Category: Raptors

by AspiDimitrov

Falcons Game Switched to Grovehill

Fans of Herts Baseball can look forward to two games in Hemel Hempstead this Sunday after the venue for the Falcons vs Diamondbacks game was switched.

Due to a clash at RAF Feltwell, the Herts Falcons’ next league game with the Lakenheath Diamondbacks has been moved to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.  The Falcons will still be treated as the visiting team in the game, but hopefully playing at home will give them an advantage as they seek their first win of the season.  The team has had to sit out without any league action over the last three weekends, so they will be eager to get back to the diamond.  They go into the game with a 0-2 record after their Opening Day defeat against the Southampton Mustangs who have quitely gone to the top of the standings with a 6-0 record. 

The Falcons vs Diamondbacks game begins at 12:45. 

Also playing at Grovehill Ballpark are the club’s AA team, the Hawks (0-2).  They clash with League favorites the Sidewinders.  Game starts at 12:00.

The Herts Raptors (0-3) travel to Single-A League leaders, the Cambridge Royals.

by Rob Jones

Raptors rally in vain

Herts Raptors 16-36 Guildford Mavericks II

Grovehill ballpark, Sunday 8th May 2011

This was, in many ways, a game of two halves. Raptors made heavy weather of the first, while picking themselves up for a brave rally in the second. The final result, though, was decided by the fact that the first half included two big meltdowns.

Photo by H2P photographic
Raptors' lefty pitcher, Phil Gover

The home team’s starting pitcher Phil Gover struggled to get into his rhythm as the game began, walking the first three batters. He settled down and the Mavericks only really got one good hit in the first inning, from a player they had borrowed, Jonny Compton-Weight.  Nonetheless, when it was over 10 runs had crossed the plate. A far from ideal start.

Herts looked to strike back quickly with both the leadoff, Rob Jones, and second hitter Zach Longboy getting aboard with walks. Gover then helped his own cause by driving in a run, which he did again later in the game. But even though the Guildford starter had his own control troubles, and Herts mostly seemed able to get bat on ball, they could only notch up 2 runs as a reply.

The game became tighter for a while, with Herts still giving up walks but also now getting strikeouts. The defence was doing its job, too. An infield double play, and a sure-handed outfield catch by newcomer John Kjorstad, helped keep the third inning clean. And by the top of the fourth it was 13-4 to Guildford.

That is when the visitors started to get their bats going and piling up runs. Raptors could not seem to get the outs they needed, especially that third out. Rob Jones was brought in as an emergency relief pitcher to try to close out the inning. But while he threw strikes, Guildford started to tee off on the pitches and the Raptors defence could not shut the door. A series of routine fielding chances were missed, including one by the pitcher himself, and each time a run scored.

So manager Ken Pike stepped out from behind the dish, where he had been umpiring, to come and fight the fire. Taking over on the mound, he was able to close it out. But in all, 18 runs had crossed the plate, possibly a record even for the Raptors. And that left the team in a deep hole.

And that is where the second half begins. As Herts Hawks started to gather on the sidelines, shouting encouragement, Raptors heads did not drop but lifted, and they fought for the game. They made some better defensive plays and most importantly had both belief and patience at the plate. Will Belbin made fine efforts to secure outs at first base, while third baseman Theo Scheepers had a stream of good hits.

The Guildford pitcher was now tiring and walked batters as Herts  loaded the bases in the seventh with nobody out. Kjorstad stroked a triple to right field, while the Mavericks defence also made a few errors, and an inspired rally was underway. Seven runs scored in all before the final strikeout was called, and the home side had made a respectable score.

There were clear positives for the Herts side. A bit of juggling with the stats would make a very different outcome — for example, Raptors outscored the visitors by a total of 13-8 in five of the seven innings; and they won the last three innings 11-5. But Guildford had complete control because of two innings in which they had scored 28 runs. Raptors will take the lessons on to their next contest in Cambridge.

