Category: Adult Leagues

by Matt Bell

EXTRA REPORT: HAWKS 1 SHARKS 14

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, DAVE HAMILTON

The Hertfordshire Hawks stumbled to their third straight loss on Sunday, being beaten 14-1 by the Bournemouth Sharks in their AA league fixture at Grovehill.

 

It's well known in cricketing circles that 'catches win matches' and the Hawks were made to pay for a number of fielding errors by their opponent.  In the end at least four catches were dropped in the windy conditions, most critically in the fourth inning when the Sharks took advantage of three consecutive errors to score six times and effectively put the game out of reach.

 

By this point the game was 10-1 as Bournemouth had taken an early 4-0 lead although player-manager Carlos Casal's run for the Hawks narrowed the gap to three.  Unfortunately this was to be the Hawks only run of the game as the home team were unable to get a hit in the key moments, and ended up leaving 10 runners stranded on base.  Insurance runs by the Sharks in the final three innings completed the scoring.

 

One of the few high points for the Hawks in the loss was the performance of Louis Hare who smashed three of the Hawks' six hits in the game as well as pitching six strong innings.  Unfortunately his team mates were unable to match his success and extra training is planned next Sunday in their week off so that the Hawks can return to winning ways when Richmond visit on June 1st.

 

Given the quality of his squad, Carlos Casal is confident his team can recover from this early dip in form and climb back up the standings in a competitive division.  Commenting after the game, he said “we started positively but unfortunately we lost our composure and things quickly went downhill.  However, I know we all have the skills and spirit to achieve as a team and am confident we can put things right and start winning again.“

by Matt Bell

SHARK ATTACK IN HERTFORDSHIRE

The Herts Hawks suffered a heavy defeat against the visiting Bournemouth Sharks in their fifth game of the 2008 British Baseball’s AA league season. 

There were a large number of fans who had come out to support the Hawks, but unfortunately nothing seemed to be going right for the home team on the day.  They managed to keep within reach in the first 3 innings, but never managed to deliver the much needed hit with runners in scoring positions.  They left 10 runners on base during the game.   The only Hawk who seemed to be seeing the ball well was Louis Hare (3-3) who kept fighting even when the game was beyond the Hawks.   He also performed well on the mound with good control, allowing only two walks.  He did not receive  help from his teammates who committed an uncharacteristically high number of errors in the field (10).  Despite the demoralising score, the fans were once again able to witness some spectacular plays from 14-year old, Luis Goncalves at shortstop for the Hawks.

Late in the game, Rod Ariss, who had received a call up from the Herts single-A team, the Raptors, marked his debut in AA with a fine play in right field.  Another debutant was catcher Dave Westfallen, who is wearing the Herts jersey again after an absence of nearly 10 years.

The Sharks were missing their two big starting pitchers who were dominating the league last year, but in their place were some new faces from Latin America.  A new pitcher, catcher and infielders have made the Sharks a formidable defensive force and they will be winning many games this year.   They allowed 1 run and committed only 1 error.

After a promising start of the season with two big wins, the Hawks have now recorded three loses in a row and they need to bring their season back on track as soon as possible.  In situations like this players usually want the next game to come as soon as possible to wipe the memory of those defeats, but unfortunately for the Hawks, they will have to wait until 1 June for their next league game at home against the Richmond Dragons.  Until then, Hawks manager, Carlos Casal, has ordered extra training this week.

More Photos

Bournemouth Sharks at Herts Hawks
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Bournemouth Sharks 0 4 0 6 2 1 1 14 11 1
Herts Hawks 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 8

Bournemouth Sharks 14, Herts Hawks 1
Bournemouth Sharks Herts Hawks
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 c 5 1 0 1 Tim Elkins lf 2 0 1 0
Player 2 cf-rf 4 1 1 0 (b5) Stuart Boast lf-cf-p 1 0 0 0
Player 3 1b 5 1 1 0 Luis Goncalves ss 2 0 0 0
Player 4 p-ss 5 1 2 2 (b5) Rod Ariss rf 1 0 0 0
Player 5 ss-p 5 2 2 3 Louis Hare p-3b 3 0 3 0
Player 6 3b 3 2 1 1 John Oliver 1b 3 0 0 0
Player 7 lf 4 2 2 2 Humberto Goncalves 2b 3 0 0 0
Player 8 2b 4 2 1 1 Kal Dimitrov c-cf-lf 3 0 0 0
Player 9 rf-cf 3 2 1 2 Carlos Casal 3b-cf 1 1 1 0
Nick Russell rf-ss 2 0 1 0
Dave Hamilton cf 1 0 0 0
(b5) Dave Westfallen c 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 38 14 11 12 TEAM TOTALS 23 1 6 0

E: Player 5, Nick Russell(3), Luis Goncalves(2), Carlos Casal(2), Tim Elkins. DP:
Bournemouth Sharks 1. LOB: Bournemouth Sharks 8, Herts Hawks 10. 2B: Player 4, Player
6, Player 7. SB: Player 4, Player 6, Player 7, Player 2, Player 8, Player 9. CS: Luis
Goncalves, Tim Elkins, Louis Hare. SF: Player 9.

