Category: Adult Leagues

13 August 202314 August 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons season ends with a dramatic game, decided in extra innings.

The Falcons played their final game of the 2023 National Baseball League season. It ended with yet another heartbreaking loss in extra innings but the team undoubtedly gave everything to end the season on a high as an audience from around the world watched the live stream on YouTube.

Their opponents were the London Capitals who were already guaranteed a place in the Playoffs having secured third place in the regular season standings behind the Mets and the Arrows.

A few days before the game the Falcons received the bad news from the British Baseball Federation that there are no available dates to re-schedule the two rained out games versus Sheffield Bruins and they will not be played. This implied that the team from Hemel Hempstead was eliminated.

The Caps were in control from start to finish in the first game of this doubleheader as starting pitcher Masa Hashiguchi was dominant again. This was his ninth win of the season giving him an impressive ERA of 3.69 for the year.

Capitals vs Falcons – game one box scores

With the Playoffs out of their reach, most teams would have started thinking about the off-season, but the Herts Falcons were not ready to pack their bags yet.

Starting on the mound for them was Alex Deacon and he had another quality start allowing only 3 runs over his 5 innings of work, striking out 6 batters. He was also among the top performers in the Herts offense, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI. Matt Moran, Phil Clark and Tyler Cote also contributed with 2 hits each. Cote was called-up from the club’s Triple-A team, the Herts Cardinals, and he impressed offensively and defensively.

The game was streamed live on YouTube thanks to the fantastic coverage by Journey Sports Media crew. Those who tuned in were invited to vote for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the game. Falcons player-manager, Cris Hiche, received the highest number of votes, closely followed by Alex Deacon. Hiche spectacular diving catch in centerfield to add to his outstanding batting performance (2-4, 2B) must have played a part when those votes were cast.

The visitors from Hertfordshire took a 6-3 lead into the final inning but the Capitals produced a dramatic comeback scoring 3 runs to take the game into extra innings.

The Falcons scored 2 in the top of the 8^th inning but the Londoners came back again. A triple from former Falcon, Will Zucker, and then a single by Pete Wiedmann drove in the 3 runs they needed to win with a final score of 9-8.

Capitals vs Falcons – game two box scores

This is proving to be the story of the season for the Herts Falcons. In fact this game was almost identical to the opening game of the season when the Capitals again came back to tie the game in the final inning and win it in extra innings.

The players and coaching staff will probably by disappointed to end the season 4 games back from the Playoff zone, but this was the first season back in the NBL for the Falcons and all those who saw them in action this season will agree that this young squad has an enormous potential. They will most certainly be climbing up the NBL standings in the coming years if they can realize that potential.

7 August 20237 August 2023 by Henry Bell

Rumble of the Ravens and Raptors

A late-day start for the Ravens meant Basing Hill had already seen plenty of action, but there was more to come.

Game One

Hang Li stepped up to the plate for his first at-bat of the day, and after taking three straight balls, with a walk looking likely, a sudden swing of the bat saw the ball soar over the left fielder and land beyond the fence. He rounded the bases as cheers and celebration waited for him at home plate. “2-Run HOME RUN for the Ravens”

As a new inning begun, starting pitcher Nic Goetz returned to the mound, and with his lightning fastball, he sat down three of the Raptors in quick succession. “1, 2, 3 inning for the Ravens”

With the Ravens returning to bat, third baseman Greg Bochan stepped forward and took his position in the batter’s box. With two baserunners waiting to be batted in, Bochan delivered a powerful line drive double to left centre to achieve just that, his second double of the game. “2-Run double No. 2 for Greg Bochan”

With his foot by the base and glove pointed at the batter, first baseman Hang Li was ready for the play ahead. No sooner than the sound of the crack of the bat echoed through the infield, the sound of the snap of his glove replaced it. The batter had hit the ball directly into his glove, and with a diving effort to tag up, the baserunner was unable to beat the force out. “Bang-Bang double play for the Ravens”

The game ended in the 4th inning at 12-0, a Shutout for ERA Extraordinaire Nic Goetz, his 3rd of the season.

Game Two

With another win under their belt, and starting pitcher Wei-Chieh Wang warming up, the Ravens were ready to face the Raptors on the field once again.

