Category: Headlines

by ChrisJones

Giants Take a 2-1 Lead in U11s

You can learn a lot of surprising things from following @hertsbaseball on twitter or HertsBaseballClub on facebook.

Sure, you get the latest results from the Herts baseball community, including the Eagles’ recent 31-30 triumph over the Raptors. (As our friends at Southampton Mustangs commented, when did Herts switch to playing American football?)

But you also pick up snippets of news from the baseball world outside the HP postcode area. Such as the story that Prince Harry hit a ball out of the park when visiting a team in New York. Or the revelation that David Cameron has been mugging up on baseball books to prepare for his latest meeting with President Obama. Clearly, we need to sign Harry up for the Raptors, and I’m sure Coach Mike can find a role for the PM as assistant U11 coach.

While those negotiations are ongoing, our existing coaching staff continues its work in developing this promising group of Under-11s. And so to the third game in the Giants v Dodgers series, on 18th May. The series was tied 1-1, after the Giants recorded a 7-6 win the previous week.

This time the Giants were the visitors and first up. On the mound: Alex Trautman. Nicholas Durer got the scoring underway with a triple, bringing Christian Lynch home for an RBI. Three strike-outs later, the Dodgers had a chance to reply, as Lewis Auchterlounie made his pitching debut for the Giants. After Alex Trautman reached on error, Lucas Lebrato hit a line drive to the fence and got right round the bases before the Giants were able to get the ball back to the catcher. 2-1 Dodgers.

Top of the second – Lewis Auchterlounie drove in a double, and Alex Jones hit a single to move Lewis to third. Alex turned to run for second, but was tagged out, although this allowed Lewis to reach home base for the Giants’ second run. After detailed post-game consultations regarding rule 10.04, the scorers, perhaps harshly, declined to grant Alex the RBI in this case.

Christian Lynch pitched the second inning for the Giants. A strikeout and two professional-looking groundouts between third baseman Josh Jones and first baseman Nicholas Durer kept the Dodgers scoreless. 2-2.

Back to the top of the order for the Giants. Nicholas Durer hit another double, and made it to home base on error after a single from Ben Jupp. For the Dodgers, Alex Trautman, Lucas Lebrato, Joe Gipple, Noah Haines and Rory Vangundy all hit singles, resulting in three runs to bring the score to 5-3 Dodgers.

In the fourth, both teams had runners in scoring position but couldn’t add to their totals.

In the fifth and final inning, the Giants hit their stride. With Lucas Lebrato now pitching, Josh Jones singled, and Ben Jupp hit a ground rule double. These two made it home on the next play after a couple of errors in the field, to tie the score. At this point, Lucas had struck out two Giants batters, and the Giants had two runners in scoring position. The match hung in the balance. Then Alex Jones singled for an RBI and the Giants had a one-run lead.

Maybe it was the tension, or maybe a little tiredness was creeping in. But the Dodgers seemed to be losing their edge in the field; a string of errors allowed the Giants to score two more, and load the bases once again. Josh Jones then drove in a two-RBI single, and suddenly the Giants were up 10-5.

This proved too much for the Dodgers, who were scoreless in the final inning under pressure from some accurate pitching from Josh Jones.

The Giants and Dodgers now combine forces to represent Herts in under-11 games at an event in Richmond on Saturday 25th May. Results for those games, together with other important breaking news stories, will be available on your social network of choice.

Season Statistics

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons are back at home this Sunday as Mustangs come to town

We are in the month of May and the title race is rarely decided so early in the baseball season, but with the teams so tightly packed in the standings every game is a must win for every team. A loss could be the difference between an automatic NBC spot and the playoffs or missing out on the postseason altogether.

The top game this weekend is the NBL clash between the third-placed Herts Falcons (6-4) and the Southampton Mustangs (7-3) who are a game ahead in second place.