Bournemouth Sharks IP H R ER BB SO
Player 4 W 4.33 5 1 0 6 1
Player 5 2.67 1 0 0 3 0
Herts Hawks            
Louis Hare L 6.33 11 14 7 2 3
Stuart Boast 0.67 0 0 0 1 0

HBP: by Louis Hare (Player 7). . . . . . WP: Player 4. PB: Kal Dimitrov(2). T: 2:33.
A: 48.

by Matt Bell

RAPTORS ON THE RAMPAGE

HERTS RAPTORS 27 

ESSEX ARROWS 11

British Single-A League

 

Report by Newswire reporter HUNTER DEVINE

 

The Herts Raptors returned to face Arrows, the team that two weeks earlier overcame an eight run deficit to win in the bottom of the 9th against them. This time, however, the Raptors would manage to retain their lead scoring early and often as well as keeping the opposition off the score board for most of the game.

 

Jake Kikel went the distance with a complete game despite the boiling temperatures as did Jon Lewys, who made his first start behind the plate, playing superbly. The defence played amazingly with some beautiful plays by Jim Hyde, Andrew Slater and Rob Jones as well as Rod Ariss nailing a runner at the plate- though injuring his arm on the throw.

 

The offence managed to feast off of inconsistent Arrows' pitching with big hits from many of the hitters all day. It was the top of the 9th which was the biggest boost for the team as they piled on some insurance runs to prevent a repeat of before. The team were so desperate to win and get more runs that with 2 outs Hunter Devine stole home successfully, though Jim Hyde brought all the runners home on the next pitch with another big hit.

by Matt Bell

SIDEWINDERS BRING HAWKS DOWN TO EARTH

The AA League leaders met at Grovehill Ballpark for what was promising to be a very closely-fought battle.  But a powerful Sidewinders line-up stunned the Hawks with 23 runs and 23 hits, combined with controlled pitching and smooth defence (2 errors).  They started the game with 4 runs in the top of the first inning.  Despite keeping within touching distance in the first three innings, it was an uphill battle for the Hawks after that. 

 

In the bottom of the fourth the Hawks received another blow as Paul Auchterlounie sustained an ankle injury after stepping awkwardly on the first base bag.  It was difficult to determine the extent of his injury and hopefully he will be able to recover quickly in time for next Sunday’s crunch game.  With no Hawks players left on the bench, Falcons player, Pete Kikel took Auchterlounie’s place behind the plate.

 

The 10 errors committed by Hawks fielders made a difficult task impossible against a team that will certainly be one of the main promotion contenders. 

 

There were bright spots for the Hawks.  14 years-old rookie phenom Luis Goncalves once again produced some amazing plays at short stop including a gem from deep in the hole on the 3rd base side.  Louis Hare had another good performance (4-5, 2B, RBI, 2R), as well as a fine work on the mound 2/3 of an inning in the ninth.

 

The Hawks will now have to regroup as they prepare for battle against the Bornemouth Sharks who will travel to Grovehill Ballpark this coming Sunday.

 

Among the Sidewinders was former Falcons manager, Bruce Dullea.  It was good to see Dullea alive and well out on the baseball field after his mysterious disappearance a few weeks ago.  He came on late in the game playing at first base and making good contact with the bat.  A rare diving attempt to catch a line drive by 6’7” Dullea brought cheers from both benches. 

 

 

Sidewinders at Herts Hawks
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Sidewinders 4 1 0 3 3 3 2 1 6 23 23 2
Herts Hawks 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 8 14 10

Sidewinders 23, Herts Hawks 8
Sidewinders Herts Hawks
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 4 5 2 0 Tim Elkins lf 5 0 1 1
Player 2 c 6 3 1 2 Nick Russell cf 4 1 1 0
Player 3 1b 7 2 4 4 Louis Hare 1b-2b-p 5 2 4 1
Player 4 2b 6 3 4 4 Stuart Boast 2b-p 5 0 0 0
Player 5 3b 6 2 3 1 Humberto Goncalves rf 5 0 2 2
Player 6 ss 6 2 3 2 John Oliver p-1b 5 0 1 0
Player 7 lf 6 2 2 1 Carlos Casal 3b 5 2 2 0
Player 8 cf 6 1 1 2 Paul Auchterlounie c 2 0 2 0
Player 9 rf 6 3 3 1 (b4) Peter Kikel pr-c 1 2 1 0
Luis Goncalves ss 2 1 0 1
TEAM TOTALS 53 23 23 17 TEAM TOTALS 39 8 14 5

