Category: Raptors

14 December 2016 by Rob Jones

MVP at the double: Raptors reap rewards for playoff run

Some races are tight. Some go right down to the wire, and beyond it. And sometimes two deserving winners can’t be separated.

After a year which saw the Herts Raptors reach their greatest ever heights, the players have voted for two team-mates to share the MVP award for 2016 – Matthew Jackson and Michael Cresswell.

Matt made his first appearances for the Raptors last year, as they came together as a new force in the second half of the season. This year he swiftly became a rock in centre-field, addressing one of the team’s great needs with a series of crucial outfield catches.

His batting also became a potent weapon for the Raptors, and he rose to the the occasion in the playoffs. Matt went 3-for-4 in the visit to Tonbridge, hitting a triple for the first big Herts blow. He hit two more triples in the losing effort against the Hawks.

Enjoyable

For joint manager Michael Cresswell it is his second career MVP award. He helped lead the team to the post-season; batted a rumoured .800; picked up his first career pitching win; and was nominated for play of the year.

Mike has been an increasingly important part of the Herts baseball family since he came on board in 2012. He was MVP of the Herts Raptors in 2014, and Best Pitcher in 2015. But he has called the 2016 season “the most enjoyable ever”.

Voting had to be extended in the MVP race because of the tie, and then had to be extended again. We don’t know the full details, due to intense secrecy, but it’s clear there were heroes a-plenty for voters to choose from in the Raptors year.

It started in May with a visit to the London Musketeers, the beaten semi-finalists in 2015. The Raptors won this one 7-3, and for players schooled in the slugfests of Single-A it was possibly the most high-quality game they’d ever been part of.

The new pitching ace Matt Corran was the hero here, racking up strikeouts after emerging in late 2015 as a force. But Michael Cresswell was crucial on this day, too, earning his Play of the Year nomination for an unassisted double play which snuffed out a London threat at a critical time.

Sparkling shortstop

The season saw more wins, then progressed to Haverhill for an epic victory which showed the renewed fighting spirit in the team as well as the talent. Matt Jackson polished his reputation for excellent outfield catches in this game, including saving a home run and securing the final out.

Joint manager Paul Barton picked up his first career pitching win in this game, and started 4-for-4 with the bat. He would go on to have another tremendous season in all parts of the field, building on his 2015 MVP win.

In a blowout defeat against Essex in May, young Aaron Witter had started his bid to be a Raptors hero. After a wobbly bit of pitching, he switched to shortstop and sparkled. The managers took immediate notice.

In a home game against London in July he was the pick as starting shortstop. His first play of the game was a major-league style backhand stop and a powerful throw to nab the runner. Aaron’s hero status would grow in the playoffs, and his contributions throughout the year have earned him the Rookie of the Year Award for the Raptors in 2016.

The team secured their place in the post-season with a win over Essex Archers at Grovehill. Mike Cresswell capped it all with a walk-off, inside the park grand slam home run to secure the 26-11 victory.

OK, so maybe the “official scorer” wouldn’t have chalked it up as a home run. But the “official scorer” doesn’t write stories like this.

And he couldn’t have written the story of the Raptors’ playoff win over the defending Single-A champions, Tonbridge. The fixtures were changed late, with Herts switched to what clearly looked a more daunting tie.

Crucial catch

They were playing away. They had only 9 players. One of them drove more than 200 miles to get there. Another had only just had laser eye surgery.

But Herts won this 23-18, and wrote history.

The youngest guy on the team, Aaron Witter, drove in a fistful of runs and pitched brilliantly for the save in the tensest of circumstances. The oldest regular, Rob Jones, made what was probably the most crucial catch of his life as he secured the second out of the ninth inning with a sliding infield grab.

Cresswell and Barton were again superb, with the latter turning in his finest ever pitching performance. Jim Arnott, who had become an important relief pitcher as well as a constant hitting threat, was masterful. And Jackson again made the final catch, deep in the outfield.

The Raptors’ playoff run ended at the hands of the eventual national champions, the Herts Hawks, in a game which was tight until the Hawks ran away in the sixth. But overall, 2016 has to be recorded as a “win”.

