Category: Adult Leagues

16 August 201916 August 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Baseball Club issue statement on Herts Londoners

Earlier this evening Herts Baseball Club issued the following statement regarding the Herts Londoners:Friday, 16 August 2019

On Tuesday, 13 August 2019, Herts Baseball Club submitted an appeal in relation to the way the playoff places had been allocated in the BBF Triple-A League, after the Herts Londoners finished in a 3-way tie for the two remaining places.

We have now received the decision of the BBF Appeals Committee confirming that our appeal has been rejected and therefore the Herts Londoners have been eliminated from the Triple-A League Postseason.

This is a heavy blow for the Herts Londoners players, in particular, who have worked so hard to earn their place in the Postseason, but they and our club as a whole accept and respect the decision of the BBF.

We have seen a large number of comments on social networks, speculating about the grounds for our appeal.

In the interest of accuracy, below we have included links to our appeal document and the decision of the BBF Appeals Committee. We hoped the BBF will also publish the decision in accordance with its procedures, but we feel that it is important to publish it now in order to avoid any further speculation and inaccurate information being posted on social networks.

We understand that the Appeals Committee was made up of the other six teams in the Triple-A League. We also understand that the Appeals Committee may not have received a copy of our appeal document and therefore they may not have been aware of the grounds on which our club is appealing against the Triple-A playoff places.

This dispute was never about an argument with a specific club, and we have no ill will towards any of the Triple-A teams which have gone forward to the postseason. Our concern was that published rules were not being followed, and we feel this sets a worrying precedent for the future governance of our leagues. We hope our position on this case, and on the underlying issue, will be clarified by the documents we are now releasing.

We thank the BBF and in particular the BBF Board members who had the difficult task of stepping into the vacant role of BBF Senior League Commissioner at a very short notice.

The Herts Londoners extend their gratitude to the other six teams in the Triple-A League for a very enjoyable season and some truly memorable games.

We take the opportunity to wish all the very best to the five remaining teams in the Triple-A League Postseason.

· LINK: Herts Baseball Club appeal document

· LINK: BBF Appeals Committee decision on the appeal by Herts Baseball Club

Note: In accordance with data protection guidelines, names, email addresses and other personal information has been removed from the document links above.

Herts Baseball Club

15 August 201929 August 2019 by Rob Jones

Honours even as Herts sides clash again

A Herts derby is not like a normal baseball game.

The national anthem was played as the Herts Eagles and Herts Raptors took their places along the baselines for a pre-game formality at Basing Hill Ballpark. The Herts Londoners got an opening ceremony earlier in the season, why shouldn’t the Eagles get one, too, at its tail end?

The usual Basing Hill playlist of Eighties rock classics was augmented by some new tunes. Lil Nas X made an appearance (on the playlist, not on the field). This would be a special day.

When these two teams met at Grovehill, the Eagles swept the double-header. Could they repeat for a season sweep?

Game 1 got under way with Yasu Ichige on the mound for the Eagles. It didn’t start as smoothly as he might have liked, with the Raptors’ leadoff man and pitcher Matt Jackson getting aboard with a single, and Oli Durer then hit by a pitch.

Laurence Currington drove in Jackson, while Callum Barwick — who had reached on a fielder’s choice – was brought home by GB youth player, Harry Quixley.

But the home side dug in defensively, with a catch by shortstop Rob Gibson and a groundout limiting the damage to two runs. When Ichige faced the lineup again in the second inning, he stepped up a gear and struck out the side. He ended with 7 K’s.

In between, the Eagles’ bats had given them the lead. Gibson took Jackson deep for his second home run of the year. This was just the first instalment in a dominant day at the plate for the rookie shortstop – only the time limit on Game 1 kept him from a chance at the cycle.

His team-mates helped build a big lead in the bottom of the second, bringing home the maximum 5 runs. Catcher Rob Jones drove in a pair, while there were hits for Andy Stratford and Louis Verman.

The visitors did not surrender easily, of course. Dan Shaw hit a double, and the team totalled 8 hits, only one behind their hosts.