The Mustangs will be travelling to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead after a defeat against the league-leading London Mets which ended their impressive 6-game winning streak. Despite this they will be in a confident mood as one of the major forces in the NBL this season. Their roster includes Gary Davison who leads the NBL in homeruns (3) and RBIs (14). Davison broke Falcons’ hearts in 2006 pitching a complete game win in extra innings as a player of Burgess Hill to relegate the team from Herts from the AAA down to the AA league. Southampton also brings a lot of speed on the bases with the leader in stolen bases Victor Aizpura (23). The Falcons will face their new signing Czech pitcher, Tomas Zondra, for the first time. He pitched 8 epic innings against the London Mets last Sunday but was unfortunate to end up as the losing pitcher in a classic 1-0 game. Sunday’s game will also see the return of legendary Herts slugger, Kimiyoshi Saionji, who changed the Falcons jersey for that of the Mustangs in the second week of the season.

The Falcons go into the game with some injury concerns. Arguably the best middle infield duo in British baseball of Robbie Unsell and Xavier Gonzalez sustained injuries last Sunday in the game against the Essex Arrows. It is uncertain whether or not they will be able to recover in time for Sunday’s titanic clash. It will all be decided in their last-minute fitness tests. Ace pitcher, Jordan Farkas, has also been unable to pitch over the last few weeks, so he is also a doubt. If they cannot regain 100% fitness, others on the Herts roster will have to step up and keep the club’s title hopes alive. Several players from Herts Ravens – the club’s AAA-affiliate – are on standby and could make an appearance.

Farnham Park - British Baseball's Wembley Stadium (photo by Liam Carroll/BSUK)

The photos of Farnham Park published this week have injected extra excitement in the British baseball community as the brand new purpose-built facility will host its first ever NBL postseason final this September. Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, already stated the team’s goal to get there and try to win the NBL title. If they are to achieve this they will need strong support from their fans in home games like this Sunday’s doubleheader, especially in weeks when the roster is decimated with injuries. It will certainly be good to see the Falcons back at home after a 7-week road trip. First pitch is at 12pm.

CAN EAGLES EXTEND WINNING STREAK

Before the start of the season no one would have believed that the Eagles (2-2) could go top of the Single-A table this Sunday, but that’s exactly what will happen if they manage to overcome the visiting Milton Keynes Coyotes (3-1). The two teams met on Opening Day. The Coyotes came out on top on that occasion but there is a new sense of optimism among the Eagles who will be looking to make it 3 wins in 3 games. Duncan Hoyle’s players will have home-field advantage (first pitch 12pm).

At the same time in Finsbury Park the Herts Raptors (2-2) will be looking to restart their season. After two wins in their opening two games, the Raptors’ campaign has stuttered with two losses in the last two games. Both of these games were lost by the smallest of run-differences, but that will not make the losses easier to swallow. They will face the London Marauders (3-1) who top their Single-A Pool.

HERTS YOUNGSTERS HEAD SOUTH TO RICHMOND

While the Herts U17 players take part in the promotional event in St Albans and others join up with the Great Britain U16 National Team, the club’s U14 and U11 teams will be making the trip down to Richmond for a very special event bringing together some of the best youth teams in those age groups from around London. The hosts have put a great deal of effort to make this a very special event. Apart from the baseball, those who take part can look forward to the gourmet BBQ and pig roast, pastries and more. A great way to start the Bank Holiday weekend.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Baseball to compete with 16 other sports in St Albans this Saturday

St Albans City and District Council has invited Herts Baseball Club to take part in the opening of a new beach volleyball venue this Saturday, May 25. Verulamium Park in St Albans, is one of 6 successful venues to gain a new beach volleyball court after the Olympics. It is made with 4000 tonnes of sand taken directly from the 2012 London Olympics venue at Horse Guards Parade.

Coaches and players from the Herts adult and youth teams will run various baseball activities and will invite members of the public to give baseball a go and take part in several baseball competitions which will be taking place throughout the day.

Baseball will be one of 17 different sports which will be exhibited during the event. “This is an exciting opportunity to promote our club and the game of baseball in the community” said Herts Baseball Club President, Aspi Dimitrov. He added that “the club is seeing this as a competition with the other 16 sports to see who will attract more members of the public”.