It it was a season in which so many had played a role, too many to mention. Michelle Johnson made a great impact after a long layoff from the club; while Darren Priest was an invaluable clubhouse presence.

But the Raptors have now voted and the men deservedly holding the MVP trophy are Michael Cresswell and Matthew Jackson.

The other Herts adult teams — the Hawks and Falcons — will announce their own awards in the coming days. The club as a whole will also hand out awards for the Play of the Year and the very opposite, the Nob Out Award, given for a moment of baseball-related foolishness.

31 August 201631 August 2016 by Rob Jones

Bochan gem, Hawks bats end Raptors dream

The Herts Hawks glittering season was polished further on Sunday by a powerful batting display which took them through to the national finals. They will play in the semis at Farnham Park next weekend in search of the Single-A title.

The downside for the club was that their victims were the Herts Raptors, who saw their own remarkable season come to an end. They had beaten the defending champions, Tonbridge, in their wildcard playoff, but the Hawks had too much for them.

Greg Bochan threw a complete game with 9 K’s

There were showers and clouds over Grovehill as the players prepared for this one. There were ceremonies and photos and good-natured joking. But the prize at stake made this serious for everyone.

The early stages of the game were tight. Co-manager Greg Bochan was on the mound for the home side, the Hawks, who went through the regular season undefeated. The Raptors lead-off man Michael Cresswell got aboard and manufactured an early run. But it was the only one.

The Hawks hit back with four runs, as they showed the power of their lineup. Hunter Devine scored first for them, after narrowly escaping a double play on the bases.

The Raptors defense limited the damage, and they uncorked their own offense in the shape of Matt Jackson. The centre fielder hit a triple, then came home on a pass ball, to cut the deficit.

The first rain delay soon interrupted proceedings. Showers would mix with downpours and only the odd burst of sunshine as the day went on.

Manny Banson at bat in the closing stages of the game

When the game resumed the Raptors took the lead, going up 5-4 by the middle of the third. Their starting pitcher Paul Barton had been keeping the Hawks in check, striking out one and giving up only one walk.

But when Gilberto Medina unloaded on a fast ball which strayed too close to the heart of the plate, it was a sign of what the Hawks could do. The line drive went over the left field fence in a flash and Medina was greeted at home plate by his team-mates.

The Raptors were blanked for the first time in the top of the fourth, and by the end of the inning it was 10-5 to the Hawks. Matt Jackson — who also made a series of crucial catches during the game — then hit his second triple of the day.

The gap narrowed to 10-7, then stretched again to 13-7 with Jon Lewys, Jamie Warren and Greg Bochan piling up the hits.

Then the rain intervened for a longer delay. Players sheltered under umbrellas in the increasingly muddy dugouts, or under a gazebo which the manufacturer had probably intended to protect from the sun.

Even once the rain stopped, there was a further delay as both sides worked to clear water from the diamond without damaging the playing surface. An impressively careful operation scooped up the water with any available receptacle and cleared it away.

The Raptors seemed to come out cold from this second stoppage. They went down one-two-three in the inning, with Bochan picking up more strikeouts. He ended the day with 9, and only 2 walks.

The Hawks had made substitutions now, making use of the impressive depth of their bench, and they put the game away. Sonam Lama was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs, Tim Elkins and Matthew Gentry also scored.

The Raptors relief pitchers Jim Arnott and Aaron Witter weren’t able to close it down this time, and a big 12-run inning ended the contest.

Both sides agreed that the final scoreline of 25-7 failed to tell the true story of the ballgame. The Hawks put up the gaudy numbers — two dozen hits, 7 doubles, a home run – but for over 5 innings it was a close contest.

Hawks catcher Ken Pike said it had been a great game, and a shame they had to knock out a sister team. Co-manager Andrew Slater — who couldn’t be at the game — offered congratulations to his players on reaching the finals at Farnham Park for the second year in a row.

For the Raptors, Paul Barton felt the game had gone really well until the sixth inning, when the team was overpowered. Michael Cresswell added that it had been “the most enjoyable season ever”.

