross Asquith combining with first baseman Louis Hare to turn the Hawks' first double play of the season in the third inning.

 

The Hawks blew the game open in the fourth inning, extending their lead to 7-1 with another two out rally to capitalise on some mistakes from the Bucks, and while Northampton did mount a comeback in the late innings, they never seriously challenged the Hawks' lead.

 

A mention should go to Bucks’ Lithuanian pitcher Marius.  Fans of Herts Baseball Club remember him well as the pitcher who shut down the Herts Falcons in last year’s Final 4 when he was playing for the Humber Pilots.  Marius threw over 200 pitches in a complete game effort, but ultimately it was the Hawks' day as they completed victory behind the left-right pitching combination of Oliver and Hare.  Carlos Casal and Luis Goncalves produced key hits, and Hare hustled his way round the basepaths to score four of the Hawks 12 runs.  Overall, though it was the defensive work that was most impressive, with the whole squad – including late replacements Kal Dimitrov and Larry Martillo – contributing to a string of fine plays to cut the Bucks down on the basepaths.

 

Manager Carlos Casal will be looking for a similar performance next week, when the Hawks travel to Brentwood in the hope of extending their winning streak.

 

Opening Day Photos (Hawks)

 

More Opening Day Photos

Northampton at Herts Hawks
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Northampton 0 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 2 7 13 8
Herts Hawks 2 1 0 4 3 0 2 0 0 12 10 4

Herts Hawks 12, Northampton 7
Herts Hawks Northampton
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Ross Asquith rf 5 2 1 1 Geoff Finning 3b 4 1 0 0
Nick Russell lf 6 1 1 1 Edward Redgrave ss 2 2 1 0
Humberto Goncalves 2b 3 1 1 1 Tim Tamakucho c 5 1 4 2
(t5) Kal Dimitrov 2b 2 0 0 0 Jason Mathews cf 3 1 0 0
Louis Hare 1b-p 3 4 2 0 Ben Alexander lf 4 1 3 2
John Oliver p-1b 4 0 1 0 Marius p 5 1 2 2
(t8) Larry Martillo 1b 0 0 0 0 Simon rf 5 0 1 1
Carlos Casal 3b 4 1 2 1 Ross 1b 5 0 1 0
Dave Hamilton cf 3 0 0 0 John 2b 3 0 1 0
Paul Auchterlounie c 5 2 1 0
Luis Goncalves ss 4 1 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 39 12 10 4 TEAM TOTALS 36 7 13 7

E: Louis Hare(2), Humberto Goncalves, Carlos Casal, John(3), Marius(2), Ross(2),
Edward Redgrave. DP: Herts Hawks 2. LOB: Northampton 10, Herts Hawks 11. 3B: Paul
Auchterlounie. SB: Carlos Casal(2), Ross Asquith(2), Louis Hare(2), John Oliver, Nick
Russell, Luis Goncalves, Edward Redgrave(4), Simon(2), Ross, Jason Mathews, Tim
Tamakucho, Geoff Finning. CS: Edward Redgrave, Simon, Ben Alexander. SB: Luis
Goncalves.

Herts Hawks IP H R ER BB SO
John Oliver W 5.00 7 2 2 6 0
Louis Hare 4.00 6 5 4 2 2
Northampton            
Marius L 8.00 10 12 6 6 12

HBP: by Marius (Carlos Casal). . . WP: Louis Hare, Marius(5). PB: Tim Tamakucho. T:
3:00. A: 60.

 

BLAZERS DO THE DOUBLE OVER THE HAWKS

 

This high-scoring victory meant that the Sidewinders had a 100% winning record and the only team that had a chance to overtake them in the HSL2 standings were the Bracknell Blazers.  They played in the second game of the day and met the Herts Hawks.  The Blazers once again had packed their lineup with members of their National League team.  The 85mph+ pitching kept the Hawks off the bases.  The Hawks who will be playing two tiers below the National League in 2008 can be very proud in the knowledge that the did not give up against a formidable opponent and in effect prevented the Blazers from winning the title by holding their lead to single digits.  Hawks starter Louis Hare was certainly a key reason for with a solid pitching performance supported by a strong defence in the face of a powerful batting lineup.

 

The Blazers ended their HSL campaign with a 100% record (2-0) but critically their run differential was lower than that of the Sidewinders by 7 runs.

 

DRAGONS AND HAWKS PRODUCE A THRILLER

 

The final game of the 2008 Herts Spring League was a dramatic match up between the Richmond Dragons and the Herts Hawks.  An early 3-run lead for the visitors from Richmond did not last long as Herts Hall of Famer, Stuart Boast, delivered a crushing 3-run homerun.  The Hawks were playing their second game of the day with a severely depleted squad and a shortage of fresh arms.  Richmond took a full advantage and won the game 10-9.