The Raptors’ offensive effort had the Ravens looking to the sky, as two consecutive flyouts to both; the pitcher, Wei-Chieh Wang, and the centre fielder, Henry Bell, took the Ravens two steps closer to ending the inning. “Flyout to 1, Flyout to 8”

The bottom of the inning saw the Ravens capitalise on the walks they were given, as base hits from the top of the order and a double by Ravens second baseman Gilberto Medina brought in those on the bases. “Ravens bring in 5 to end the inning.”

With a nine-run deficit, the Raptors needed to give the final inning their all. Two singles by the starting batters provided the Raptors with prime runners in scoring position, who rounded the final bases shortly afterwards due to a throwing error by the Ravens. But ultimately, after some well-fielded groundouts, the Ravens got out of the inning to end the game as another win.

The game ended 13-8, marking a 5th win for Wei-Chieh Wang and a 13th consecutive win for the Ravens.

The Ravens and the Raptors will face off again on the 13th of August, at Grovehill Ballpark.

5 August 20237 August 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons’ game at Bruins postponed. Rain may have ended their NBL Playoff hopes.

Earlier this evening, the Herts Falcons received confirmation from the Sheffield Bruins that Sunday’s deciding game in the NBL Playoff race has been postponed due to weather and ground conditions at Thorpe Green Park in Sheffield.

Images coming in from Sheffield showed a waterlogged home plate and around one inch of standing water on the surface. Perhaps an MLB grounds crew would have been able to cope with this relatively easily, but most British clubs don’t have the staff to deal with such situations and, if the standing water on the grass is more widespread, that probably makes it impossible if the field does not drain well naturally after prolonged rain as most British baseball clubs do not have under-soil drainage.

video by Sheffield Bruins

If these two games cannot be rescheduled, mathematically, the Herts Falcons would be eliminated from the Playoff race. Even if the Falcons win their two remaining games away at the London Capitals and the Bruins lose theirs away at the Latin Boys. In that scenario the Bruins would have a Win-Loss % of .263 while the Falcons would end the season with .261 keeping the Bruins ahead of the Falcons by a mere .002.

Home run by Tetsuro Shinkawa in the Falcons vs Bruins game which was suspended back on June 18th and was meant to be resumed this Sunday

Herts Baseball Club has enquired with the British Baseball Federation to find out whether the games can be rescheduled before the NBL Playoffs which commence on Sunday, August 20th. The Sheffield Bruins already have four other games which were rained out earlier in the season and are not expected to be played so, fitting these two games into the calendar seems highly unlikely.

As things stand, the Herts Falcons have two more games remaining this season against the London Capitals to be played at 1pm and 4pm on Saturday, 12 August, at Finsbury Park in London.

1 August 20232 August 2023 by Rob Jones

Around the Herts diamonds July 29/30

The Herts Ravens extended their winning streak in Single-A to 11 games, with a dominant sweep of their double-header against the Herts Eagles.

Eddie Wang took the pitching win in Game 1, striking out 3 in a complete game effort. He was only denied a shutout in the final stages. The offense gave him consistent backing, with Matt Jackson going 2-for-3 and Hang Li driving in 3 runs.

Game 2 saw ace Nic Goetz deliver the goods for the Ravens. 10 strikeouts to just one walk shows how in control he stayed. Pavan Sunkar and Michael Green were responsible for the the home side’s 2 hits. The games ended 15-1 and 19-0.

The Herts Raptors were looking to stay in the race for the division when they hosted the Essex Redbacks at Grovehill. They led after three innings, keyed by an Adam Scales double. But the visitors managed to impose themselves late, and a Herts rally fell just short It ended 14-8. Game 2 was rained out.

There was praise for the Raptors’ Danny Preston and Jamie Berlofsky for stepping into unfamiliar roles – as pitcher and catcher respectively – and putting in outstanding performances. Jack Burkett was also said to have put in “one hell of a shift” in the outfield.

The Herts Hawks travelled to the Essex Archers in the Double-A league. They out-hit their hosts in Game 1 – with spark-plug Harry McMenamin going 3-for-4 with two doubles, and Declan Carlean going 2-for-4. Ken Pike struck out four, but Essex were always able to keep their nose in front and won 9-4. The Archers were able to repeat the feat in Game 2, taking a 13-4 win with their pitchers combining for 8 Ks.

Harry McMenamin had made an impact on Saturday, too, when he made a guest appearance for the Herts Ducks in Double-A. They were at home to the London Musketeers and endured a tough day, but coaches were impressed with McMenamin’s “heart and hustle”. The Ducks lost 29-3 and 18-2, with the bright spots from Game 2 two strong innings from Prime Mencias, and RBIs for Jake Spicer and Bradley Charalambous.