Herts Baseball President, Aspi Dimitrov, said it had been a great day for the club, and that everyone was proud of how far the Raptors had progressed against the odds. “We are now willing on the Hawks to go one better than last year, and win the title”.

22 August 201625 August 2016 by Rob Jones

Kings of Kent: Raptors upset champion Bobcats

Herts Raptors match reports always maintain a certain professional detachment, a level of decorum. But after an historic playoff victory against the defending Single-A champions, thanks to an epic four-hour game littered with heroic performances, how can we do that today?

The Raptors travelled to Kent face the Tonbridge Bobcats after a late switch of games by the BBF. No question, on paper it looked as if the Herts side had got the worst of the federation’s change of heart about the seedings.

The Bobcats beat the powerful Herts Hawks on the way to claiming last year’s crown, and they had lost only one game all season in 2016. The odds were stacked against the Raptors.

But when the game began on a blustery playing field almost in the shadow of Tonbridge castle, all bets were off.

The victorious, and very serious, Herts Raptors

The first three innings were tight, defensive, and scoreless. Herts managed to load the bases in the top of the first as the home side’s pitcher, Gareth Nutt, settled in on the mound. But they couldn’t push the run across.

Co-manager Paul Barton was the starting pitcher for Herts. After getting up at the crack of dawn to drive more than 200 miles from Leeds, he twirled an absolute gem for three innings.

The first clutch of runs came in the top of the fourth, as Herts capitalised on a handful of walks. Third baseman Jim Arnott scored the first of them, with catcher Joe Court using his Major League slide to create a run, and second baseman Rob Jones also coming home.

The Raptors plated nine runs before it was over.

The first big Herts hit of the day had came from Matt Jackson. He was playing centre field, just days after eye surgery which had threatened to rule him out of the game entirely. His booming drive to right centre allowed him to motor round for a triple.

The Bobcats hit back quickly in the bottom of the inning, scoring five runs of their own. Barton began to lose the zone, but he and his joint manager Michael Cresswell made a swift decision to stop the bleeding and Arnott came in to relieve.

Both sides then put up zeroes, before the runs began again. Cresswell was hit by a pitch for the second time to start the sixth, and got aboard.

13 year old phenom Aaron Witter then stepped up to bat, and hit a monstrous shot into Tonbridge’s gaping outfield. There are no fences in Kent, so he was able to circle the bases for a vital home run to extend the Herts lead.

Witter then showed his defensive prowess in the bottom of the inning. A sharply hit chopper flicked off Paul Barton’s glove at third base, but the shortstop was right behind him to cover.

Witter gloved the ball and made a full-on Derek Jeter leap to hurl the ball towards first base. It arrived in time for Michael Cresswell to scoop it up, juggle it, and then seize hold of it just in the nick of time to nab the runner.

Tonbridge had managed to pull back another two runs, meaning it was 11-7 after six innings. But Herts were still pushing on. Left fielder Darren Priest got one of a pair of hits, while Aaron Witter — whose day was far from over — claimed his seventh RBI. Arnott stole home as the climax approached.

The last Herts pitching change saw the young shortstop take to the mound and settle in quickly. The defending champion Bobcats showed no signs of lying down, but Witter stayed calm to keep the game under control.

The Raptors chipped in with their final runs and chased Gareth Nutt from the game after more than 200 pitches.

Third baseman Jim Arnott scored three runs

Rob Jones finally got a hit, while debutant Rob Henney ripped a double. Herts could only manage a couple of runs off reliever David Mote, and led 23-18 going into the bottom of the ninth.

There was a quick debate about whether Aaron Witter should stay in to pitch in such high pressure circumstances. But he made the call, and stepped back on to the pitchers mound.

Herts secured the first out, then the next batter skied a ball on the infield which looked ominously as if it would drop in between everybody for a cheap hit.

As everyone held their breath, grizzle-faced veteran Rob Jones raced in from second base, slid desperately and came up with an improbable catch. Emotions started to break out, as he was hugged by the bosses. The team was now a whisker from a stunning win.