The opening ceremony will commence at 11:30am and activities of the 17 different sports running from 12pm to 4pm. The event will also feature BBQ and other snacks and refreshments, music, circus skills, face painting etc. so it is expected to be an enjoyable event for the whole family. Any members of Herts Baseball Club or the wider community are able to come and take part in this event, free of charge.

The baseball activities will be held at the playing area on the back of the “Inn on the Park Cafe” at Verulamium Park. Click for address, map, car park options and other venue details

by Rob Jones

Eagles strike again, devour Redbacks

Herts Eagles 40-23 Essex Redbacks III, Forest Glade, Sunday 19th May

The Eagles travelled to the Essex Redbacks on Sunday with hopes high that they could build on the walk-off win over the Raptors. Both teams went into the game with 1-2 records, and all to play for.

It started well enough for Herts as the Eagles bats got to work. Mike Cresswell hit his first double of the day, while Will Belbin also picked straight up where he had left off the week before, and drove in a run. The Eagles batted one to nine, and scored four runs.

Mike Cresswell
Mike Cresswell was once again a star for the Eagles

But once again they made life hard for themselves in the field in the first inning. Serge Plata was starting on the mound, and while the Redbacks showed little sign that they could handle his looping curveballs, they reached base on errors and the shortest of infield hits. Plata was also having trouble getting into the strike zone, so patience at the plate helped the Essex side to six walks and ten runs.

Manager Duncan Hoyle had taken over pitching duties to get out of the inning and he confidently reminded his troops that they were capable of scoring runs, and of defending much better. He helped to show the way with 3 hits and 4 RBIs, as well as striking out three batters. The Eagles tightened up their fielding to hold the home side scoreless in the bottom of the second inning, and the game was now tied at 10-10.

The Redbacks manager Dave Jesshop had started solidly on the mound but the Herts batters had now sized him up and began to show their prowess at the plate. There were hits for left-fielder Jamie Lang, third baseman Tomasz Kosak, and slugging catcher Adrian Smithers.

Aggressive base running was also helping to keep the score ticking over — Adam Landau-Smithers stole six bases on the day, including a steal of home, and he scored five runs. The third inning broke the back of the game. Herts had scored 18 runs in all and led 28-14 once Essex had replied.

However, the win over the Raptors showed that even a big lead could be overcome and the Eagles sideline was staying focused on the task. Rob Jones led off the fourth inning with a booming double to left field, while Serge Plata — as well as settling in at shortstop – hit a consistent stream of doubles.

Essex never gave up hope, and continued to add to their total, but were not eating into the Herts lead. By now, the sun had come out at Forest Glade and it was a perfect baseball setting as the Eagles looked to seal the win by the mercy rule.

Catcher Adrian Smithers got 4 hits and 4 stolen bases

Mike Cresswell moved from first base to become the closer in the bottom of the seventh. He had added Herts final insurance run in the top of the inning, and now sat down the first two Redbacks he faced. There was then a brief glimpse of life for Essex as runners got aboard. But the mountain to climb was too high and the final out was secured without a run scoring.

The Eagles now move to 2-2 on the season, with an impressive 104 runs scored. Everyone had contributed with the bat or the glove, including the injured Manny Banson who had to be called off the bench to play left field. Duncan Hoyle was full of praise for his players: “They really showed what they can do and deserved the win. We are getting better all the time and there is no need for the Eagles to fear anyone.”

 

by Cristobal Hiche

A setback for injury-hit Falcons in NBL title race

Xavier Gonzalez (left) and Robbie Unsell sustained injuries in game one at the Essex Arrows (photo by Will Baxter)

written by Cristobal Hiche

It’s hard to fully describe these two games. They were very good, and more importantly, very close games. There was very good defence, good hitting, good pitching but nothing out of the ordinary. Giovanni’s triple for the Arrows was probably the only big hit of the day. John Bloise’s tremendous diving catch in CF was probably the only web gem of the day. There were just very few errors made by both teams but nothing that probably affected the games. If there’s a way to describe it, I would say they were “vanilla games” but probably the best vanilla you have ever eaten in your life! Why?

