Thunder Set for Step Up, as Club Secures Sponsorship
With the 2024 British Baseball season just around the corner, the New Forest Baseball Club is gearing up for another year of growth, on and off the field. Following a successful debut season, which saw the Thunder Knights make the South West and Wales League playoffs, the club has seen membership nearly double over the winter. A second team has been formed, and the ‘New Forest Thunder’ will play as a team separately to the ‘New Forest Knights’. The majority of last year’s squad are staying together and playing for the Thunder, but the club have also made a couple of experienced additions. Shannon Hall brings a long history of success in British Baseball to the team, as well as his knowledge of the game, which has led to his appointment as Head Coach of the club. Steve Steele and Simon Schwarz have also joined, along with a number of Southampton University’s high performing team. Following these additions, the British Baseball Federation has seeded the Thunder as a AAA team for the 2024 season. This means that the majority of the team will perform at two levels above any standard of baseball they’ve played before, presenting both a huge challenge and an opportunity for growth. New Forest Thunder Manager, Warren Doyle, said: ‘The number of new players we’ve taken on over the last few months is a testament to the positive ethos and welcoming nature of our club. ‘I’m really pleased to see so many people getting involved with the sport for the first time, and we’re really looking forward to getting the season underway.’ Off the field, the club has been sponsored by local Engineering firm, Calcinotto. The Poole based company provides expert services across the public and private sector, with a portfolio that includes some of the most impressive buildings across the south coast. Their generous support will enable the club to invest in the equipment needed to support the ever growing team. Alongside this, the Twin Bill have continued their game ball sponsorship with the Club for the year. The US baseball magazine will sponsor the balls that the Knights use on match days throughout the year, an incredibly generous gesture which helps cover the ever increasing cost of baseballs in the UK. The season gets underway for both teams in April, with the Knights set to play teams from Cardiff, Bristol, Bournemouth, Weston, Taunton and Cornwall in the South West and Wales Single A division. With the Thunder being promoted two levels, they will play against Cardiff Merlins AAA, the Bristol Badgers and Bracknell Inferno in the BBF South West division this season.
Thunder Knights Launch Second Team for 2024
After a successful first season in the South West and Wales Baseball League (SWWBL), the New Forest Thunder Knights are entering a second league team for the 2024 season. With the team’s name being a combination of two initial ideas, the ‘Thunder’ and ‘Knights’ will be separated into two teams, both competing at the Single A level of British Baseball. Capitalising on the success of Team GB on the diamond, British Baseball continues to grow in popularity and the New Forest based team have seen a good amount of interest from local people since the club was founded in 2022. In order to meet that interest, and give everyone a chance to play competitively, members of the Thunder Knights voted to establish a new team at the club’s annual AGM. Sam Williams was voted in as the Manager of the new team, who will play as the New Forest Knights, with Warren Doyle continuing as Manager of the New Forest Thunder. Given the launch of the new team, the Thunder Knights will be recruiting players ahead of the new season. New Forest Knights Manager, Sam Williams, said: “We’re really happy with how quickly the club has been able to grow in the space of a year. This new team will allow us to stick to our ethos of developing baseball in an environment that is inclusive and fun for people, whilst also fielding competitive teams.” The Thunder Knights finished second in the SWWBL’s Severn Division at the end of the 2023 season, falling in the playoffs to eventual National British Baseball Single A champions, the Cardiff Merlins. As well as that, the Hampshire club also entered a team at the inaugural BBF Summer Cup and arranged development games for new players to gain experience. Work is ongoing to grow the club, with the long term aim to be the establishment of a baseball facility with complete diamond in the local area. As part of this, the club will also launch an appeal for sponsorship in the coming weeks. Given the club’s emphasis on local community the team will train in the heart of the New Forest, at Brockenhurst College, from the start of 2024. Anyone interested in giving baseball a go, or playing for the team next year should contact the club via email at newforestbaseball@outlook.com or via any of the social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram or Facebook).
