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Sunday 26th July 2009

Sunday 26th Jul 14:00

Braintree Rays 4 @ Essex Archers 12

Posted by Darren Ludlow (Essex Archers)

by Kevin Bonner

The Essex Archers continued their march towards post season baseball, with a convincing win over local rivals the Braintree Rays in Waltham Abbey on Sunday.

It was a display of good defence and timely hitting from the home side as they notched their 6th consecutive victory, and improved to 9-2 on a season that many may not have believed would have been possible only 12 months or so ago.

Veteran Jeff Summers got the start on the mound for the Archers and he seemed to apply a new approach to his pitching this particular afternoon, he decided to allow a couple of runners on base - and then skillfully pick his way through a potential mine field of Rays - and he did this to good effect in the home half of the first, as with runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs, he struck out the Rays No. 3 hitter Trevor Pudney, and then succeeded in getting the next Rays batter to ground into an inning ending double play, with first basemen Kyp Coudounas firing a bullet to catcher Billy Marchant, who took great delight in applying the tag right in front of Umpire Darren Ludlow - and the eagle eyed umpire called the out and the inning was over without any damage.

The Archers got themselves into the lead (where they would stay all afternoon) in their half of the first, as Aaron Sneesby and Summers walked and advanced their way round the bases to both eventually score after some indifferent defence from the visiting side, and the Archers led by 2-0 after the first.

The Archers defence was again on hand to turn their 2nd double-play of the day in the 2nd inning, and another patient inning at the plate from the home team saw them tack on 2 more runs to lead by 4-0 after the 2nd, and once again in the 3rd the now dominant Archers infield saw to it that the Rays' Daniel Grimwood would be punished for trying to take the extra base and he was out at 2nd to end the visitors hopes of troubling the scorers in the top of the 3rd.

The home team added 2 more runs in the bottom of the 4th, as base running pest Billy Marchant stole 2nd and 3rd, and he and Aaron Sneesby would both eventually score after the big unit from Beantown Summers strolled into his office at the plate and laced a 2 out, 2 RBI double in what was clearly another attempt from the Archers big number 70, who is as versatile as an egg on the diamond, to pad his MVP type numbers on the season, and leave his team with a 6-0 lead through 4 innings at Townmead.

But the Egg cracked a little, as probably did Scott Coe's ribs, as Summers delivered the traditional hit batsmen to the unfortunate Ray (with big Jeff and his love for the (accidental of course) hit batter its like going to see you favourite band and them not playing the number 1 hit you love, if you didnt see the old 'hit by pitch' in the scorebook then you would be slightly disappointed) and eventually Coe would score the Rays 1st run of the game, but the Archers infield again stole the show with another out at the plate, this time the Rays had again failed to notice that SS Aaron Sneesby can throw pretty well (pretty f@£%ing hard that is!) and C Billy Marchant loves to tag out a runner at home, and the 2 combined to end the visitors half of the 5th.

Top of the 6th and Summers was again in tip-toe mode, as somehow the Rays failed to plate a runner despite getting 5 hits in the inning, as (i'm sorry but i've run out of superlatives!) the Archers infield continued to come up with ways of getting outs on the bases, as a force out and a tag at 3rd delivered the last 2 outs of the inning, to again leave the visitors longingly looking at the scoreboard and wondering quite how they didn’t have more than 1 run to show for their efforts.

Big Jeff then again displayed the one facet of the game his nation calls their 'national pastime' he has failed to master - base running - as with his now legendary adventures earlier in the season on the bases firmly entrenched in everyone's memory - Jeff got himself safely to 2nd in the bottom of the 6th, only to nod off on the bases again and be picked off by new Rays pitcher Wes Seymour, the man is a 1 man highlight and gag reel all rolled into 1, and he finished his work on the mound with a line of 6IP 0ER to once again clasp another finger onto the awards night trophies.

The home team then unleashed Jed Oliver from the bullpen in the 7th, and he was virtually un-hittable and proceeded to put out any lingering hopes the visitors had of mounting a late rally, inducing yet another double play ball for the Archers infielders to devour and leave them just 6 outs away from win number 9.

Despite having only 1 hit in the 8th, Braintree did manage to add 3 runs, but the Archers responded with 3 of their own in the bottom half of the inning and restoring their 8 run lead.

Oliver finished the game off in the top of the 9th, striking out 2 more Rays to put the win in the books for the surging Archers, who now face Southampton this coming Sunday with a chance to move into double figures on the win column....who would have thought it.

Other Notes.... Billy Marchant stole a bucket load more bases whilst going 2-4 with 2 runs scored.....Kypros Coudounas scored a run whilst also playing great defence and heads up baseball at 1B.....The Richardson family (Paul and Ashley) combined to score a quarter of the Archers Runs....and finally Umpire Darren Ludlow admitted after the game that he had lost his ability to judge height and distance on a regular basis to a satisfactory standard - "I remember having it when I left home and I definitely used it in the early parts of the game" he said "but I just seemed to lose a grip on it a certain times during the day, particularly whenever someone over about 5 foot came to bat" This is a serious issue and if anyone has any information about the whereabouts of Darren's sound judgment could they please contact him asap.....

