Category: Raptors

by AspiDimitrov

(VIDEO) BISONS ROLL OVER RAPTORS, PETE KIKEL BACK ON THE MOUND AS PART OF REHAB PROGRAMME

 

Herts Raptors at Thames Valley
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Raptors 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 10 0
Thames Valley 2 3 1 5 0 2 0 13 14 0

Thames Valley 13, Herts Raptors 1
Thames Valley Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player1 c 4 0 0 0 Andrew Slater 3b 4 1 1 0
Player2 p 2 2 2 1 Jon Lewys 1b-c 4 0 3 0
Player3 1b 3 3 1 0 Mark Hoffmann p-1b 4 0 0 0
Player4 3b 5 0 2 2 Pete Kikel 2b-p 4 0 2 0
Player5 2b 4 0 1 1 Craig Witney ss 3 0 1 0
Player6 ss 4 2 2 1 Steve Nippress cf 2 0 0 0
Player7 rf 1 2 1 1 Jake Kikel c-2b 2 0 1 0
Player8 lf 4 2 2 1 Rob Crouch rf-lf 2 0 0 0
Player9 sf 4 2 3 2 James Roberts lf-rf 3 0 2 0
TEAM TOTALS 31 13 14 9 TEAM TOTALS 28 1 10 0

LOB: Thames Valley 9, Herts Raptors 10. 2B: Player5, Player7. SB: Player6(4),
Player2(4), Player3(2), Player7(2), Player9(2), Player4, Pete Kikel(2), Craig
Witney(2), Andrew Slater, Jon Lewys, Jake Kikel.

Thames Valley IP H R ER BB SO
Player2 W 7.00 10 1 0 3 8
Herts Raptors            
Mark Hoffmann L 4.00 12 11 9 3 7
Pete Kikel 2.00 2 2 2 4 2

HBP: by Mark Hoffmann (Player3). . , by Mark Hoffmann (Player7). . . , by Player2
(Jake Kikel). . PB: Player1, Jake Kikel(3). Balk: Player2. T: 0:00. A: 0.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 1st:
Andrew Slater struck out swinging.
Jon Lewys singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd.
Mark Hoffmann struck out looking.
Pete Kikel singled, stole 2nd.
Craig Witney struck out looking.
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Thames Valley – Bottom of the 1st:
Player1 struck out looking.
Player2 singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on passed ball.
Player3 hit by pitch, batted forward to 2nd, advanced to 3rd on passed ball, advanced
to home on passed ball.
Player4 struck out looking.
Player5 doubled.
Player6 flied out.
2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 2nd:
Steve Nippress popped out.
Jake Kikel struck out looking.
Rob Crouch walked, batted forward to 2nd.
James Roberts singled.
Andrew Slater struck out looking.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Thames Valley – Bottom of the 2nd:
Player7 walked, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Player8 singled, batted forward to home.
Player9 singled, batted forward to home, 1 RBI.
Player1 struck out looking.
Player2 singled, batted forward to 2nd, stole 3rd.
Player3 struck out looking.
Player4 singled, stole 2nd, 2 RBI.
Player5 struck out looking.
3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 3rd:
Jon Lewys struck out looking.
Mark Hoffmann struck out looking.
Pete Kikel flied out.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Thames Valley – Bottom of the 3rd:
Player6 singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Player7 hit by pitch, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd.
Player8 struck out looking.
Player9 grounded out, 1 RBI.
Player1 called out by interference.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 4th:
Craig Witney walked, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, tagged out going to home.
Steve Nippress struck out looking.
Jake Kikel singled, stole 2nd.
Rob Crouch grounded out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Thames Valley – Bottom of the 4th:
Player3 singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Player4 popped out.
Player5 struck out looking.
Player6 singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home, 1 RBI.
Player7 doubled, batted forward to home, 1 RBI.
Player8 singled, batted forward to home, 1 RBI.
Player9 singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, stole home.
Player1 walked, batted forward to 2nd.
Player2 walked, 1 RBI.
Player3 flied out.
5 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 5th:
James Roberts singled, batted forward to 3rd.
Andrew Slater popped out.
Jon Lewys singled, batted forward to 2nd.
Mark Hoffmann grounded out.
Pete Kikel grounded out.
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Thames Valley – Bottom of the 5th:
Player4 singled, left base early, called out.
Player6 walked, batted forward to 3rd.
Player7 walked, batted forward to 2nd.
Player8 struck out looking.
Player9 singled.
Player1 struck out looking.
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 6th:
Craig Witney reached first base, batted forward to 3rd.
Steve Nippress walked, batted forward to 2nd.
Jake Kikel hit by pitch, tagged out going to 2nd.
Rob Crouch flied out.
James Roberts grounded out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Thames Valley – Bottom of the 6th:
Player2 walked, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, stole home.
Player3 walked, batted forward to 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Player4 grounded out.
Player5 grounded out, 1 RBI.
Player6 grounded out.
2 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Top of the 7th:
Andrew Slater singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on passed
ball.
Jon Lewys singled, advanced to 2nd on passed ball, tagged out going to 3rd.
Mark Hoffmann popped out.
Pete Kikel singled, advanced to 2nd on balk, stole 3rd.
Craig Witney popped out.
1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
by AspiDimitrov

RAPTORS’ SPIRITED COME BACK NOT ENOUGH

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire correspondent, ROB JONES

The history books will show this another defeat for the newest Herts baseball team, but they won’t show how mighty close it was. The Raptors showed a lot of heart to stage a late rally, and nearly snatched a game that they can look back on with pride.

Things started badly for Raptors, with their first three batters going down weakly, and after loading the bases in the second they left empty-handed again. Bracknell had already started their steady accumulation of runs and they led 7-0 by the bottom of the third. Then with two outs the Raptors at last started to chip away at the lead – outfielder Steve Nippress driving in two runs. Rob Jones brought in two more in the next inning but Herts then hit a bad patch. Relief pitcher Humberto Goncalves struggled with his control, and fielding errors allowed four more Bracknell runners to cross the plate. Raptors now found themselves 12-4 down, and time was running out. Could they turn it around?

The first step was snuffing out the Blazers’ offense, and the new closer Rod Ariss did just that. He helped his own cause with a hit and a run in the bottom of the seventh and then, in the bottom of the eighth, the Raptors bats finally came alive. The team batted around, chasing the starting pitcher from the game and capitalising on the reliever’s slow start. There were RBI’s for Nick Russell and Pete Cox, and for Ilya Dimitrov, who beat out a spinning infield hit off the end of his bat to bring in two more runs.