But the Eagles were mostly able to keep them from scoring. Alex Trautman applied a neat tag to get out a base-runner at third, while Zack Longboy made an improbable leaping catch to end the third inning and save a run.

It ended 10-5 to the home side. Yasu Ichige took the complete game win, his second victory of the year.

The second half of this double header – and the final quarter of the season’s derby drama – would see a measure of revenge for the Raptors.

They came out of the blocks fast, with Harry Quixley and Paul Barton among those scoring in the first inning. Matt Jackson — who didn’t make an out all day long – had started it all off.

On the mound for the Raptors, Barton was calmly dealing. After inducing two pop-ups, he got the key strikeout of Zack Longboy to end the first inning. Only one batter reached in the second.

A double from Laurence Currington helped to add on in the third and the Raptors led 6-0 in the middle of the third.

The pattern of this game saw the Eagles being effective on offense only in bursts. The inning was either scoreless, or was a maximum 5-run affair. So, in the bottom of the third, ground rule doubles from Rob Gibson, Adam Porte and Darren Priest were among the hits. The Eagles were back in it.

The Raptors were more consistent, though, scoring in every inning. Catcher Kai Rajah was the last man to cross the plate, giving them a 14-10 lead and the chance to close it out in the final, unlimited inning.

The Eagles hopes of a dramatic rally were high, especially when Kumail Jaffer got the last of his four hits on the day to lead it off. But Barton and his defense did what they needed to do.

Two force-outs at second base and a liner to Callum Barwick at third ended the contest. 14-10 to the Raptors, their third win of the season.

The day had delivered everything it promised – as did the season’s four derby match-ups. Both sides have one more fixture remaining, and will look forward to building on their foundations next year.

30 July 2019 by Rob Jones

Herts come up empty after last inning dramas

Sometimes, sport can be a thing of beauty and can raise you up. Sometimes, it can be agonising. This one was an agonising weekend for the Herts baseball club.

The Herts Raptors of the Single-A league travelled to the Essex Redbacks, missing some regulars because of injury and summer holidays. But they were also bolstered by a clutch of Great Britain Under-15 stars.

Josh Jones and Harry Quixley joined regulars Alex Paterson, Dan Moran and Nico Durer. They all recently took part in a successful tournament in Germany.

Herts were able to get a run across in the first frame, before Durer took the mound as starting pitcher. He had trouble throughout the game getting his strike zone to match up with that of the umpire, but battled hard.

He was backed up by some good plays in the field – from Moran at third base, and nice saves from Jones at first. Mantas Poderys at second base also fielded calmly.

John Kjorstad again swung a strong bat for Herts and they were able to take a lead into the final inning. But the Raptors have suffered a series of final inning setbacks this year and this was to be another. The Redbacks hitting and persistent larceny on the bases helped them come back to win 10-9.

Game 2 saw the Herts visitors keep their noses in front from the off. Better base-running and hitting gave them a good lead. Dan Shaw and Nico Durer got hits, and Moran was on the mound this time, pitching solidly.

But Essex chipped back into the Raptors lead, and their reliever Sean Briscomb was again able to shut down the offense, as in Game 1. It was to come down to the final inning again.

Manager Matt Jackson stepped up to take the responsibility of the last outs, and made good pitches. But the Redbacks loaded the bases and a whiff of confusion after the fly ball which led to the second out was enough for them to capitalise. This time it was 11-10.

Raptors again played with good spirit and improved even as the game went on. Redbacks have a great record this year and earned their wins, but Herts can take many good things from their performance.

Also in Single-A, the Herts Eagles hosted the league-leading London Musketeers, with nobody expecting a home win. But Herts veteran Arnie Longboy pitched a gem which saw the Eagles take an early lead. It was 2-0 in the third.

London fought back, as you would expect them to. They had a couple of big innings. But Herts tied it at 10-10 to take the game to extra innings.

Longboy pitched a 3-up, 3-down top of the frame and the game was poised for Herts to secure a famous shock victory.

Then came the real gut-punch.

