Bad weather was a factor again last weekend as teams across the country battled wind and rain to get their games in.
The Northern section didn’t have much luck as all of the scheduled games in both Triple-A and Double-A were sunk by heavy rain.
However, things were a bit brighter down south where some teams were able to take to the field.
Where the rain stayed away
In the National Baseball League (NBL), the Southampton Mustangs were one of several teams delighted to be able to get some game-time after several weeks on the sidelines. They extended their unbeaten run to 20 regular season games, stretching back into last season, with two victories over the Essex Arrows and their 4-0 start to the season keeps them at the top of the league. Still, the Arrows pushed them close as both games were decided by a single run, showing that whilst the Mustangs may be out in front, they are far from being out of reach of the other teams.
The Arrows are 5-3 following those two losses, a win-loss record matched by the London Mets after they picked up two wins against the South London Pirates. The Bracknell Blazers also picked up two good wins at the expense of the Herts Falcons. The Falcons slipped to a 1-3 start as a result, a disappointing and perhaps not-too-surprising consequence as injuries and the loss of some key players has left them with a weaker roster than the one that topped the NBL with a 24-4 record last season. They’ll be keen to fight back quickly, that’s for sure.
In the AAA-Central division, the Cambridge Royals are continuing to lead the way thanks to strong pitching and more-than-timely hitting. They picked up two more wins last Sunday against the Leicester Blue Sox and will put a 6-0 record on the line this Sunday in a double-header at Birmingham against the Maple Leafs.
The London Mammoths are another team that has come off the diamond with that winning feeling every time so far this season. They’ve started their AA-South campaign with four consecutive wins, the latest a 6-5 rain-soaked battle against the Richmond Dragons. The Mammoths’ Single-A clubmates, the Marauders, are also enjoying an unbeaten start to the season (3-0), whilst Haverhill Blackjacks earned a 13-9 win at home against Kent Mariners to make it two wins from two for them.
GB All-Star Series
The BBF league action was joined last weekend by the second round of the inaugural Great Britain All-Star Series. Judging by Marty Cullen’s report on the BBF website, the series is producing some great games and working well as a chance to get GB youngsters playing together in competitive contests.
Tweets of the Week
Plenty of news coming from the Essex Redbacks club
Loads of our #britishbaseball reports for the weekend going live today: http://t.co/CHiYjzBX0d pic.twitter.com/lPAhJ3YozR
— Redbacks Baseball (@essexredbacks) May 14, 2014
Herts continue their sterling efforts to get the next generation involved in British baseball
Our Open Day managed to avoid the rain. Very enjoyable day. Great turnout in all age groups despite the weather pic.twitter.com/zuqhFwOZjz
— Herts Baseball Club (@HertsBaseball) May 10, 2014
The Robots expressing sentiments the rest of us can all agree with
Send some sun over this way "@Claretoli27: Robot on tour!! @BoltonBaseball pic.twitter.com/S8qJyfIgaQ" #Bolton
— Halton Robots of Doom (@Robots_Of_Doom) May 12, 2014