Falcons’ rally caps couldn’t get them the run they needed in the final inning (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Daniel Levitt, reporting from Grovehill Ballpark

The Herts Falcons took on the Southern Nationals in a double header on Sunday, in what was the most anticipated series of the season thus far. Heading into the two games, both teams stood on the cusp of the playoff spots.

Soaked in glorious sunshine, Grovehill Ballpark was once again drenched in perfect playing conditions. The Falcons knew they would have to be at their very best to topple the reigning champion Nationals.

The Nationals opened Game 1 with one run in the top half of the first without even registering a hit, but the Falcons quickly answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, when Phil Clarke scored on a Jose Sosa double, who was then thrown out at third stretching for a triple.

The Nationals slowly built a solid three run lead by tacking on a run in each of the next three innings. But as the home team has done all season long, Herts battled back and climbed within one run in the fifth inning.

Carlos Velzaco got things started with a lead-off walk and when Clarke also got a free pass, Sosa delivered his second hit and RBI of the game. Abel Salas then walked to load the bases for power-man Darrin Ward.

First baseman Ward displayed a mature approach at the plate by getting on base any way possible. Instead of swinging aimlessly, Ward managed to frustrate the pitcher enough to draw a hit-by-pitch and make it a 4-3 contest.

It looked as though the game was out of reach when Nationals’ Moses Vasquez launched a two-run home run in the top of the sixth to make it a 6-3 deficit, but the Falcons once again fought back.

They added an RBI single courtesy of Clarke in the bottom of the sixth and, when Salas launched his second solo home run of the season, the Falcons were suddenly just one run down again.

Despite having a runner in scoring position with two outs, the Falcons would fall just short however.

Falcons’ starting pitcher, Michael Osborne, was unlucky to be the losing pitcher, but a couple of critical errors by the Falcons led to the crucial runs being scored. Sosa completed an inning of work on the mound, striking out two in the process.

Click here to view Game 1 box scores

Game 2 saw Abel Salas take the mound for the Falcons, coming off a majestic outing a fortnight ago against the South London Pirates. In the win over the Pirates, Salas pitched a complete game giving up just the single run. This week was another solid performance, coming up just short against a tougher line up.

The final game of the day was a different story with the Falcons leading for most of the way and the Nationals this time staging the late comeback. Heading into the bottom of the fourth tied at two, the Falcons opened up some daylight between their pesky opponents.

Velazco drew his second lead-off walk of the game and Liam Green followed by being hit by a pitch, and when John Blose drew the second walk of the inning, it led to a bases loaded situation for starting pitcher Salas. Just as he did a fortnight ago against the Pirates, Salas helped his own cause by cashing in two runs with a double to deep centre field.

Click here to view Game 2 box scores

After the game Falcons manager, Lee Manning, said of Salas, “he just goes to work every time”.

“He is integral to our team and what Herts Baseball is all about. Especially with the younger guys, he’s a great role model”.

Salas’ efforts weren’t quite enough this time around, as the Nationals slugged their second home run of the game in the sixth inning to tie it up, and then scored the go-ahead run in the seventh. Salas struck out a season high fourteen batters in seven innings.

The Mexican won’t be too crestfallen as the Falcons sit just two games outside of the playoff spots, with the team heading into a three week break before their next game.

The Falcons’ next game is a double header away to the London Mets (7-5 ), who currently sit in third place. Join us in Finsbury Park for what promises to be a crunch series for the Herts Falcons.

Abel Salas had a big day on the mound and with the bat (photo by Paul Holdrick)

The Herts Falcons continued their quest for postseason baseball on Sunday, when they took on the South London Pirates in a double header at Grovehill Ballpark.

Coming off of a well-fought split series against the Southampton Mustangs last week, the Falcons’ play matched the glorious sunshine with which the games were soaked in. Despite giving up two runs in the first inning, Abel Salas got Herts on the score sheet with a scorching line-drive solo home run in the second, his first of the season. Salas’ offensive involvement did not stop there however, as the lefty walked and stole second base in the fourth inning, only to be doubled home by Darrin Ward to put the Falcons up 3-2. 

Starting pitcher, Michael Osborn (pictured right), settled down by the fifth inning to strike out two Pirates on his way to a total of ten strikeouts for the game. The bottom of the fifth was when the sunshine really shone on the Falcons’ hitters, as they blew the game wide open with nine runs.  