Adam Porte and Lewis Harrison got on base. They were both hit by pitch, surely a sign that the Musketeers were wobbling. Next came a scorching hit from Jamie Lang, only recently recruited to the Eagles.

But instead of being the walk-off, winning hit, as it first appeared, it went straight to the first baseman. He caught it – one out – stepped on the bag for two, and alertly threw to the shortstop at second base to get the final runner. In a flash, the threat was over.

London managed to score a go-ahead run in the top of the next inning, before retiring the Eagles and taking an 11-10 win. Their relief and delight was clear. This game had been a huge leap forward for the Eagles compared with the last time they faced the Musketeers, in week 2 of the season.

Mike Wakelam got the ball for Game 2 and turned in another excellent pitching performance, but the offense could not back him up this time. It ended 12-4 to London.

Co-manager Aspi Dimitrov was impressed with his players: “Ordinarily, two defeats might be demoralising, but the margin and the close nature of the defeats against such a good side were a huge boost for the Eagles. It really shows the progress everyone has made”.

In Triple-A, the Herts Londoners were away at the Essex Redbacks. Like the Raptors, they had young talent to call on, with Chris Gregory and Aaron Witter among the pitchers in two close games.

Miguel Sarmiento continued to drive in runs, but Herts could not take the wins this time, going down 10-7 and 8-6 on a grey day.

The Herts Hawks made the long trip to the Bournemouth Bears to suffer a 16-2 defeat, while the Herts Falcons of the NBL saw their games rained off. There is a toss-up there as to who suffered the bigger agony.

26 July 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Johnny Fretheim to make Herts Falcons debut on Sunday

Herts Falcons have announced that Great Britain Under-23 National Team infielder Johnny Fretheim has joined the club. He will make his debut in Sunday’s doubleheader against the reigning National Baseball League champions, the London Mets. The game starts at 12pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

Fretheim is currently at Texas State University and will be with the Falcons for a limited period of time as he will be joining up with the Great Britain U23 National Team for the European Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, from 7 to 11 August.

Herts fans are well acquainted with Johnny Fretheim as he has come up against Herts adult and youth teams over the years including the dramatic 2013 Under-17 National Final when Herts lost 6-9 to the Cobham Cougars.

This will be his debut in a Herts uniform but there are many familiar faces for him on the Falcons roster, including Miguel Rodriguez and Conner Brown with whom he has attended MLB Elite Academy Camps over the years.

17 July 2019 by Rob Jones

Herts history: Eagles sweep Raptors on derby day

The first was in 2007. The most recent was in 2016. A Herts derby is a big and a rare moment. And it consistently delivers on the drama.

The club’s expansion into north west London this season meant that two Single-A teams would enter the BBF leagues for the first time since 2016. That was the year the Hawks won it all and moved up to Double-A. On the way, they beat the Raptors in the playoffs at Grovehill.

This year, the match-up was between the Raptors and the Eagles. Both sides are packed with rookies and young players, and had found wins hard to come by despite their improving performances. So there was a lot on the line.

Game 1 saw Paul Barton take to the pitching mound for the nominal home side, the Raptors. He was one of the few holdovers from that 2016 contest. And, as on that occasion, he started out well.

His first inning was scoreless. In centre-field, Dan Shaw confidently made two catches deep in the outfield in the first two at-bats – a baptism of fire in his first time playing the position. Two runners did get on, but a groundout ended the threat.

In the bottom half of the inning, Eagles’ starter Arnie Longboy matched up well. He struck out two after the lead-off man Antonio Laurenco got on. But back-to-back big hits from Laurence Currington and John Kjorstad brought in runs to give the Raptors an early lead.

They tacked on one more in the second, while holding the visitors scoreless. But the Eagles strung together some offense in the third to tie it up. Darren Priest got a hit and scored, while shortstop Rob Gibson got the second of his 4 hits on the day.

Raptors moved back ahead with Rene Aschmann joining Currington and Kjorstad in doing the damage. Lee Manning then came in to pitch in relief and helped shut things down.