While all this was happening, the Herts Hawks had been taking on Richmond on Grovehill’s other diamond. They twice rallied from deficits in an excellent game, but ended up as 16-12 losers.

by Rob Jones

SUNSHINE BUT NO SMILES

Although the sun shone on the bank holiday weekend, fortune did not smile on the Herts baseball teams.

The Raptors played host to the powerful Southampton Mustangs on the second week of A-division action. Things did not start well for pitcher, Ken Pike, who struggled with his control and walked batters. Four runs came in. But the visiting pitcher Dave Wrigley also had a poor start, including hitting a batter. Herts struck back with a run, and the game remained quite tight as it developed, with Mustangs slowly inching ahead.

Ken Pike in pre-season action
Ken Pike in pre-season action

The Raptors rookies, including Charlie Williams and Oz Kemal, were putting in solid performances. Ken Pike made good plays at shortstop to keep his side in the game, but the home team missed out on too many close plays. Rusty veteran Rob Jones was on the end of a frustating succession of “nearly plays” from third base.

It was 9-1 to Southampton going into the seventh inning, but then the wheels seemed to come off for Herts. Walks, errors and some good hits helped the Mustangs score 8 runs. Lefty relief pitcher Phil Gover came in and was able to stem the bleeding with his deceptive curve, and give Raptors one more chance to keep the game alive.

At this point, the Mustangs catcher had realised what his pitcher did not – Wrigley was in line for the first no-hitter in his club’s history. And the inning encapsulated the game. The first two Raptors hitters made good contact, but excellent play by the defence kept them off the bases. Then Wrigley’s control failed again and he issued a walk to Rob Jones, one of seven the pitcher gave up on the day. The runner stole second and stole third, but in that time the Mustangs’ starter had struck out the final Raptors batter. It was a convincing 17-1 win.

In the AA-division, Greg Bochan and Andy Cornish took their Herts Hawks to the south coast to face Poole Piranhas. It started badly, with Herts giving up 3 runs in each of the first three innings. Despite that, there were several attempts at a comeback, and Jeff Witter and Nick Russell helped the Hawks chip away.

Coach Bochan was pleased with the way his team performed, and there was “outstanding” work in the outfield by Hunter Devine and Ralph Bartholomew. The Hawks scored two more runs in the final innings, but it was never enough to overhaul the home side. Poole won 9-4.

The Herts club is still winless after two weeks of the season, but the managers are taking positives from what has happened so far. The first opponents have been some of the strongest in the various divisions, and Herts must take the lessons it has learned into fixtures which offer good hopes of a win.

The National League Herts Falcons had to reschedule their games against Croydon, and will instead go in search of their first win against the London Mets next week.

by AspiDimitrov

Since We’ve Been Gone

Recharging batteries after busy inning at third base

As the Jones family flew into the United States last week, what did I most notice out of the plane window?

Was it the skyscrapers? The huge, snaking interstate roads? No, it was the baseball fields. The sight of more and more of those distinctive cut-out diamonds warmed my heart. At one site there were about nine, all clustered together. Not a major league training complex, not a national centre. Just a few diamonds, casually sprinkled in the suburbs. It’s a different world over there.

We actually spent most of the holiday in Canada, where I took in my first Major League game for about five and a half years. The Toronto Blue Jays, who had started the season with a burst of runs and victories, hosted the Oakland Athletics. Jose Bautista was out of the line-up, most of the big stars have long been traded away, but the Blue Jays are still soldiering on. This game was a pitcher’s duel, coming down to a couple of manufactured runs and a wild pitch. Oakland won 2-1.

It didn’t win over the extended family to the joys of the game — “Swing miss, swing miss, swing miss, sit down” is still how my sister characterises baseball — but I certainly enjoyed the experience. And I got within just a few feet of one of those diamonds I had been excited about seeing from the air.

Sadly, while I was gone, the British season got under way without me. And it sounds as if it started badly for Herts. No wins. But it also sounds as if a much depleted Falcons side was only undone by one bad inning, and the Hawks and Raptors faced leading contenders from their divisions. It will take more than a defeat to dissipate the excitement of opening day. I know I can’t wait to get started, and I guess that the players who already have a game under their belts still feel that way too — they want to really get going, and get winning.