The inning started with a line-drive single that hit the left-field wall by Ryan Hackel, and when Jose Sosa singled in two runs to make it 6-2, the Falcons were just hitting their stride. Salas continued his mammoth game with an RBI double to straight away centre-field, while new signing, Zac Malone, had an RBI single in his debut for the Hertfordshire club.  

Game 1 finished 12-2 and was called early due to the mercy rule. 

What had become a pitcher’s duel early on, turned into an offensive onslaught very hastily. Every batter reached on base at least once, with all but two notching themselves a hit.  

“Michael was terrific on the mound today” Falcons manager, Lee Manning, said after the game.  

“Up until the fifth inning it was a very close game and we did well to stay in it. We got some great hits and were able to blow the game open.” 

Game 2 had a slightly different feel to it than the opener, yet delivered the same result. While Game 1 was a nail-biter to the very last inning – before it was called – the second game of the day was in the clasp of the Falcons’ claws from the third inning. 

Salas, the star of game one, took his talents to the mound this time around. After giving up his only run of the afternoon in the first inning, the Mexican was dealing his best stuff the rest of the way, leading to his finest pitching performance of the season thus far and striking out ten Pirates on his way to the victory. 

Carlos Casal Jr. drove in the game winning run in the third. With runners on the corners, Casal Jr. then attempted to steal second, and as he did so, drew a wild throw from the opposing catcher that sailed into the outfield. That was enough to send first-baseman, Darrin Ward, home and put the Falcons up 3-1. 

Phil Clarke went deep for his first home run of the season (photo by Paul Holdrick)

The game was put to bed when Phil Clarke hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left-field.  

The Falcons managed to tally twenty plus hits for the day, but what was more impressive, was the maturity they showed at the plate by only striking out three times in each game. 

Manning said after the game, “Abel pitched an amazing game today. He allowed the hitters to establish an early lead and never looked back” 

New signings Zac Malone and Ryan Hackel flourished on both sides of the plate. Malone stole three consecutive bases in his debut, while Hackel made playing shortstop look effortless, with six seamlessly faultless plays.  

Manning added, “Zac and Ryan have come in and immediately contributed on both offense and defense. The team is very happy and cannot wait to play out the rest of the season with them”. 

The Falcons now have a week off before they welcome the reigning National Champions Southern Nationals to Grovehill Ballpark, in a clash the Falcons hope to gain some revenge from their semi-final defeat to the Nationals a year ago. 

Game 1 is scheduled to start at 12.00pm BST with Game 2 following at 14.30 BST on Sunday, 22 June.

The Herts Falcons have made another big acquisition with the addition of Zac Malone (pictured right) to their roster.

The 22-year-old is from Tennessee, USA, and he started his baseball career 14 years ago. He went on to play varsity baseball for the Fishers Tigers in Indiana, USA. He was voted on the All Conference team in both his junior and senior years. This is a considerable achievement bearing in mind that he was competing against players in that conference who are now playing in Major League Baseball. Among them are the closer for the Washington Nationals, Drew Storen, the catcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Tucker Barnhart, and Nolan Sanburn who is a member of the Oakland A’s pitching staff.

Zac Malone’s primary position is catcher, but he has also filled other infield positions. He is expected to bring some power to the Herts batting lineup having been among the home run leaders for the Fishers Tigers. He bats and throws right-handed.

Washington Nationals pitcher Drew Storen is one of several MLB players which Zac Malone has had to compete with

This news comes after a difficult start of the season for the Falcons in which they suffered a series of injuries to key players on top of the loss of some big names at the end of last season so it is fair to say that the Falcons still have some work to do to fill all the positions, but it looks like the team has regained the Bingo-Bango energy of 2012 and 2013. Injured players are steadily returning to the lineup, including Tom Armstrong and Abel Salas who pitched a gem on his return on Sunday. Jose Sosa has been phenomenal offensively and on the mound since his arrival three weeks ago. Ryan Hackel made his debut on Sunday and proved to be a pivotal player in the team’s win against the odds at the table-topping Southampton Mustangs.

Zac Malone with the Fishers Tigers in 2010

The Falcons are just a game back on the playoff places. Will Zac Malone add to the team’s momentum? They can move into the playoff zone as early as this Sunday, 8 June, when they host the South London Pirates at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. It will be a difficult task against a rejuvenated Pirates team. First pitch of the doubleheader is at 12pm.

