Andy Bergh impressed on his debut for the Bristol Badgers at the weekend, striking out 10 Bracknell Inferno batters on the way to an 11-1 victory in the second game of the BBF Division 2 double header. As well as throwing a complete game, Bergh also came away with two hits, two runs and two runs driven in to cap an excellent all round performance.
The tight pitcher’s duel was broken open by John Brownlee’s bases clearing double in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Badgers went ahead 7-1. Tim Singiser, Doug Scriver and Alex Martinson all had multi hit games driving in five runs between them helping the Badgers split the double header.
The first game was a tight contest with the Inferno edging the game 7-5 after jumping out to an early 6-4 lead. Keegan Martinjako drove in two runs from two hits for the Badgers and also was outstanding at left field, throwing out a runner at second and pulling off two great catches. Centre fielder Tim Singiser produced catch of the day with a full length dive to keep the Bristol side in the game.
“They were two good games of baseball and I was delighted with the way we responded after the close defeat to get the good win in the second game,” said Rhodri Theaker, the Badgers player/manager. “Keegan and Tim were outstanding in defense and Andy’s performance on the mound was out of the top drawer.”
Photo courtesy of Ty Porter.
Also at Somerdale, the Buccaneers swept aside Newton Abbott Brewers 14-5 and 11-4 in their BBF Division 4 matchup.
The Buccaneers showed great discipline at the plate working 11 walks and speed on the bases with eight steals. Yarlandis Despaigne hit a big double to centre field, drove in one of the Buccaneers runs and took a great overhead catch at shortstop to complete a good performance.
The second game followed a similar pattern with more plate discipline to support doubles by Ryota Sugawara and Bryan Cromer who also drove in three runs between them.
“We played two solid and intelligent games of baseball against a strong team,” said Will Marshall, the joint manager of the Buccaneers. “Our plate discipline was excellent which enabled us to get on base and steal effectively.”
Photo courtesy of Ty Porter.
In Yeovil, the Bristol Brunels split their BBF Division 5 double header against the Whirlwinds.
The first game was dominated by Rohan Ninawe, who struck out eight Yeovil batters while giving up just six hits. Ninawe had good run support in each inning as the Brunels scored freely to take the game 15-3.
Ninawe had a good all round game with two hits while Tom Cross, James Peterson, and Cesar Torres also displayed power with the bat in hand. Six Brunels had multi-hit games with Charlie Rickets hitting a triple and MVP Andre Shlimon a big double to left field.
The Whirlwinds took the second game 11-8 despite a late comeback by the Brunels, who scored three runs in the top of the fifth and final inning.
“To win three out of four this early in the season is a great achievement for our development team and we missed a few opportunities in game two to score, otherwise we could have come away with two wins instead of the split,” said Brunels manager Ryan Harris.
On Deck: Next weekend, Bristol Bats welcome Cardiff Merlins to Somerdale as they open their season with a BBF Division 3 doubleheader, while the Brunels host the Whirlwinds in their return fixture.
The Buccaneers travel to Plymouth to face the Outlaws, aiming to keep their unbeaten run intact, whilst the Badgers enjoy a bye week ahead of the Bristol Derby.