Bristol Buccaneers swept the Cornish Claycutters in a two game thriller at Somerdale Pavilion on Sunday. The Buccaneers won their BBF/SWWBL A clash by taking the games by the narrow scorelines of 12-11 and 5-3.
The Bristol team showed great character to come from an eight run deficit in the first game of the double header. Infielder Jake Boyer led the fightback with two hits and three runs driven in, and the Buccaneers piled on 12 runs in the second, third and fourth innings.
Wai Fu Lam also drove in two runs, while veterans Phil Midgley, Tim Clough and Jean-Pierre Bernard scored seven runs between them. The second game was a tense pitcher’s battle with Lam and Boyer limiting the Cornish team to one hit while striking out six batters.
“It is a testament to the commitment shown by every player that we fought back in the first game to take the win against last years Wessex Division champions,” said Michael Buser, the Buccaneers player/manager. “Everything about our game has improved week on week and crucially we have reduced errors and improved our batting approach.”
The Badgers split their BBF AAA against the Pirates in Croydon, losing the first game 3-4 before storming back to take the second 17-7.
Despite another strong pitching performance from Nerius Tamosiunas, the Badgers were unable to find the extra offense to overhaul the Pirates late in the first game. Catcher Aiden Schwartz and first baseman Mike Osborn both had multiple hit games and both contributed doubles as the Badgers fought in vain to find the runs needed.
In the second game the Badgers scored runs in every inning, outfielder George Braeger leading the way with three hits – including a powerful double. Fellow outfielders Seyi Awofadeju and Darius Tamosiunas drove in five runs on four hits to keep the pressure on and eventually overwhelm the Pirates. Mike Osborn pitched five innings, striking out three Pirates to take the win.
“It was very disappointing to lose the first game, with couple of crucial errors not helping our cause,” said George Braeger. “I want to highlight Charlie Turner’s performance at shortstop and with the bat in his hand. Charlie joined the club as a youth player and its good to see him progress to play with the club’s top team.”
In the other game at Somerdale Pavilion, the Bristol Brunels were up against the unbeaten Cardiff Merlins I in their SWWBL/BBF clash. The Welsh team proved too strong and ended up winning the double header 20-3 and 18-5. With regular starting pitchers not available or injured, the Brunels found it difficult to contain the Merlins bats, then struggled at the plate against the league’s best pitching rotation.
The second game followed the same pattern, however there were there were some positive signs for the club’s development team.
“We always knew it was going to be a tough afternoon and, despite the result, there were some positive things to take away,” said Richard Evans, the Brunels player/manager. “Our fielding was very solid and I was pleased that our approach at the plate has improved steadily from game to game.”
Up Next:
On Saturday, the Bristol Bobcats resume their BBF Women’s League programme at Somerdale Pavilion with games against Belles Baseball and London Mayhem. These are ‘triple header’ fixtures, with three games involving three different teams, so there’s baseball on all day long! First pitch of game one is at 11am, with the final game starting at 4pm.
On Sunday, the Badgers welcome Kent Buccaneers to Somerdale for their BBF AAA clash, whilst the Brunels host the New Forest Thunder Knights. Both game games start at 12 noon. The Buccaneers make the trip to Cornwall for the return fixture against the Claycutters.