The visitors’ defense helped keep things close. At second base, Andy Stratford made a good play on a ball to his right to secure the out at first. Catcher Adam Collins did a great job blocking balls, so that the foul territory (so much larger at Grovehill than at the Eagles’ home of Basing Hill) did not become a factor.

Entering the fifth and final inning, the Raptors led 7-6 and the Eagles needed to score to extend the game. Manning claimed his fourth and fifth strikeouts to start the frame and, with two outs, things looked bad for the Eagles.

But then they shuffled their deck.

Co-manager Longboy came in to pinch hit and was intentionally walked. The next sub was veteran Mike Wakelam, who returned to baseball only last week after a few years out.

He cracked a ground ball sharply through the left side, then Aspi Dimitrov kept it moving before Gibson drove in his fifth RBI of the day. In all, the Eagles brought home 5 and now led 11-6.

Wakelam took the ball as the closer. One run did make it in, on a pass ball, but a strikeout, and groundout and a tag-out – on an attempt to score on another pass ball — ended the game. An 11-8 Eagles victory, their second of the season and one which was hard-earned.

The second Herts derby of the year followed after a short lunchbreak, and pitted Mike Wakelam against the Raptors manager Matt Jackson as starting pitchers. Jackson struggled to find the zone at first, surrendering two walks, and Darren Priest and Louis Verman drove in runs to capitalise.

But the Raptors defense helped out. Jack O’Brien showed quick thinking to secure an unassisted double play, tagging the runner after catching a liner from Arnie Longboy.

When the home side came to bat, Laurence Currington hit a triple to add to his impressive tally for the day. He scored on a pass ball, but catcher Rob Jones was able to make some amends for that by throwing out a runner at third to end the inning and keep the damage at one run.

Eagles then stretched out their lead, with Stratford, Lewis Harrison and Gibson all scoring to help them to an 8-3 advantage after two innings. Wakelam had struck out five already.

But Nico Durer then took the mound for the Raptors and settled things down. Over his three innings of work he struck out 7 and gave up only one run. It was an excellent final warm-up for his trip to Germany with the Great Britain Under-15s.

The complexion of the game had changed, but that meant the score changed little. Just 4 runs were shared out over the final four innings – Alex Paterson scoring two for the Raptors and Mohamed Abdule driving one in for the Eagles.

Fittingly, a strikeout was the final action and the Herts Eagles secured a 9-6 win and a sweep.

It had been a competitive and enjoyable day of baseball, with both sides enjoying the chance to banter with each other — while also trying hard to win!

The last time the Raptors and Eagles played league games against one another was in 2013 and they took one each of the two games. The Raptors will be aiming to take revenge when the reverse fixture is played next month at Basing Hill.

10 July 201910 July 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Falcons’ Robert Smith to represent his country at the U18 World Cup in South Korea next month

Herts Falcons’ pitcher, Robert Smith, received the exciting news that he has been selected by the South Africa Under-18 National Team to compete in the 29th WBSC Baseball World Cup which will be held in South Korea from 30 August to 8 September 2019.

South Africa is ranked 23rd in the world and has been drawn in a particularly difficult group with the number one and two seeds, Japan and USA, respectively. They will open their World Cup campaign against the USA in a night game on 30 August.

The games will be played at the impressive newly-unveiled Gijang-Hyundai Dream Ballpark in Busan (pictured above).

Robert Smith’s family moved from South Africa to the UK in 2016 when he joined Herts Baseball Club playing for the Herts U17 team. He immediately impressed the Herts coaches and soon after joining was added to the Herts Falcons which is the club’s first team playing in the National Baseball League which is Britain’s top league tier.

Rob Smith up to bat for Herts in the 2017 UK Little League Qualifier

Smith will be one of only two players in the South Africa 20-man roster who are based overseas. This adds an additional financial burden on his family. Herts fans and anyone who wants to help Rob Smith to raise funds to play in the World Cup can do so by going to the online crowdfunding campaign which has started already.

24 June 2019 by Rob Jones

An historic adventure: the Herts Falcons in Europe

There were trophies, triumphs, blowouts and rainouts in Herts baseball club’s first ever experience of European competition. And the players and fans lapped it up.

