Home Run Honeymoon, as Williams Goes Yard
Sam Williams continued the ‘feel good factor’ after his recent marriage to teammate Rozi Hathaway, by hitting his first ever home run in Sunday’s split with the Bournemouth Bears. Coming to bat in the second inning, Williams took a pitch high into the afternoon sun and over the outfield fence in left centre field as the Knights fought back from an 8-3 deficit to win game one 9-8. As happened in the reverse fixture, the New Forest based team fell behind early in game one, before showing excellent determination to fight back for the victory. Alex Frampton picked up two hits and Shaun Barrett, Mitch Sullivan and Marcus Senior all drove in runs during the comeback effort. Barrett hit a thumping double, showing off his ever improving approach at the plate as the perfect accompaniment to Williams’ home run blast. However, the game was won on the back of a two inning relief pitching effort from Chris Lawson. With the scores close, Lawson struck out five batters whilst not giving up a hit – sealing the second tight win against the Bears in the space of three weeks. The second game of the day saw the Bears rally and claim a 6-4 victory to earn the split on the back of some powerful pitching. However, it was another close game with a number of firsts for the away side. Amber Rainbird got herself on base for the first time in her baseball career, before stealing second. With the Knights bench providing their full support, Rainbird also picked up the ‘Player of the Day’ award. Mack Wylde made his starting debut, after featuring at second base during game one. It was a good show from the newest Knight as he drove in a run and looked solid in the field. As always, Marcus Senior was solid on the mound, striking out six Bears and helping his own cause with a 100% on base percentage off two hits and a walk. His 36 strikeouts see him currently sat third in the national Single A rankings, with a full summer of baseball left to play. The Thunder Knights are back in action against the Bristol Brunels next Sunday in Keynsham.
Hathaway Heroics in Split with Bears
Rozi Hathaway was the player of the day as her excellent defensive performance helped the New Forest Thunder Knights split two competitive games against the Bournemouth Bears. In their first home game of the season, the Knights came back from a five run deficit to beat their local rivals in game one. After sponsors, the New Forest Academy of Dance, had thrown out the first pitch, the Bears put five runs on the board to get the game going. In response, Alex Frampton hit his first ever home run with a towering drive to centre field. A back and forth second inning had the score at 7-3 to the visitors, but the Knights added five runs in the third to get themselves back in the game. Warren Doyle and Mitch Sullivan both drove in runs, before Doyle added the fifth of the inning by stealing home between pitches. In the final inning, with the scores tied at eight, the Knights got their first walk off win of the season. With the bases loaded after three consecutive batters were hit by the pitcher, Chris Lawson showed excellent judgement at the plate before coming up with the knock to drive in the ninth and winning run. In the second game, the Bears picked up an 8-6 win in a game that went back and forth throughout. Despite the loss, Hathaway’s performance at second base was immense. As well as starting a double play with Lawson and Dan Churchill, she recorded three further defensive assists and was incredibly calm throughout. Churchill’s defensive play was excellent, taking two tricky catches in the infield. Amber Rainbird also made her debut, playing well in both games at Right Field. In the end, hits from Marcus Senior, Lawson and two from Sam Williams weren’t quite enough for the home side. Senior also struck out six Bears on the afternoon. The results move the Thunder Knights to 3-5 on the season, with the return fixture to be played in Bournemouth on the 28th May.
Merlins Down Knights in Fierce Contest
On Coronation Weekend, the New Forest Thunder Knights made their way over the Prince of Wales bridge for a matchup with the Cardiff Merlins. After two low scoring and very competitive games, the league leading Merlins came away with two wins. In game one, the Knights pulled out to an early lead with Warren Doyle and Danny Vinkler scoring after some smart base running. Pitcher Andy Moore then drove in Doyle to add another. The Merlins reached the South West and Wales playoff final last year behind some excellent all round play, but the defense of the away side held strong throughout. Shaun Barrett, Alex Frampton and Eddie Donald all made good catches in the outfield, with Chris Lawson his normal excellent self at Short Stop. In the final inning the New Forest team clawed back to 4-4, as Frampton scored on a Moore infield hit. However, Cardiff walked off with the win as Ben Davies drove in the winning run. Game two was a pitching duel as Lawson went up against Sri Lankan, Saliya Wijesinghe. Both were excellent and showcased the high standard of the league. Leigh Froud earned himself play of the day honours with a great running catch at Left Field off a strongly hit line drive. However, the Knights struggled to get the bats going against the pace and movement of the home side’s pitching. Doyle picked up a hit and Vinkler showcased his arm by throwing out a running at home plate. After an excellent performance at Catcher in game one, Vinkler was also named player of the day. The away side came away with a 4-0 win at the end of play. After three away games to start the year, the Thunder Knights welcome the Bournemouth Bears for their home opener next Sunday.