Now it was crunch time. Bracknell were getting rattled, having seen a commanding lead slip away. They argued strikes, they argued calls, they even argued the score, and the officials had to hold a long conference before it was decided that the visitors led just 14-12. Their mood didn’t improve when Rod Ariss closed them down completely in the top of the ninth, striking out the final two batters he faced. For the first time in the game, Blazers had been held scoreless.

The Herts catcher Andy Ringrose started things off well, pulling a triple down the left field line. Hopes were raised of a truly dramatic finale, but the Raptors couldn’t bring him home. The final out was a tantalising, soaring drive, that came down too close to a waiting fielder. On this day, it simply wasn’t to be.

Herts Raptors again showed great team spirit, lively batting, aggressive running, and overall improved defense. They will be frustrated by the loss, but can take many positives into their next game at Thames Valley, and hopes are high of a win this time.

 

 

Bracknell Blazers II at Herts Raptors
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Template Team 3 1 3 1 2 2 1 1 0 14 9 1
Herts Raptors 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 6 0 12 13 5

Bracknell Blazers II 14, Herts Raptors 12
Template Team Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 3 2 1 0 Rob Jones 1b 5 2 2 2
Player 2 c 4 1 3 3 Andy Ringrose c 5 1 2 0
Player 3 1b 4 1 0 0 Andrew Slater 3b 5 1 0 0
Player 4 2b 5 3 2 1 Rod Ariss ss-p 6 2 4 1
Player 5 3b 3 3 1 2 Steve Nippress lf 4 1 2 3
Player 6 ss 5 2 2 4 Carlos Casal cf 5 2 1 1
Player 7 lf 5 0 0 0 Jake Kikel p 1 1 1 0
Player 8 cf 4 2 0 1 (t5) Humberto Goncalves p 0 0 0 0
Player 9 rf 3 0 0 0 (t7) Nick Russell ss 1 1 0 1
Pete Cox 2b 3 0 0 1
Ilya Dimitrov rf 4 1 1 2
TEAM TOTALS 36 14 9 11 TEAM TOTALS 39 12 13 11

E: Player 5, Rob Jones(2), Andrew Slater, Carlos Casal, Pete Cox. LOB: Herts Raptors
12, Template Team 12. 2B: Player 6(2), Player 5, Rod Ariss. 3B: Steve Nippress. SB:
Player 1(4), Player 6(3), Player 3(2), Player 4(2), Player 5(2), Player 2(2), Player
8, Player 9, Rod Ariss(3), Ilya Dimitrov(2), Rob Jones(2), Jake Kikel, Carlos Casal,
Steve Nippress. CS: Player 5, Player 2, Player 9(2), Rob Jones. SB: Player 7.

Bracknell Blazers II IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 9.00 13 12 10 9 9
Herts Raptors            
Jake Kikel L 4.00 7 8 5 5 7
Rod Ariss 3.00 2 2 1 0 4
Humberto Goncalves 2.00 0 4 1 10 3

HBP: by Player 1 (Steve Nippress). . . . . . , by Rod Ariss (Player 3), by Player 1
(Andy Ringrose), by Player 1 (Carlos Casal). . PB: Player 2, Andy Ringrose(5). Balk:
Player 1. T: 3:00. A: 0.

by AspiDimitrov

.500 RECORD FOR HERTS TEAMS AT THE LONDON TOURNAMENT

 

The Herts Falcons and the Herts Hawks may not have achieved what they set out to do, but there were many positives to be taken from another memorable London Tournament.  On Day One the Falcons managed to win convincingly against Northampton and the Great Britain Cadets.  This put them on top of their First Round Group.  The French team, Saints, manage dot do the same and they both found themselves not only with the same win-loss record but with exactly the same run difference of +23.  Rather than opting for the toss of a coin the organisers decided to use Saturday Night’s Home Run Derby contest as a tie-breaker.  The three French sluggers put up 4 home runs on the board, which seemed to be beyond the reach of the three Falcons representatives, Kimiyoshi Saionji, Darrin Ward and Dan Kerry who had hit two home runs earlier in the day.  But Darrin Ward had different ideas in mind.  The ball was exploding off his 20-year old bat.  He matched the 4 home runs hit by the French team and that took the contest to a sudden death final round.  The Saints and the Falcons picked their best home run hitters, Alex and Darrin, respectively and once again Darrin produced a masterful performance with another 4 home runs.  This was a tense moment for the large crowd which had gathered on field 1, and especially for the on-looking Saints and Falcons players.  At stake was not only first place finish in the First Round Group, but also the coveted 11am game start on Sunday.  For the losers the dreaded 9am game start which would mean that the traditional Saturday’ Night Out for the players may have to be drastically scaled-down, if that is at all possible.

 

With the Herts contingent heckling every swing , Alex managed to hit 3 big home runs but that was not enough and so the Falcons went on to clinch top spot in the rgoup. 

 

Unfortunately for the Falcons, the excitement of Day One seemed to take all the energy out of the team and Day Two ended in disappointment with two heavy losses to the National League Croydon Pirates and the Great Britain Junior Team which is preparing for its European Championships qualifying campaign. 

 

It was down to the Herts Hawks to keep Hertfordshire hopes of silverware alive.  They picked up a win in their first game on Saturday against the Brentwood Stags but lost to the hosts in game 2.  This meant that on Day Two the Hawks were to battle in the Frank Brady Trophy bracket of the Tournament.  They won 6-1 against the AAA Badgers from Bristol to set up a decider against the Medway Mariners.  With the time-limit looming, the Mariners had a 3-2 lead.  With 2 out the Hawks loaded the bases, but it wasn’t to be.  The Hawks ended the tournament with a very respectful record of 2 wins and 2 losses and with their Home Run Derby representative, Louis Hare, hitting a long home run out of the park in the Home Run Derby Contest.

 

With the venue’s four fields positioned so close to each other there was a worrying moment for everyone connected with Herts Baseball Club as a foul ball from Field 3 hit 14-year old Herts prospect, Luis Goncalves, on the back of the head.  Medical reports have confirmed that there is no serious damage which is good news for the club with the league season heading into its final two months.  Hawks Manager, Carlos Casal, sustained a wrist injury in a defensive play and the club is awaiting news.