The Herts Falcons, sponsored by Regin Products, took part in the European Federations Cup qualifier in Bulgaria, thanks to their position as runners-up in last year’s National Baseball League. In a history stretching back to 1996, Herts has never before been in Europe, so it was a big step forward.

*Falcons, in new red uniform thanks to Regin*

The first of five games in five days in Blagoevgrad was against the Polish side, UKS Deby Osielsko. They would go on to be the runner’s up in the tournament, and so provided stiff opposition.

Herts took an early lead, with Tetsuro Shinkawa writing his place in history by driving in the club’s first ever European runs. Miguel Sarmiento later hit Herts’ first ever European home run, as the Falcons rallied late in the game. Shortstop Carlos Casal Jr went 2-2 with two walks, but Osielsko won 18-8.

It had still been a solid start from the travelling Herts side. The sport of baseball is far more solidly established in Europe, with professional leagues in countries such as Austria, Italy and the Netherlands – so we knew the challenge would be tough.

Herts were overpowered by Athletic Sofia from Bulgaria on Tuesday – despite a 3-for-3 day at the plate by Gary Davison – and by eventual Swedish tournament winners Solvesborg Firehawks on Thursday.

In between was the most dramatic game, against Atletico Alexandria. Herts led the Romanian side 3-0 going into the fifth inning, behind the superb pitching of Davison. Ryan Trask and Miguel Rodriguez had scored the runs.

Then Alexandria rallied to take the lead on a couple of Herts errors and wild pitches. They scored 5 from only 2 hits. But the Falcons were still in the game.

A cloudy day then brought rain which interrupted proceedings with Herts 6-3 down. Casal had come on to pitch in relief, and struck out three, and the Falcons hopes remained high. But the rain delay became a cancellation and the game was called. Herts were disappointed by a 6-3 loss.

It was frustrating as, inside the camp, the Falcons felt their performance had been their best as a team so far. Manager Cris Hiche put it simply: “We should have won it”. The team had been more relaxed and had more fun.

*Parental advisory – Falcons “showering”*

That strong team spirit showed in the way they washed away their disappointment. Stripped down to their underwear, the team sprinted from the dugout, through the rain, and slid across the outfield.

The moment was memorably caught on camera. It proved a success not only on Herts social media channels, but on a Facebook page covering baseball around the world – where it racked up more than 20,000 views.

On Friday, the Falcons ended on a high when they faced Utenos Titanai from Lithuania. Young Chris Gregory got the start on the mound and pitched a gem. He went the full eight innings, scattering 7 hits and striking out 7.

He was backed up by the bats, with Jarrod Pretorius going 3-for-4 and Tyler Badenhorst and Conner Brown both having a multi-hit game. It ended 13-2 to Herts and they claimed the fourth place trophy.

This had been an epic adventure, for these players and for the club as a whole. Herts veteran Lee Manning – who made some guest appearances as a reliever – said “We’ve left everything on the field every day. After 23 years, making it into Europe has taken us to the next level.”

Falcons’ manager Cris Hiche was proud of what the team had achieved, while club President Aspi Dimitrov hailed it as an historic week for the club.

Generous donations from players, supporters and from the Falcons sponsor Regin Products had made the trip possible. The reaction from the fans and families – and from the rest of British baseball – had made it worthwhile.

17 June 201917 June 2019 by Rob Jones

Eagles twice bitten by Redbacks

Herts had tied the score in the final inning of Game 2. They had put the winning run at third base. A spare runner was at first base as insurance, and there was only one man out.

The Eagles were poised for a glory moment.

After working the count, the hitter lined it up the middle. Off the bat, it looked promising. But then it flew straight into the shortstop’s glove. And he promptly doubled off the runner on third, who was inescapably hung up.

Inning over. Chance missed. Game still tied.

It perhaps summed up a day when the Herts Eagles simply couldn’t get enough good hits into gaps to ever gain any momentum.

Let’s skip back to the start.