Knights Go Down Fighting in Cardiff
The New Forest Thunder Knights fought hard in their playoff semi-final matchup with the Cardiff Merlins but eventually fell to a 7-2 defeat. For large parts of the afternoon the scoreline was within one run as a pitching duel between the Knights’ Chris Lawson and Merlins’ Saliyah Wijesinghe kept the game moving at a frantic pace. Both pitchers sat the opposition side down in order in the first inning, recording a strikeout apiece in the process. With a combination of power and movement Lawson and Wijesinghe kept both side’s hitters guessing between fastball and their curveball throughout the game. The home side scored the first run of the game in the second inning, as Wijesinghe doubled, stole third base and then scored on a passed ball. Jamie Cunningham and Ben Davies then drove in two more in the third inning, capitalising on a couple of errors from the Knights. However, the away side came to life in the top of the fourth. Mitch Sullivan led off with a well hit single into shallow centre field, Alex Frampton followed him with a broken bat infield single to put runners at first and third. After Frampton stole second, Marcus Senior drove in Sullivan with a hit into right field – Frampton then scored on a wild throw into the catcher. The game went back and forth for a couple of innings following the Knights rally, Andy Moore recorded a hit through the left side of the infield, Senior took a fantastic grab over his shoulder and Eddie Donald pulled off two excellent catches to keep the score close. Lawson also got himself out of a bases-loaded jam with help from Rob Holbrook and Andy Swann and a strikeout. After throwing 130 pitches and eight strikeouts, Lawson was relieved by Senior in the seventh inning. Following a strikeout and a pop up to Swann, the Knights’ Manager was unlucky to give up a couple of runs as the Merlins moved out to a 7-2 lead. Despite the best efforts of the New Forest side, they couldn’t quite get the bats going against Wijesinghe who closed out a complete game and booked the Merlins a spot in the South West and Wales League playoff final. The defeat draws a successful first season to a close for the Thunder Knights, as they finished with a winning record, gave competitive debuts to a number of players and reached the playoffs for the first time.
Knights Secure Playoff Spot with Final Game Win
On the final day of the regular season, the New Forest Thunder Knights secured a playoff berth in their first season of action in the South West & Wales Baseball League. Needing one win from two games against Cardiff Merlins II, the Knights made it difficult for themselves at times – dropping the first game in wet conditions. However, behind a strong pitching performance from Marcus Senior, the visitors put 16 runs on the board in game two to secure a postseason appearance. Game one started in positive fashion as the New Forest team put up five runs to start the game. Rob Holbrook started his ‘player of the day’ performance with a double to left centre field to drive in the fifth run after hits from Mitch Sullivan and Alex Frampton. In response, the home side ran the base paths effectively and showed their batting prowess with some timely hitting to immediately draw level at five apiece. The game advanced quickly, as both teams exchanged scoreless innings before Cardiff pulled clear with four runs in the fourth. The Knights failed to score again, and despite having the bases loaded in the final inning they fell to a 10-5 defeat. Game two saw some standout performances as the weather eased and the New Forest bats finally arrived to secure the victory. Holbrook added three hits, driving in four runs, Andy Swann smashed a line drive into left field and Frampton added a couple of valuable knocks. Amber Rainbird drove in her first run of the season, making solid contact to drive the ball through the infield – she also fielded excellently at Right Field. She was joined by James Knight, who picked up an RBI and was sound on the other side of the outfield. On the mound Marcus Senior was calm throughout, striking out four Merlins batters and supporting his own pitching with some fantastic defensive plays. After throwing his trademark curve ball, Senior’s highlight play was a fantastic instinctive low grab off a line drive back towards his ankles – he then turned to throw out a runner, completing a double play in the process. Following the victory, the Thunder Knights will have a week off before returning to Cardiff to play the Merlins in the playoff semi-final on Sunday August 27th.
Thunder Knights Earn Split with Walk Off Win
The New Forest Thunder Knights battled for a split against a strong Weston Jets team on Sunday. Game one resulted in a one-sided 13-1 Weston win, as the Knights failed to get the bats going against James Carter. Mitch Sullivan recorded the sole hit for the home side, as he guided a hard hit ground ball up the first base line. Despite the lopsided scoreline, there were some strong individual moments during the game. Leigh Froud caught a well hit fly ball on the run after the first pitch of the game, the infield combined for two successful run downs and Eddie Donald made three catches at centre field. The second game of the day was full of drama, as the Knights came from behind to earn a walk off 13-12 victory. Rhi McMah and Marcus Senior split the pitching duties, holding a strong Jets batting lineup within touching distance throughout the game. Senior struck out five batters, taking him back into the top five in the country for Single A punch outs. With the Knights’ bats needing to get hot, Sullivan again kickstarted proceedings. Along with Sarah Banerjee and Senior, the New Forest catcher picked up two hits as the home side tallied ten in total. Banerjee continued her excellent form at the plate, with a hard hit line drive single keeping the score close by scoring two Knights. Entering the final inning, the home side needed three runs to tie the game or four to get the win. Shaun Barrett bunted his way onto base, before scoring on a throwing error from the Jets catcher. Senior then hit his fifth double of the year, with Banerjee drawing a walk. Dan Churchill came through with a clutch single to move the Knights within one, before a balk tied the game with the bases loaded. That left Sam Williams at the plate with two outs and a chance to win the game. After falling behind in the count, Williams came up with a hit into left field between the shortstop and left fielder to score the winning run. The results put the Thunder Knights at 13-9 on the season with the last two league games of the season set to be played against Cardiff Merlins II next weekend.