The answer is pretty simple. Two games that went to the wire will always be a good game to watch. In these types of games, players and managers are battling it out there and giving their 100% the entire game because there’s no chance to get relaxed since that can cost you dearly. Any small mistake can swing one way or the other and one pitch could make the difference.

The first game started with Arrows scoring a run in the 2nd but the Falcons were able to score a run in the next 3 innings. By the top of the 5th inning it was 3-1 for the Falcons but they could never mount a rally to give themselves some room to breathe. Barry Wiles was pitching a solid game. Although at times he would put a few men on base, Essex Arrows also couldn’t start a rally. By the 6th inning it was 4-2 and both teams were just trying to produce a run playing small ball and getting the fundamentals right because it was going to be a close game ‘til the end. However, Herts was able to score a few more in the 7th and was 6-2 for Herts in the bottom of the 7th. A Herts fan would have thought that was definitely enough to win it, but they would have been wrong. Essex managed to get some timely hits and make it 6-5 before Ryan Bird came to close the game. With a man on 3rd and 2 outs, an unrostered new Essex player had just entered the game and with limited baseball experience he had to face one of the fastest pitchers in the league. Somehow, and credit to him, he was able to put the ball in place with a slow chopper down the middle and in a rare error by the dynamic Xavi-Robbie duo, they both couldn’t get to the ball and make the final out. Game tied. The Falcons responded well by scoring 3 runs in extra innings and shutting down the Arrows in the bottom of the inning to seal a 9-6 win.

John Blose made the play of the day with a diving catch in centerfield

The bad news of that first game was the injuries to both Xavi (hamstring) and Robbie (ankle) which meant they both sat out the second game. Without their 1-2 batters and the defensive duo, Herts still went to battle and tried to get that 2nd win. Darrin Ward and and Lance Louw got into a pitching duel taking a 1-1 score into the bottom of the 6th. Arrows again were able to start a small rally and were able to score 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th to put a dagger into Herts. Herts showed some heart (pun intended) and looked to repeat the scenario from the first game. They scored a run and had runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs. A single would tie the game, but Lance Louw showed composure and struck out Carlos Velazco-Carus to end the game and give the victory to the Arrows.

Manager Lee Manning said after the game: “In the first game we played the way I expect us to play. Second game we didn’t hit the way I expected us to hit. Not taking anything away from Essex but we seem to be struggling with all these weeks off not playing.” Asked if the injuries could have affected the outcome of the second game, he added: “I think any team in the league would suffer if they lose their middle infielders, and in our case we feel our middle infielders are the best in the league, so their absence is bound to affect us. The guys that filled in did an amazing job but that meant we left holes in other parts of the field.” Essex Manager Steve Simmons summarised the day by saying: “I’m very pleased the way we played all day long. Unfortunately [in the first game] we ran out of pitching and they managed to score.” And then added “…[Second game] we played basics ball, we played fundamentals, ran the bases well, clutch hitting and didn’t make any critical errors.”

The season is getting quite interesting with all teams close together and the London Mets look like they are running away with it at the moment. This is the stage of the season where the fans can have a big impact. The Falcons are playing against a tough Southampton team at home next Sunday, May 26. An opportunity to come down to the ballpark and make some noise to try to grab two necessary wins against their immediate opponents.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Gem by Hare gives Ravens first win

The Herts Ravens roster is gradually returning to full strength and they are starting to see the results. They went into Sunday’s clash with the Bristol badgers with a 0-4 record and they needed a win.

AAA League: Bristol Badgers 2 Herts Ravens 4 (click to view box scores)

Returning to the starting lineup were Jake Caress, Jon Lewys, Louis Hare, Matt Johnston and Vassil Botev. Louis Hare started on the mound and controlled the game from the first pitch locating the corners consistently. The Badgers were unable to get any runs on the board in the first 4 innings.