The Eagles were hosting the Redbacks at Basing Hill ballpark. The Essex team won both games when these teams met at Forest Glade a month ago. But since then the Eagles had shown consistent improvement and had finally won their first game.

Simon Langton got the start on the mound for Herts and worked around one walk for a scoreless opening inning. He struck out five over the first three frames, limiting the Redbacks to 5 runs.

But the Eagles bats were struggling even more. In those same three innings, they had mustered just one hit and scored no runs.

Redbacks’ pitcher Dennis Rodebush – who had bamboozled the Eagles when they first met – now did the same again. His final line was very different to Langton’s – only one strikeout compared with 8, but – crucially – no runs.

Somehow he induced a consistent series of squibs, dribblers, and pop-ups. Only Kumail Jaffer managed a solid hit, driving a double to centre.

Rodebush helped his own cause, golfing a home run to lead off the fifth inning as the Redbacks finally managed to break open what had remained a tight game despite everything. They brought home 5 runs in that inning, 4 more in the next, chasing Langton.

*Kumail Jaffer – slugger, outfielder, infielder*

Rob Gibson stepped in as relief pitcher, striking out 3 in two innings of work. But he could not close down the Redbacks offense. The game went a full seven innings, but ended with the first shutout the Eagles had suffered all year. 19-0 the final score.

In Game 2, Herts turned to their winner from last week Yasu Ichige as starting pitcher. This was to be a very different type of game. Instead of a cagey affair which turns into a blowout, this was back and forth with good hitting on both sides.

Essex scored 3 in the first, but Herts matched them immediately. Essex hit another homer to give them a 4-3 lead in the second.

For Herts, Gibson – who had hit the ball a long way in Game 1, but always a long way into the air – now got his eye in and drove balls to the outfield. Ichige got vital hits, as did first baseman Max Trautman.

Essex led 10-8 going into the final inning, with no run limit. But they were held to just one, so Herts needed four to walk it off and win.

With three runs in, Kumail Jaffer at third and Adam Collins at first, things looked good. Then that liner off the end of the bat from catcher Rob Jones, and swift work from the Essex shortstop, took it to extras.

This time, the Redbacks were able to pile on some runs, and Herts could not get them back. It ended 16-11 to Essex.

Frustrations came in different forms for the other Herts teams, because of the weather.

The Hawks were able to get under way at Grovehill against Richmond, with manager Michael Cresswell back in place after a trip to Bulgaria playing with the Herts Falcons. As an added bonus, Louis Hare hit a homer in the first.

But a downpour caused a delay then a cancellation. It was the same story for the Herts Raptors, who hope to reschedule quickly against the Essex Archers.

In Triple-A, the Londoners were due to be miles away in Oxford. But the rain wiped them out too.

Next week, the Falcons, Londoners, Hawks — and possibly now the Raptors – are back in action. Then British baseball takes a break from playing to watch the historic first MLB game in London.

12 June 201913 June 2019 by Adam Collins

Showdown in Richmond sees Eagles’ first win!

Another Sunday, another double-header for Herts Baseball’s newest single-A team. This weekend saw the Eagles travel to Connare Field to take on the 4-4 Richmond Dukes in search of their first win.

Rob Jones opened the game at the plate for the Eagles, drawing a walk and making it to third on aggressive base running. With a runner in scoring position Arnie Longboy got the ball in play to bring home Jones for an early Eagles lead, unfortunately being thrown out at first in the process. Two more quick outs ended the inning with a narrow lead for Eagles.

Herts then took to the field with regular starter, Alex Trautman, on the mound. The Dukes got off to a quick start bringing home 4 runs. The Richmond line-up were making consistent contact. However, Rob Gibson had control at the Hot Corner making a clean throw to Max Trautman at first and taking a fly ball for outs two and three. Eagles down by three at the end of the first.

At the top of 2, the Eagles were ready to rally with the first three batters getting on to load the bases. Out number 1 was taken on a five pitch strike out with Mo Abdule working the pitcher hard. The next three would take walks to load the bases.

Yasu Ichige steps up in the three hole with the bases loaded, tied ball game. Lewis Harrison (DH) is at third, Jones at second, Longboy on first. The next out is forced at home on a ground ball.