The Herts Cardinals were having a good day in their Triple-A matchup against the Kent Buccaneers. They won Game 1 by a score of 15-5 behind the pitching of Brian Dearing and Osvaldo Badia’s home run and 5 RBIs. But rain washed out Game 2, so that will have to be picked up at a later date.

In the NBL, the Herts Falcons were resting, but other results did go their way. Both the East London Latin Boys and the Sheffield Bruins lost their games, and Herts remain fifth in the standings, hoping for a chance at the last playoff berth.

17 July 202318 July 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons stay ahead of Latin Boys but miss opportunity to close gap with Sheffield

The Falcons and the Latin Boys produced two dramatic games winning one game each to keep both teams in the National Baseball League Playoff race but the Sheffield Bruins may be the happiest after the weekend’s action without swinging a bat.

The Latin Boys took an early 2-0 lead but Herts fought back to make the score 5-2 with back-to-back home runs by Alex Deacon and Phil Clark, his fourth of the season.

This was Deacon’s best outing of the season on the mound. He struck out 7 batters over 6 innings and allowed only 4 hits and 2 runs of which only 1 was earned.

The team added 2 more runs in the fifth inning and Tomohiro Tamura pitched the last inning to seal a 7-3 win for Herts.

Game One Box scores Herts Falcons 7 Latin Boys 3

There was no time for celebration. They were about to face starting pitcher Jorge Gonzalez who pitched a complete game shutout the last time they faced him. The Falcons took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on a solo home run by third baseman Jack Warrington.

The Latin Boys hit back in the third inning with 2 runs to take the lead despite Michael Barrett, Dylan Lawler and Fraser Duggan turning a well-executed double play.

The visitors extended their lead to 5-1 in the fifth inning after a triple by Viktoras Ratkevicius. It could have been more if it wasn’t for a spectacular diving catch by Ben Sporleder at the wall.

It looked like the game was starting to run away from Herts but they rallied with 2 outs in the bottom of that inning. Jack Warrington hit his second home run of the game driving in Ben Sporleder who hit a single before him.

The Latin Boys squeezed another run in the top of the sixth inning to silence the home fans but that was only temporary as a 2-run double by catcher Alex Paterson brought Falcons to within a run going into the final inning.

After a rain delay, in the seventh and final inning the visitors added one more run on a sacrifice fly by Ratkevicius which meant that Herts were down 5-7. Despite Michael Barrett and Jack Warrington reaching base, starting pitcher Jorge Gonzalez shut the door striking out two batters to secure the win for the Latin Boys.

Game Two Box scores Herts Falcons 5 Latin Boys 7

Earlier in the day Sheffield Bruins’ home game versus the London Capitals was cancelled due to a waterlogged field so the gap in the NBL standings between them and the Herts Falcons remains at 4 games. The Falcons have a two-week rest. Their hope is that the Sheffield Bruins will stumble in their remaining 10 games of the season. If that happens, Herts Falcons can still qualify for the Playoffs if they can win their next two games which are away in Sheffield on 6 August and they may also need to win one or possibly both of their games away at the London Capitals on the final day of the season depending on the outcome of other games.

The decision of the British Baseball Federation on how and when to fit Sheffield’s 4 rained out games between now and 13 August will be critical in deciding who will finish in the top four places of the NBL.

An aerial view of waves crashing against a shore. — ***(photos by Richard Williams)***

An aerial view of a field. A road runs through the upper right corner. — ***(photos by Richard Williams)***

Fans on Sunday saw Herts Falcons’ final home game of the regular season which was part of the club’s NBL Pilot project which aims to grow the fan base and the number of spectators by providing a more immersive game day experience. Dacorum Deputy Mayor Cllr. Brenda Link was the guest of honour throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

After the game Herts co-General Manager, Aspi Dimitrov, said that “although this long-term project is in its early stages, attendance levels have been encouraging despite the team’s difficult start of the season. We reached a new audience who watched a baseball game for the first time in their lives at Grovehill Ballpark this year. On Sunday many of the fans stayed through the rain right to the end of the second game to support the team which is an indication that the club has managed to establish an emotional connection with fans. The players and the club are grateful for their support this season and let’s see if the Falcons can reward them by qualifying for the Playoffs, against all odds.”