E: Player 2, Player 4, John Oliver(3), Luis Goncalves(2), Peter Kikel(2), Stuart
Boast, Nick Russell, Carlos Casal. DP: Herts Hawks 1. LOB: Herts Hawks 8, Sidewinders
10. 2B: Player 4, Player 3, Player 6, Peter Kikel, Louis Hare. 3B: Player 9. SB:
Player 1, Player 4, Louis Hare(3), Peter Kikel(2), Carlos Casal(2), Nick Russell,
Humberto Goncalves, Tim Elkins, Luis Goncalves. CS: Player 2, Peter Kikel. SF: Luis
Goncalves.

Sidewinders IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 9.00 14 8 4 2 6
Herts Hawks            
John Oliver L 6.00 16 14 9 4 1
Stuart Boast 2.33 6 9 5 3 0
Louis Hare 0.67 1 0 0 0 1

HBP: by Player 1 (Luis Goncalves). . . . . , by Stuart Boast (Player 1). WP: John
Oliver(4). PB: Player 2(2), Peter Kikel. T: 3:00. A: 45.

by Matt Bell

FALCONS AND METROS SPLIT TOPSY-TURVY SUBWAY SERIES

The London Metros (2-0) arrived at Hemel Hempstead by tube, train and taxi on Sunday to face the AAA-dominant Falcons (6-0).  Both teams anticipated a tough day of baseball against their undefeated league rivals.  The Herts squad was also keenly aware that the Metros National League side had the week off, and some of the nation's best sluggers would 'play down' to help their AAA farm team continue its winning streak.  Even the ABUA-GB Umpires Association got into the spirit sending Commissioner Darrin Muller to officiate the match from behind home plate.

 

Game One started well for the Falcons, who shut down the Metros 1-2-3 in the 1st and got on the board early with a solo home run from shortstop Andy Cornish.  But that was all the offense the Falcons would muster as Metros pitching shut out Herts in the next four frames.  London put up crooked numbers in each of their remaining at-bats, almost all coming  on Falcons defensive errors, and they took the game 15-3 in six innings.  It was the worst the Herts defense has played all season and by far the toughest outing yet for hurler Nic Goetz who gave up 7 earned runs on 13 hits with 5 walks.  The Falcons hit .259 in the game and Cornish's solo shot was the only recorded RBI.  Seven Falcons were stranded on base.

 

The tough transition to the second game, then, was all-important.  In a short team chat in the break Manager Jason Greenberg offered encouragement and reminded the team that their confidence, optimism and support of one another had helped garner them a (now) 6-1 record in the BBF AAA… a league which they had not played in since 2006… and a far better opening record then anyone had anticipated.  Greenberg said, “Our first loss was inevitable… it's how we respond to losing that makes all the difference.”  A bit more pumped-up, rehydrated and with Game One in the rearview mirror, the Falcons took the field for the second time that day.

 

From the first-inning the table was laid at 1-1.  The Metros advanced a runner home on an infield error, but the Falcons countered with a lead-off single from Lee Manning, followed by a hit-and-run double from Greenberg and a sacrifice fly from Cornish.  Herts was going to play this game more aggressively.  Down 2-1 in the bottom of the 5th inning, Kimiyoshi Saionji was hit squarely in the back by a pitch to lead-off the inning.  Undeterred, he stole 2nd base and was batted home on a double from center fielder Dan Kerry.

 

Tied 2-2 going in the bottom of the 6th, catcher Greenberg – in a career-worst slump starting the season only 2-for-19 – came to the plate with two outs and nobody on base.  He knocked a hard-hit single through the left side, then immediately stole second base and advanced to third when the throw-down scooted away from the 2nd baseman.  Cornish followed with a clutch line drive that glanced off the right-fielder’s outstretched glove, and the Falcons took a 3-2 lead.

 

Darrin Ward pitched masterfully, allowing only 2 runs on 6 hits with 1 walk and 8 strikeouts.  It was a true gem of a performance.  In the top of the 7th-inning, with Metros on second and third and one out, Ward reached deep into his reserves and struck out the final two batters to clinch the win.  All three outs in the inning were K's, and the final punch-out came on three, successive fastballs on the inside corner, each climbing the ladder on the last.  It was perfect pitching in any league.  Ward pumped his fist in the air and the Falcons celebrated the split and their 7-1 first-place record.

