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.
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