In the bottom of the second inning Ravens player-manager, Carlos Casal, hit a laser down the left field foul line to bring Jon Lewys home and give his team a 1-0 lead. Usually a hit like this is a sure double for Casal and he may even try to take third base, but he had to stop at first as he picked up a knee injury during a relay drill in the pre-game warm-up. He managed to play the whole of this first game, but sat out in the second game. He has been placed on the disabled list awaiting news of a MRI scan next week.

Herts extended the lead with 2 more runs in the bottom of the fourth after a single by Matt Johnston, a walk for Casal and a rare defensive error in a game which saw only 2 errors by Bristol and 1 by Herts.

The Badgers put together a big rally in the top of the fifth with 4 hits but even then the Ravens managed to restrict them to only 2 runs in that inning getting a key out in a close play at home. This was the first out of the inning and perhaps the Bristol third base coach was a little too eager to get on the scoreboard or perhaps they made the decision knowing that Herts pitcher Louis Hare had not allowed any runs in the previous 4 innings and felt that this is a rare opportunity to take a risk and force a run in.

The score was 3-2 and it seemed like the game was going to slip away from the Ravens. Up stepped Louis Hare in the bottom of the fifth with two outs to hit his second double of the day deep into right centerfield. Gilberto Medina followed up with a single to bring Hare home, giving his team a little more breathing space with the score at 4-2, but there was still a lot of work to be done as the surging Badgers had two more innings to try to come back into the game.

Louis Hare continued his outstanding pitching performance and produced two perfect innings retiring 6 consecutive batters to complete the game and secure the first win in the history of the Herts Ravens. The game ended very fittingly with Louis Hare making an amazing diving play against the dugout on the first base side of the field to grab a foul ball. The play has already been nominated for the Play of the Year Award and it would take something very special to beat it. Seth Lipstock did make a claim of his own in that same inning with a leaping catch at first base after a laser line drive, but the votes are likely to sway in Louis Hare’s favour as his catch seemed impossible to make.

AAA League: Bristol Badgers 11 Herts Ravens 2 (click to view box scores)

In game two it was the turn of Bristol’s pitcher Peralta to put on a show. He pitched a complete game allowing only 1 earned run on 3 hits and, similar to Louis Hare, did not allow any walks. Liam Green was back on the mound for Herts after recovering from a shoulder injury. Just seeing him back throwing is very positive news for the Ravens for the remainder of the season although he and the coaching staff would have to be careful until he builds up strength again and returns to 100% fitness. In view of his recovery Coach Carlos Casal made the right decision to use him sparingly and to substitute him after 3 innings of work.

Seth Lipstock came in to pitch for what was his first appearance on the mound, ever. The coaching staff had started discussing the idea of trying Lipstock on the mound earlier in the week as he has one of the strongest arms in the club even including the Herts NBL players. It took him 2 or 3 batters to get comfortable with the strike zone, but after that he did tremendously well pitching the remaining 4 innings against a hard-hitting Bristol team. He even managed to add an offspeed pitch in the later innings to accompany his good fastball. This is another positive news for the Ravens adding an extra player to the pitching staff as the season heats up.

Bristol won game two deservedly with a score of 11-2, but for the Ravens there were many positives to take from this doubleheader with more players like Kyle Lloyd-Jones, Mike Cattermole, Nic Goetz and Rod Naghar expected to make their come back shortly.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hawks split a hard-fought double header with Guildford Mavericks

Hunter Devine was the hero driving in the tying and winning runs with the pressure of 2 outs and 2 strikes in the last inning

The double header between the Herts Hawks and Guildford Mavericks played on Sunday, 19 May, could have been billed as a replay of last season’s playoff quarter-final that saw the Hawks go through to the National Championships. However, with the expansion of the Herts organisation to five adult teams, it was inevitable that the squad to face the Mavericks would not be the same. Despite missing big guns like Louis Hare, Jon Lewys, Nic Goetz, Rod Naghar and Andrew Fullford, among others, the Hawks came out ready for battle and dead set to make a good showing.

