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.
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.