There was another intake of breath as the next batter drove a pitch to the outfield. But Matt Jackson, he of the eye surgery, was right there under it. Cool as anything, he caught the ball and the Raptors celebrated.

This was a famous victory for Herts. The defending Single-A champions Tonbridge had fought hard and played well, their bats always posing a threat and their fielding giving nothing away.

But a series of great performances from all nine Raptors earned their place in the next round of the playoffs. Paul Barton was awarded the pitching W, while Aaron Witter was surely the game’s MVP.

“Amazingly proud of them all”, was Michael Cresswell’s assessment of the players. “Everyone was amazing and fully deserved the win”. Barton added: “Everyone played really, really great baseball. So happy I can’t believe it!”

The first year managers march on, and won’t fear their next opponent, whoever it is.

20 August 201631 August 2016 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors playoff opponent switched after BBF decision

The British Baseball Federation announced the Playoff lineup at the start of the week giving the Herts Raptors a tough away tie against the Guildford Millers. Yesterday the lineup was revised and the Raptors now have to face the reigning Single-A national champions, the Tonbridge Bobcats, again away from home.

We understand that the decision was made after a technical infringement of the player transfer deadline regulations by the Bobcats. We do not know the full details of the infringement, but it seems highly unusual given the fact that club delegates voted to remove the transfer deadline for the Single-A League at last November’s BBF Annual General Meeting.

As a result the Raptors now face a much more difficult task on Sunday. Their preparations have been hampered further by the fact that they will be travelling to Tonbridge with a much depleted squad.

Herts fans who cannot make the trip, can follow Herts Raptors on twitter for updates on Sunday.

16 August 201631 August 2016 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors drawn at Millers in the Playoffs this Sunday

NOTE: After publishing this article the BBF announced a change in the Playoff lineup

Minutes ago the British Baseball Federation announced that the Herts Raptors have been drawn to play away at the Guildford Millers in the first round of the 2016 Playoffs. The game will be played this Sunday, 21 August. First pitch is at 12pm. As a higher-seeded team based on the regular season records, Guildford will be the home team.

The Millers finished the regular season second in their division with a record of 10 wins and 2 losses. The two losses were both against the Tonbridge Bobcats who finished above them in first place.

Herts Hawks is the other Herts team involved in the playoffs. They progress automatically to the next round based on their regular season record of 15 wins and no losses.

18 July 2016 by Ken Pike

Herts Single A teams both gunning for Farnham

Herts’ two single-A teams look set for the playoffs after a huge 26-11 5th inning mercy rule win by the Raptors over pool-rivals Essex cemented a place in the playoffs for them as a Wildcard, with the Hawks likely to top their group or at worst finish as top wildcard thanks to their unbeaten season so far.

The Raptors v Essex game started as a close run affair over the first couple of innings, with both teams trading blows and errors were a plenty on both sides thanks in part to the harsh sun playing havoc with concentration. A huge swarm of bees even made an appearance briefly halting play at one stage, but by the third inning a gap started to open up that just kept expanding leaving Herts in the driving seat. When relief pitcher Simon Langton came up and closed down the Essex side, Herts were left with the task of getting 6 runs to force a Mercy rule. A couple runs plated in the normal fashion before the bases were loaded. Up stepped the mighty…home run machine…no wait…it was Mike. Mike Cresswell. Pitcher. Fast runner. Manager. Good Bloke. Many things, all positive, but not a home run hitter. Surely no walk off grand slam this time round.

The last time the Herts Raptors qualified for the postseason playoffs was in 2013 and they certainly enjoyed clinching it with a bottle of champagne.

Well, not in the traditional sense, but a might good whallop of the ball sent it clean over the infield and through the gap in the outfield (helped by the fact that their outfield was down to two people due to injuries….previously caused by Mike throwing a ball at a girl…twice.) The runners on second and third scored easily. The runner on first had a good jump….and a mis-throw from outfield meant that the ever speedy Mike Cresswell rounded third and landed home for the kind of finish that bookies would happily give you 5000-1 odds on…but as Leicester football club showed us earlier this year, the unlikeliest scenarios can come true. Mike duly walked off as winning pitcher, winning HR hitter, and man of match. And got drenched in icy water by his team mates for the effort.