11 July 202311 July 2023 by Rob Jones

Hotshots and doubles as Ravens host Eagles

In two games packed with both drama and laughs, a couple of fielders will have seen their lives flash before them.

Herts Ravens’ pitcher Andrew Slater caught a bullet from the bat of Mo Nasr more through instinct than from intent. And playing third base for the Herts Eagles, Eleni Xintaras was targeted by a missile off the bat of Sonam Lama – and wisely and superbly got a glove to it. The catch ended the inning.

These were the first Herts derbies for the Ravens this season, and they had plenty of fielding highlights. They ended with a pair of Ravens wins, 15-2 and 9-5. But the Eagles put up a strong fight, especially in Game 2.

The day started with a well-struck single for the Eagles pitcher and leadoff man, Jamie Lang-Richards. Atena Barani drove him in but the first of the day’s double plays then snuffed out the early threat. Ravens shortstop Eddie Wang took a catch and smartly doubled off the runner from first.

When the Ravens got to hit, it was Wang’s 2-RBI single which keyed a 5-run first inning. Arnie Longboy soon settled in on the mound and the home side took control. He was helped by another double play – this one a fully-fledged Major League style 6-4-3 off a ground ball – turned by Wang, Joey Li and Eric Ferng which ended the top of the third inning.

The Ravens put up another 5 runs in the third with Norman Peng and Jack Page among those getting hits to extend the lead. The Eagles had a last surge of base runners in the fifth, with Xintaras getting a hit and scoring a run. But it wasn’t enough to keep the game alive.

In Game 2, it looked as if the Ravens would impose themselves again, holding a 4-1 lead after the first. But there was no score by either side in the second. The Ravens had loaded the bases, but that hotshot catch by Xintaras ended the danger. In the third the Eagles, led by Lang-Richards and aided by some flawed fielding, pulled back two runs to make it 4-3.

The Ravens were able to get the line moving again in the bottom of the third. Matt Jackson, on loan to the Eagles and on the hill, kept pitching around the zone, striking out 2 and surrendering only 2 hits. But walks took their toll and the lead was 9-3 entering the final uncapped inning.

Hits from George Thomas, and from Jackson, helped make some drama. A close play at the plate, with Ravens’ centre fielder Joseph Field showing off his arm, went the Eagles way. They clawed back 2 runs, but it ended with a final ground-out.

These were games played in a good spirit, with friends getting the chance to face each other on opposing teams and test their mettle. Tremendous catches, and some good hitting, made for good baseball for the spectators. But it was always going to be tough for the Eagles. The two teams meet again next weekend at Basing Hill.

10 July 202311 July 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Playoff lifeline for Herts Falcons

A vital win for the Herts Falcons on Sunday has moved them up into fifth place in the NBL standings and they have also closed the gap on the fourth-placed Sheffield Bruins. The top four teams will qualify for next month’s NBL Playoffs.

This was the second consecutive Sunday of six NBL teams playing two games each at Farnham Park in Slough. The Falcons were missing a number of players. Some were in Italy on international duty, others were on the injured list but the team was boosted by the return of Max Manoff and the signing of infielder Michael Barrett 48 hours before the games.

Their first opponents were the Essex Arrows who have been setting the pace this season and were in joint first place alongside the London Mets. This first game was always going to be a difficult one for Herts considering their depleted squad so it was not a surprise to see the Arrows win it comfortably.

Box Scores Herts Falcons vs Essex Arrows

The second game of the day was against the Latin Boys and this was the one which was going to have a much greater impact on the Playoff race and a defeat could have ended Herts’ postseason hopes. The pressure was on but the team got off to the best possible start.

A single by Matt Moran gave Herts the lead in the top of the first. Latin Boys’ starting pitcher Emanuel Aybar encountered difficulties and incurred three balks which brought in another three runs.

This was also a must-win game for the Latin Boys and their players felt the pressure too. Their second baseman Rokas Danielius crossed the line arguing an umpiring decision and was ejected.

Falcons’ starting pitcher, Alex Deacon, was doing well. But the Latin Boys were not out of this contest. A long double to left field by Nguyen Baez Aybar rounded off a 3-run bottom of the third inning which brought them right back in the game.

The Falcons were holding onto a very narrow 4-3 lead. They needed more runs and they produced them in the top of the fifth. A 2-run double by Will Clayton was followed by an inside the park grand slam by catcher Phil Clark. His hit went down the right field foul line which right fielder Jeurys Mambu Felipe did his best to cut off but the ball flew by him and rolled all the way to the right field wall. Inside-the-park home runs always seem to get the fans more excited than the longest of home run bombs. 8 Falcons runs were scored in that inning.