 

 

GAME ONE

11am

 

London Metros at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
London Metros 0 2 3 2 3 5 15 16 5
Herts Falcons 1 0 0 0 0 2 3 7 4

London Metros 15, Herts Falcons 3
London Metros Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 ss 4 3 2 1 Lee Manning rf 4 0 1 0
Player 2 lf 2 1 1 2 Jason Greenberg c 3 0 0 0
Player 3 p 5 1 2 2 Andy Cornish ss 3 1 1 1
Player 4 cf 5 1 4 2 Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 3 0 0 0
Player 5 rf 3 0 0 0 Marty Cullen 1b 3 1 2 0
(b4) Sub 2 rf 2 1 1 0 Peter Kikel 3b 3 0 1 0
Player 6 1b 4 2 3 0 Dan Kerry cf 3 1 2 0
Player 7 2b 1 0 1 2 Greg Bochan lf 3 0 0 0
(b4) Sub 1 2b 2 1 0 0 Darrin Ward dh 2 0 0 0
Player 8 3b 2 0 0 0 Nick Goetz p 0 0 0 0
(b4) Sub 4 3b 1 2 1 2 Aspi Dimitrov p 0 0 0 0
Player 9 c 2 3 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 33 15 16 11 TEAM TOTALS 27 3 7 1

E: Player 1(2), Sub 4(2), Player 3, Andy Cornish(2), Marty Cullen, Peter Kikel. DP:
Herts Falcons 1. LOB: Herts Falcons 7, London Metros 8. 2B: Sub 4, Player 4, Player
2, Peter Kikel, Dan Kerry. 3B: Player 4. HR: Andy Cornish. SB: Player 6(2), Sub 4,
Player 4, Andy Cornish. SF: Player 2.

London Metros IP H R ER BB SO
Player 3 W 6.00 7 3 1 1 3
Herts Falcons            
Nick Goetz L 5.00 13 12 7 5 3
Aspi Dimitrov 1.00 3 3 0 2 0

WP: Nick Goetz(3), Aspi Dimitrov. PB: Jason Greenberg. T: 2:30. A: 60.

 

GAME TWO

1:30PM

London Metros at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
London Metros 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 6 2
Herts Falcons 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 3 5 3

Herts Falcons 3, London Metros 2
Herts Falcons London Metros
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Lee Manning dh 4 1 2 0 Player 1 p 4 1 2 0
Jason Greenberg c 3 1 2 0 Player 2 c 3 0 0 0
Andy Cornish ss 3 0 0 1 Player 3 1b 4 0 2 1
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 2 1 0 0 Player 4 2b 3 0 1 0
Marty Cullen 1b 3 0 0 0 Player 5 3b 2 0 0 0
Dan Kerry cf 2 0 1 1 Player 6 ss 3 0 0 0
Nick Goetz 3b 2 0 0 0 Player 7 lf 3 0 0 0
Aspi Dimitrov lf 3 0 0 0 Player 8 cf 3 0 0 0
Rodney Naghar rf 2 0 0 0 Player 9 rf 3 1 1 0
Darrin Ward p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 24 3 5 2 TEAM TOTALS 28 2 6 1

E: Nick Goetz(2), Jason Greenberg, Player 4, Player 9. LOB: London Metros 7, Herts
Falcons 11. 2B: Jason Greenberg, Dan Kerry. SB: Jason Greenberg, Andy Cornish,
Kimiyoshi Saionji, Player 3. SF: Andy Cornish.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Darrin Ward W 7.00 6 2 1 1 8
London Metros            
Player 1 L 6.00 5 3 2 6 6

HBP: by Darrin Ward (Player 2). . . . , by Player 1 (Kimiyoshi Saionji). . . PB:
Player 2(2). T: 2:30. A: 60.

 

GAME NOTES:  The Falcons travel to Essex on June 1st for their second series in 2008 against the Arrows……  Sunday saw the first home plate collision of the season as a Metro was tagged out by Greenberg when he barreled-in but failed to dislodge the ball……  Cornish's homer was his first of the year and he joins second-baseman Saionji in that elite club……  True to the rumours, former Falcons manager Bruce Dullea was spotted at Grovehill toward the end of the series as a third base coach for the visiting Sidewinders, who played a late afternoon game against the Herts Hawks……  Lead-off batter Lee Manning is .333 on the season with 8 runs and 4 RBI proving his consistency in the one-hole……  Team-leader Kimiyoshi Saionji was held hitless for the first time all spring, but still leads the Falcons with a .522 average and .633 OBP, and is slugging .783 with 3 doubles, 1 home run and 14 RBI.

by Matt Bell

BIG WEEKEND LOOMS ON THE HORIZON FOR HERTFORDSHIRE’S THREE TEAMS

This coming Sunday the climax of the English Football Premier League will not be the only sporting event taking place.  Hertfordshire’s three baseball teams enter a critical stage of the season. 