For the Hawks the picture is a bit clearer. They are currently showing as a half game back in their group on wins alone, but they are unbeaten and have taken three games off their nearest rivals, the Monarchs. Monarchs have three games left to play but the Hawks have six due to a number of teams having been unable to muster a side during the season. So when the final games are played, and dependant on whether the several games that have been no-shows from the opposition are added to the tally (unless they are able to be rescheduled) then the Hawks will be hoping to comfortably top their group. Either way they are certain to at least be wildcards, so would at worst face an extra playoff game. The main question is likely to be whether the Hawks or the similarly unbeaten Tonbridge Wildcats slip up at any point which would determine top seed. If both sides finish unbeaten, then Tonbridge is currently in pole position to take the top spot having played one game less but scored 3 more runs over the course of the season.

The hope for the club will now be hoping for a good wildcard round and ties working out to that the two sides avoid each other in the semi-finals with a potentially juicy tie on Farnham Park’s main diamond on Sunday 4th September. Whatever happens now, Herts as a club can be proud of the achievements of their two single-A teams, but both the Raptors and the Hawks will surely have the ultimate prize in their sights, and who knows…perhaps they will meet at the grandest of stages in British Baseball.

13 July 201613 July 2016 by Rob Jones

Raptors routed in the rain

This was another tight and evenly-balanced contest between the Herts Raptors and one of the leading Single-A teams, the London Musketeers. The problem was, that it was only tight for an inning and two thirds.

Then, on a damp and gloomy day at Grovehill, the visitors powered into a lead which they would not surrender. By the end, the sun had come out. But it wasn’t much relief for Herts.

Co-manager Michael Cresswell started on the mound and began with a scoreless inning. The first batter forced a tremendous play from young shortstop Aaron Witter, who made a backhand stop deep in the hole and then made a strong throw to first. The next Musketeer popped up to third base, and then a lineout ended the threat.

Musketeers pitcher, Billy Atkinson-Warne

But it was London’s pitcher, Billy Atkinson-Warne, who was the dominant force. His first inning was marred only by a walk to left fielder Adam White. Of the first seven batters he faced, Atkinson-Warne struck out six.

Hitting in the nine hole, Rob Jones was the first Raptor to put a ball in play. Even then, the ground ball forced out Michelle Johnson, who had worked a walk, at second base. But a steal and a pass ball meant that Mike Cresswell could then drive in the run and put Herts on the board.

But here’s the rub. By that point the Raptors were already 18 runs behind.

With two out in the top of the second, the Musketeers had scored five. After quick outs in the third, they then piled on for 13 more. They hit confidently and hit it hard. But it was a day when a series of Herts infielders were unable to apply the necessary finishing touch and secure the out that was needed.

The rain which had dampened the start of the game became more heavy and forced a long suspension, which did little to revive the Raptors. Cresswell handed over pitching duties to Paul Barton, who later gave the ball to Witter.

Between them, they limited the damage. London scored only three runs in each of the next innings. That left Herts needing an astonishing rally to prevent a slaughter rule defeat in five innings.

Barton got the first hit of the game to lead off the fifth and came round to score. Boruch Boudilovsky turned his walk into a run. But as Herts appeared to be enjoying their success against the relief pitcher Lloyd Winters, a base-running mix up led to a double play at second and it was, in effect, all over.

Aaron Witter made an impact at shortstop

Musketeers ran out 24-4 winners in the end, and extended their lead at the top of Pool B in Single-A. They won their season series over Herts 2-1.

The Raptors will sweep Haverhill, but the other two series against Essex Archers and Old Timers could be decisive for any prospect of playoff baseball. Essex are first up, visiting Grovehill on Sunday 17th July.

4 July 201618 July 2016 by Rob Jones

Walk-off woe for Raptors

Any game against the Old Timers is guaranteed to include drama, but the Herts Raptors did not much enjoy the ending of Sunday’s encounter in Enfield. The home side had led from the start, but the visitors drew level in the ninth, only to see the Old Timers walk off with a win.

