Category: Headlines

by Herts Baseball News Editor

BREAKING NEWS: Maikel Azcuy is now the NBL all-time home run leader

BREAKING NEWS: Herts Falcons and Great Britain National Team player, Maikel Azcuy, just hit home run number 36 of his career. He is now the NBL all-time home run leader overtaking previous leader Simon Pole. That was a 2-run home run after Cris Hiche got on base before him with a line drive to centerfield. Azcuy’s home run was hit to dead centerfield.

It comes in the biggest game of the season so far between NBL leaders London Mets and second-placed, Herts Falcons. London Mets had taken an early 4-0 lead in the 1st inning. Azcuy’s home run brought Falcons right back in the game making the score 4-2 to the Mets in the 6th inning.

If you are not at Finsbury Park to watch the game, follow Herts Baseball Club on twitter for game updates.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons vs Mets Build-up: Osborn and Azcuy chasing records ahead of Sunday’s clash

As we build-up for Herts Falcons’ biggest game of the season so far on Sunday at the London Mets it is time to bring you up to date with the record-chasers. On opening day pitcher Matt Gilbert overtook Cody Cain to become the National Baseball League’s (NBL) career strikeouts leader. He has been continuing to add to that total over the last few weeks of the NBL season and is now on 414, but suddenly we have a race. Gilbert is being chased by another Falcons pitcher.

Mike Osborn started the season with 384 career strikeouts accumulated over 17 years playing in the NBL. He started his NBL career with the London Warriors (1998-2004) moving on to the Richmond Flames (2006-2011) and then with the Herts Falcons which he joined in 2012. He struck out 9 batters in a strong outing against the South London Pirates on 17 May and added 5 more against the Essex Arrows and the Bracknell Blazers. He is currently on 398, 16 strikeouts behind Matt Gilbert so it will be interesting to see how this race will develop over the next few weeks.

Michael Osborn is very close to another major milestone. He ended the 2014 season within 35 regular-season plate appearances of the 1000 mark. Only Alan Bloomfield has more than 1000 recorded plate appearances in modern British baseball history. He has had 4 plate appearances so far this season.

Maikel Azcuy hit his 34th and 35th career home runs against the Pirates and the Southampton Mustangs on Opening Day which put him level with the NBL career home run leader, Simon Pole. He followed this up with a home run at Finsbury Park against the London Metros, however this was a BBF Cup game so would not count towards his NBL career total. He has been hitting the ball hard with 10 more hits since then, 5 of which were doubles. Azcuy will be back at Finsbury Park this Sunday as the Falcons look to end the unbeaten run of the London Mets. A home run in this doubleheader would be special on many levels.

The game starts at 12pm at Finsbury Park. Herts fans travelling by car are advised that there will be a marathon at Finsbury Park and they should contact us to receive a copy of a letter from Haringey Council which permits them to enter the area and park their car.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons vs Mets Build-up: Rivalry resumes this Sunday

The Herts Falcons travel to the London Mets this Sunday. It’s the game we have been waiting for since the start of the season. It’s first versus second in British baseball’s top league.

The Falcons suffered heavy defeats last Sunday against Bracknell. They have a chance to redeem themselves this Sunday at Finsbury Park. The London Mets are sitting comfortably in first place, with eight wins and no losses. Bracknell and Southampton came close to ending their unbeaten run but the Mets seem to have the ability to come back regardless of how many runs they trail by and how late in the game it is.

So far this season the Mets have had the best defence while the Falcons have had the best offence.  Who will end up on top on Sunday, defence or offence?

The Mets-Falcons rivalry has been building up over the last few years on and off the field. Many would argue that the competition between the two teams has been one of the main reasons for the incredible growth and development of facilities which the two clubs have achieved in a short period of time. Long may this rivalry continue.

