Knights Continue Winning Run with Sweep in Taunton
The New Forest Knights continued their late-season surge on Sunday, sweeping the Taunton Pistols to record a fourth consecutive victory and move above .500 for the first time this season. Fresh from last weekend’s dramatic double-header sweep in Yeovil, the Knights travelled to Taunton full of confidence and produced two of their most complete performances of the year, winning 11-4 before following it up with an emphatic 20-6 victory. Knights take control in Game One After conceding an early run, the Knights quickly settled into the contest. Ben Coxhill ignited the offence with a leadoff triple as the Knights combined aggressive baserunning and disciplined hitting to steadily build their lead. Ian Tiffen enjoyed an excellent afternoon at the plate, collecting two doubles and driving in two runs, while Darryn Stares and Andy Bashforth each added two hits. The decisive moment came in the fourth inning as New Forest exploded for five runs. Consecutive extra-base hits from Tiffen and Coxhill sparked the rally before Jake Mills and Stares drove in further runs to put the game beyond Taunton’s reach. Joe Wood delivered a composed performance on the mound in only his second appearance as a pitcher, throwing all four innings to earn the win as the Knights claimed an 11-4 victory. Offence erupts in Game Two If Game One was controlled, Game Two was explosive. The Knights wasted little time taking command, with Jake Mills opening the game with a triple before Ben Coxhill blasted an inside-the-park home run to hand New Forest an early 3-0 lead. From there the offence never let up. New Forest amassed an astonishing 24 hits, scoring in every inning before putting up eight runs in the fifth to put the game beyond Taunton’s reach. Jake Mills starred with a perfect 5-for-5 performance, scoring four runs, driving in two and notching five stolen bases. Mills was equally impressive on the mound, striking out seven across four innings before handing over to Coxhill to close out the victory as the Knights completed a convincing 20-6 win. Luke Callum also went 5-for-5, with four RBIs. Coxhill finished with four hits, including his home run, and drove in five runs, while Darryn Stares crossed the plate four times. Momentum Building The double sweep means the Knights have now won four straight games, the longest winning streak in the team’s history. After back-to-back sweeps over Yeovil and Taunton, the team continues to build momentum heading into a crucial home fixture against the Bristol Brunels next weekend, knowing another strong performance could further strengthen their position in the Severn Division standings.