Lefty Michael Cresswell was the starting pitcher for Herts, and he spent much of the first inning coming to terms with the vertiginously high mound, and the notably low strike zone. It allowed the Old Timers to score four runs and quickly surge ahead of the 2 which Herts had put up in their half of the frame.

Michelle Johnson in action. Her fielding helped keep Herts in the game

It was a similar picture in the second and the doughty veterans had stretched their lead to 12-7 by the top of the sixth.

Herts never really did anything wrong in the field. But they never quite clicked either. There were a couple of close plays which — on a good day — would go your way, but didn’t on Sunday.

The bats made regular contact, with Darren Priest and Paul Barton collecting multiple hits. But on many of those occasions the contact wasn’t clean, and it became a routine out. Also, there were uncharacteristic errors by Raptors on the base-paths, which took the wind out of rallies.

Cresswell got better every inning. He picked up a couple of strikeouts and fielded sharply. But he was tiring so Barton took over pitching duties.

In this stretch of the game, both sides were putting up zeroes. Raptors’ left fielder Michelle Johnson — who has links to the club back to youth days, but is only now playing for a team — was the outfield star, taking a series of vital catches.

But with time now starting to run out, Herts did what they had to do and rallied. Third baseman Jim Arnott had smashed two balls deep into foul territory during the game. Now he got one just right, for a monster triple which brought in crucial runs.

And so the Raptors went into the top of the ninth three runs behind, 14-11 the score.

Michael Cresswell scored. Matt Jackson scored. Paul Barton worked his way to third base. With two out, Rob Jones stepped in. He took a strike, then a ball, then rapped a single through the left side to bring home Barton and tie up the game.

But after stealing second comfortably, Jones became the latest and last Raptor of the day to suffer a misadventure on the base paths. As he took an extra step towards third, the left-handed relief pitcher spun and threw perfectly for the second baseman to apply the tag.

Old Timers had the top of their order come up to hunt for the one run they needed in the bottom of the ninth. Raptors couldn’t keep him off the bases, and with the infield drawn right in the home side were able to drive one through and end the game.

Herts Raptors are now 5-3 on the season, with their rubber matches against London and Essex coming up in the next fortnight.

23 May 201613 July 2016 by Rob Jones

Barton and the Haverhill Adventure

This was a game of towering pop-ups, and of monster, moon-shot home runs. If it wasn’t so damned hard to hit a moving baseball, this could have been a very high-scoring game. But, as it was, there were bursts of scoring, and tense patches when pitching and defense held sway.

Paul Barton got his first start of the season for the Raptors on the pitching mound. Well, actually there is not a pitching mound at the Haverhill Blackjacks. If anything, you are pitching uphill.

But Barton, the Raptors 2015 MVP, found his rhythm quickly, and the hosts were held scoreless for the first two frames. Centre-fielder Matt Jackson made a great catch on an enormous fly ball towards the fence, and third baseman Aspi Dimitrov caught the first giant pop-up of the day.

By contrast, the Herts bats made a brisk start, three runs scoring in the first. There were two down in the second before the offense struck again. Manager Michael Cresswell hit a triple out into the wastelands, and was driven in by Adam White. It was 6-0 to Herts after two innings.

Then runs dried up. The Blackjacks pitcher was giving nothing away, and the home fielders were doing good work to back him up. Haverhill’s bats pulled back two runs in the bottom of the fourth — despite the brilliant work of catcher Ilya Dimitrov in catching two pop-ups at the backstop which were even higher than the first one I told you about.

Booming home runs

Herts extended their lead in the top of the fifth, Paul Barton continuing to help his own cause and the talismanic veteran Nick White continuing to deliver at the plate.

But Haverhill came right back with more, and had their biggest outburst in the bottom of the sixth to narrow the score just 10-9 to Herts. A big slugging line-up was starting to find its range, hitting booming home runs to left field and to right, as well as ground rule doubles which outfielder Darren Priest could barely see let alone catch.