McMah Picks Up First Win in Sweep
The New Forest Thunder Knights secured two wins over the Bristol Brunels on a wet and windy Sunday in Hampshire. With the season nearing its finale, the Knights moved to 12-8 with the victories – putting the first-year team right in the playoff mix. Game one saw the two teams trade scoreless innings, before a three run second gave the home side an early lead. The Knights took advantage of a series of walks with some alert base running, scoring on passed balls after a number of disciplined at bats. Alex Frampton finally put the New Forest team in the hit column in the third inning with a single over the first baseman’s head. The hit sparked a five run half inning after Bristol had themselves added five runs in the other half. Those runs would be the last that the Brunels scored in the first game, as a number of strong defensive plays by the Knights made sure of victory. Chris Lawson, Rob Holbrook and Sarah Banerjee combined to catch Sam Stainsby in a run down, Banerjee then combined with Frampton for a play at second and Danny Vinkler put in a strong performance at Catcher. Vinkler stepped in to catch the game at the last minute, and his strong arm and excellent framing earned him joint player of the day honours in the 12-5 victory. Mack Wylde earned his first player of the day mention in game two, where he excelled defensively at third base – throwing out three Brunel batters at first in a row. Rhi McMah earned her first pitching win of the season, as she put up four innings, allowing just five hits and striking out a batter. Marcus Senior also earned his league leading second save of the year, as he pitched the final inning in relief. The Knights again made the most of a number of walks and passed balls to score runs, as they converted eight walks into eight runs. Eddie Donald continued his late charge for team stolen bases title, adding three more to his record and moving him closer to Senior’s 28 on the year. As the rain eased, the Brunels stayed close to the home side through to the final inning where Alex Lane-Kieltyka grounded out to Sam Williams at first base to end the 8-7 game. A visit from the Weston Jets will round out the Thunder Knights home schedule next weekend, before a trip to Cardiff to take on the Merlins finishes off the regular season.
Thunder Knights Take One From Merlins
The New Forest Thunder Knights became the first team to take a game from the league leading Cardiff Merlins I on Sunday. On a humid day, the first game was tense throughout as the home side crept into an early lead and held on until the last out. Chris Lawson got the ball on the mound for the Knights, and he got off to a swift start by striking out two in the first inning – stopping the Merlins from scoring any runs thanks to a run down also involving Rob Holbrook and Marcus Senior. On the back of hits from Lawson and Senior, the New Forest team took the lead as Warren Doyle came home to score. Another scoreless inning followed for the away side, as Lawson struck out one batter and fielded two ground balls himself. After the Knights added three more in the second inning, the Merlins fired into life as Saliya Wijesinghe homered to left field. Three more Cardiff batters made their way round the bases, to keep things close at 5-4. Both sides exchanged more runs, leaving the game finely in the balance with two runners on, two outs and the score at 8-7 in the final inning. With Wijesinghe at the plate, Lawson worked the count full before the Cardiff hitter bounced the ball to Marcus Senior at third base – Senior threw a bullet across the diamond to Andy Swann at first and the Thunder Knights took the win. The game saw Holbrook make his debut at Catcher for the home side, and he formed an excellent tandem with Lawson who finished the game with seven strikeouts and only allowed three hits. After a short break, Cardiff won the second game in a 20-3 rout. However, there were a number of standout performances from the Thunder Knights. Mack Wylde made his pitching debut, throwing a good mix of pitches with the help of Sam Williams behind the plate. James Knight played a complete game at Right Field, tracking down a number of well hit balls and limiting the Merlins on the bases. Eddie Donald took two outstanding catches on the run at Centre Field and Williams upped his stolen base total to 23 with three during the game. Ahead of a scheduled bye week, the Knights stand second in the Severn Division with a 10-8 record. A trip to the British Baseball Federation’s Summer Cup at Farnham Park is on the cards, before the last three games of the regular season.
Donald Dominant Against Merlins
The New Forest Thunder Knights split a tough home matchup with the Cardiff Merlins II on Sunday, as the second half of the season got underway with plenty of runs. After a two week break, the Knights were a little sluggish out the blocks in game one, with a number of costly errors presenting the Merlins with the opportunity to ramp up the score. A final 19-10 scoreline in no way reflected the way that Rhiannon McMah pitched, as she made her debut on the mound for the home side. With a strikeout in the fourth inning McMah also made the ‘play of the day’, as she consistently hit the zone and forced the Merlins to put the ball in play. Despite the loss there were a number of other standout plays, Rob Holbrook took a difficult pop up with the wind blowing dirt up into his face, Dan Churchill picked up a hit with a drive over the head of the second baseman and Marcus Senior tripled for the second time this season. Sam Williams also had an excellent game as he drove in three runs on three hits, taking his RBI total to 18 on the season. Williams was also excellent behind the plate, catching two full games in difficult conditions. Game two saw the Knights bounce back, taking the game 13-6 to move their season record to 9-7. Eddie Donald continued his excellent all round day with some extremely difficult catches in the outfield. After bouncing back from a shoulder injury, Donald was named player of the day as he recorded three hits across both games, alongside the aforementioned defensive performance. The home side’s defense improved drastically in the second game, giving Andy Moore support across the whole field. McMah took a standout catch on the run in Right Field, as did Alex Frampton in centre, and Rozi Hathaway made a number of excellent stops at second base. Senior continued his fantastic season at the plate, keeping his batting average at .690 with two more hits, driving in three runs in the process. On the season, Senior is third nationally in runs batted in, first in runs scored and second in on base percentage. With the Summer Cup looming in a few weeks, the Knights are back in action at home against Merlins I next weekend.