The game starts at 12pm at Finsbury Park. Herts fans travelling by car are advised that there will be a marathon at Finsbury Park and they should contact us to receive a copy of a letter from Haringey Council which permits them to enter the area and park their car.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hawks and Tonbridge put on the dramatics

Kal Dimitrov reporting from Tonbridge in Kent

On an overcast (even for England that was a kind way to put it) day, the Herts Hawks visited Tonbridge. Both teams had the same win-loss record (4-0) and similar runs for and against records. It was shaping up to be a tight game, and did not disappoint.

Both pitchers, Gareth Nutt for Tonbridge and Nic Goetz for Herts dominated on the mound, with Nutt striking out 9 and walking 6, and Goetz striking out 6 and walking 4. The defence behind Goetz had a few shakes in the early innings, which produced some errors, but Goetz was able to keep his cool and continued dealing, helped by some timely throw downs by catcher Paul Auchterlounie, who threw out a couple of runners. The game did see a few errors – 8 for Herts and 6 for Tonbridge, which reflected on the pitchers’ ERA – 0.9 for Goetz and 4.5 for Nutt.

After some dominant pitching, by the 5th inning Tonbridge had managed to put together a good lead of 9-5, but some critical hits in the 6th and 7th brought the game to 10-9  in the 8th inning. There followed some excellent pitching and defensive displays by both teams, but in the 9th a critical error allowed Ken Pike to reach first, steel second and get to third on a passed ball with one out. The next batter, Sonny Lama, had an epic 10 pitch at bat at the end of which he produced a double that brought in the tying run, with Sonny almost scoring the go-ahead run but being tagged out at the plate. Goetz and his defence managed a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the ninth, which took the game to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, Bobby Graham and Paul Auchterlounie had successive hits, and Bobby eventually scored the go-ahead run followed by Auchterlounie’s insurance run, both on a wild pitch. Tonbridge mounted an effort and scored a run in the bottom of the 10th, but Herts held on to eventually win 12-11.

It was a rare Single-A League extra innings game that both pitchers completed, presumably necessitating extensive use of ice subsequently. The Herts co-manager Andrew Slater was rightfully delighted with the performance of the team in a tough game against difficult opponents, in particular in view of the relatively limited squad he had available for the game. The Hawks now continue their unbeaten streak, and are getting ready for a home game against Essex Archers.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Blazers bring down high-flying Falcons in NBL title race.

Edwin Alcantara hit one of two Herts home runs in game one, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Bracknell Blazers 10 Herts Falcons 6 (Box Scores)

Herts Falcons suffered a heavy defeat at home against the Bracknell Blazers. The visitors stunned Herts by taking the lead early in the first game of the doubleheader and never relinquished it. Despite the best efforts of pitchers Mike Osborn and Robbie Almanzar, it seemed like nothing could stop the surging Blazers. Home runs by Edwin Alcantara, his second of the season, and Jose Sosa, also his second, were not enough to bring Herts back in the game which finished 10-6.

Bracknell Blazers 11 Herts Falcons 1 (Box Scores)

Bracknell’s onslaught continued in the second game this time against Falcons starting pitcher Jose Sosa. They took the lead again and never looked back. Their second win of the day was even more emphatic ending with a score of 11-1. After the game Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, felt that “we have to tip our caps to our opponents and congratulate them on a well deserved win”.

When the news of the final scores started to circulate on the internet, British baseball fans would have been stunned to see the score lines. Before the games Bracknell had 2 wins and 6 losses compared to Herts Falcons’ 5 wins and 1 loss, so based on this, the scores would be seen as a major upset, but a closer inspection would have shown that Bracknell had declared their championship ambitions with their impressive performance at the unbeaten London Mets a week ago which was overshadowed only by their 9-run collapse in the final inning which cost them the game.

It has become customary in sport to declare a major crisis when a team suffers a heavy defeat. Will this setback have a long-term negative effect on the Herts Falcons or will it prove to be the catalyst which will spur the team on in the race for the NBL title? Fans will not have to wait long to get answers to these questions as the Falcons travel to their biggest rivals, the unbeaten London Mets, this Sunday, 7 June. This clash between two of the biggest baseball clubs in Britain is a must-see event.

