Bristol Buccaneers showed their true character with two single-run wins in a crucial British Baseball Federation (BBF) Division Four double-header against playoff rivals, the Cornish Claycutters.
The two wins at Somerdale Pavilion push the Buccaneers into second place in the Division with just a return fixture in Cornwall next weekend to decide the playoff spot. First baseman Jean-Pierre Bernard was the extra inning hero of the 13-12 victory in Game One with a walk-off single to right field.
The Buccaneers had been four runs behind going into the final regular inning but singles by Bernard and Keith Weinberg got runners on base. Disciplined batting and Claycutter errors narrowed the gap before Sam Lacey drove in Grant Mathieson to tie the game up and force extra innings.
The Claycutters scored three runs at the top of the first extra inning and led 12-9 with the Buccaneers needing to perform more heroics to stave off defeat. Lacey stole third before scoring on an error. A single from Will Marshall then drove in Callum Todd and with Marshall able to steal two bases, a hit from Paul Blackburn drove him in to level the scores. Weinberg singled and Blackburn stole third before Bernard singled to score Blackburn and claim the win.
Game Two was equally dramatic as the Buccaneers held off a Cornish comeback to win 7-6. The Buccaneers had moved to an early 7-1 lead as a result of excellent plate discipline and solid pitching from Pat Mahoney. The Claycutters fought back scoring five runs in the top of the fourth and with the Buccaneers unable to score, they needed to keep the Cornish side off the scoreboard to seal the sweep.
Lacey replaced Mahoney on the mound and got the three outs required to end a day of high drama, the first two outs coming on Lacey’s first two pitches.
“They were two amazing games of baseball and we showed real character to get the two wins,” said Will Marshall. “When the crunch came, the team stepped up for the crucial wins and now we travel to Cornwall for the decider.”
There was more drama in Taunton as the Bristol Bats swept the Muskets to remain just two games behind the Cardiff Merlins in the BBF Division Three race.
The first game was a roller coaster, which the Bats held on to win 15-14 with a stunning catch in centre field by Jamie Hayter. The Bats led 10-2 in the middle of the third innings but big hits by the Muskets took them to just one run behind. The Bats scored again but the Muskets hit back to score four including two home runs. The Bristol side responded with four runs through a double by Declan Meads, good base running and singles by Luca McCurdy and Hayter.
The final inning and two run lead rested on the shoulders of relief pitcher Rohan Ninawe making his debut for the Bats. A running catch in left field by McCurdy and a ground out brought slugger Andres Bianco to the plate, needing two runs to win with a runner on third. Bianco hit a hard line drive to centre field but Hayter running round to his left snagged the ball in his glove to end the game.
Game Two was dominated by the Bats who won 14-3 behind an excellent pitching performance from Hayter who struck out six batters over his five innings pitched. The Bats’ offense exploded early and kept up the pressure on the Muskets pitchers in every inning. Meads hit a stand up triple, while Ninawe, McCurdy and Katherine Golik all hit doubles as the Bristol team ran away with the game.
“We saw some amazing performances from the team today pitching under enormous pressure, the two game ending catches and some timely and intelligent hitting,” said Richard Evans, the Bats manager. “Sunday showed we have great strength in depth on both sides of the ball and we will need it as we move into the postseason.”
On Deck: The Bats and Badgers both have a weekend off, but the Brunels and the Buccaneers have crucial fixtures. The Buccaneers travel to Cornwall for their playoff qualification decider, while the Brunels welcome the New Forest Knight to Somerdale where two wins should secure them a playoff spot.