 

SATURDAY'S BOX SCORES

 

Herts Falcons at Northampton
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Herts Falcons 0 7 0 4 3 14 13 2
Northampton 0 0 1 1 2 4 4 2

Herts Falcons 14, Northampton 4
Herts Falcons Northampton
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Andy Cornish lf-cf 3 2 2 1 Player 1 p 2 0 0 0
Jason Greenberg 3b 3 1 0 0 Player 2 c 3 0 0 0
Dan Kerry cf 2 0 0 0 Player 3 1b 2 2 1 0
(t4) Aspi Dimitrov p 1 2 1 0 Player 4 2b 1 1 0 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 2 1 0 1 Player 5 3b 2 0 1 2
Marty Cullen 1b 4 3 3 1 Player 6 ss 3 1 1 0
Darrin Ward dh-rf 4 2 3 3 Player 7 lf 2 0 1 0
Greg Bochan rf-lf 4 1 2 1 Player 8 cf 2 0 0 0
Kal Dimitrov c 2 1 1 1 Player 9 rf 1 0 0 0
Lee Manning ss 2 1 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 27 14 13 9 TEAM TOTALS 18 4 4 2

E: Lee Manning(2), Player 5, Player 9. LOB: Northampton 3, Herts Falcons 6. 2B:
Player 5. SB: Jason Greenberg(2), Marty Cullen(2), Dan Kerry, Aspi Dimitrov,
Kimiyoshi Saionji, Player 3(3), Player 4, Player 6, Player 7. SF: Kimiyoshi Saionji,
Player 9.

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Aspi Dimitrov W 5.00 4 4 3 2 5
Northampton            
Player 1 L 4.67 13 14 11 4 1

HBP: by Aspi Dimitrov (Player 3). , by Player 1 (Kimiyoshi Saionji). . , by Player 1
(Jason Greenberg). . WP: Aspi Dimitrov(2), Player 1(2). T: 1:45. A: 0.

GB Cadets at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
GB Cadets 3 0 0 0 0 3 2 0
Herts Falcons 3 4 3 6 0 16 11 1

Herts Falcons 16, GB Cadets 3
Herts Falcons GB Cadets
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Andy Cornish c 2 4 2 1 Player 1 p 3 1 1 0
Jason Greenberg 3b 3 2 1 4 Player 2 c 1 1 0 0
Dan Kerry cf 2 4 2 5 Player 3 1b 2 1 1 2
Kimiyoshi Saionji dh 3 0 1 3 Player 4 2b 2 0 0 0
Lee Manning 2b 3 0 0 0 Player 5 3b 1 0 0 0
Luis Goncalves ss 3 1 2 2 Player 6 ss 2 0 0 0
Darrin Ward 1b 2 1 0 0 Player 7 lf 2 0 0 0
Greg Bochan lf 3 1 1 0 Player 8 cf 1 0 0 0
Aspi Dimitrov rf 2 3 2 1 Player 9 rf 1 0 0 0
Marty Cullen p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 23 16 11 16 TEAM TOTALS 15 3 2 2

E: Luis Goncalves. LOB: Herts Falcons 4, GB Cadets 5. 2B: Andy Cornish. 3B: Dan
Kerry. HR: Dan Kerry. SB: Dan Kerry(2), Jason Greenberg, Andy Cornish, Kimiyoshi
Saionji, Luis Goncalves, Aspi Dimitrov, Player 1(2), Player 2(2).

Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Marty Cullen W 4.00 2 3 2 4 3
GB Cadets            
Player 1 L 4.00 11 16 15 9 3

HBP: by Marty Cullen (Player 8). . WP: Marty Cullen, Player 1(3). T: 1:45. A: 0.

Bristol Badgers at Herts Hawks
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Bristol Badgers 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 1
Herts Hawks 0 1 1 0 4 0 6 5 1

Herts Hawks 6, Bristol Badgers 1
Herts Hawks Bristol Badgers
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Luis Goncalves ss 2 1 1 0 Player 1 p 3 0 1 0
Carlos Casal 3b 2 2 2 1 Player 2 c 3 0 0 0
John Oliver 1b 1 1 0 0 Player 3 1b 3 0 1 2
Louis Hare p 2 1 0 0 Player 4 2b 0 1 0 0
Dave Westfallen c 3 1 1 0 Player 5 3b 2 0 0 0
Kal Dimitrov cf 2 0 1 1 Player 6 ss 2 0 1 0
Humberto Goncalves 2b 3 0 0 0 Player 7 lf 2 0 0 0
Jake Kikel lf 2 0 0 1 Player 8 cf 2 0 1 0
Ilya Dimitrov rf 3 0 0 0 Player 9 rf 2 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 20 6 5 3 TEAM TOTALS 19 1 4 2

E: Ilya Dimitrov, Player 5. LOB: Bristol Badgers 4, Herts Hawks 7. 2B: Luis
Goncalves. 3B: Player 3. SB: Dave Westfallen(2), Luis Goncalves, Kal Dimitrov, Player
4(4), Player 1.

Herts Hawks IP H R ER BB SO
Louis Hare W 5.33 4 1 0 3 7
Bristol Badgers            
Player 1 L 4.67 5 6 2 6 3

HBP: by Player 1 (Jake Kikel). . PB: Player 2(4). T: 1:40. A: 0.

Croydon Pirates at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 R H E
Croydon Pirates 5 6 4 8 23 18 0
Herts Falcons 0 0 0 0 0 2 9

Croydon Pirates 23, Herts Falcons 0
Croydon Pirates Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 6 ss 5 2 3 1 Luis Goncalves ss 2 0 0 0
Player 8 cf 5 3 3 5 Andy Cornish 3b 2 0 1 0
Player 7 lf 4 3 2 2 Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 2 0 0 0
Player 5 3b 3 4 1 0 Dan Kerry cf 2 0 0 0
Player 1 p 4 4 4 2 Darrin Ward p 1 0 0 0
Player 3 1b 3 2 2 2 Marty Cullen 1b 1 0 0 0
Player 4 2b 4 2 1 3 Greg Bochan rf 1 0 0 0
Player 9 rf 2 2 0 0 Aspi Dimitrov lf 1 0 1 0
Player 2 c 4 1 2 2 Lee Manning c 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 34 23 18 17 TEAM TOTALS 13 0 2 0

E: Marty Cullen(3), Lee Manning(2), Luis Goncalves(2), Dan Kerry, Kimiyoshi Saionji.
LOB: Herts Falcons 1, Croydon Pirates 4. 2B: Player 6, Player 1, Player 4. HR: Player
8, Player 7. SB: Player 7, Player 6, Player 9, Andy Cornish.