Part of the reason for my pwn enthusiasm is the boost from the Herts Spring League. Since we have a weekend off, I thought I would take the opportunity to reach back to the pre-season for some observations which never quite made it to the blog.

First of all I have to ask everyone involved one question — was that fun or was that fun? I usually refer to Spring Training in inverted commas, to suggest in my amusing little way that the experience is often cold and wintry. But it was pretty bright and sunny when I was there, and good baseball was to be found. It was great for Herts to attract another record number of teams for the tournament.

My own ailing physique actually found the experience quite reassuring. Since starting the year by moaning that my 38 year old body seemed to be creaking under the strain, I had tried doggedly to put in hours at the gym or on the streets. I can rarely get to baseball training but I can run home after doing the school drop-off, and my shifts at work have been kind in allowing me to get on the treadmill and lifting (suitably small) weights.

And I felt pretty good after playing two games. I was bleeding after ripping skin off my hand by misfielding a line drive, but what’s a bit of blood between friends? Overall, it’s nothing! I was ready for more.

I made my competitive debut as third base, often referred to as the Hot Corner. And it was like a firing range down there! There were drives over my head, balls along the line, and an infuriating bloop over my head. I managed to stop quite a few, with my legs, my chest and sometimes even my glove. One ball fair knocked me on my backside as it kicked up off the infield grass, and another I had to slide for in the gravel. But they both ended in the glove. The throws were a little too hurried and didn’t make it in time by inches. But that gives me stuff to work on.

For the record and for my ego I should say that I did make some outs, including a tag to cap off some good relay work from the outfield and snag an aggressive Herts Hawks runner.

As for the batting… well, the first against the Hawks was probably the worst I can think of for some time. Hitting second in the line-up and with a runner on first, I would almost never swing at the first pitch. Why would you? Even in any situation I am pretty patient, and won two batting titles basically on the fact that I wouldn’t swing at junk. So did I wait patiently and let my runner steal? Err, no. I watched the pitch, waited, and then the rush of blood became too much to contain so I swung at it. By then, though, it was far too late. It came off like a checked swing and hopped down to the first base man.

Fortunately the runner had enough of a jump that I didn’t hang him out to dry in a double play. And later at-bats were a bit better. My second ground-out to the Hawks was down to Nick Russell’s nifty fielding, and against the Redbacks I got three good hits and I’m pretty sure a walk thrown in too. So there’s another whiff of optimism as I count down to my own Opening Day. See you all there, as soon as I can.

by AspiDimitrov

Opening Day Disaster for Herts

The Herts teams couldn’t have imagined a worse start of the 2011 baseball season.  All four games involving Herts teams ended in defeat.  

  

The Herts Falcons faced the Southampton Mustangs in their home opener and they came into the game with a lot of confidence after a good run of results in Spring Training which included a convincing victory against the Mustangs.  Despite taking the lead in the first inning, the Falcons gradually lost grip of the game.  In the fifth inning the visitors delivered the knockout punch scoring 9 runs.  Southampton’s starting pitcher, Gary Davison, pitched a complete game allowing only 4 hits. He was shaken up only once when the Falcons’ 2009 MVP, Darrin  Ward, launched a towering 2-run home run over the left-field wall, but it came too late for Herts.   

 

The second game of the doubleheader was a much closer contest.  Chuck Truelson picked up the win for Southampton after Rodriguez came in very effectively to relieve him in the fourth inning.  Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, was gracious in defeat: “Southampton outplayed us and they deserved to win today. We need to bounce back now.”

 

The one positive for the Falcons is that they now have a two-week break which should be enough for their freakishly long list of injured players to recover including Jamie Munn (arm), Jon Lewys (ankle), Troy Linton (elbow), Nic Goetz (arm), Mahendra Prasad (hamstring), Aspi Dimitrov (shoulder).  They will face the Croydon Pirates in their next game on May 1, once again at Grovehill Ballpark.

