Thunder Crowned SWWBL D5 Champions After Dramatic Final Win
New Forest Thunder are SWWBL Division 5 champions after a dramatic 20-15 victory over the Plymouth Mariners in today’s Championship Game. The title caps a remarkable season for Thunder, who entered the final having won their last six regular-season games to clinch the Severn Division. Their reward was a championship meeting with Plymouth, winners of the Wessex Division, with the regional Division 5 title at stake. The Mariners made the stronger start, racing into a 5-0 lead in the first inning, but Thunder hit back immediately. Kieran Jewell’s two-run single got them on the board before Mitch Sullivan and an error brought Thunder level at 5-5. Thunder moved ahead 8-5 in the second, only for Plymouth to level the game again in the third. The Mariners then regained the lead in the fourth, going 11-9 ahead, before Lewis Kelly’s RBI single cut the deficit to one. Then came Thunder’s biggest offensive burst of the afternoon. Shaun Barrett’s triple tied the game before RBI hits from Doug Sutherland and Mitch Sullivan, a Chad Tew double and a wild pitch helped Thunder score five runs and take a 15-11 lead. Plymouth answered immediately, scoring four in the top of the fifth to level the game at 15-15. Thunder’s defence then held firm in the sixth, setting up one final offensive charge. Lewis Kelly was hit by a pitch before Sam Williams beat out a bunt and Simon Schwarz singled him home. Barrett and Sutherland followed with RBI singles, Mitch Sullivan brought Barrett across on a fielder’s choice, and Kelly returned to the plate to drive home Chad Tew and complete another five-run inning. The five-run rule ended the inning, and the time limit meant Plymouth had no opportunity to respond. Game over. Championship won. New Forest Thunder are SWWBL Division 5 champions, securing the club’s first regional title just weeks after claiming the Severn Division championship. Manager, Doug Sutherland, said after the game “Both pitchers put in great performances today, and I don’t think the final score does either of them justice. Every player played their part and contributed to a fantastic team performance.” He went on to highlight Kieran Jewell as Player of the Day, while Shaun Barrett’s triple was awarded Play of the Day. And the season may not be finished yet. Thunder now face the possibility of a rematch with Plymouth in the BBF National Playoff Quarter-Finals, with a place in the national semi-finals at stake.