Croydon Pirates IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 4.00 2 0 0 0 4
Herts Falcons            
Darrin Ward L 4.00 18 23 10 4 4

HBP: by Darrin Ward (Player 9). . . WP: Darrin Ward. PB: Lee Manning(4). T: 1:40. A:
0.

Herts Hawks at Medway Mariners
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Herts Hawks 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 6 2
Medway Mariners 0 2 0 0 1 2 5 8 2

Medway Mariners 5, Herts Hawks 2
Medway Mariners Herts Hawks
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 3 1 0 0 Luis Goncalves ss 2 0 0 0
Player 2 c 2 1 1 0 (b4) Andy Cornish ss 1 0 0 0
Player 3 1b 4 0 2 1 Carlos Casal 3b 3 0 1 0
Player 4 2b 4 0 0 0 John Oliver p 3 0 0 0
Player 5 3b 3 0 0 0 Louis Hare 1b 3 1 2 0
Player 6 ss 3 1 2 0 Dave Westfallen c 2 1 1 0
Player 7 lf 2 2 1 0 Kal Dimitrov rf-2b 3 0 0 1
Player 8 cf 2 0 1 0 Humberto Goncalves 2b 2 0 0 0
Player 9 rf 2 0 1 2 (b4) Ilya Dimitrov rf 1 0 1 0
Jake Kikel lf 3 0 0 0
Dave Hamilton cf 3 0 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 25 5 8 3 TEAM TOTALS 26 2 6 1

E: Player 6, Player 5, Dave Westfallen, Andy Cornish. LOB: Herts Hawks 7, Medway
Mariners 8. 2B: Dave Hamilton. SB: Player 2(2), Player 7, Jake Kikel. SB: Player 8.

Medway Mariners IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 6.00 6 2 0 2 4
Herts Hawks            
John Oliver L 6.00 8 5 3 5 3

WP: Player 1. PB: Player 2, Dave Westfallen. T: 1:40. A: 0.

 

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS BASEBALL CLUB ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR WEEK SCHEDULE

One of the great weeks on the baseball calendar is Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week.  Herts Baseball Club also tries to recreate this great tradition here in the United Kingdom by running events alongside those which take place on the other side of the Atlantic. 

 

Herts Baseball Club has just announced the events schedule for All-Star Week.

 

Saturday, 12 July 2008

Members of the Herts AAA, AA and A adult teams will head South for this year’s International London Tournament held in Croydon over two days.  Most hotel rooms in that part of London have already been booked as Herts Baseball Club members intend to make an all-out invasion of Croydon.  For the first time in its history, the club has entered two teams in what is arguably the biggest adult baseball event in this country.   The tournament game schedule will be confirmed a few days before the event.  In the evening, following the first day of games, the Tournament will stage the annual Home Run Derby.

 

Sunday, 13 July 2008

Day 2 of the International London Tournament including the deciding games to determine the winners and the losers.

 

Monday, 14 July 2008

(TV) 01:00am 2008 MLB Home-Run Derby (Watch it live on MLB.COM)

MLB .COM is currently running some promotional campaigns which offer the opportunity to watch one week of MLB TV free of charge.

 

Tuesday, 15 July 2008

(TV) 01:05am MLB 2008 All-Star Game, American League vs National league (Watch it live on Channel Five)

 

Wednesday, 16 July 2008

5:45pm, Herts Raptors will be joined by Milwaukee Brewers Coach, Sam Dempster for a special training session at Grovehill Ballpark.  This session is also open to Herts Hawks, Herts Falcons and potential new member of the club.  If you are not a member and you would like to give baseball a go please contact us for details how to take part in this special training session baseball@hertsbaseball.com

 

Thursday, 17 July 2008

4:00pm, Herts Baseball Little League Players will be joined by Milwaukee Brewers Coach, Sam Dempster for a training session at Grovehill Ballpark. 

 

5:45pm, Herts Falcons will be joined by Milwaukee Brewers Coach, Sam Dempster for a special training session at Grovehill Ballpark.  

 

Saturday, 19 July 2008

9:30 – 10:30 – Herts Baseball Little League Clinic run by Great Britain Baseball National Team Coaches

 

10:30 – 1:00 – Herts Baseball Little League (Yankees @ Red Sox, Blue Jays @ Cubs, Cubs @ Yankees, Red Sox @ Blue Jays)

 

1:30pm – GB Juniors National Team vs GB Seniors Trialists

Great opportunity for baseball fans in and around Hertfordshire to take a look at some of the best young baseball players in Great Britain.

 

Sunday, 20 July 2008

11:00pm, AA League: Herts Hawks vs Brentwood Stags, Grovehill Ballpark

 

3:00pm,  Single-A League: Herts Raptors vs Bracknell Blazers, Grovehill Ballpark

by AspiDimitrov

RAPTORS DOWNED BY ARROWS

 

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, HUNTER DEVINE

 

The Raptors faced their rivals, the Arrows 2, for the fourth time this season, leading the season series two games to one. However, it was the Arrows who would walk away victors in this match up, powered by a homerun and many other timely hits.

Manager, Jake Kikel, started for the Raptors, however, struggled with control due to the harsh winds in the area. He was not added either by the defence in the early goings either, and eventually gave way to relief pitcher Mark Hoffman who pitched well, but could not hold the surging Arrows back. The game was relatively close until the Arrows pulled ahead by a wide margin, putting victory out of reach for the Raptors.

The Raptor hitting remains a positive point as they continue to score runs with relative ease. Defence will obviously be on the agenda in training for the next few weeks, the Raptors next match being a month away.