Archers line-up (replacements in brackets):
P – Jeff Summers(Jed Oliver), C – Billy Marchant, 1B – Kyp Coudounas(Jeff Summers), 2B – Paul Richardson(Sam Oliver), 3B – Simon James(Shane Wodzyski), SS – Aaron Sneesby, LF – Joe Toms(Ashley Richardson), CF – Kevin Bonner, RF – Paul Terry(Rich Sprent).

Sunday 26th Jul 14:00

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Braintree Rays 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 4

Essex Archers 2 2 0 2 0 1 2 3 x 12

Sunday 19th July 2009

Sunday 19th Jul 14:00

Braintree Rays 3 @ Guildford Mavericks 27

Posted by Justin Davis (Braintree Rays)

Braintree made the long and arduous journey around the hell of a car park that is the M25 with a limited team available, Shane Macro as the only recognised pitcher was already nursing an injury and the field saw no regular first baseman or short stop available either.

Nevetheless, the Rays started postively and Guildford were only able to take a limited early lead, which Braintree may have closed if it had not been for some good pitching from Guildford, first rate fielding and a bit of bad luck as the Rays offence failed to find the gaps but gifted the Mavericks with a plethora of easy outs.

In contrast, the Mavericks solid hitting found gaps in the Braintree defence which were compunded by fielding errors as the newer Rays players attempted to settle in to uncomfortable fielding positions.

Braintree's offence saw notable improvements in batting, with a consistent number of players managing to hit as opposed to striking out; a positive development if it were not for the consistency of the Mavericks defence.

The highlight of Braintree's day was an exceptional ground-rule double from 2nd baseman Steven Esdale. Previously unknown for his offence, his well timed hit sailed out to centrefield and past the fielder to the fence as he rounded first and comfortably made second, sadly, as had been the case throughout the day, Braintree were unable to string together enough hits to get runners home and the score was perhaps a tad generous to Guildford though they deserved the win by a good margin.

Braintree will take the game as a lesson in player development and Club Secretary, Justin Davis, said "No player had reason to be too upset with their game, we were beaten by the better team but we have learned some lessons today. I cannot criticise anyone for the effort that they put in and in many ways I saw some real improvement among the players. I think it's fair to say that we know where we need to improve for the future."

Sunday 5th July 2009

Richmond Dragons 15 @ Braintree Rays 17

Posted by Justin Davis (Braintree Rays)

The game started as a very tight contest as both teams battled to make advances in the offence whilst defending well and it remained a low scoring game at 2-2 after four innings.

However, the Rays suddenly found their rhythm and the Rays offense clicked at the same time as the defence, for the first time in a few weeks.

Into the fifth and sixth inning and both teams seemed to find their hitting form with Braintree adding 12 runs in the two innings with triples from Dan Grimwood, Steve May and Shane Macro and a home run from Scott Coe.

The Dragons weren’t lying down though and scored six runs themselves in these frantic two innings in the middle of the game.

Top of the seventh and with the score 14-8 the Rays sensed victory was within their grasp, but again the Dragons showed resilience and added five runs before the Rays replied with three of their own.

The Rays strong fielding picked up again and they managed to concede just two runs in the eight and ninth inning to end the game without the need of the final at bat for the home team.

Braintree Rays worked hard throughout the game and it paid off, winning 17-15 in the end.

Again an impressive squad turn out for this encounter and despite the number of changes to the line-up throughout the game, the momentum was maintained and most players got hits or got on base.

Although the Rays are now 4-5 for the season, the winless streak has ended and the team can now move forward with confidence for the rest of the season.

Secretary & General Manager Justin Davis said: "It was a well deserved win and while we made it hard for ourselves, everyone played their part and we established some effective batting performances. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Sunday 5th Jul 14:00

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Richmond Dragons 1 0 1 0 2 4 5 2 0 15

Braintree Rays 1 1 0 0 5 7 3 0 x 17

Sunday 21st June 14:00

Sunday 21st Jun 14:00

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Braintree Rays 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2

Essex Archers 5 4 0 16 1 1 0 27

Sunday 7th June 14:00

Posted by Justin Davis (Braintree Rays)

With Braintree sadly unable to field a pitcher of any experience against the club at the top of the league, the result of this game was probably never in doubt; nevertheless, the Rays made the 2 1/2 hr journey to play half a game in the rain at Bracknell.

The committment of all of the players can never be in doubt and although the team are now 3-3, they have a strong player roster, with new players who will get more valuable experience in future games and will simply have to put this one behind them.

Sunday 7th Jun 14:00

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Braintree Rays 0 0 0 0 2 2

Bracknell Blazers 2 13 5 3 8 9 38

Sunday 31st May 14:00

Southampton Mustangs II 17 @ Braintree Rays 15

Posted by Justin Davis (Braintree Rays)

*Rays winning streak comes to an end against Mustangs*

Braintree Rays lost this close encounter 17-15 against the Southampton Mustangs to end their good recent winning form.