 

The Herts Hawks were brought down to earth by a much improved Thames Valley team who, on today’s performance, should be able to challenge in the race for the postseason.  They have acquired the temperamental lefty starting pitcher, Matteo, from the Oxford Kings.  Despite pitching a blinder, he managed to get himself ejected from the game in the final inning with his team winning 16-5.

 

The Herts Raptors opened their campaign against the newly formed Cambridge Royals, who already look like the team to beat in the Single-A League.  With experienced players like Gary Liston, Adam Brown and Sri Lankan pitcher Raj, who fans of Herts know well, they have the tools to get to the postseason.  They won with a convincing 33-5 score against a Herts Raptors team that will be in much better shape in their next game with the return of some of the team’s big guns Arnie Longboy, Bryan Drummond, Chris Deacon, Phil Crooks, Rob Jones, Stephen Patmore and Tom Green.

 

A disappointing start of the season for the Herts teams, but those who dismiss their chances do so at their own peril.

 

 

BOX SCORES – GAME 1  

Southampton Mustangs at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Southampton Mustangs 1 2 1 1 9 0 1 0 15 18 3
Herts Falcons 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 4 7
Southampton Mustangs 15, Herts Falcons 5
Southampton Mustangs Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
AIZPURUA V. ss 4 2 2 2 PRASAD Mahendra cf 4 0 0 0
(b5) BIBBY R. rf-ss 2 0 0 0 SAIONJI Kimiyoshi 2b 2 2 0 0
DAVIS Ben 1b 5 1 4 3 WARD Darrin p 3 2 1 2
RODRIGUEZ A. cf 5 2 1 2 LINTON Troy 1b 4 1 1 1
SIERRA Oscar c 5 2 2 0 HARE Louis ss 2 0 0 0
DAVISON Gary p 5 2 2 0 LEWYS Jonathon rf 3 0 0 0
TRUELSON Chuck 3b 5 2 2 2 GOETZ Nic 3b 3 0 1 0
ARIETA Ross rf 5 2 2 1 DIMITROV Aspi lf 2 0 0 0
JOHNSON P. 2b 5 2 3 0 MANNING Lee c 2 0 1 0
COOPER A. lf 3 0 0 1 (t6) SHERMAN Perrie c 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 44 15 18 11 TEAM TOTALS 26 5 4 3
E: RODRIGUEZ A., DAVISON Gary, TRUELSON Chuck, HARE Louis(3), GOETZ Nic(2), LINTON
Troy, LEWYS Jonathon. LOB: Herts Falcons 5, Southampton Mustangs 10. 2B: DAVIS
Ben(3), DAVISON Gary, SIERRA Oscar, JOHNSON P., MANNING Lee. HR: RODRIGUEZ A.,
TRUELSON Chuck, WARD Darrin. SB: DAVIS Ben(2), TRUELSON Chuck, JOHNSON P., AIZPURUA
V., SAIONJI Kimiyoshi. CS: HARE Louis. SF: COOPER A..
Southampton Mustangs IP H R ER BB SO
DAVISON Gary W 7.00 4 5 2 5 6
Herts Falcons            
WARD Darrin L 7.00 18 15 8 1 2

  

   

 

BOX SCORES – GAME 2  

 