 

Essex Arrows 2 at Herts Raptors
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Essex Arrows 2 2 5 2 4 3 1 8 25 26 0
Herts Raptors 4 0 0 2 8 0 0 14 12 6

Essex Arrows 2 25, Herts Raptors 14
Essex Arrows 2 Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 7 6 6 4 Hunter Devine 2b 4 3 2 1
Player 2 c 5 1 2 2 Jake Kikel p-xf1 1 2 0 0
Player 3 1b 4 2 1 0 Paul Hawes rf-1b 2 2 1 1
Player 4 2b 5 1 2 2 Rod Ariss cf 4 2 2 1
Player 5 3b 4 2 4 3 Mark Hoffman 1b-p 5 1 2 2
Player 6 ss 3 2 0 0 Andy Ringrose c 1 1 1 2
Player 7 lf 5 3 4 2 Andrew Slater 3b 5 0 1 2
Player 8 cf 5 4 3 1 Ilya Dimitrov lf 4 1 2 1
Player 9 rf 5 4 4 5 Pete Cox ss-2b 5 1 1 1
Robert Crouch rf 0 1 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 43 25 26 19 TEAM TOTALS 31 14 12 11

E: Andrew Slater(3), Pete Cox(2), Andy Ringrose. LOB: Herts Raptors 11, Essex Arrows
2 13. 2B: Player 7(2), Player 1, Player 9, Hunter Devine. HR: Player 9. SB: Player
1(8), Player 2(5), Player 3(4), Player 4(2), Player 5(2), Player 9(2), Player 8(2),
Player 7, Hunter Devine(6), Jake Kikel(2), Andy Ringrose, Ilya Dimitrov, Pete Cox,
Robert Crouch.

Essex Arrows 2 IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 7.00 12 14 13 14 9
Herts Raptors            
Jake Kikel L 3.33 15 13 9 7 6
Mark Hoffman 3.00 11 12 7 5 5

HBP: by Jake Kikel (Player 3), by Player 1 (Hunter Devine). . . , by Jake Kikel
(Player 9). . . . PB: Player 2, Andy Ringrose(2). T: 4:00. A: 30.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS RAPTORS SUFFER A DAY FULL OF LOSSES.

Report by Herts Baseball Newswire reporter, HUNTER DEVINE

The Herts Raptors suffered their second walk off loss of the season on Sunday, falling 18-17 to the Braintree Rays. In both cases the Raptors had sizable leads only to watch them slip away through poor defence.

Leading 10-2 through the first half of the game, Jake Kikel had thrown a gem of a game and the Raptors bench were talking of slaughter rule victories a bit too soon as the Rays struck back reducing the once sizeable lead to a mere few tallies.

The Raptors refused to surrender however, never actually giving up their lead, and adding extra runs on heading into the bottom of the 9th with a three run lead and Mark Hoffman on the mound. With two outs, bases empty and the game tied, the Rays relief pitcher smacked a ball, splitting the outfielders whom could not retrieve it in time due to their lack of speed and the lack of a fence, allowing the runner to come home and win the game.

It should be noted that the Raptors played with exactly 9 players all day, where as the Rays had 15 and made numerous substitutes. However, that is still no consolation.

There were positive aspects in the game, though. Andrew Slater, in his first game back after a two week break, hit the ball exceedingly well getting a double, as well as being robbed of a second.

Not only was the game lost, but two of the team's favourite bats; the red 33″, much to Slater's despair, and the standard 32″ were too.

Herts Raptors at Braintree Rays
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Herts Raptors 1 0 1 0 8 1 0 3 0 3 17 26 3
Braintree Rays 1 0 0 1 1 7 1 3 0 4 18 21 1

Braintree Rays 18, Herts Raptors 17
Braintree Rays Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 4 5 2 1 Hunter Devine 2b 5 3 3 1
Player 2 c 6 3 4 2 Jake Kikel p-1b 6 2 4 4
Player 3 1b 4 1 1 2 Mark Hoffman 1b-p 6 2 4 0
Player 4 2b 6 0 2 1 Jonathon Lewys c 6 3 4 2
Player 5 3b 6 2 3 0 Paul Hawes cf 5 2 3 3
Player 6 ss 3 2 1 1 Steve Nippress lf 5 1 2 1
Player 7 lf 6 2 5 2 Andrew Slater 3b 6 2 2 3
Player 8 cf 5 2 3 1 Ilya Dimitrov ss 6 1 3 1
Player 9 rf 5 1 0 1 Robert Crouch rf 5 1 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 45 18 21 11 TEAM TOTALS 50 17 26 16

E: Player 5, Andrew Slater(2), Ilya Dimitrov. LOB: Herts Raptors 9, Braintree Rays
12. 2B: Player 2, Andrew Slater(2), Mark Hoffman, Jake Kikel, Paul Hawes. HR: Player
2. SB: Player 1(8), Player 2(3), Player 7(3), Player 8(3), Player 9(3), Player 6(2),
Player 3, Jonathon Lewys(4), Mark Hoffman(3), Jake Kikel(2), Paul Hawes(2), Hunter
Devine(2), Ilya Dimitrov(2), Andrew Slater, Steve Nippress.

Braintree Rays IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 9.00 26 17 16 2 6
Herts Raptors            
Jake Kikel 6.00 13 10 8 6 10
Mark Hoffman L 3.00 8 8 7 3 2

HBP: by Player 1 (Steve Nippress). , by Jake Kikel (Player 1). . , by Mark Hoffman
(Player 1). . . WP: Mark Hoffman(3). T: 4:00. A: 30.

by AspiDimitrov

RAPTORS POST ANOTHER WIN AGAINST ARROWS

Report by Herts Baseball Newswire correspondent, ROB JONES

 

It was an epic duel between two teams who have rapidly built a fierce rivalry. The first time Herts Raptors and Essex Arrows 2 faced off this year, Arrows mounted a dramatic ninth inning comeback to steal the win; the next time it was Herts who piled on the runs in the final stages. This time around the two sides traded blows all the way to the ninth inning before the Hertfordshire club emerged 19-16 winners.

Herts had a shaky start, walking batters and giving up a run, but they escaped from a bases loaded jam and put up five runs of their own with a steady stream of singles. Slowly, the men in black ate into that lead and — with the help of a couple of fielding errors — they led 7-5 by the middle of the fourth.

Then the Raptors sparkplug Hunter Devine reached into his bag of tricks to help get the home side rolling again. He hit a double down the third base line and as the outfield throw flew past him at second he raced on for what we will call — in sprit — an inside the park home run. Jim Hyde then did his usual trick of making great contact and his ground-rule double tied the scores.

But this was to be a game of ebb and flow, full of momentum shifts. Arrows promptly grabbed back the lead by batting around in the top of the fifth and scoring six runs; then Raptors pulled back four. Jake Kikel threw up his first zero of the day at a crucial time, and then helped his own cause with a hit and a run as Raptors again tied the game. Jake gave way to ace reliever Mark Hoffman, who was able to slow down the Arrows offense, and give his team a chance to win.