There was still some defensive work left to do. Will Clayton pitched the last four innings of the game allowing only 1 run on 5 hits, striking out 3 batters.

Box Scores London Latin Boys vs Herts Falcons

This win and the Sheffield Bruins losing their two games against the Mets and the Capitals means that the gap between the Falcons and the fourth-placed Bruins is down to four games with the two teams still to play two games against each other on August 6th. The Falcons hope to reduce that deficit and be within reach before then.

They will have the opportunity to do that this Sunday, 16 July, when they meet the Latin Boys again. This is their final home stand of the regular season. Tickets are currently on sale and Herts baseball fans can play their part in what would be an astonishing comeback if the Falcons qualify for the Playoffs.

It has been confirmed that Deputy Mayor Cllr. Brenda Link will be the guest of honour throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Herts Baseball Club is also working with DENS who support members of the Dacorum community who may be facing homelessness or social exclusion. A number of their members have expressed interest to come and see a baseball game and this Sunday they will be guests of the club at Grovehill Ballpark. Herts Baseball Club hope that this will be a positive experience for them as they look to rebuild their lives and reconnect with the community.

Tickets for next Falcons home game on 16 July here

The Falcons have 6 games remaining in the NBL regular season. They must win a minimum of 3 of those games but they may need more than 3 wins depending on the outcome of other games.

7 July 202311 July 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

WATCH: Herts Falcons’ Jack Warrington among the top 90 MLB European prospects

The MLB London Series was not only about the St Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs games at the London Stadium. There was wide range of MLB events taking place in the weeks before and after those games.

One of them was the MLB Elite Game Development Tournament where the top 90 European baseball prospects were given the opportunity to showcase their abilities in front of the MLB scouts. Herts Falcons’ Jack Warrington was among them. In fact he was the only British player on show.

MLB published the following short film about the event.

Jack Warrington was also featured in this a r t i c l e by Matthew Ritchie on MLB.com.

3 July 20237 July 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons lose ground in the playoff race but can bounce back this Sunday

All six National Baseball League (NBL) games on Sunday were played at the national baseball complex at Farnham Park in Slough. Each NBL team played two games. The Herts Falcons faced the reigning champions London Mets and London Capitals – both very difficult opponents who had just returned from their European Federations Cup Qualifying campaigns.

The Falcons went toe-to-toe with the Mets for four innings tying the game 1-1 after singles from Alex Deacon and Harry Quixley. Will Clayton had another good start on the mound allowing only 3 runs on 4 hits over 5 innings.

Harry Quixley single drives in the tying run.

Mets 1
Falcons 1

Going into the 5th inning pic.twitter.com/MTJTRLgkcZ
— Herts Falcons ⚾️ 🇬🇧 (@HertsFalcons) July 2, 2023

The Mets took a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning after a 2-run double by Josh Barrett to left field. Despite outhitting the Mets 7-6 in this game and putting considerable pressure on their defence, several decisions didn’t go in Herts Falcons’ favour which took the steam out of their offence in key moments of the game. Final score Falcons 1 Mets 6.

Falcons vs Mets Box Scores

Next, the team from Hertfordshire came up against the London Capitals who were in third place in the NBL standings at the start of the day. The Falcons fell behind 1-3 but came back to tie the game in the third and take a 5-3 lead in the fourth after loading the bases followed by a 2-run single by Cris Hiche.

2-run single by @CrisHiche gives @HertsFalcons a 5-3 lead over the Capitals going into the bottom of the 4th. pic.twitter.com/5m08Y75YkM
— Herts Falcons ⚾️ 🇬🇧 (@HertsFalcons) July 2, 2023

Similar to the earlier game against the Mets, the Falcons also outhit the Capitals 8-7 but 5 defensive errors proved to be costly as the Capitals took advantage and won 9-6.

Caps vs Falcons Box Scores

The progress which this young Herts team has made over the first 3 months of the season is obvious but is not quite enough to keep up with the pace of the teams occupying the top four places.

Despite losing ground on the fourth-placed Sheffield Bruins who picked up a win against the Latin Boys, mathematically Herts can still qualify for the Playoffs if they can bounce back this Sunday when the six NBL teams meet again at Farnham Park. Their opponents this time will be the Essex Arrows (17-3) and the London Latin Boys (1-13).