Next up to the plate Rob Gibson, not satisfied with his fielding credentials unleashes a shot into the gap in left field, a ground rule double bringing in a pair of RBI’s bringing up the 5 run limit – Eagles lead 6-4. Richmond would come back in the bottom of the second with aggressive base running on 3 hits and 3 walks to bring in their 5 runs for the inning making it a tight 6-9 game going into the third.

With a close game on their hands Eagles came into the third looking for a big inning, some solid at bats drawing walks got runners on bases with RBI’s from Lewis Harrison and Rob Jones. These would be the only runs for the Eagles, reducing the deficit to one.

As the Eagles took to the field the next inning kept the game tight with a shut-out inning on three hits for Trautman giving the team a chance into the fourth, and final, inning as time-limit was called.

To start the fourth Gibson remained consistent, going 2 for 3 with a single. Aggressive base running sees him progress to third with Max Trautman at the plate, who draws a walk. Simon Langton achieves the same and the bases are loaded again giving the Eagles the opportunity to take the lead.

Adam Collins next in swings at the second pitch, its a ground ball to short who makes the throw to second forcing out Langton, meanwhile the game is tied by Gibson running in to home. With the score even, Mo Abdule steps up to the plate driving a solid RBI single to bring Max Trautman home, Eagles lead!

Eagles would score one more with Collins running in on a wild pitch before the next two outs. A narrow two-run lead into the final half. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be; the top of the Richmond order came out strong scoring three runs to end the game 11-12 and another narrow loss for Herts Eagles.

Game two saw Yasu Ichige take to the mound in an impressive outing, which saw defensive prowess and aggressive base running from the Eagles. The top of the first saw Jones and Longboy reach base on balls and stealing to get into scoring position, with Ichige batting in the runners from second and third.

Yet more stealing and three more walks allowed the Eagles to reach 5 on no outs in a strong first inning. Ichige came out in the bottom of the first with aggressive pitching recording one groundout and two strikeouts. Unfortunately, one hit mixed with stealing and a wild pitch allowed one to come home for the Dukes.

The second inning showed patience in the batting order with walks being the order of the day, one base hit brought one home with the Eagles scoring 4 in the second. The defence in the Eagles line-up continued to be problematic for Richmond with two quick outs.

With two down one man managed to get on base and progressed to third on steals. With a runner in scoring position the Dukes needed to get back into the game, the pitch from Ichige receives a big swing, the ball high in the air but lacking distance is easily fielded by Longboy at second base to retire the side resulting in one very pleased pitcher – a shutout inning and Eagles lead 9-1.

Into the third, and pitching frustrations continued for Richmond. Four walks and two outs later Gibson steps up to the plate, finding the gap in left field again for another ground-rule double and notching up two RBI’s in the process. Although no one mentioned the number of runs at the time it was 13-1 Eagles heading into the bottom of the third.

Ichige started strongly again, striking out the first man up but the top of the order brought the Richmond bats to life, five hits including a double allowed the home side to bring in 4. Though the Eagles kept their resolve retiring the side on a pop-up to first and a final K with a beautiful curveball for Ichige.

Time was called on the fourth inning. With no cap on runs now the Eagles couldn’t afford to lose their resolve, some showing their superstitious dispositions not wanting to discuss wins, numbers or score lines. After all, we all know anything can happen on the diamond.

However, here at Connare field the Eagles batting order were seeing the ball well and making contact. Max Trautman opened the inning with a beautifully hit double and a contender for the best sounding hit of the season, the next three would walk on to first base with an out in between with Trautman making it home on a passed ball.

Yet again aggressive on the base paths, Eagles would get runners in scoring position with Kumail Jaffer and Lewis Harrison showing off their wheels. Inspired by the events, Longboy smacks a long ball into centre scoring a ground rule double, followed by base-hits from Ichige and Gibson. Through the order we go and Trautman is back at the plate, another swing, the crack of the bat, another double and one for the highlight reel. The inning ends with 9 runs scored with a further RBI for Kumail Jaffer.