Going into the bottom of the eighth, Essex led 16-14 and we were getting into the final act of the drama — could Raptors pull it off? A crowd was gathering on the sidelines now, other Herts players had brought their families and their voices to urge on the club's rookie team. Hunter Devine got things started again before Andy Ringrose and Jon Lewys chipped in, and Rob Jones hit his most bizarre RBI of the year, with a half-volley to third base to bring in the Raptors final insurance run.

Mark Hoffman and the Raptors defence then closed out the game in emphatic style. No Arrows batters reached base, and the victory was secure. It was a second win for the team, their second win over Essex Arrows, and a sweet win that showed a growing maturity.

 

Essex Arrows 2 at Herts Raptors
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Essex Arrows 2 1 2 1 3 6 0 1 2 0 16 13 8
Herts Raptors 5 0 0 2 4 2 1 5 0 19 16 4

Herts Raptors 19, Essex Arrows 2 16
Herts Raptors Essex Arrows 2
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Hunter Devine 2b 5 4 2 1 Luke c 5 3 2 0
Andy Ringrose 3b 6 4 3 1 Jo cf 5 2 1 0
Mark Hoffman 1b-p 5 2 1 0 Paul Richardson 1b 4 2 1 1
Jim Hyde cf-1b 5 2 3 1 Aaron ss 3 3 3 3
Dave Westfallen c 1 0 1 1 Kevin p 4 2 2 2
(b1) Jonathon Lewys pr-c 3 2 1 0 Jed 3b 5 2 1 0
Rob Jones ss-lf 4 3 2 3 Kyp lf 4 1 0 0
(t9) Robert Crouch rf 0 0 0 0 Paul T. rf 5 1 2 2
Steve Nippress rf 2 0 0 0 Leslie 2b 4 0 1 1
(t5) Luis Goncalves ss 2 0 0 0
(t8) Carlos Casal ss 1 0 0 0
Ilya Dimitrov lf-rf 4 0 0 0
Jake Kikel p-cf 6 2 3 1
TEAM TOTALS 44 19 16 8 TEAM TOTALS 39 16 13 9

E: Hunter Devine, Andy Ringrose, Jim Hyde, Ilya Dimitrov, Leslie(3), Aaron(2), Jo,
Jed, Kyp. LOB: Essex Arrows 2 9, Herts Raptors 11. 2B: Jim Hyde(2), Hunter Devine,
Kevin. SB: Rob Jones(4), Jake Kikel(4), Hunter Devine(3), Ilya Dimitrov(2), Jonathon
Lewys(2), Jim Hyde(2), Andy Ringrose(2), Aaron(5), Jo(3), Paul Richardson(3), Jed(2),
Luke(2), Kevin, Kyp, Paul T..

Herts Raptors IP H R ER BB SO
Jake Kikel 6.33 12 15 11 11 9
Mark Hoffman W 2.67 1 1 1 0 4
Essex Arrows 2            
Kevin L 8.00 16 19 8 9 9

HBP: by Jake Kikel (Aaron), by Kevin (Mark Hoffman). , by Jake Kikel (Kyp). . . . .
WP: Mark Hoffman(3), Jake Kikel(2), Kevin(2). PB: Luke(3). T: 4:00. A: 36.
Essex Arrows 2 – Top of the 1st:
Luke singled, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on error, batted forward to home.
Jo walked, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, forced out at home.
Paul Richardson struck out looking.
Aaron walked, batted forward to 3rd.
Kevin walked, forced out at 2nd, 1 RBI.
Jed reached on fielder's choice.
1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 1st:
Hunter Devine walked, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on error.
Andy Ringrose singled, advanced to 2nd on error, batted forward to home.
Mark Hoffman struck out looking.
Jim Hyde singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, stole home.
Dave Westfallen singled, Jonathon Lewys ran for batter, batted forward to home, 1 RBI.
Rob Jones walked, batted forward to home.
Steve Nippress walked, batted forward to 3rd.
Ilya Dimitrov walked, batted forward to 2nd.
Jake Kikel singled, 1 RBI.
Hunter Devine struck out looking.
Andy Ringrose struck out looking.
5 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Essex Arrows 2 – Top of the 2nd:
Kyp reached on dropped 3rd strike WP, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Paul T. walked, batted forward to home.
Leslie struck out looking.
Luke walked, batted forward to 3rd.
Jo popped out.
Paul Richardson walked, batted forward to 2nd, 1 RBI.
Aaron walked, 1 RBI.
Kevin struck out swinging.
2 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 2nd:
Mark Hoffman grounded out.
Jim Hyde flied out.
Jonathon Lewys grounded out.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Essex Arrows 2 – Top of the 3rd:
Jed walked, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Kyp walked, forced out at 2nd.
Paul T. singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, 1 RBI.
Leslie grounded out.
Luke struck out looking.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 3rd:
Rob Jones walked, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd.
Steve Nippress grounded out.
Ilya Dimitrov struck out looking.
Jake Kikel popped out.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Essex Arrows 2 – Top of the 4th:
Jo grounded out.
Paul Richardson singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Aaron hit by pitch, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on error.
Kevin singled, advanced to 2nd on error, stole 3rd, advanced to home on error, 1 RBI.
Jed popped out.
Kyp struck out looking.
3 runs, 2 hits, 2 errors, 0 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 4th:
Hunter Devine doubled, advanced to 3rd on error, advanced to home on error.
Andy Ringrose singled, batted forward to home.
Mark Hoffman hit by pitch, batted forward to 3rd.
Jim Hyde ground rule doubled, 1 RBI.
Jonathon Lewys walked.
Rob Jones struck out looking.
Steve Nippress flied out.
Ilya Dimitrov struck out looking.
2 runs, 3 hits, 2 errors, 3 LOB.
Essex Arrows 2 – Top of the 5th:
Paul T. struck out looking.
Leslie struck out looking.
Luke singled, batted forward to 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Jo singled, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on error.
Paul Richardson walked, batted forward to 3rd, stole home.
Aaron singled, batted forward to 3rd, stole home, 1 RBI.
Kevin doubled, batted forward to home.
Jed singled, batted forward to home.
Kyp hit by pitch, tagged out going to 2nd.
Paul T. singled, 1 RBI.
Leslie singled, 1 RBI.
6 runs, 7 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 5th:
Jake Kikel singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Hunter Devine singled, advanced to 2nd on wild pitch, batted forward to 3rd, advanced
to home on error, 1 RBI.
Andy Ringrose grounded out.
Mark Hoffman singled, batted forward to home.
Jim Hyde walked, batted forward to home.
Jonathon Lewys walked, batted forward to 2nd, stole 3rd.
Rob Jones singled, stole 2nd, 2 RBI.
Luis Goncalves struck out looking.
Ilya Dimitrov struck out looking.
4 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Essex Arrows 2 – Top of the 6th:
Luke called out.
Jo struck out swinging.
Paul Richardson popped out.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 6th:
Jake Kikel singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Hunter Devine struck out looking.
Andy Ringrose singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on passed
ball, 1 RBI.
Mark Hoffman grounded out.
Jim Hyde grounded out.
2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Essex Arrows 2 – Top of the 7th:
Aaron singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on wild pitch.
Kevin walked, forced out at 2nd.
Jed reached on fielder's choice, advanced to 2nd on wild pitch, advanced to 3rd on
wild pitch.
Kyp struck out swinging.
Paul T. popped out.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 7th:
Jonathon Lewys popped out.
Rob Jones singled, advanced to 2nd on passed ball, stole 3rd, advanced to home on
wild pitch.
Luis Goncalves popped out.
Ilya Dimitrov walked, advanced to 2nd on wild pitch, stole 3rd.
Jake Kikel popped out.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Essex Arrows 2 – Top of the 8th:
Luke reached on fielder's choice, advanced to home on wild pitch.
Jo reached on dropped 3rd strike WP, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Paul Richardson struck out looking.
Aaron singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, tagged out going to home, 1 RBI.
Kevin grounded out.
2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 8th:
Hunter Devine reached on error, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, advanced to home on error.
Andy Ringrose reached on error, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on passed ball, advanced
to home on error.
Mark Hoffman reached on error, batted forward to home.
Jim Hyde ground rule doubled, tagged out going to 3rd.
Jonathon Lewys singled, batted forward to 2nd, stole 3rd, advanced to home on error.
Rob Jones reached on fielder's choice, stole 2nd, advanced to home on error, 1 RBI.
Carlos Casal popped out.
Ilya Dimitrov reached on error, advanced to 2nd on wild pitch, stole 3rd.
Jake Kikel popped out.
5 runs, 2 hits, 5 errors, 1 LOB.
Essex Arrows 2 – Top of the 9th:
Jed grounded out.
Kyp struck out swinging.
Paul T. grounded out.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
by AspiDimitrov