Game 1: Guildford 5 – Herts 6

In the first game, Guildford were able to take an early lead, chipping away and getting a couple of runs in the first 2 innings, Nick Russell gaining more control as the game went on and limited the Mavericks well. The Mavericks pitcher was dominant, and whilst allowing 2 base runners through 4 innings was able to keep Herts to no runs. In the 5th, Herts were able to get 4 runs on the board with Tim Elkins and Ilya Dimitrov coming around before Hunter Devine and Andy Cornish (1RBI) crossed the plate on a 2 RBI hit from John Kjorstad. With the score 5-4 in the bottom of the 7th, with 2 down, Herts brought the house down with a walk off single from Hunter Devine (3RBI’s on the day) between the first and second baseman, scoring Elkins and Dimitrov again. The Herts players went crazy, with celebrations similar to those seen in the playoffs.

Game 2: Guildford 12 – Herts 1

After the elation for the Hawks in the first game, the second game went more to form, with Guildford keeping their tight defence and good pitching that they have become known for. Nick Russell continued on the mound before having to be removed due to the regulation on innings pitched. Herts eventually turned to Andrew Slater, the giant of a man to get outs that had eluded Jose Morillo Jr and Andy Cornish, but by this time it was too late and Guildford had racked up 7 runs in the inning. Herts were able to score a single run in the game. Although disappointing, there was a silver lining in Slater proving once again his ability to throw strikes and get outs, staking a claim for more mound appearances.

After the game, one of Hawk’s co-managers, Andy Cornish, commented: “I think that we should be very happy with the first game. Elkins in particular had very strong at bats, taking pitches, battling off the ones he didn’t want, which set him and the team up for a nail biting finish. The second game was a bit of a let down. I think that after a few experiments on the mound, we found a good pitcher in Andy Slater and he kept the run count down. We are still learning as a team and these games have answered a few questions. I hope that in the next games we continue to develop and can emulate some of the wonders and excitement from today’s first game.” The reaction of the other Hawk’s manager, Greg Bochan, (who had to leave at the start of the second game) to the final outcome was: “Jeez… Well, OK.” This pretty much summed it up.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts tied at the top of the U17 league after a win against Horsham

The Herts Harriers knew that they are making good progress over the last few months, but they will feel even more satisfaction now that the improvements are being reflected on the scoreboard and in the league standings.

BBF U17 League: Leicester Blue Sox 0 Herts Harriers 15 (click to view box scores)

They started Saturday’s league action with a win against the Leicester Blue Sox. Brodie Caress pitched a complete game shutout allowing only 2 hits and striking out 8. The team from the Midlands was a little unfortunate to lose their starting pitcher in the early innings with a slight injury, but they recovered well in their second game of the day against Horsham. They are a young team which is making its league debut this season and feature many young players who will have several years in this age group to build a title-challenge.

Herts Harriers Manager, Cris Hiche, felt that the high score in the game versus the Blue Sox does not fully reflect the game “We won the game fairly quickly but that doesn’t mean they’re a bad side. One just needs to see how they turned it around against Horsham. I think for us the key was not to underestimate them and be patient at the plate. All our players did extremely well to follow and stick to our game plan and to be aggressive on the bases.”

BBF U17 League: Herts Harriers 5 Horsham Hornets 2 (click to view box scores)

The last game of the day matched Horsham against Herts. Both teams reached the playoff quarter-finals last season and both will be hoping to go further this year and end the dominance of the London Mets and the Cobham Cougars. The game featured 7 players from the Great Britain U19 and U16 National Teams (Horsham-3, Herts-4) and the GB Senior National Team Head Coach, Sam Dempster, was present, radar-gun in hand, to assess them and the other players from the three teams involved on the day.

GB U16 player, Tom Everex-Armstrong, was the starting pitcher for Herts but before he even stepped on the mound he contributed driving in Callum Vangundy with a single in the top of the first inning. Herts held that 1-0 lead for 2 and 2/3 innings with good pitching and defence. Horsham tied the game with 2 two-out hits by Whitton and Cox in the bottom of the third inning.