Southampton Mustangs at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Southampton Mustangs 3 3 1 0 4 0 0 11 12 5
Herts Falcons 2 0 3 0 0 3 0 8 6 5
Southampton Mustangs 11, Herts Falcons 8
Southampton Mustangs Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
AIZPURUA Victor 2b-ss 5 3 3 0 PRASAD Mahendra cf 4 1 2 2
DAVIS Ben cf 5 2 2 2 SAIONJI Kimiyoshi 2b 2 1 0 1
RODRIGUEZ A. 3b-p 5 2 2 0 WARD Darrin 1b 3 2 1 0
SIERRA O. c 4 3 2 6 LINTON Troy 3b-ss 4 0 0 0
DAVISON G. 1b 3 1 1 2 HARE Louis ss-p 4 1 1 2
TRUELSON Chuck p 2 0 0 0 LEWYS Jonathon lf 3 1 1 2
(b4) JOHNSON P. 2b 1 0 1 0 (t6) ARNOTT Jim rf 1 0 0 0
ARIETA Ross rf 4 0 1 0 GOETZ Nic p-3b 1 0 0 0
BIBBY R. ss-3b 4 0 0 0 (b3) DIMITROV Aspi 3b 3 0 1 1
COOPER A. lf 4 0 0 0 NAGHAR Rodney rf-lf 2 1 0 0
          MANNING Lee c 2 0 0 0
          (b6) SHERMAN Perrie pr-c 0 1 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 37 11 12 10 TEAM TOTALS 29 8 6 8
E: BIBBY R.(2), DAVIS Ben, RODRIGUEZ A., AIZPURUA Victor, LINTON Troy(2), HARE Louis,
MANNING Lee, NAGHAR Rodney. LOB: Herts Falcons 5, Southampton Mustangs 7. 2B: HARE
Louis, PRASAD Mahendra, DIMITROV Aspi. 3B: PRASAD Mahendra. HR: SIERRA O.(2), DAVISON
G.. SB: AIZPURUA Victor(2), DAVIS Ben, JOHNSON P.. SF: SAIONJI Kimiyoshi.
Southampton Mustangs IP H R ER BB SO
RODRIGUEZ A. 4.00 3 3 1 1 2
TRUELSON Chuck W 3.00 3 5 1 3 2
Herts Falcons            
HARE Louis 4.67 7 5 2 0 3
GOETZ Nic L 2.33 5 6 3 1 1
HBP: by GOETZ Nic (DAVISON G.). . . . . . . Balk: RODRIGUEZ A.. T: 2:30. A: 89.
by AspiDimitrov

Let the Battle Begin

Richmond won the NBL and AA league titles last year.  Who will it be this year?

 

The grass is cut, the foul lines have been marked out, the baseball gloves are well-oiled and the bats are ready to hit one out of the park.  British Baseball prepares for the opening of the 2011 season.  Clubs around the country have been preparing for this moment for the last six months. The time for talking is over. Let the battle for the league title begin.

 

Just like all the other clubs around the country, the Herts teams are eager to get the show started.  The club’s top team, the Herts Falcons will go into the new season with many new faces in their roster.  They had a promising run of pre-season results against other National Baseball League (NBL) opponents so there is an extra spring in their step. Newly appointed manager, Lee Manning who has been a member of the club since it was founded in 1996, is excited about the team’s prospects. “Everyone is relaxed and excited about the season.  The atmosphere has been great, and we’re really looking forward to it”, said Manning.

 

The Falcons start their 2011 NBL campaign at home against the Southampton Mustangs, a team which made it to last year’s postseason playoffs in their first season in the country’s top league.  The two teams met on Opening Day last year.  The Falcons swept the Mustangs on that occasion but despite this Southampton ended up much higher in the league standings by the end of the regular season, so, whatever happens in these Opening Day series, it will not determine where these two teams will end up in August, but there is no doubt that both of them would want to get off to a winning start.

 

The Herts Hawks open the season away at the Thames Valley Bisons.  The Hawks roster looks much stronger than last year so it is not a secret that the club is very optimistic that the Hawks may have an outside chance of getting into the postseason playoffs. Co-Managers Greg Bochan and Andy Cornish have been preparing and planning meticulously for this day so now it is time to deliver.

 

The Herts Raptors ended last season with one win and twelve losses, but despite this it was a fun season with the team members embracing the underdog spirit.  Herts has once again attracted a wave of new players who are new to baseball so Manager Ken Pike will have the difficult task of turning them into a team which is capable of surprising the league against the odds.  The team had moments of brilliance during the Herts Spring League which included a spirited fightback against the Essex RedBacks only to lose 16-17 in the final inning, so the Raptors’ prospects may not be as bad as some may think.