Sponsorship Boost as Grove Sales back the Knights
After an exciting start to their first ever season as a club, the New Forest Thunder Knights are delighted to have secured the backing of another local business. Grove Sales Ltd have agreed to sponsor one of the team’s home games during the season, providing much needed support for equipment and hire costs in return. So far this season the Knights have gone 2-2, sitting tied for second place in the Severn Division of the South West and Wales Baseball league. A tough opening slate of games has already seen the New Forest team travel to Bristol and Taunton, with another difficult day in Cardiff looming. All the support from sponsors like Grove Sales is put straight back into the running of the club, with matchday sponsors able to throw out the first pitch and have their branding displayed on social media and game days in return. Team Manager, Warren Doyle, said: “It’s fantastic to get this backing from a company of the size and reputation that Grove has. We’re incredibly grateful to them, and everyone else in the New Forest and the surrounding area that has supported us so far.” Grove Sales Manager, Luke Ramsier, said: “All of us at the Grove love our local sport, and we’re more than happy to support the Knights in their first season. We’re looking forward to watching the club grow and wish them success going forward.” Following on from some great early coverage of the team, the Knights welcomed their first new players to training recently as the popularity of baseball in the UK continues to grow after Team GB’s participation in the World Baseball Classic. Grove Sales Ltd are a national distributor of various electrical goods. Based in Christchurch, with a wide reaching network, they supply to all over the United Kingdom and Europe. Along with a range of other products, they specialise in goods such as Weller soldering stations, Bofa fume extraction units and the G-Tek range of ESD products. Further Information:
Lawson Leads Knights in Taunton
Chris Lawson stole the show as the New Forest Thunder Knights battled for a split against the Taunton Muskets on Sunday. In a fiercely competitive day of baseball, the Knights showed their resolve to hold on for a game two win in extra innings. Lawson hit the first ever home run for the newly formed South Coast team, before adding a second shortly afterwards. He also pitched two innings in relief to secure the first win of the season for Marcus Senior. Senior got into his groove as the second game went on, picking up 16 strikeouts in an impressive tandem performance with Mitch Sullivan at Catcher. Entering the first extra inning, the scores were tied at 8-8. The Knights performed heroics on defence to keep the score tied, with both Rob Holbrook and Alex Frampton throwing runners out at home plate. Then in the second additional inning, hits from Sam Williams and Danny Vinkler helped break the game open before Lawson closed out a 17-9 win. Earlier in the day the Muskets had edged a tight first game by a score of 7-6. With the bases loaded twice in the first two innings, the away side were unable to push runs over the plate. In turn, a home run from Andres Bianco gave Taunton a six run lead. However, the Knights fought back to level the game thanks to the bats of Sullivan, Lawson and Williams. Despite shutting out the home side in four of the first five innings, the Knights weren’t able to prevent the Muskets from winning the game in the final inning. A single from Fumihito Yasuhara was enough to bring home the winning run. Lawson’s huge day with the bat, and his pitching efforts earned him player of the day honours. The Thunder Knights are next in action on 7th May as they travel to division leaders, Cardiff Merlins I.
Thunder Knights Split on Opening Day
The New Forest Thunder Knights played their first league games as a club on Sunday. On the opening day of the British Baseball season, the Knights split a doubleheader with the Bristol Buccaneers in Keynsham. With a 22-9 victory in game one, the away side grabbed the very first win in New Forest Baseball history. On an overcast afternoon at Somerdale Pavilion, the Knights’ bats were led by Chris Lawson and Rob Holbrook who combined for five hits and seven RBIs (runs batted in) in game one. Holbrook drove home three runners with a big hit to centre field, giving the team in green some early breathing room. But it was defensively that the away side looked strongest. An infield consisting of Marcus Senior, Warren Doyle, Sam Williams, Holbrook and Lawson provided excellent support for Andy Moore who picked up his first pitching victory of the season. In the outfield Alex Frampton sealed the victory with a catch over his shoulder after the Knights added 12 runs in the final inning of the game. Game two was a different story as Jake Boyer showed off his excellent pitching in a 10-8 victory for the Buccaneers. The young Bristol pitcher struck out ten Thunder Knights on his way to the win. However, the Knights didn’t go down without a fight. Shaun Barrett picked up play of the day as he hit a slider from Boyer firmly into the outfield. Leigh Froud and Lawson also picked up hits, with Marcus Senior continuing his good day at the plate by supporting his own pitching with a couple of knocks. Dan Churchill came up with a great catch in the second inning, taking a line drive high above his head to stop two runs scoring. Senior struck out eight Buccaneers on the afternoon but it wasn’t quite enough as the away side couldn’t come back from a six run deficit in the final inning. Rozi Hathaway and James Knight also made their British Baseball debuts on the day. The Thunder Knights travel to Taunton to play the hometown Muskets next Sunday.