RAPTORS, HAWKS AND FALCONS UNVEIL NEW UNIFORMS THIS SUNDAY

After 11 years of wearing the famous Falcons pinstripe jersey and black pants, the club will unveil the new uniforms which will be worn by the three adult teams.  This will take place this Sunday when the Falcons, Hawks and Raptors play in the seond round of games in the Herts Spring League.

The old Falcons pinstripe jersey will still be used by the Herts teams in selected games to celebrate the club's history.

HAWKS SUFFER DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF THE BLAZERS

 

Posted on behalf of Herts baseball Newswire reporter, Kal Dimitrov 

The first week of the Herts Spring League could not have gotten to a more auspicious start – the expected showers and cloudy skies never materialized, and the whole day was played under sunny skies, with the temperature almost balmy at 15o C.

That was as far as luck went for the Herts Hawks.  The squad was depleted due to illness and call ups to the Falcons. The Hawks were able to get sufficient number of players thanks to the kind assistance of the Herts Raptors. This, however, was not a problem.  Calamity struck in the 1st inning, when starter Humberto Goncalves had to come off the mound with what some medical experts diagnosed as a pulled rib muscle, while others determined to be cramp in the pectoral area.

This required a hasty reshuffle in the field, as well as having to bring in Darrin Ward to pitch cold (which was not helped by his catcher calling for a number of weird pitches, such as sliders, screwballs and changeups after he had barely thrown 8 pitches to warm up).  The fallout was the Bracknell Blazers team taking a 5 to 0 lead at the bottom of the 1st.

The Hawks rallied, and were able to keep the score at a respectable margin, finally loosing 8 to 5 to a Bracknell team that contained a number of top class players, as well as some promising rookies of all genders (hats off to the Blazers).  Solid pitching by Darrin and some good hitting by Tim Elkins, Humberto Goncalves and Nick Russell kept hopes alive.

At the top of the 5th, Herts Hawks hopes for a comeback were revitalized, when, with the score 8 to 1, Darrin Ward hit a massive bases clearing double that made the score 8 to 4. Darrin was undoubtedly the man of the match for Hawks, with a total of 4 RBI’s and 10 stikeouts. This performance was complemented by the always stylish fielding and batting of young Luis Goncalves, as well as by the gritty determination of the rest of the team.

Bracknell, on this showing, will be tough opponents for any of the teams in the HSL 2 Bracket. In a post-match interview they expressed the view that they were happy with being able to execute their game-plan and give a lot of their players some game-time.

 

Herts Hawks at Bracknell Blazers
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Hawks 0 1 0 0 3 0 1 5 5 1
Bracknell Blazers 5 1 0 2 0 0 0 8 9 1

 

Bracknell Blazers 8, Herts Hawks 5
Bracknell Blazers Herts Hawks
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 3 3 2 0 Nick Russell lf 4 1 1 0
Player 2 c 3 1 0 0 Tim Elkins 2b 3 2 1 0
Player 3 1b 4 0 2 4 Humberto Goncalves p-3b 3 1 1 0
Player 4 2b 3 1 0 0 (b1) Jake Kikel 1b 0 0 0 0
Player 5 3b 3 1 2 1 Darrin Ward 3b-p 4 0 2 4
Player 6 ss 2 1 1 0 Kal Dimitrov c 3 0 0 0
Player 7 lf 3 0 1 1 Jonathon Lewys cf 1 1 0 0
Player 8 cf 2 1 1 1 (t6) Ilya Dimitrov cf 0 0 0 0
Player 9 rf 3 0 0 0 Mark Hoffman 1b-3b 2 0 0 0
          Luis Goncalves ss 2 0 0 0
          Hunter Devine rf 3 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 26 8 9 7 TEAM TOTALS 25 5 5 4

 

E: Player 2, Humberto Goncalves. LOB: Herts Hawks 5, Bracknell Blazers 6. 2B: Player
1, Player 7, Player 8, Darrin Ward(2), Tim Elkins. SB: Player 5(3), Player 4, Player
1, Player 6, Player 2, Jonathon Lewys(2), Nick Russell, Luis Goncalves, Mark Hoffman.

 

Bracknell Blazers IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 7.00 5 5 4 5 10
Herts Hawks            
Darrin Ward 5.67 8 6 4 4 10
Humberto Goncalves L 0.33 1 2 2 1 0

 

HBP: by Player 1 (Luis Goncalves). . . . . . PB: Player 2(2), Kal Dimitrov(3). T:
2:55. A: 90.