Aspi Dimitrov came on to pitch in relief, and got to work swiftly. Neither side scored in the seventh.

Now, the test of a team comes when their back is against the wall. Raptors were determined not to let their unbeaten record go without a fight, and players who had endured a frustrating day at the plate came through. Ilya Dimitrov clobbered a double, closely followed by one from Matt Jackson, who was hitless until then.

Shortstop Rob Jones – whose day was frustrating with bat and glove – worked a walk, added a steal and scored a run. Nick White showed off his speed to steal a base, and Herts scored a vital five runs, their biggest inning of the day.

The Raptors Twitter feed at this point summed it all up — “God, this is tense”. Herts were held scoreless in the top of the ninth, meaning Haverhill were 15-11 behind and needing four to tie, five to walk- off as winners.

Dimitrov got the first dangerous batter to ground out close to his own feet, and a weight started to lift. One more out was secured. Then the next Blackjack batter smashed another monstrous shot towards the outfield fence.

It arced out to centre field. Matt Jackson went back on it, back further. And as the ball came down in his glove he squeezed it safely. His back was virtually touching the fence. The Raptors had won.

Grace and humour

The co-managers had been immense again in all their roles. Michael Cresswell saved a number of plays at first base, scooping up short or errant throws, while Paul Barton started the day 4-4 with the bat. The win was also his first W as a pitcher.

But this was a team effort, with everyone part of the victory. Haverhill Blackjacks had put up a tremendous fight and had done it with grace and good humour which made it a really enjoyable game in the Suffolk sunshine.

Raptors are 4-0 on the season, having played and beaten every team in their pool in the Single-A league.

The Herts Hawks were pushed all the way when they traveled to the Cambridge Monarchs, but they also came away with a win. The Hawks survived a big rally in the fifth inning and won 19-16 to remain undefeated.

9 May 201613 July 2016 by Rob Jones

Poetry in Bochan helps lift Herts hearts

A masterful pitching performance by Greg Bochan helped the Herts Hawks to a comfortable 19-2 win over the Milton Keynes Coyotes on Sunday (8th May 2016), extending their unbeaten run.

He scattered five hits across five innings of work, striking out four and walking just two. He gave up no earned runs.

The Hawks — led by managers Bochan and Andrew Slater — are now 4-0 on the season and leading their division in the BBF’s Single-A league.

Greg Bochan pitches in the win over MK Coyotes

The powerful offense was driven this week by Sonam Lama, who went 3-for-5 at the plate. He drove in three runs, and scored three himself. There were also two hits for Louis Hare — a double and a triple — and one RBI each for Aspi and Ilya Dimitrov.

The Hawks were held mostly in check by Milton Keynes until the third inning, when they suddenly piled up seven runs. That gave them an 11-1 lead and it was already looking bad for the Coyotes.

The visitors added on two and then six more, and Bochan helped stifle any attempted comebacks. The game was called on the mercy rule after five innings, the Hawks securing a 19-2 victory.

Back at Grovehill in Hemel Hempstead, the Herts Raptors were taking on the Essex Archers. Herts had played only one game, a tight one at London which they won 7-3. The Archers had scored for fun in their two wins. So everything was poised.

The early exchanges were even. The first Essex batter fell victim to Matt Corran’s impressive fastball, but then batters made contact for force the defense to try to make tough plays. They then stole aggressively to open up with a run.

The Raptors answered back with two, then Essex tied it back up. Their starting pitcher Billy Bridger was working the zone well and Herts could manage only one run in the second.

Then in the third, the Raptors were able to make pressure tell. Essex were unlucky on a series of hard hit balls which caromed around the defense like pinball. Herts scored seven in the third, then eight in the fourth after veteran Rich Sprent came in as reliever for Essex.

Herts co-managers Michael Cresswell and Paul Barton both hit well, while the bats up and down the lineup did their jobs. Youngsters Joe Court and Adam White have already showed great improvement in their hitting this season.

As Raptors stretched their lead, they could see the chance of a mercy rule win. Three runs in the bottom of the fifth sealed the deal, Court driving in Darren Priest for the winning run in a 21-6 victory.