Herts Hawks 12 Tonbridge 11 (Final after 10 innings)

The other Herts team in action at the weekend was the Herts Hawks. They travelled to Tonbridge in an eagerly awaited clash between two of only three remaining unbeaten teams in the Single-A League. It proved to be a pitchers’ duel between Nic Goetz and Gareth Nutt who both pitched complete games. Tonbridge held a commanding 9-5 lead in the fifth inning, but the Hawks gradually found a way back into the game. Most of their rallies started with two outs and no runners on base. Sony Lama’s double with two outs drove in two runs in the ninth inning to tie the game at 9-9 and take it into extra innings. The Hawks took the lead with two more runs in the 10th inning and held on for a dramatic 12-11 win stranding the tying run on second base.

The Hawks host the Essex Archers this Sunday. The Herts Eagles are also at home where they will face the Essex Redbacks.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts youth baseball teams bring back 3 wins from Essex trip

With just two weeks remaining to the Little League UK Championships Herts teams from various age groups travelled to Brentwood in Essex.

Herts Cardinals (U15) 16 Forest Glade Redbacks (U15) 11

In the under-15 games the Herts Cardinals recorded their first two wins of the season. Their opponents were the Forest Glade Redbacks. Akito Bando has given the team a big boost since joining. He was the winning pitcher in game one which finished 16-11. There was a home run by Aaron Witter in that first game, but there was more to come from the 12-year-old who has just moved into the Under-15 age group.

Herts Cardinals (U15) 16 Forest Glade Redbacks (u15) 1

Witter was the starting pitcher in game two. He pitched an absolute gem allowing only one hit and one run. He also made his mark with the bat adding three more home runs making it four home runs for the day. One of them was a grand slam. Felix Maldonado also hit a home run, his second of the season after an inside-the-parker in last weekend’s game versus London. The Cardinals gave a debut to Billy Ayriss in these games.

Herts (U12) 4 Brentwood Bucks (U12) 14

In the under-12 games Herts lost their first game 14-4 against the Brentwood Bucks. James Dullea hit a towering 3-run home run showing that hard work in the batting cages will pay off. The Herts U12 team is also starting to see contribution from its younger members. 8-year-old Zack Minter picked up an assist with an on-the-money throw to third from the outfield to gun down the runner.

Herts (U12) 8 Forest Glade Redbacks (U12) 3

The team bounced back in their second game of the day this time against the Forest Glade Redbacks. James Dullea pitched three strong innings and he had the run support he needed from his teammates who were a lot more aggressive on the bases and with the bats, including two doubles by Christian Lynch.

The Little League UK Championships will take place on the weekends of 13-14 June and 20-21 June, but it is not too late for boys and girls of all ages to join the Herts teams. There is also the BBF National Championships to look forward to later in the year. For more details about giving baseball a try and joining the Herts baseball teams contact us.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

First games played at Herts’ new baseball diamond in London

The first games at the new West Hendon Ballpark in London were played on Monday, 25 May. Four youth teams with boys and girls from 8 to 15 years of age took part in these games. In the Under-15 games London Sports came out on top versus the Herts Cardinals, while in the Under-10 games the Mets and Herts picked up a win each in their doubleheader.

This project is part of Herts Baseball Club’s expansion into North West London to give the local community an opportunity to play baseball. The project is partly funded by the £10,000 grant awarded by Sport England.

The project has also received the support of other parties including the London Borough of Barnet, BSUK, and Dr. Matthew Offord, Member of Parliament for Hendon, who said “Sport England has made a tremendous bequest to our area by making this award. Baseball is not a traditional game of the UK but there is not only a great appetite for different type of sports but it also presents an opportunity for people of different backgrounds to come together and be united in the games. I look forward to visiting the diamond and perhaps swinging a bat myself.”

The club’s expansion and creation of a second ballpark is in line with BaseballSoftballUK’s “Played in every Park” vision.