Tickets to the next Falcons home game on July 16th

19 June 202319 June 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Slugfest between Falcons and Bruins suspended in 5^th inning with the game tied

The Herts Falcons came agonisingly close to producing an astonishing comeback in the first game of their two-game series away at the Sheffield Bruins but there was a sense of déjà vu as they lost the lead and suffered another walk-off defeat. However, the Hertfordshire team have a glimmer of hope as they battled back in the second game of this series. The outcome of that game will be decided later in the season as a thunderstorm put a sudden halt to proceedings.

The Herts Falcons set themselves the task of winning both games of this series but they found themselves in deep trouble trailing 2-7 after just 3 innings. Bruins starting pitcher Jonathan Rodriguez was in control. It wasn’t until the fifth inning that the visitors really started to cause him problems. A single for Cris Hiche and a sacrifice fly for Alex Deacon drove in two runs to reduce the deficit to 4-7.

BBBBIIIIIIGGGGG inning for Herts Falcons. 7 runs score including 3-run home run by Phil Clark.

Herts Falcons 11
Sheffield Bruins 10

Going into bottom of 6th inning pic.twitter.com/hm0hvv9G2j
— Herts Falcons ⚾️ 🇬🇧 (@HertsFalcons) June 18, 2023

The onslaught continued in the sixth inning as they not only tied the game but took an 11-10 lead which included a 3-run home run by catcher Phil Clark (video above) deep to right field. The Bruins responded with home runs by Luis Frometa and Josh Taylor which put them back on top leading 13-11 going into the final inning.

The drama continued as the Falcons loaded the base and squeezed two runs in to tie the game again but couldn’t stop Sheffield in the bottom of the inning as they won it 14-13 thanks to back-to-back doubles by Manuel Silvestre and Luke Armstrong.

Game One Box Scores

The disappointment of producing an incredible comeback only to lose the game at the very end was clear to see on the faces of the Falcons as they prepared for the second game of the series.

***First career home run in the NBL for 51-year-old Tetsuro Shinkawa lifted the team (photo by Tony Small)***

That pressure seemed to evaporate and the players looked a lot more relaxed as the team took a 3-2 lead after a 3-run home run by second baseman, Tetsuro Shinkawa – his first in his long NBL career. They extended that lead to 8-2 with 5 runs in the next inning after hits by Harry Quixley, Cris Hiche and another for Phil Clark who went 4-for-8 with 5 RBI over the two games.

With heavy dark clouds fast approaching and teams anxiously looking at the live rainfall radar on the MetOffice website, the two managers had to consider the possibility of the game being called and the importance of being in the lead if that was to occur.

As Herts were starting to run out of pitchers, the Bruins came alive with home runs for Jonathan Rodriguez, Luis Frometa, Jordon Grocott and Daniel Moran who made his debut for Sheffield after his transfer from Herts.

Moran also took the mound in relief which produced the very rare occurrence of two brothers facing each other when Matt Moran (pictured above) stepped up to bat and was promptly hit by his younger brother’s pitch.

The 6 runs scored by Sheffield in the bottom of the 5^th inning tied the game at 12-12. The clouds could no longer hold back and the game was suspended as the sudden downpour flooded the field within a few minutes. The strength of the rain was such that umbrellas and gazebos were of no use at all and players, officials and fans ran for cover in the Hawk and Dove pub located next to the diamond.

Rain delay in the bottom of the 5th. Ballgame tied.

Falcons 12
Bruins 12 pic.twitter.com/p5mriWfi9m
— Herts Falcons ⚾️ 🇬🇧 (@HertsFalcons) June 18, 2023

The game is expected to be completed when the two teams meet for the final time in the regular season in Sheffield on Sunday, 6 August. The game will resume in the bottom of the sixth inning with the score 12-12, runner on second base with one out.

Game Two Box Scores

The Sheffield Bruins have the advantage over the Herts Falcons in the NBL Playoff race going into the second half of the regular season but the Hertfordshire team are still in it if they can win this suspended game and start picking up wins against teams above them in the standings which they have shown that they are capable of doing.

The teams in the NBL and the other three BBF league tiers take a break next week as British baseball fans prepare to celebrate a week of MLB London Series events culminating with the two games between the Chicago Cubs and the St Louis Cardinals at the 60,000 all-seater London Stadium.