 

HSL MEDIA COVERAGE

The Herts Spring League commences this Sunday and it looks like it is attracting significant interest from the media.  The Hemel Gazette is expected to have an extensive coverage of the 2008 HSL over the three Sundays of the League.  Below you will find an extract from a preview of the HSL published this week.  The article was also published in their online publication HemelToday.co.uk

FIRST EVER BRITISH SPRING LEAGUE READY FOR TAKE-OFF

Spring is here, which means that baseball is back.  This year Herts Baseball Club has added a new event to the British baseball calendar with the first ever Herts Spring League (HSL). 

 

One of the most exciting times of the baseball season is Spring Training. After a long and cold winter everyone connected with baseball is eager to get back to the baseball diamond. Teams start to put into action their master plans to win the league. Players are jostling for a position on the roster. Pitchers are competing for a starting spot in the rotation. It is a first chance for managers and players to see new players which have signed up with the clubs. These are just some of the reasons why Spring is a special time for baseball.

 

The 2008 HSL line-up has just been announced and it will certainly provide exciting baseball action over the next three weeks.  The 10 participating teams are split into two divisions, HSL1 and HSL2. 

 

HSL1 includes Hertfordshire’s top team the Falcons, the Burgess Hill Colts, Northampton Baseball Club who impressed at the 2007 London Tournament and the ASL Eagles.  The Eagles will add an element of suspense to HSL1.  They are very much an unknown quantity as they do not compete in the BBF leagues.  The ASL Eagles is a team representing the AmericanSchool in London, which is expected to bring an all-out American baseball mentality to the diamond.  

 

Looking at the HSL1 schedule one game stands out as a must-see clash.  The Herts Falcons meet the Burgess Hill Colts for the first time since the 2006 Premier League Playoff game which the Colts won in extra innings to sink the Falcons down from the Premier League to Division 1.  Revenge will be on the minds of the Falcons after that heart-breaking game.

 

HSL2 includes the Herts Hawks, Sidewinders, Richmond Dragons, Bracknell Blazers, Milton Keynes Hurricanes, and the newly created third Hertfordshire team, the Herts Raptors.  The MK Hurricanes go into the league as the favourites, but, with other teams strengthening their rosters over the winter, it could prove to be a very competitive league with almost all of the teams having a realistic chance of taking the HSL2 title.

 

Over the next three Sundays 23 games will be played at 4 baseball venues in and around London.  Some of the venues will host as many as 6 teams on the same day which is expected to create a great baseball atmosphere.  This is the perfect opportunity for baseball enthusiasts to enjoy a Spring day out watching a game of baseball and having a first glimpse of the teams as they gear up for the 2008 Opening Day.

 

For more information about the teams, game times and venues you can visit the official HSL website.  The HSL website has linked up with the Herts Baseball Newswire to provide extensive coverage of the HSL including game reports, video news, stats and much more so stay tuned.

RELATED LINKS

Official HSL website: www.hertsbaseball.com/HSL

HAWKS IMPRESSIVE IN FIRST SPRING TRAINING GAME

The Herts Hawks ended the 2007 season with a disappointing 7-12 record, but after this first spring training game it already looks like they will be taking the scalps of many Division 1 teams this season.  Their opponents were the Cityslick Sidewinders who last year played in the Premier League which is one division above the Hawks in the British Baseball League pyramid.  The Hawks won convincingly 12-3.

 

Starting on the mound was Darrin Ward, a familiar face to every British baseball fan.  He has signed up with Herts Baseball Club from the Milton Keynes Hurricanes and it already looks like he will be playing a key role for the club this year.  A combination of speed, control and movement kept the Sidewinders off-balance.  Statistics are only available for the first 5 innings of the game.  Over those innings Ward allowed only 1 hit with 0.00 ERA and 4 strike-outs (53 strikes, 27 balls, 3 walks). 

 

Another great addition to the club will be the double punch of Luis and Humberto Goncalves who played at short stop and first base, respectively.  Luis Goncalves’ smooth fielding mechanics will certainly make teams stand up and take notice.  His father Humberto came in with the power, causing havoc with every one of his at bats including a towering Home Run deep to left centerfield almost hitting the Falcons players who were warming up on the adjacent football field.

 

After a year’s absence on paternity leave, it was a pleasure to see Ross Asquith back in a Herts shirt.  He certainly has not lost any of his lightning speed and worked well alongside centerfielder, Paul Auchterlounie.

 

Several players in the Hawks roster were unavailable so Hunter Devine and Jonathon Lewys received a last minute call-up to the Hawks.  It would not be a surprise to see them again with the Hawks this season if they continue their fantastic progress.

 

See Hawks Photos section for more photos from this game