Herts regained the lead in the fourth inning on hits from Charlie Mayhew and Tom Jansson-Wright who went 2-for-2 with RBI in this game. Conner Brown came home to extended the lead in the fifth inning. Tom Everex-Armstrong kept going strong on the mound pitching very efficiently retiring Horsham with around 15 pitches per inning. He was substituted after 5 innings allowing only 2 runs and striking out 6. Jose Morillo came in to close the game with a 5-2 lead. He did it in style retiring the batters in order with 2 strikeouts and a groundball out.

“We played a fantastic game against a very difficult Horsham team. Their pitching was really good with their starter throwing 67mph and their reliever 72mph. However, our players showed we aren’t afraid of any pitcher and can manufacture some runs. The game was close but we managed to win it by playing a perfect game in every aspect. I’m very pleased with everybody’s performance and this should give us the confidence to dream big this year.” said Cris Hiche.

With only a few games played so far in the BBF U17 league it is too early to start analysing the standings, but Herts fans will enjoy being tied in first place at the moment.

 

by Rob Jones

Euphoric house: Eagles walk off as winners

In more than a decade playing baseball, I have been walked off on many times, writes Rob Jones. I can easily think of two occasions within a few weeks of each other, when first Braintree and then the Old Timers snatched a victory from my team in the bottom of the ninth. And yet it took much rummaging in my brain to find an instance when I had enjoyed the euphoria instead of the deflation of a walk-off.

That just shows how rare and special Sunday’s Eagles victory was over the Raptors. A rain-soaked, see-sawing four hour epic of conflicting emotions. Anticipation. Concern. Confidence. Frustration. Jubilation.

I had a lot invested in the game. For one thing, I had used up a day of my annual leave from work to be able to take part! And the weather was threatening to scupper it all. In the end, the heavy rain never really materialised, more a steady drizzle. And us in the British baseball community… well, we laugh in the face of steady drizzle.

Reaching high: Rob Jones at bat on Sunday

The Eagles as a whole had invested a lot too. After two heavy losses, you want to win. I don’t think there was ever any question of a grudge match, but you do want to do well against your most direct rivals — and what could be more direct than the Raptors, the other Herts Single-A team, and the one which is built for greater success?

When we started badly you feared the worst. Rookie errors made by rookies are no surprise, but that didn’t make Duncan any happier about them, and it didn’t make us any happier. The Raptors can hit well, and they didn’t need our help to do it. When we got our own bats out, that led to the confidence and some satisfaction. And we tightened the defense considerably.

I have not hit particularly well so far this season, but managed better contact in this game. There were a couple of ground balls from the tip of the bat, but at least one of them allowed to reach base on either an infield hit or an error (I couldn’t entirely see which). And other hits, including a double, were more solid. I was less than an inch away from a perfect triple down the right field line, too – frustratingly, that was just another strike.

But at that point it didn’t seem to matter. We were well in control. Not much came my way in the field, that I can recall. But when I was removed along with other starters I didn’t mind too much.

That was when this really became a game of two halves though! The Raptors made a remarkable comeback, and I tip my hat to them for that. Not only the 13 runs they scored in one inning, but the way they fought to use that as inspiration to actually go on and win. Watching from the sidelines as the runs came in, and as Eagles rallies were snuffed out, was a nervy experience.

The biggest triumph of the day was for the team spirit of the Eagles. Because everyone really wanted this win, and refused to crumble even when it would have been far easier. Momentum and confidence count for a lot in baseball, and seeing a 17-run lead eroded doesn’t make you feel good!

But the ending was the storybook one — for the Eagles, at least. A pinch hit single, stolen bases, the walk-off hit and the mobbing at home plate. Whilst I did finally manage to conjure up a walk off win from my memory (from 2006 – you can even watch that one on YouTube) there was no home plate party that time. This time, we had our act together more.

