The Herts Toucans served up a thrilling split on the road against the London Mets on April 12th, showing both grit and firepower across a hard-fought double header – bouncing back from a narrow opening loss to finish the day on a high with an emphatic Game Two victory.

Game one had all the feel of a tight NBL battle from the first pitch, with the Toucans striking early and keeping the pressure on throughout. Herts put up runs in four of the first five innings, with key contributions from Sato Fukuda (3 RBI), Josh Marriott (3 hits, 2 RBI), and Will Zucker, who set the tone at the top of the order. The offence kept the line moving, racking up 10 hits and consistently forcing the Mets onto the back foot.

On the mound, Ryan Smith got the start and worked hard through a competitive Mets lineup, but London found their response late in the game. Despite Herts holding the lead deep into the contest, a late surge from the Mets saw the momentum swing, with London edging ahead to take it 8–7. It was a tough one to lose given the Toucans’ control for large stretches, but plenty of positives in the offensive output and early-game execution.

If Game One slipped away, Game Two was all about the response—and the Toucans delivered it in style.

Herts came out sharp and composed, building pressure early before breaking the game open with a decisive four-run inning that put clear daylight between the sides. Once again, the bats were productive up and down the lineup, with Zucker crossing the plate three times, Fukuda and Furuya driving in runs, and strong contributions from Barrett and Lee keeping the scoreboard ticking. In total, the Toucans posted 8 runs from 7 hits, backed by disciplined at-bats and timely hitting.

On the pitching side, Masa Hashiguchi led the way superbly, picking up the win with a solid outing, supported by Eric Hedlund in a composed relief appearance. Together they limited the Mets to just 4 runs, shutting down any chance of a late comeback and keeping control of the game from the middle innings onwards.

Defensively, Herts tightened things up in the second game, cutting out the mistakes and backing their pitchers effectively—an important adjustment that underpinned the turnaround result.

A split on the day, but one that will feel like momentum for the Toucans. After the frustration of letting Game One slip, the response in Game Two showed the character, depth, and quality within this squad—plenty to build on as the season continues.

Final Scores:
Game 1: London Mets 8 – 7 Herts Toucans
Game 2: Herts Toucans 8 – 4 London Mets