 

In the AAA Division the Herts Falcons will clash with the London Metros.  Both teams sit at the top of the standings with 100% records.  The London Metros are affiliated to the London Mets Ball Club which snatched all of the British baseball titles last season from the National League Final 4 to the Youth National Final 4.  The Falcons have had a perfect start of the season winning their first 6 games.  As a newly promoted team their opponents so far may have underestimated the strength of the Falcons, but after a 6-0 start, the secret is out and now teams in the AAA league know that Herts Baseball Club means business.  The team has now played 4 games without making a single error.  Can they keep this impressive streak going this coming Sunday?  This will be a double-header which will be played at Grovehill Ballpark in Hertfordshire.  The first game starts at 11am followed immediately by the second game at around 1:30pm. 

 

The action does not end there.  A top of the table clash between the Herts Hawks and the Sidewinders takes place immediately after that on the same field at around 4pm.  The Hawks’ loss at Richmond on Sunday means that they are now tied at the top of British Baseball’s AA Division with the Sidewinders and two other teams.  The Hawks and the Sidewinders are expected to stay involved in the title race all the way to the end so this game will have serious implications on the league table in August.

 

With three games back-to-back at the same venue, this will be a great event for regular baseball fans and for those who have not had a chance to attend a baseball game yet to come and enjoy.  The number of fans attending games at Grovehill Ballpark has increased this season and last Sunday included some loyal Herts Baseball fans who had travelled all the way from Seattle, USA to support their favourite baseball club.

 

This year fans at Grovehill Ballpark can also enjoy various hot and cold beverages, snacks, sunflower seeds, sun-screen and other goodies from the concessions stand.  Starting this Sunday, the club will revive a Grovehill tradition going back to the 1990s by offering an official matchday programme for sale.  The prices are reasonable and profits will be used to fund the development of the club’s baseball facilities including the building of a second baseball diamond.

 

While the Hawks and Falcons play their games at home, the Herts Raptors travel to Essex for a repeat of the heartbreaking clash with the Arrows last month which they lost in the last inning.  Can the Raptors win their first game of the season and start a climb up the league table?  Mobile phones and text messages will be exchanged nervously between Hertfordshire and Essex all day with players and fans keeping a close eye on scores.

by Matt Bell

STORM CLOUDS SILENT AS FALCONS SWEEP HURRICANES

Posted on behalf of Falcons Correspondent Andrew Cornish (#7)


With spirits running high before the day’s baseball, due to Kimiyoshi ‘Kimi’ Saionji’s birthday, the Falcons were hopeful to keep their momentum into the game.  This was dashed slightly when the Milton Keynes took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first due to a home run with one runner on base.  The Falcons managed to plug away against the Hurricanes with a highlight being Greg ‘The Motion’ Bochan laying down a perfect squeeze in the third, which tied the defensive team up, scoring a run and getting all runners safe.

After great fundamentals, and another no-error game, the Falcons rolled on with a 12-2 victory after 6 innings of play.  Nic Goetz wrote up another successful victory, already taking his season to an impressive 3-0 with an exciting 3.79 ERA.

Game 6 of the season was a game of firsts with promoted Tim Elkins making his first start in centre field and Aspi Dimitrov making his first start on the mound.  Anticipation was high and hoping to continue on the same run of form, the Falcons, fuelled by the blue Powerade sold on the fantastic new fund-raising concessions stand, rampaged to a 6-0 lead in the second inning concluding in a monster home-run by ‘maturing’ Kimiyoshi Saionji.  The impressive Aspi Dimitrov ended the game allowing 1 earned run in 6 strong innings, striking out 6 and stranding 8 opposing runners.  

Tidbits: On his 34th birthday, Kimiyoshi Saionji collected the first Falcon home run, adding another team leading 8 RBIs…… Tim Elkins went 1-3 scoring 2 runs…… Andy Cornish scored 5 of the 23 runs on the day.