“We are very excited to be bringing baseball to North West London and we hope to repeat the success of our existing programme in Hemel Hempstead which would mean that boys and girls, men and women of all ages, from beginners to elite players, will be able to play this fantastic sport, stay fit and healthy and become part of the Herts Baseball family and the wider British Baseball community” said Herts Baseball president Aspi Dimitrov.

There are various open baseball events coming up this summer which the whole community can get involved in. For more information about playing baseball with Herts at this new venue in North West London or at the club’s other branch in Hemel Hempstead contact us.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors continue search for first win after defeat in Guildford

The Herts Raptors came agonisingly close to their first win of the season. In a slugfest away at the Guildford Mavericks they went down by a score of 25-24. Paul Barton was very effective on the mound giving Herts a 7-1 run after 2 innings. Guildford came back thanks to a combination of good hitting and several defensive errors. Daniel Bennett (pictured right) had an outstanding game offensively and defensively. He was involved in everything including 9 catches in left field which 38% of the total outs for the whole team on the day. Similar to last week’s battle in Brighton, the Raptors fought back in the final inning driving 5 runs home, but the tying run was stranded at second base for a second consecutive week. This was their fourth loss in a row, but they are still within reach of the playoffs if they can turn these one-run losses into wins.

The other three Herts teams had no games during the Bank Holiday Weekend, but there are several crucial games coming up for the Herts Falcons in the National Baseball League. Next Sunday, 31 May, they will host the Bracknell Blazers. The doubleheader starts at 12pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. The Falcons need to win both games if they are to maintain the pressure on the unbeaten London Mets whom they will face on 7 June away from home in the biggest game of the season so far.

In the Single-A league the Herts Hawks will travel to Tonbridge. Both teams have 100% records so far, so something has to give.

The action is also heating up in the youth leagues. A total of 10 games were played over the three days of the Bank Holiday weekend across four age groups. This included games at the club’s new West Hendon Ballpark in North West London. Herts teams in the U19, U15 and U12 age groups will go into the Little League UK Qualifier next month where the winners will progress through to the European qualifiers for a chance to play in the Little League World Series in the USA shown across the world to millions of TV viewers. It is not to late to join the Herts teams for this prestigious event. Contact us for more details about giving baseball a try.

by Rob Jones

Raptors rally but fall in Brighton

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Nick Shrimpton, Yue Du and Paul Barton impressed in their first away game for the Raptors

It was the ninth inning. The bases were loaded.  The tying and go-ahead runs were there, as the Raptors had rallied back beyond all expectations. Brighton’s hard-throwing starting pitcher, Will Anderson, had returned to the mound to try to save the game, but had given up hits and some wild walks….

…. but that was where it ended. Let’s go back to where it started.

It had started with that same Brighton pitcher issuing a walk to the Herts centre fielder, Mike Cresswell, returning from weeks away and recovering from a wedding party the night before. A stolen base, a groundout, and a passed ball later, he had crossed home plate to score the first run of the game. Jamie Lang then got the first of a fistful of walks and was driven in by a double from rookie Paul Barton, who made it home himself on pass balls. Herts had put up three runs for a solid start.

Herts’ rehabbing legend Aspi Dimitrov started slowly on the mound for the Raptors, also walking the leadoff, but he soon got a curveball working to keep the Brighton hitters off balance. There were a couple of early miscues in the field from second baseman Rob Jones, which could have held the Redhawks in check. But the home side were able to work their way back in and the game was tied at 4-4 after two innings.

It was still tied in the middle of the fifth, 11 runs apiece. Aspi Dimitrov was gone — surrendering to fatigue and the dodgy knee, after 5 strikeouts. In came the Herts newcomer Yue Du, a Chinese import, to make her debut on the mound. She settled in to coax ground balls from the Brighton batters, but they were able to add four runs and take a clear lead for the first time in the game.