So there was the euphoria. The first Eagles win of 2013, a clear upset victory, and a fitting finish to a great game. An experience which defines why we turn up on a rainy Sunday. Why we turned up for so many rainy Sundays before we got to this point. A lot of laughs, some really good plays, and a good competitive ball-game from which both sides should take a lot of heart. I speak as an Eagle this year, and the players on our roster should definitely be proud of that win.

 

by ChrisJones

A Game of 90 Minutes

It was the latest match-up in this old, celebrated fixture. These two teams, local rivals, fought for glory. It was top-of-the-table against bottom-of-the-table. Neutrals sided with the plucky underdogs – could they defy the odds?  It was an hour and a half of intense action, back and forth, no quarter given. But, in the last seconds of the game, the favourites were beaten, by a margin of one.

Yes, the FA Cup Final was a cracking game. But earlier, 15 miles away from Wembley, Grovehill Ballpark witnessed the Giants taking on the Dodgers once again.

We kicked off with practice, focusing on hitting and pitching, together with some infield drills. A smaller group of potential pitchers developed their accuracy on the mound. This year’s effort to entrust pitching duties to the players rather than the coaches seems to be the right call.

The under-14s and under-17s had practice sessions, so we had the use of the new diamond, with the fence pegged out barely beyond the adults’ infield. Aspi manned the public address system, and called out the lineups for us. A huddle comprising the cream of the Herts coaching staff stood watching from the pavilion, joined today by Sam Dempster, Head Coach of the Great Britain national squad. Lesser teams might have been daunted by the pressure. But not our under-11s.

The Dodgers were the visitors today, and first up at bat. Ben Jupp was on the mound. William Morillo got the ball rolling with a single, and before long the Dodgers had two runs on the board after a few fielding errors. Lucas Lebrato hit a line drive for a double to bring home Noah Haines for the third run. But with two runners in scoring position the Giants were able to get the third out to keep the score at 3-0.

In reply, with Lucas Lebrato pitching, the Giants picked up their first run when Ben Jupp singled to bring home Christian Lynch. Lewis Auchterlounie repeated the trick, and Noah Lynch hit another single to load the bases with no outs. The Dodgers were relieved to strike out the next three batters, and the score was 3-2 to the Dodgers at the bottom of the first.

The second inning was scoreless for both teams. Jupp pitched a no-hit second inning for the Giants – two strike-outs and a 4-3 groundout. In similar form, Lebrato allowed only one single in disposing of the Giants.

For the third inning, Christian Lynch took over the pitching role for the Giants. Noah Haines reached first on an error, and Lucas Lebrato continued his good form with the bat, with another double, although he was forced out after he and Noah both tried to occupy third base at the same time. Jonathan Wakelam was the victim of a 1-3 groundout, although Noah Haines made it home on the throw. The Dodgers were retired with a 4-2 lead, though, as Alex Troutman struck out looking, leaving runners on first and third.

The Giants quickly loaded the bases, with a couple of errors and a single from Alex Jones. Christian Lynch then hit a two-RBI single, and Nicholas Durer hit a line drive single to bring Alex Jones home. Ben Jupp then fired a ball to the fence for a double and two further runs. That was the maximum five runs for the inning, and 7-4 to the Giants after three.

Nicholas Durer now came in as pitcher. Joe Gipple and Lucas Lebrato both secured RBIs with singles, to bring the score to 7-6. With two outs, and runners on first and second, Lenny Flavin came to the plate, and hit a fly ball up to Oliver Durer at third base. Oliver dropped it, but kept his head, grabbed the ball from the dirt, and tagged Lucas out at third. And that was the ballgame.

Practice over for the under-17s and under-14s, we had been joined by a trio of older brothers. Callum Vangundy cheered on Rory as he batted. Jose Morillo shouted encouragement at William, and Ben Jones offered ‘advice’ to his little brother Alex. Watching the five to ten year-olds giving it their all, Sam Dempster seemed impressed. As he commented, “everyone starts here”.

Game Summary

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