OLD TIMERS DOMINANT AGAINST RAPTORS

Old Timers at Herts Raptors
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Old Timers 4 0 1 0 3 2 0 2 6 18 14 5
Herts Raptors 1 0 2 0 1 3 0 0 2 9 18 4

Old Timers 18, Herts Raptors 9
Old Timers Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 5 2 2 0 Hunter Devine 2b 6 2 3 1
Player 2 c 2 3 0 0 Andy Ringrose 3b 6 0 2 0
Player 3 1b 3 5 1 1 Jonathon Lewys c 1 0 0 0
Player 4 2b 5 3 3 4 (t2) Dave Westfallen c 4 1 2 0
Player 5 3b 5 1 3 2 Rod Ariss cf 4 2 3 3
Player 6 ss 5 2 0 0 Mark Hoffman p 5 0 1 0
Player 7 lf 4 1 1 0 Kal Dimitrov 1b 2 0 2 1
Player 8 cf 6 1 3 3 (t5) John Oliver 1b 2 0 0 1
Player 9 rf 6 0 1 0 Ilya Dimitrov rf-lf 4 1 2 0
Luis Goncalves ss 3 1 1 0
(t7) Carlos Casal ss 2 1 0 0
Dave Hamilton lf 2 0 0 0
(b5) Steve Nippress lf 3 1 2 2
TEAM TOTALS 41 18 14 10 TEAM TOTALS 44 9 18 8

E: Player 1(2), Player 3, Player 5, Player 6, Hunter Devine(3), Mark Hoffman. LOB:
Herts Raptors 10, Old Timers 10. 2B: Hunter Devine, Rod Ariss, Dave Westfallen. 3B:
Player 3. SB: Player 3(4), Player 5(4), Player 1(2), Player 2(2), Player 4(2), Player
7(2), Player 8(2), Player 6, Player 9, Rod Ariss(2), Hunter Devine, Ilya Dimitrov,
Dave Hamilton, Carlos Casal. CS: Player 5, Rod Ariss, Ilya Dimitrov, Dave Hamilton.
SF: Player 4, John Oliver.

Old Timers IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 9.33 18 9 8 2 9
Herts Raptors            
Mark Hoffman L 9.00 14 18 10 12 12