 

OPENING DAY GAMES FOR THE HERTS TEAMS

Sunday, 17 April 2011

 

National Baseball League

Southampton Mustangs @ Herts Falcons (12:30pm)

Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

 

AA League

Herts Hawks @ Thames Valley Bisons (12:00pm)

Thames Valley

 

A League

Cambridge Royals @ Herts Raptors (14:00pm)

Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

by AspiDimitrov

BBF releases league structure for 2011 season

51 adult teams will play at four levels and in ten divisions during the 2011 British Baseball season, according to the league structure released by the British Baseball Federation on March 30.

The British Baseball Federation has released the league and divisional structures for the 2011 baseball season that will begin for all leagues on Sunday, April 17.

51 adult teams will play at four levels and in ten divisions during the 2011 season.

The flagship National Baseball League has expanded again this year, to 10 teams in two pools.

The AAA level will have North and South divisions, with four teams in the North and six in the South.

At AA level, there will be North and Midlands divisions with five teams each and two South divisions with seven teams in one and six in the other.

At A level, there will be two divisions, both in the South, and both with four teams each.

The playoff and National Championship structure that will emerge from these divisions will be announced by the BBF shortly.

Meanwhile, here is how the teams will line up for play this season.

NBL

Pool A
Bracknell Blazers
Croydon Pirates
Essex Arrows
Richmond Flames
Southampton Mustangs
 
Pool B
Herts Falcons
Lakenheath Diamondbacks
London Mets
Mildenhall Bulldogs
Southern Nationals

 

AAA

AAA North
Halton Jaguars
Liverpool Trojans
Manchester A’s
Menwith Hill Patriots
 
AAA South
Bracknell Blazers II
Bristol Badgers
Essex Redbacks
London Metros
Oxford Kings
Richmond Knights

AA

AA North
Bolton Robots of Doom
Humber Pilots
Manchester Torrent
Oldham North Stars
Sheffield Bladerunners
 
AA Midlands
Birmingham Maple Leafs
Leicester Blue Sox
Leicester Blue Sox II
Milton Keynes Bucks
Nottingham Rebels
 
AA South 1
Brentwood Stags
Croydon Pirates III
Essex Archers
Essex Redbacks II
Kent Mariners
Latin Boys
Sidewinders
 
AA South 2
Guildford Mavericks
Herts Hawks
Poole Piranhas
Richmond Dragons
Thames Valley Bisons
Windsor Bears
 

A

A South 1
Braintree Rays
Cambridge Royals
Herts Raptors
Old Timers
 
A South 2
Guildford Mavericks II
London Marauders
Southampton Mustangs II
Tonbridge Baseball Club
This article was first published at britishbaseball.com
by AspiDimitrov

RICHMOND AND MK WIN THRILLING HSL FINALS

 

Richmond clinched the 2011 Herts Spring League Championship in the Majors Division, while the Milton Keynes Bucks were crowned Champions of the Minors Division.

 

Twenty teams played 46 games over the last three weekends as part of the annual Herts Spring League competition. This was the final rehearsal for the teams from the British baseball leagues before the start of the new baseball season.

 

Over the years the teams have become accustomed to the unpredictable weather during this Spring competition, but this year, and this weekend in particular, the games were played in weather conditions which we can expect only in the height of summer.  Temperatures were as high as 23oC and the barbeques were out in force around Grovehill Ballpark in Herts.

 

Once the first pitch was thrown it was all about the baseball and we were not disappointed.  Both the Majors and Minors Finals were decided by a one-run difference and everyone was kept on the edge of their seat right to the end. 

 

In the Majors Division the Richmond Flames clashed with the newly formed Southern Nationals.  At the end, the 2010 National Champions, Richmond, came out on top with a dramatic 6-5 win.

 

In the Minors Division Final, we saw a repeat of the 2010 Single-A National Final between the Milton Keynes Bucks and the Guildford Mavericks.  The game was played at exactly the same venue in Hemel Hempstead and again turned out to be a classic match-up.  The MK Bucks were once again victorious, but it took everything they had in their tank to win 11-10.