Report by Daniel Levitt

In what has been a sullen start to the season until now, the Herts Falcons (2-6) took their sanguine spirits to the south coast on Sunday, to face the second placed Southampton Mustangs (6-2).

The Hertfordshire club has been ravaged by injuries in the first two months of the season, but provided a solid foundation for a recovery and a playoff push.    

Despite a slow start to their campaign, the Falcons’ playoff hopes were boosted leading up to the game, when the news broke that the team had signed Ryan Hackel, an American shortstop from Hamline University in Minnesota. Hackel will shore up the infield for the Falcons, while bringing a wealth of experience and baseball knowledge from across the pond. 

The hosts were heavily favoured prior to the day’s proceedings, who themselves are fighting for first place in the National Baseball League. However it was the duo of Jose Sosa and Phil Clarke (pictured right) who carried the Falcons home on this occasion, combining for four hits and six RBIs en route to an 8-4 victory. Herts scored three in the second inning and four in the fourth, enough run support to earn starting pitcher Abelardo Salas the victory. 

After a rocky start that saw Salas surrender four runs in the first, the Falcons’ ace blanked the Mustangs for the remainder of the game to earn the win, striking out seven along the way. The fantastic outing brought down his ERA to 3.77, who will now look to deflate that even further in the coming weeks. 

With Game 1 under their belts, the Falcons could not wait to get started with Game 2 and complete the sweep away from home.

Game 2 was a pitcher’s duel for the first five innings, between Gary Davison of the Mustangs and Herts’ very own Jose Sosa. Sosa, coming off his first NBL start against the Essex Arrows a fortnight ago, was every bit the magician for the first five innings, and had his team within striking distance, down 2-1 with two innings left.  

That however, was the end of a bright afternoon and the beginning of the floodgates opening, as the Mustangs scored five runs in the sixth and mitigated any chance of a sweep their counterparts had in mind. The Falcons fought valiantly as always, scoring two in the top of the seventh, but it ultimately wasn’t enough and the series ended 1-1. 

For Sosa, there were many positives to take from the game. Throwing the ball effortlessly for five innings, the Cuban struck out six and even collected a hit on offense, batting in the number three spot. 

The Falcons bring their playoff hopes back home to Hertfordshire this Sunday as they prepare to face the South London Pirates (2-6) at Grovehill Ballpark. With both teams on the cusp of the playoffs, this Sunday’s double header proves to be a must win series for both teams.  

Game 1 is due to start at 12.00pm, with Game 2 scheduled to start at 02.30pm.

Ryan Hackel (holding left corner of the banner) after winning the MIAC Championship with Hamlin University in 2011

Herts Falcons’ playoff hopes have received a boost with the acquisition of Ryan Hackel. He is a middle infielder and Herts fans will hope that he will be able to fill the void left after the departure of Robbie Unsell and Xavier Gonzalez who now play in the USA and Germany, respectively.

The 22-year-old started his baseball career at a very young age with Hard 90 Baseball Academy. In 2007 he moved on to Varsity Baseball, playing for three schools in four years – Vacaville Christian High School (2007), Vanden High School (2008) and Hastings High School (2009-2010).

In 2011 and 2012 Hackel moved on to College Baseball becoming the starting shortstop for Hamline University in his freshman year. 2011 was a memorable year in many ways as Hamline University went on to win the MIAC Championship for the first time in their history.

An interesting fact about Hamline University is that they play most of their home games at the 48,000-capacity Metrodome (pictured above), which is the former home of the Minnesota Twins. They have even had occasions when their games at that indoor arena have continued beyond midnight, as late as 2:30am in the morning.

A game under the lights for Hamline University and Ryan Hackel at the Metrodome

Hackel is expected to join the team shortly and this is very timely as the Falcons are looking to regain momentum after the squad was depleted by a series of injuries to Abel Salas, Cris Hiche, Mike Osborn, Ryan Bird and Tom Armstrong. Most of them are now gradually returning to full fitness and it will be interesting to see if the team can turn its season around. The race appears to be a lot closer this season so the Falcons are very much in touch with the playoff contenders. They travel to Southampton this Sunday, 1 June, for a doubleheader with the Mustangs and an opportunity to get straight back into the race.