The Badgers BBF AAA playoff hopes were ended on Sunday with two defeats by the Herts Cardinals.
Needing to win both games of the double header, the Badgers went down 10-5 and 11-7 at the Basing Hill Ballpark in London.
In the first game, the Bristol side went behind early and found themselves 9-3 down at the bottom of the fourth inning as their pitchers struggled to contain the Cardinals’ offense. In response, Mattia Papini and Josh Boulton both hit doubles but the Badgers struggled against some tight Herts pitching despite Papini, Charlie Turner and Seyi Awofadeju each stealing a base.
The second match followed a similar pattern with the Cardinals marching into an 11-2 lead at the end of the third inning despite the Badgers out-hitting the Herts team. Papini maintained his good form at the plate with two hits, three runs and two runs driven in. He was well supported by outfielders George Braeger and Awofadeju who both had multi-hit games and drove in four runs between them. Despite the excellent hitting, the Badgers couldn’t get the runners home and eventually went down in their last match of the season despite pushing to the end.
“It was a disappointing end to the season but the Cardinals were the better team on the day,” said Badgers’ player/manager Rhodri Theaker. “Despite the result, we have found three or four players who have stepped up a level and who have proved they can compete at AAA in 2024.”
by the Herts Cardinals at the weekend.
Elsewhere, players from the Buccaneers and the Brunels, the club’s SWWBL Single A teams, took part in the annual All Star match between the Wessex and Severn Divisions which Wessex won 10-1.
Sam Kaiser from the Brunels was named the Severn MVP for his all round performance on the afternoon.
Although the regular season is over, the club will be training until the end of September and will welcome Leguvin Duckies from Toulouse to Somerdale Pavilion on the weekend of the 23rd and 24th September as part of the twinning arrangement with the French club.