 

The remaining teams in the competition also played their final games.  Herts Falcons, Lakenheath Diamondbacks and Mildenhall Bulldogs played in a three-way playoff to determine the Bronze medallists in the HSL Majors.  Each team won one and lost one so it came down to who conceded the fewest number of runs in these games.  On the basis of that rule Mildenhall was confirmed as the winner of the 3rd Place Playoff.  Lakenheath finished fourth and the Herts Falcons fifth.  Bracknell finished 6th. Essex Arrows secured 7th Place after an impressive 11-8 win against their old rivals, the Southampton Mustangs.  The Sidewinders beat the Herts Hawks 10-4 to finish fifth in the HSL Minors.  Ahead of their first season back in the British baseball leagues, the Cambridge Royals won convincingly against the Leicester Blue Sox. Finally, despite a late fight back by the Herts Raptors, the London Marauders came out on top 13-10.

 

All attention now turns to next Sunday’s Opening Day of the 2011 British baseball season.  If the Herts Spring League is an indication of what we can expect this year then we are in for one of the most exciting seasons in recent times.

 

For full details of the scores in the final weekend of HSL action visit the official HSL website.

by AspiDimitrov

HSL GROUP GAMES END WITH TIE-BREAKS AND PHENOMENAL COMEBACKS

 

  

The group stage of the 2011 Herts Spring League was completed in dramatic fashion at the weekend with battles for positions in both the Majors and Minors Divisions. 

  

In Majors A Richmond clinched first place after maintaining their unbeaten record with wins over Southampton (5-0) and Herts (1-0).  Herts Falcons’ 18-2 win over the RedBacks secured second place for them.  The Bracknell Blazers finished in third place despite a catastrophic last inning collapse against the RedBacks.  The boys from Essex were trailing 6-0 going into the last inning but came out like mad men with their baseball bats in the bottom of the inning to win 7-6.  Bracknell bounced back with a 4-1 win over Southampton. 

  

Richmond’s opponents in the HSL Championship game required a careful mathematical calculation as three teams in Majors B Division ended up with the same number of wins.  Ultimately the Southern Nationals clinched on the second tie-break rule which states that the team which has conceded the fewest number of runs in the direct games amongst the tied teams will be placed first. 

  

In the Minors Division the Championship game will be between the Guildford Mavericks and the MK Bucks, after both won all of their group games.  This would be a repeat of the 2010 Single-A National Final when the two teams produced an classic pitchers’ duel. 

  

For full list of scores from the group stage and the final group standings you can visit the official HSL website. 

  

This sets up an exciting schedule for the Finals this weekend with games taking place at Richmond and Herts.  Ideally, the Final would be played at Herts but by virtue of Richmond being scheduled to host games at their field this weekend it was logistically difficult to stage the Final anywhere else. 

DATE TIME VENUE FINALS VISITING TEAM HOME TEAM
09-Apr-11 11:00 Herts (Field1) Finals MAJ 3rd/4th/5th Herts Falcons Mildenhall Bulldogs
09-Apr-11 12:45 Herts (Field1) Finals MAJ 3rd/4th/5th Mildenhall Bulldogs Lakenheath Diamondbacks
09-Apr-11 14:30 Herts (Field1) Finals MAJ 3rd/4th/5th Lakenheath Diamondbacks Herts Falcons
09-Apr-11 10:30 Herts (Field2) Finals MAJ 7th/8th Essex Arrows Southampton Mustangs
09-Apr-11 13:30 Herts (Field2) Finals MIN 9th/10th Herts Raptors London Marauders
09-Apr-11 10:00 Richmond Finals MIN 3rd/4th Richmond Knights Essex Redbacks II
09-Apr-11 13:00 Richmond Finals MAJ 9th/10th GB Juniors Essex Redbacks
09-Apr-11 16:00 Richmond Finals MAJ 1st/2nd Southern Nationals Richmond Flames
10-Apr-11 11:00 Herts (Field2) Finals MIN 7th/8th Cambridge Royals Leicester Blue Sox
10-Apr-11 14:00 Herts (Field1) Finals MIN 5th/6th Herts Hawks Sidewinders
10-Apr-11 14:00 Herts (Field2) Finals MIN 1st/2nd Guildford Mavericks Milton Keynes Bucks