GAME 1, 12:00pm

MK Hurricanes at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
MK Hurricanes 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0
Herts Falcons 0 0 4 1 4 3 12 12 0

Herts Falcons 12, MK Hurricanes 2
Herts Falcons MK Hurricanes
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Andy Cornish ss 2 3 2 0 A. McVay ss 3 1 1 0
Jason Greenberg c 2 1 1 0 G. Sheppard 1b 3 0 1 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 2 1 2 3 D. Larwell p 3 1 1 2
Marty Cullen 1b 4 0 0 0 S. McVay 3b 3 0 1 0
Greg Bochan lf 4 1 2 1 K. O'Sullivan c 3 0 0 0
Nick Goetz p 3 2 1 0 M. Philpot cf 2 0 0 0
Darrin Ward 3b 3 1 1 0 E. Wilmot lf 2 0 0 0
Aspi Dimitrov cf 4 1 1 1 P. O'Sullivan 2b 1 0 0 0
Lee Manning rf 2 2 2 0 C. King rf 2 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 26 12 12 5 TEAM TOTALS 22 2 4 2

LOB: MK Hurricanes 3, Herts Falcons 7. 2B: Kimiyoshi Saionji, Aspi Dimitrov, S.
McVay. HR: D. Larwell. SB: Kimiyoshi Saionji, Andy Cornish, Nick Goetz.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Nick Goetz W 6.00 4 2 2 1 7
MK Hurricanes            
D. Larwell L 5.33 12 12 6 6 1

HBP: by D. Larwell (Andy Cornish). . , by D. Larwell (Lee Manning), by D. Larwell
(Andy Cornish). . WP: D. Larwell(5). PB: K. O'Sullivan(5). T: 2:30. A: 58.

GAME 2, 2:30pm

MK Hurricanes at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
MK Hurricanes 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 7
Herts Falcons 0 6 0 1 3 1 11 14 0

Herts Falcons 11, MK Hurricanes 1
Herts Falcons MK Hurricanes
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Lee Manning lf 4 1 2 0 Player 1 p 2 1 0 0
Andy Cornish ss 4 2 2 0 Player 2 c 1 0 0 0
(b5) Greg Bochan 3b 0 0 0 0 Player 3 1b 2 0 0 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 4 1 3 5 Player 4 2b 2 0 1 1
Jason Greenberg c 3 0 0 0 Player 5 3b 1 0 0 0
Marty Cullen 1b 4 2 2 0 Player 6 ss 3 0 0 0
Nick Goetz 3b-ss 4 0 1 0 Player 7 lf 3 0 0 0
Darrin Ward dh 4 2 3 1 Player 8 cf 2 0 0 0
Tim Elkins cf 3 2 1 0 Player 9 rf 3 0 0 0
Rodney Naghar rf 3 1 0 1
Aspi Dimitrov p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 33 11 14 7 TEAM TOTALS 19 1 1 1

E: Player 6(3), Player 1(2), Player 2, Player 8. LOB: Herts Falcons 7, MK Hurricanes
8. 2B: Lee Manning, Player 4. HR: Kimiyoshi Saionji. SB: Darrin Ward(2). CS: Jason
Greenberg.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Aspi Dimitrov W 6.00 1 1 1 5 6
MK Hurricanes            
Player 1 L 5.33 14 11 2 1 1

HBP: by Aspi Dimitrov (Player 2). . , by Aspi Dimitrov (Player 2), by Aspi Dimitrov
(Player 3). . . . PB: Player 2. T: 2:10. A: 58.
by Matt Bell

THE HAWKS HAVE THEIR FIRST LOSS OF THE SEASON AT RICHMOND DRAGONS

Report by Newswire correspondent, KAL DIMITROV

 

This Sunday saw the first loss for the Herts Hawks.  They were faced with the big-hitting Richmond Dragons team, who had lost narrowly to the Sidewinders in their first game, but managed to out-score the Croydon Pilots in their second game.  It was expected to be a tight game and a competition of “who could outslug who”.

 

It did not happen that way.  The Richmond starter Dan Lally showed great composure and had two 1-2-3 innings to start the game, ably assisted by the defense. The Hawks were able to get a couple of runs in the second, but their bats were mostly silent until the 7th. By that time Richmond had replaced Lally with Per Nilsson (who is even taller), and he was continuing along the same lines.

 

On the other hand, the first three innings were a nightmare for the Hawks. Their starter, Louis Hare, may not have felt very comfortable in the first inning, but that was not helped by a slightly shaky display by the defense.  From the second inning on Hare settled down and started “dealing”.  Only an error-strewn 4th inning (which brought the score to 11:2 for Richmond) was able to shake him momentarily.  The biggest problems were felt in the infield, predominantly behind the plate – several passed balls and dropped third strikes, as well as an error tagging a runner at home (author’s note: in my completely unbiased opinion, we got hosed on that call). 

 

Irrespective of the defensive shakiness, Hare maintained his concentration, shutting down Richmond in the last 3 innings. At the same time, the bats started to come alive, helped by some jitters in the Richmond defense.  John Oliver and Louis Hare were their usual outstanding selves, with some great efforts by the rest. The outstanding batter, however, was Dave Hamilton, who not only brought in the first run for the Hawks, but was able to perform some jedi mind-tricks on the defense, which allowed him to go from home plate to second virtually every time. 