HBP: by Mark Hoffman (Player 3). . . . . . . WP: Mark Hoffman(3). PB: Dave
Westfallen(2). T: 3:00. A: 0.
Old Timers – Top of the 1st:
Player 1 walked, batted forward to home.
Player 2 walked, batted forward to home.
Player 3 tripled, advanced to home on wild pitch, 1 RBI.
Player 4 singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd, advanced on FC to home.
Player 5 grounded out.
Player 6 struck out swinging.
Player 7 grounded out.
4 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 1st:
Hunter Devine singled, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on error.
Andy Ringrose singled, forced out at 2nd.
Jonathon Lewys reached on dropped 3rd strike w/error, batted forward to 2nd, tagged
out going to 3rd.
Rod Ariss singled, tagged out going to 2nd.
Mark Hoffman popped out.
Kal Dimitrov singled.
1 run, 4 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Old Timers – Top of the 2nd:
Player 8 struck out looking.
Player 9 struck out looking.
Player 1 singled.
Player 2 grounded out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 2nd:
Ilya Dimitrov struck out swinging.
Luis Goncalves flied out.
Dave Hamilton reached on error, stole 2nd.
Hunter Devine grounded out.
0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Old Timers – Top of the 3rd:
Player 3 hit by pitch, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Player 4 flied out.
Player 5 singled, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on passed ball, 1 RBI.
Player 6 struck out swinging.
Player 7 struck out looking.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 3rd:
Andy Ringrose flied out.
Dave Westfallen doubled, batted forward to home.
Rod Ariss doubled, batted forward to home, 1 RBI.
Mark Hoffman singled, batted forward to 2nd.
Kal Dimitrov singled, 1 RBI.
Ilya Dimitrov struck out swinging.
Luis Goncalves grounded out.
2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Old Timers – Top of the 4th:
Player 8 struck out swinging.
Player 9 struck out looking.
Player 1 walked, stole 2nd.
Player 2 popped out.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 4th:
Dave Hamilton reached on error, caught trying to steal 2nd.
Hunter Devine flied out.
Andy Ringrose singled.
Dave Westfallen flied out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Old Timers – Top of the 5th:
Player 3 reached on error, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Player 4 singled, advanced to 2nd on throw, advanced to home on error, 1 RBI.
Player 5 grounded out.
Player 6 reached on error, advanced to 2nd on throw, advanced to 3rd on passed ball,
batted forward to home.
Player 7 reached first base, advanced to 2nd on passed ball, batted forward to 3rd.
Player 8 singled, stole 2nd, 1 RBI.
Player 9 struck out looking.
Player 1 flied out.
3 runs, 3 hits, 2 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 5th:
Rod Ariss walked, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Mark Hoffman flied out.
John Oliver sacrifice flied, 1 RBI.
Ilya Dimitrov singled, caught trying to steal 2nd.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Old Timers – Top of the 6th:
Player 2 walked, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on wild pitch, batted forward to home.
Player 3 walked, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on passed ball, advanced to home on wild
pitch.
Player 4 sacrifice flied, 1 RBI.
Player 5 walked, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on error.
Player 6 lined out.
Player 7 walked.
Player 8 grounded out.
2 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 6th:
Luis Goncalves singled, batted forward to home.
Steve Nippress singled, batted forward to home.
Hunter Devine singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home, 1 RBI.
Andy Ringrose flied out foul.
Dave Westfallen struck out swinging.
Rod Ariss singled, caught trying to steal 2nd, 2 RBI.
3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Old Timers – Top of the 7th:
Player 9 struck out swinging.
Player 1 struck out looking.
Player 2 walked, stole 2nd.
Player 3 grounded out.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 7th:
Mark Hoffman flied out.
John Oliver popped out.
Ilya Dimitrov singled.
Carlos Casal struck out swinging.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Old Timers – Top of the 8th:
Player 4 grounded out.
Player 5 singled, stole 2nd, stole 3rd, advanced to home on throw.
Player 6 walked, advanced to 2nd on throw, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Player 7 walked, stole 2nd, tagged out going to 3rd.
Player 8 singled, advanced to 2nd on throw, 1 RBI.
Player 9 grounded out.
2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 8th:
Steve Nippress struck out swinging.
Hunter Devine struck out swinging.
Andy Ringrose reached on error, batted forward to 2nd.
Dave Westfallen singled.
Rod Ariss flied out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Old Timers – Top of the 9th:
Player 1 singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Player 2 walked, batted forward to home.
Player 3 walked, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on passed ball.
Player 4 singled, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on passed ball, batted forward to home,
2 RBI.
Player 5 singled, caught trying to steal 2nd, 1 RBI.
Player 6 struck out looking.
Player 7 reached on error, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on passed ball, batted forward
to home.
Player 8 singled, advanced to 2nd on passed ball, batted forward to 3rd, stole home,
1 RBI.
Player 9 singled, stole 2nd.
Player 1 struck out looking.
6 runs, 5 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Herts Raptors – Bottom of the 9th:
Mark Hoffman flied out.
John Oliver reached on dropped 3rd strike w/error, batted forward to 2nd, forced out
at 3rd.
Ilya Dimitrov walked, batted forward to 2nd, stole 3rd, batted forward to home.
Carlos Casal reached on fielder's choice, stole 2nd, batted forward to home.
Steve Nippress singled, batted forward to 3rd, 2 RBI.
Hunter Devine doubled.
Andy Ringrose struck out swinging.
2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
by AspiDimitrov

LEE MANNING SUBMITS HALF-TERM REPORT ON HERTS TEAMS

After playing in the BBF leagues for over 10 years I thought I would do a first 1/3 of the season report on would I think each team will do over the next 1/3.

 

FALCONS

The Falcons have had an amazing start to the 2008 league, going 7 wins and 1 loss. The one loss was against the London Metros and it was a painful one but the Falcons quickly got back to winning ways with a 3-2 victory in the second game of the double-header. The Falcons have won 7 of there games with great pitching, solid fielding and some nice timely hits.  Only 4 or 5 players can be happy with their hitting and if the law of averages is applied in this case then a lot of players are expected to hit a hot streak later in the season. So far the players have worked very hard and have made a great jump on improving every part of their game. I strongly believe that this team will still be at the top of the table after the next 8 games and will get their own back by sweeping the Metros at their field later this year.

 

HAWKS

The Hawks have not been playing at full potential yet but I feel a winning streak is right around the corner. The Hawks have had some tough losses to the Knights, Sidewinders and the Sharks in the last three weeks. With Hare and Oliver on mound duty they should start picking up some big wins. They have great fielding and some very good hitters but it’s time to pull it together and help the cause. Carlos has had a hard start trying to pick which players to play where but I think he’s heading the right way. They are working hard and the gel is starting to set and the hits are coming. I think that the Hawks will be in the top two after there next 4 games and will start to show the league the talent which Herts Baseball Club in all its teams.  This is a winning team that will be playing AAA next year. Come on boys we are all behind you”.

 

RAPTORS

The Raptors got their first win last weekend and will feel on top of the world and rightly so. I know that for a lot of them this is their first season playing and that they will find the game a far reach for the MLB’s game they have been watching but stay with it and it will come. Jake has been around the game and knows how to coach.  His son Pete is a good example of this. He will help the players grow and move up to the Hawks when ready. The league they are in is not as easy as it looks at first sight. With all the other teams being in the BBF leagues for a few years and the old timers who I think could do well in the AAA Division. The main thing about this team is that almost everyone is in the same boat as rookies with a few veterans thrown in. I remember when I first joined the Falcons 11 years ago when we were in the old Division 2 and we would be lucky to win 4 games a year. Every year we all got better and started to move up the leagues. I think these boys’s will do the same. I think the Raptors will win a few more games this season and should be aiming for a .500 winning percentage.

 

Do you agree with me?  Give me your views by clicking the add a comment button.

by AspiDimitrov

RAPTORS ON THE RAMPAGE

HERTS RAPTORS 27 

ESSEX ARROWS 11

British Single-A League

 

Report by Newswire reporter HUNTER DEVINE

 

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

 

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

 

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