At the bottom of 4 Eagles knew they had a commanding lead, all that needed to be done was to bring it home with a clean defensive effort. First pitch and the ball is hit hard on a line drive towards Aspi Dimitrov at short, a leap and his glove hand stretched high he makes the play for the first out.

Two walks saw the runners on the bases for the Dukes as we head through the top of the line-up and the three-hole hitter. A well hit ball on the first pitch flies into centre field, Kumail Jaffer is on the move and under it to make the play putting two away.

The Eagles bench is on their feet, Ichige needs to see one more out to get the W, the first batter is walked on a seven pitch duel and the bases are loaded. The next man up is patient, waiting for his pitch to come in, he swings and makes contact, the ball zipping towards Alex Trautman at second base, the ball is fielded off the ground and all that stands between the Eagles and their first win is a force at any base. But what would baseball be without a sense of family? Trautman throws to Trautman for a 4-3 play to end the game and secure Herts Eagles first win!

If nothing, this outing was a display of how much this Eagles team has grown since the start of the season. The progress individually and as a team has resulted in some close games in recent weeks and I’m sure that everyone on the roster feels that this one has been in the pipeline for some time. Now the Eagles can rest up before facing Essex Redbacks at Basing Hill on Sunday 16th June.

9 June 201924 June 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Falcons about to descend on Europe

The Herts Falcons are on the eve of their first ever appearance in continental club competitions. They booked their European Federations Cup place after finishing runners-up in the National Baseball League (NBL) last year.

The Falcons were one of six teams from around Europe drawn in Pool 2. Games will be played in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, which is a city 60 miles from Sofia, the cultural centre of its region. There are two universities, so plenty of cafes and restaurants, and it hosts several music festivals. The Blagoevgrad Buffaloes baseball team have won a string of national titles.

Herts Falcons at Stansted Airport on Saturday about to board their plane to Bulgaria

Herts Falcons will play five pool games commencing Monday, June 10, at 1:30pm local time (11:30am London time) against Polish side UKS Deby Osielsko, who are currently second in the Polish Ekstraliga with 11 wins and 5 losses.

They have four further games to play, one game per day which will give the players a taste of the gruelling lifestyle of MLB players who play 162 regular season games every season.

DATE	GAME	LOCAL TIME (UK time shown in brackets)
Mon, 10 June 2019	Herts Falcons (GBR) vs UKS Deby Osielsko (POL)	1:30pm (11:30am)
Tue, 11 June 2019	Herts Falcons (GBR) vs Athletic Sofia (BUL)	5:00pm (3:00pm)
Wed, 12 June 2019	Herts Falcons (GBR) vs CS Atletico Alexandria (ROM)	1:30pm (11:30am)
Thu, 13 June 2019	Herts Falcons (GBR) vs Solvesborg Firehawks (SWE)	1:30pm (11:30am)
Fri, 14 June 2019	Utenos Titanai (LTU) vs Herts Falcons (GBR)	1:30pm (11:30am)

Falcons practice session at the excellent ballpark in Blagoevgrad

Four of their five group games will be as the home team, but at some point the Falcons will unveil their new red away jersey (pictured right).

The top two teams after the pool games will play in the final on Saturday, 15 June, 12:00pm UK time, to determine the winner. If British baseball clubs make progress in these Qualifiers, they can look forward to competing in the Champions Cup and the CEB Cup alongside the highest ranked European clubs.

There is a heavy financial burden on the players due to the high costs of traveling to Europe and the team has had fantastic support from sponsors Regin Products and other partners and supporters.

As part of the club’s fundraising efforts, the net proceeds from every monthly draw of the Herts Baseball Lottery between June and December 2019 will be used to help fund the Herts Falcons’ European campaign. You don’t have to be a club member to play. Anyone over the age of 16 can buy a ticket and play for a chance to win the Jackpot.

Fans can follow Live Play-by-Play updates from every game on the CEB website. We are also expecting confirmation whether some of the games will be streamed live on the internet. For full coverage of the Falcons’ European exploits, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.