Knights Secure Sponsorship as Schedule is Released
The New Forest Thunder Knights are delighted to have secured sponsorship for the upcoming season from the New Forest Academy of Dance and Kings Computer Recycling. Both organisations have sponsored one of the Knights’ home games and will see their branding displayed across the team’s social media and banners on game day. With three months of winter training under their belt, the Knights have also received their schedule for the season. A league debut away at Bristol Buccaneers kicks things off on April 16th, road trips to Taunton and Cardiff follow, before the home opener against the Bournemouth Bears on May 14th. The Knights will host the Cornish Claycutters and the Weston Jets in interdivisional games alongside further divisional matchups with the Bristol Brunels and both Cardiff Merlins’ teams. Team Manager, Warren Doyle, said: ‘Getting the team set up for our first season has been an incredibly exciting process. I’m really proud of everything we’ve achieved so far and there’s a lot more to come. ‘The support of local partners is vital as we seek to grow both the Thunder Knights and British Baseball in general, so we’re very thankful to the Academy of Dance and Kings for their very generous support.’ New Forest Academy of Dance Owner, Kayleigh Sargeant, said: ‘Our ethos is very similar to that of the Knights, as we’re both looking to help people unleash their full potential. We’re excited to see a new sport in the New Forest, and we believe this partnership will benefit both organisations.’ Kings Computer Recycling Owner, Trevor Herbert, said: ‘I’m delighted that we’re able to support an up and coming local sports team. I know that the Knights are a family club, much like our business here in Christchurch, which is why it made perfect sense to agree to this partnership.’ Ahead of the season, the Thunder Knights will also host a session for players new to the game of baseball. On Saturday April 8th, the club is inviting anyone who wants to give the sport a try to join them at Ellingham Cricket Club to learn the basics and have a throw with some of the current squad. A preseason game against Warwickshire Baseball Club is also scheduled for March 26th, alongside a South West and Wales League tournament in Bristol on April 2nd. The New Forest Academy of Dance is based in Lymington and offers dance and musical theatre classes to all age groups in a fun and positive environment. The Academy recently held their Lower School Show, highlighting the talent and hard work of a host of students in front of a captivated audience at Brockenhurst Village Hall. With a host of experience in servicing and repairs, Kings Computer Recycling is regarded as the best recycling option for schools, companies and individuals on the South Coast. Based in Christchurch and run by Trevor Herbert, the company helps local organisations with their IT needs, with no job too big or small. Further Information:
Thunder Knights Backed By Local Business
The New Forest Thunder Knights baseball club are delighted to announce their first sponsorship agreement with a UK firm. Ringwood based agriculture and machinery specialists, Merlo, have provided funding for the new team – enabling them to purchase vital equipment ahead of their debut season. Given the inclusive nature of baseball in the UK, the funding will go towards providing equipment that enables those who are new to the game to learn the sport in the best possible environment. Knights’ General Manager, Andy Moore, said: “We’re incredibly thankful to Merlo for their support as we go about setting up the club. “The Thunder Knights ethos is all about community, so to receive the backing of a company based in the New Forest is a major win for us. “Every bit of support allows us to grow baseball on the South Coast, helping beginners and experienced players alike to fall in love with the sport.” James Knight, Marketing Coordinator at Merlo UK said: “During Merlo’s thirty years in the UK, we have prided ourselves in our support of sports teams, charities and community groups local to our offices in Hampshire. “The commitment and tenacity demonstrated by the Thunder Knights embodies the audacious spirit of our founders in 1964 and 1997 across Italy and the UK. “We look forward to supporting the Thunder Knights in their efforts to grow the game of baseball in the New Forest area through 2023 and beyond.” The news comes after the club also received the backing of the AFC Bournemouth Community Fund on ‘Cherry Monday’. US based baseball journal, the Twin Bill, have also funded the team’s match balls for the 2023 season. With baseball continuing to grow across the UK, every element of support from local organisations, like Merlo, is incredibly valuable to start up clubs. As well as helping with the purchase of equipment, the funding will allow the New Forest based team to build on the interest they have received from potential new players after a recent appearance on BBC South Today. Like the game of baseball, Merlo themselves are an international institution, with their UK base in Ringwood. The company specialises in rotating telehandlers, patented cab suspension and hydrostatic transmissions, and it is a mainstay of the international agriculture and machinery industry. In 2022 the company invested in its Ringwood premises, allowing for the construction of a bespoke training centre on site. More than 250 Merlo specialist trainees have undertaken courses at this facility since its development. As part of their commitment to their staff and the local community, the company readily supports local endeavours, particularly to help boost health and wellbeing. Further Information:
Press release
Click to read our press release! “We’re really excited to bring baseball to the New Forest and Southampton this year. There’s huge potential for the sport both in the local area and across the United Kingdom. Our aim is to enjoy ourselves on and off the field and to create an atmosphere in which everyone feels happy, safe and supported to play this fantastic sport.” Sam Williams, Assistant General Manager Sam was also interviewed on BBC Radio Solent about the new team. Listen to the interview via our Twitter or Instagram. Bring the Thunder!