London Tournament
10th-11th July

Mavericks Win Frank Brady
Trophy at Tournament
 

Croydon, 10th-11th July. The second day of the tournament started early, with the first game due to start at 9.30. However several squad members had an even earlier start having braved the typical summer weather to camp overnight on site. Game 1 was against the Brentwood Stags, a team the Mavs don’t face during the regular season. Having struggled to put out a full team, Brentwood were able to draft in some substitutes and the game went ahead only a few minutes late. Due to the early start the Mavericks team had picked itself, with those available starting. Guildford were the designate ‘visitors’ for the game, and so led off the top of the first. This was to prove a particularly successful inning with almost everyone was able to do something during the inning, either with the bat, or through good base running. This meant 10 runs scored on 8 hits, including 3 doubles, and a home run for Ben. Five runs scored with two outs, and the inning eventually ended with Ben grounding out to the pitcher.

The weather looked to be much improved on the Sunday, as the clouds never looked quite as threatening as they had done on Saturday. This was to prove to be the case as both games were completed without rain (or lightning!) delays. With the Mavs in an understandably buoyant mood, they took to the field for a scoreless bottom of the first. This was largely attributable to the great defence being demonstrated. Marty took an impressive catch in left field for the first out (first batter up) and Gavin matched this with one of his own for the second out in centre field.

The Mavs had another successful inning in the second, putting on a further 5 runs with the bottom of the order producing to get on base and score. The four runs given up by the Mavs in the second were to be the only runs the Stags scored in the game, as Ben’s control wavered and allowed a single and two walks.  The end of the inning was hastened by another impressive catch from Gavin, running towards left to haul it in. Although the weather was improved over Saturday the wind was still blowing hard, so the high fly balls were not as routine as they appeared on the score sheet.

Duncan and Gavin both came round to score in the third following a single and a walk respectively. Gavin showed good patience to earn the walk, having previously shown a tendency to return to his former ways with a ground out and a strike out. Duncan was merely continuing his impressive hitting, following two doubles. The Mavs were able to record a secof scoreless inning in the bottom of the third, with a good variety of outs: one strikout, one groundout and one flyout.

The score was now 17-4 to Guildford, which was how it would remain despite the Mavs putting on a further 7 runs in the top of the fourth. The tournament was being played to a time limit, 2 hours on Saturday, and 1hr40 on the Sunday. This meant that once the time limit was reached, the score was counted back to the most recent complete inning. By the end of the game various other team members had turned up, allowing an almost entirely changed team to be put out for the second game, allowing everyone to get as fair a share of the playing time as possible. The time between the two games was spent watching our next opponents, Southampton, playing Croydon.

The game against Southampton was the second of the weekend, the Mavs having narrowly lost 4 - 2 on Saturday morning. Various players were playing in slightly unfamiliar positions to make room for everyone to get a game, and Nick (in his role as manager in Mike’s absence) summed it up by telling the team to have fun, but adding that it would be nice to beat Southampton this time!

Guildford were the designated home team for the game, played on the same diamond as the morning’s win. The team were in good spirits following the morning’s game, and the bench played a full part in the game, supporting loudly and enthusiastically throughout. Henry was pitching his second game of the weekend and got off to what is by his standards a slow start, allowing a two runs to score on a home run, but still managing 3 Ks in the inning. Henry’s performance was impressive, with 8 Ks in 5 innings (although actually 10 in 6 innings due to the count back rule in operation – more of which later…) and facing only 20 batters in the five.

The Mavs’ performance was equally impressive, although in a less blowout fashion than the morning’s game, when lower standard pitching had been punished. Ross got on base with a single, and proceeded to score, ultimately crossing home on a pass ball. This was the only run, with Henry being left stranded on third when the inning ended. The game then developed into an intriguing pitching duel, with only 4 mustangs coming to the plate in the second and third innings, and three in the fourth, as Henry found a groove and racked up the Ks. The Mavs struggled to draw level despite some good plays. Heather was stranded on third at the end of the second, having shown good patience to earn a walk, and being advanced to second by a perfectly executed bunt laid down by Ollie.

The tying run was added in the third inning, Castor coming in to score, following a double, a steal and advancing on a pass ball to score. The pass ball plays were never automatic as the backstop was close to home (just like playing at home!) and if the ball could be retrieved the plays were close. The game remained tied until the fifth when the Mavs had a breakout inning. Giles, batting 9 in what was his first full game, started a trend with a single, and coming in to score. Steve did the same, his run from second to home eased by the fact that Henry, batting at four and not wanting to be outdone by Ben in the first game, hit a home run behind him. This also brought Castor home for a second time, following his double.

By this stage the time limit was approaching, and the bench, along with the help of Ross, had worked out how to use the count back rule to our advantage. With the score at 6 – 2 in the bottom of the fifth, the game would be complete at that stage once the inning finished, unless the Mustangs could get in, score more runs, and then get the Mavs out with no runs scoring. This led to the slightly bizarre situation of needing two quick outs, so that the current inning would be completed before the time limit, and the runs that had scored would count. His was duly requested of the players, but not before Pete C had got on base with a good double, and made his way round to add a seventh run. The next two batters struck out to end the inning inside the time limit. A slightly worrying period followed, as the umpires announced that there were 15 minutes remaining, rather than the five or so we had calculated! A delayed start time accounted for the discrepancy.

This was not to prove a problem however, as Henry continued an impressive performance, to end the top of the sixth with two Ks. This meant the game was called and the score counted back to the last complete inning, giving the Mavs a well deserved 7 – 2 win. The team were very excited, having won more games in a day than we’d managed all season! (The other win only coming in a friendly.) News then filtered through that we may be in line for the Frank Brady trophy, given to the best team from the lower part of the tournament over the weekend. By virtue of the two wins on Sunday, and a better run difference the Mavericks were duly in line for the trophy.

Most of the team gathered round to watch the tournament final, between the Croydon Pirates and the Cambridge Monarchs (I THINK!!!) with a few celebratory beers, ciders or whatever else the campers had spared. As the weather got colder, people began to leave until only a core team of 7 remained. It was these 7 (Heather, Rob W, Nick J, Henry, Giles, Marty and Ben) who then went to collect the Frank Brady team trophy, and the individual trophies.

The great results of Sunday more than made up for a slightly disappointing weather affected Saturday, to cap what had been an enjoyable weekend for all involved. Both the games on Sunday were enjoyable, although the close win over Southampton appealing more to the purist, as it had been tied at 2 –2 for several innings. It is highly likely that had the order of the games been reversed, the results would have been less pleasing, as the easier win in the morning certainly lifted spirits and boosted confidence for what was a good team effort in the afternoon, both by those playing, and those supporting and coaching.

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