 

Despite rallying in the last 3 innings, all that Hawks were able to do was to make the score a bit more respectable. The final score was 12:9 to Richmond Dragons.

 

Special thanks have to go to both Jon Lewys and Ilya Dimitrov (manager Carlos Casal had called them in, the former as a back up sub, the latter as a scorer), but when push came to shove, they stood up and were counted (if Jon lays off pitches higher than his head, he would be an even better batter, but that is just in the form of constructive criticism).  The reason for the inclusion of Lewys and Dimitrov was the fact that without them the Hawks would have had 7 players.

 

The two that were expected were Humberto and Luis Goncalves.  However, at approximately 13:15 (with the game scheduled to start at 14:00) they called in to check how long they had, as they were “pretty close to Doncaster already”.  To the bemusement of the manager, they explained that they were following their SatNav to Riverside Drive (which is indeed the street where the Richmond field is located).  After some deliberations it was clarified that poor Humberto and Luis got suckered by the SatNav (which provides several options for Riverside Drive, one of which is indeed near Doncaster – see attached map).  By the third inning they had made it back down to Northampton and probably got home around the time the game was finishing. They were extremely unfortunate and wasted their time, but it makes a good Nob-out award candidate.

 

 

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

Richmond Dragons 12, Herts Hawks 9
Richmond Dragons Herts Hawks
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 4 4 1 0 Ross Asquith lf 6 3 3 1
Player 2 c 4 2 2 1 Kal Dimitrov c 5 0 1 1
Player 3 1b 5 2 2 1 Louis Hare p 5 1 1 1
Player 4 2b 5 2 2 5 John Oliver 1b 5 1 3 0
Player 5 3b 4 2 1 1 Carlos Casal 3b 4 1 1 0
Player 6 ss 3 0 0 1 Nick Russell ss 5 0 1 0
Player 7 lf 3 0 1 2 Dave Hamilton cf 4 2 1 0
Player 8 cf 3 0 0 0 Jonathon Lewys 2b 5 1 0 0
Player 9 rf 4 0 0 0 Ilya Dimitrov rf 4 0 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 35 12 9 11 TEAM TOTALS 43 9 12 4

E: Player 4(4), Player 6(2), Player 5, Player 2, Carlos Casal(2), John Oliver. LOB:
Richmond Dragons 5, Herts Hawks 10. 2B: Carlos Casal, Kal Dimitrov. HR: Player 4. SB:
Player 1(3), Player 5(2), Player 7(2), Player 2, Player 3, Player 6, Player 8, Player
9, Ross Asquith(3), Kal Dimitrov, Louis Hare. SF: Player 7.

Richmond Dragons IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 9.00 12 9 1 3 8
Herts Hawks            
Louis Hare 8.00 9 12 7 4 7

HBP: by Louis Hare (Player 5). . . . . . WP: Player 1. PB: Kal Dimitrov(2). T: 3:00.
A: 25.

by Matt Bell

FAULTLESS FALCONS EXTEND WINNING STREAK

Report by Herts Baseball Newswire reporter, ROD NAGHAR

 

This Sunday's double header was played against the Windsor Bears whom the Falcons last met at the Croydon Tournament last summer which ended in a Falcons win. The game was played at Grovehill, Falcons home ground, where things got off to a wet start as the heavens unleashed a 2 hour rainstorm before play could begin. The Falcons were on a 2 win opening streak, characterised by a very strong defense but weaker offence – something Manager Jason Greenberg was looking to improve upon.
 
Starting Pitcher Nick Goetz (1-0, 3.86 ERA) took the mound for the Falcons after his win the previous week, but got off to a shaky start giving up 1 walk and 4 singles. However, the solid Falcon's infield laid to rest any Windsor hopes for an early rout, and with a strong final K from Goetz, Windsor only managed a 1 run lead.
 
Hopes were raised for a stronger Falcons offense to dispell nay-sayers that they were a purely defensive side. In the bottom of the first, those hopes were exceeded when 7 runs were scored, achieved by a combination of big hits and some Windsor infielding errors. At that point Windsor's weak infield began a trend, which progressed to be the norm by the end of the day.
 
Unfortunately, to manager Greenberg's chagrin, the Falcon's offence then reverted to type, and most of their remaining runs were achieved though Windsor errors.
 
Nevertheless, spurred on by the big early lead, Nick Goetz went on to pitch superbly, shutting out the Bears until the 5th inning where he gave up 2 back to back single home-runs. However, by that stage the score was 10-1 to the Falcons and it didn't affect his form.
 