Four on the Bounce as Knights Win Two at Home
The New Forest Thunder Knights kicked off a streak of five consecutive home games with two wins against the Cornish Claycutters on Sunday. On an incredibly humid day, the Knights did just enough to see out a game one victory thanks to a good all round hitting display. Mitch Sullivan and Chris Lawson picked up three hits apiece, whilst Marcus Senior drove in two on the home side’s first triple of the season. Both sides scored twice in the first inning, with Dan Kitts getting the first of his three hits in the game for the visitors. Things opened up in the second inning, as the Knights scored five thanks to hits from Sullivan, Chris Lawson and Rob Holbrook. Eddie Donald scored on his full return from a shoulder injury, as did Shaun Barrett thanks to some excellent base running. However, the visitors clawed themselves back into the game with five unanswered runs of their own over the next two innings. Then, in the final inning, they took the lead for the first time in the game to go ahead 9-8. With the home side needing two runs to win, Manager Warren Doyle drove in Alex Frampton with a single to left field, before Andy Moore brought in Doyle to seal the walk off win. Game two was more of the same as the New Forest bats stayed hot. A player of the day performance for home debutant, Sarah Banerjee, saw her pick up two hits and two RBIs – including a fantastic line drive through the left side of the infield. She was joined with two hits by Lawson and Senior. After the home side hit their first triple of the season in game one, Rob Holbrook picked up the second in game two – hitting a towering blast to right field and showing his speed round the bases. The ‘play of the day’ honours were shared thanks to two outstanding pieces of fielding which helped secure the win. Sullivan made a sprawling stop down the first base line, before getting to his feet and dashing to make the out. Then, Sam Williams secured the final out of the game by taking a diving catch over his shoulder behind the plate. A final score of 12-8 meant the home side picked up their fourth straight win and moved to second in the division. Ahead of the MLB London Series, a two week break means the Thunder Knights are back in action on the 2nd July against the Cardiff Merlinss.
Knights at the Double in Bristol
The New Forest Thunder Knights recorded their first sweep of the season with two victories against the Bristol Brunels on Sunday. Marcus Senior hit a home run, won game one on the mound and picked up a save in game two to show his value in a terrific all-round performance. In the first game of the day, the Knights took an early lead as Alex Frampton, Sam Williams and Rozi Hathaway drove in runs. Senior then struck out two to limit the Brunels to one run in return. Frampton and Williams combined to drive in four more runs in the second inning, both enjoyed strong games at the plate with four RBIs each. Dan Churchill also picked up his first hit of the season with a strong drive to centre field. Danny Vinkler and Andy Moore caught two Brunel runners stealing in support of Senior in the second, before the away team’s ace hit a three-run blast to centre field to put the game beyond doubt in the third. After coming into the game in Right Field, James Knight picked up play of the day honours by collecting his first hit as a Thunder Knight with an infield single, a moment only matched by the subsequent celebration. Williams made his pitching debut to see out the game, and despite a late Brunels rally, the away side picked up a 17-7 victory. Game two was a much closer affair as the New Forest side came out as 13-12 winners after a nail-biting finish. Sarah Banerjee made her starting debut at second base, making three catches in the infield in support of Moore on the mound. Mack Wylde, Senior and Williams all drove in runs to give the Knights an early lead. However, Becky Cottrell and Rich Evans responded in kind to keep things close in the first. The two sides exchanged runs into the final inning, when Andy Swann drove in Moore and Wylde to separate the sides at 12-10. Manager Warren Doyle came into the game as a pinch runner and added another with quick reactions on a passed ball. Senior re-entered the game to pitch the last inning for the Knights and with the tying run at third and the go ahead run at second, he struck out two batters in succession. After the second strike out, Cottrell broke for home but Senior’s quick thinking got the ball into Williams behind the plate for the tag and the ball game. The wins put the Knights joint second in the division ahead of a home game against the Cornish Claycutters next weekend.