In the field, Nick Shrimpton was the stud for Herts. Despite being new to baseball this season, he snared two laser-shot line drives at shortstop, fielded several grounders, and ranged far back into the outfield to take a high pop up in the seventh inning. He also chipped in with a couple of runs, but Paul Barton was the Raptors’ best performer with the bat, adding two further singles to his first-inning double. 

Coming in as the second reliever, Barton pitched confidently and fielded his position superbly. And he helped the Raptors keep the Redhawks in touching distance and keep the game alive. After seven innings — when baseball games can be ended on the mercy rule — Brighton were 19-12 ahead. But rather than allow themselves to be finished off, the Raptors clung on.

Co-manager Kal Dimitrov had got on base consistently throughout the game and he again helped push the team forward with another walk in the ninth. His partner at the helm, Rob Jones, finally managed to bring his bat alive, fighting a fastball over the heads of the infield to drive in two more runs. In the end five runs scored.  Outfielder Joe Cort represented the crucial tying run at second base, as Clive Johnson battled hard at the plate. He fought off and fouled off a sequence of pitches. Finally Anderson was able to hurl a final fastball through the zone and secure Brighton’s victory.

On the way to Brighton Herts Raptors had to negotiate past thousands of MINIs racing as part of the London-to-Brighton MINI event.

At 20-18 it was the closest game the Raptors have had this season. An impressively big squad had made the long trip to Brighton and they turned in a fine team performance. The next in a long series of road games is this coming Sunday at Guildford, as they go in search of their first win.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons breathing down Mets necks

 

A win for starting pitcher Robbie Almanzar in Game One (photo by Paul Holdrick)

The Herts Falcons picked up two wins on Sunday against the South London Pirates which keeps the pressure on the current leaders, London Mets, who are one game ahead.

The Falcons conceded 15 runs in their season-opening game against the South London Pirates to win narrowly 16-15. This time around there was no late-inning drama. Both wins were secured comfortably with final scores of 18-4 and 15-1. Jose Sosa has been outstanding on the mound this season, but manager Lee Manning decided to give his arm some rest and instead the starting pitchers were Robbie Almanzar in the first game and Mike Osborn in the second. Both were outstanding. Osborn struck out 9 Pirates over 4 innings. Almanzar also pitched 4 innings striking out 4 with allowing no earned runs. In fact the starters and relievers, Jose Sosa and Matt Gilbert, allowed only 1 earned run over the two games. The step up by the pitching staff comes at a perfect time as the team prepares for several crucial games including the big clash with the Mets.

Andy Cornish hit his first home run of the season (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Offensively the team continues to terrorize opponents with a team batting average of .356 and slugging average of .579. There was no home run from record-chasing, Maikel Azcuy, but the number of Falcons players with a home run to their name this season has increased to seven with Andy Cornish and Jose Sosa being added to the list on Sunday. Moises Vasquez came close to being the eighth home run hitter when his shot bounced off the top railing of the home run wall.

Herts fans also had an unexpected surprise on Sunday when two-time NBL Most Valuable Player, Ryan Bird (pictured right), made the trip from the USA for his first game for the Falcons since 6 April 2014. He picked up where he left batting 2-for-3 (2B, RBI).

View box scores of Game One

View box scores of Game Two

The Herts Falcons next game is at home against the Bracknell Blazers on 31 May. It is expected to be a difficult game. On Sunday the Blazers showed how dangerous they can be when they came close to beating the table-topping Mets.

In the other leagues, the Herts Eagles were involved in a closely-fought game with the Essex Redbacks. They lost the first game 6-4, but bounced back to win the second 4-2. This pushes them up one place into sixth position in the Triple-A League standings. In the Single-A League the Herts Raptors loaded the bases in the final inning against the Brighton Redhawks which put the tying run on second base and the go-ahead run on first base, but their late rally ended there with the score 18-20. They are the only Herts team in action next Sunday, 24 May, as they go on the road again searching for their first win of the season this time against the Guildford Mavericks.