The game ended 11-3 to the Falcons, with pitcher Peter Kikel (a promoted Hawks player) confidently closing out the final inning.
The Falcon's made no fielding errors during the game, and with an excellent Bullpen, had little to fear from the Windsor side.
 
 
The second game began where the last game ended, this time with Darrin Ward (1-0, 1.29 ERA) at the mound for the Falcons. He opened with 3ks giving up only 1 walk and 1 hit, which proved to be one of the better Windsor offensive innings.
 
A trickle of runs came from the Falcons until the 4th, where a combination of a tiring Windsor pitcher and further infield errors led to 5 runs and an 8-0 lead. The demoralised Windsor side came back the next inning with a last ditch attempt to get some runs on the board, but managed only 3 hits with no runs.
 
The game ended 10-0 to the Falcons.
 
Much praise must go to Darrin Ward who had another incredible appearance at the mound shutting out the struggling Windsor side, putting 7ks under his belt, and only giving up 2 walks the whole game.
 
Today the Falcons proved that their impressive opening wins against Essex was no fluke. Their staggering pitching staff and impenetrable defensive lineup, justifying their promotion from the 1st division yet again. With no defensive errors in either games, an impressive win followed by a shut out, no team in the AAA can possibly look forward to playing them.
 
Next week the Falcons play at home against Baseball Milton Keynes. That is the time the Falcons hope to finally dismiss the batting drought which they find themsleves in, which will undoubtedly position them as the force to be reckoned with in this years hotly contested AAA division.

GAME 1

 

Windsor Bears at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Windsor Bears 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 9 6
Herts Falcons 7 0 1 2 1 0 0 11 6 0

Herts Falcons 11, Windsor Bears 3
Herts Falcons Windsor Bears
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Lee Manning lf 4 1 1 2 Player 1 cf 4 0 0 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 4 2 3 1 Player 2 c 3 1 0 0
Andy Cornish ss 3 2 1 1 Player 3 ss 4 1 2 1
Jason Greenberg c 3 1 0 0 Player 4 3b 4 1 4 2
Peter Kikel 3b-p 2 1 1 1 Player 5 1b 4 0 1 0
Dan Kerry cf 3 1 0 1 Player 6 p 3 0 1 0
Darrin Ward 1b 2 1 0 1 Player 7 2b 3 0 0 0
Nick Goetz p-3b 1 2 0 1 Player 8 lf 2 0 1 0
Rodney Naghar rf 3 0 0 0 Player 9 rf 2 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 25 11 6 8 TEAM TOTALS 29 3 9 3

E: Player 3(3), Player 7(2), Player 4. DP: Windsor Bears 1. LOB: Herts Falcons 4,
Windsor Bears 8. 2B: Kimiyoshi Saionji(2), Andy Cornish. HR: Player 3, Player 4. SB:
Kimiyoshi Saionji(2), Nick Goetz, Player 2. CS: Lee Manning. SB: Peter Kikel.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Nick Goetz W 6.00 8 3 3 3 4
Peter Kikel 1.00 1 0 0 0 1
Windsor Bears            
Player 6 L 6.00 6 11 5 6 5

HBP: by Player 6 (Dan Kerry). . . . . . . WP: Nick Goetz, Player 6(2). PB: Player 2.
T: 2:30. A: 50.

GAME 2

Windsor Bears at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Windsor Bears 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 4
Herts Falcons 2 1 0 5 2 10 7 0

Herts Falcons 10, Windsor Bears 0
Herts Falcons Windsor Bears
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Lee Manning 1b 4 1 1 1 Player 1 p 3 0 2 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 2 2 1 3 Player 2 c 3 0 1 0
Andy Cornish ss 3 2 2 1 Player 3 1b 2 0 1 0
Dan Kerry cf 3 1 1 0 Player 4 2b 3 0 2 0
Jason Greenberg c 3 0 1 0 Player 5 3b 2 0 0 0
Nick Goetz 3b 3 0 0 0 Player 6 ss 2 0 1 0
Darrin Ward p 0 3 0 0 Player 7 lf 2 0 1 0
Aspi Dimitrov lf 1 1 1 0 Player 8 cf 1 0 0 0
Rodney Naghar rf 3 0 0 0 Player 9 rf 2 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 22 10 7 5 TEAM TOTALS 20 0 8 0

E: Player 6(3), Player 4. LOB: Herts Falcons 6, Windsor Bears 7. 2B: Andy Cornish,
Player 2, Player 7. SB: Lee Manning(2), Kimiyoshi Saionji, Dan Kerry. CS: Player 1.
SB: Aspi Dimitrov.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Darrin Ward W 5.00 8 0 0 2 7
Windsor Bears            
Player 1 L 4.33 7 10 6 6 1

PB: Jason Greenberg. T: 2:30. A: 50.