The game started in glorious sunshine on this Sunday afternoon as the Rays looked to build on their impressive start to the season and both sides were confident of a tight, closely fought game.

Both teams started brightly with the 6-3 to the Rays after the first inning, but it remained tight with each side batting and pitching well with score 8-5 in the Rays favour after 5 innings.

The Rays made wholesale changes to the team, with several players looking to get in the game and the Rays lost momentum and the Mustangs took advantage superbly.

After several close innings, the Mustangs scored seven runs in two innings to gain the significant lead late in the game.

Despite a home run from Steve May in the seventh inning, the Rays couldn’t peg back their opponents and will be disappointed with the end result.

With the result tied 14-14 going into the ninth inning, the Mustangs added three runs to their total and it proved crucial as the Rays could only pull one run back, losing the game 17-15.

The end result ensured a well-deserved win for Southampton with some harsh lessons for Braintree Rays.

The Rays will be looking to bounce back from this defeat with their next game on June 7 against Bracknell Blazers.

Sunday 24th May 14:00 -

Herts Raptors 12 @ Braintree Rays 24

Posted by Justin Davis (Braintree Rays)

Once again the Rays were at home, this week for an encounter with Herts Raptors who they had last year stolen a win from by a single run in the bottom of the ninth!

The game started in fantastic weather with strong play by both sides, Herts leading off with a solid three runs from Ilya Dimitrov, Rob Jones & Andrew Slater before Wes Seymour struck two out at the plate to end their tally. Braintree followed with a series of walks off Hunter Devine of Herts until after several stolen base, Franklin Vargas came up to bat and swung for an impressive grand slam home run on a full count. Bottom of the first and it was 9-3 Braintree.

The second and third innings saw Herts add just one run to their tally as Braintree added another six to consolidate their lead before changes were made in the field, Glenn Barton & Marcus Gooday both getting home on stolen bases on errors.

The top of the fourth saw Herts pull back four runs as the new Braintree defensive line-up settled into the field, Devine, Dimitrov, Jones & Slater all scoring. Braintree retaliated with a single run from Gooday brought home on an error after stealing 2nd & 3rd.

Top of the fifth and further fielding changes by Braintree brought Shane Macro to the mound and Justin Davis behind the plate. A double from Chris Brown and a single from Devine were not enough to bring a run home in the inning for Herts while Braintree brought another seven runs home including RBI's from Macro, Davis, Dan Grimwood & Andrea Perticati.

The sixth inning saw Herts yet again fail to score as Dimitrov was tagged out stealing third base and Jones & Slater unable to make it to first. Braintree added a solitary run from Warren Shrimpton after his single and into the top of the seventh inning Herts needed six to avoid the slaughter rule. Macro & Davis made hard work of the outs as Herts put all their energy into bringing the game back from the brink, but even though John Lewys, Jeff White, Phil Crooks & Chris Brown scored, it was not enough as Davis tagged out Devine at home plate for the third out.

An impressive display by Herts who included youngsters from their youth programme who've made the leap to adult league, Braintree were unsettled by attempting to get as many of their players into the game as possible, using 23 through six & 1/2 innings; they will need to keep a firmer control over fielding changes to ensure that other teams do not continue with the fightback that Herts started! That being said, a 3-1 tally is much better than their initial loss to local rivals Essex Archers and there is much to build on.

The squad of 14 started brightly, amounting eight runs in the first inning, lead off man and centre fielder Dan Grimwood coming around twice to score with three stolen bases to score his first, catcher Marcus Gooday hitting a double and short stop Bryan Moreton stealing all three bases on his way to score.

The Marauders grabbed two runs back in their first inning before Braintree added three more to take an 11-2 lead thanks to right fielder Warren Shrimpton, first baseman Glenn Barton and second baseman Frank Vargas all getting on base and then stealing the other three to make it home.

With the score being 11-3 after the bottom of the second inning Braintree rallied once more and added five to their total, Trevor Pudney grabbing two RBIs with a double.

This lead was reduced to 16-5 following the Marauders’ at bat before Braintree netted their highest innings total, pitcher John Read scoring twice and the team stealing ten bases and hitting two doubles (Read and Grimwood) and as they notched up nine more runs.

A one-hit bottom of the fourth meant the away side kept their 25-5 lead going into the fifth inning, where they made it 29-5 before taking down the Marauders 1-2-3 in their at bat.

Eight more runs were added by Braintree to make it 37-5 at the top of the sixth inning, Vargas hitting a double in amongst them, before the Marauders had their best half innings with five runs coming in and the score becoming 37-10.

Five more runs at the top of the seventh inning meant the away side led 42-10, Read hitting a second double, before their opponents grabbed another two runs back to make the final score 42-12 in a result generated by some tidy work on the bases and on the plate by Braintree with the defence to match it.