Bristol Brunels @ Yeovil Whirlwinds

Sunday 19^th July saw the Yeovil Whirlwinds host the Bristol Brunels in division 5 of the South West and Wales Baseball League. With the Brunels flying high in the league, the Whirlwinds would face a tough challenge over the two games.

Game 1 saw Yeovil keep pace with, but ultimately never catch, their opponents. The Brunels started brightly with four consecutive hits in their first inning driving in a couple of runs before the Whirlwinds secured their first out. A further two runs were scored before Yeovil’s pitcher Chris Spurway closed out the inning with a strikeout and a chased down a shallow flyball. 

In reply, the Whirlwinds themselves tallied a few hits for a couple of runs before three quick outs ended their inning to leave the score 4 – 2 in Bristol’s favour.

Defences dominated the second inning, highlighted by a double play by Stefan Grabbe and Archie O’Connell for the home side, and Yeovil narrowed the lead to a solitary run and a 5 – 4 scoreline. The two-run lead was restored after inning 3 however with both sides doubling their run tally for the day and the Whirlwinds trailed 10 – 8 heading into inning 4.

Grabbe and O’Connell teamed up for their second double play of the day to limit Bristol to a couple of runs in their at bat but Bristol’s pitcher showed why he is one of the best in the league by shutting Yeovil down, meaning Yeovil faced a 12 – 8 deficit going into the final inning.

An individual double play by Chrisi Wilangowski, the home sides third of the game, ended Bristol’s at bat having scored only one run but Yeovil’s offence again failed to score and the game ended 13 – 8 to the Brunels.

Game 2 started much better for the Whirlwinds. Ed Blades, the home sides new pitcher, forced a great out at home to help ensure Bristol ended their first inning having secured only one run. The three runs scored in their at bat were enough to see Yeovil take their first lead of the day 3 – 1.

The Brunels battled back with the second inning closing at 5 runs apiece. 

The third inning would ultimately prove decisive. With Blades having already struck out two batters, a deep fly ball was run down by Yeovil’s Centre Fielder Dave Martin for a great catch to end the inning without Bristol scoring. In reply, three walks and three singles saw the Whirlwinds score the inning maximum of 5 runs to take a 10 – 5 lead into the fourth and final inning.

With Martin taking over pitching duties, a quick flyout to Kris Csicso at Second Base threatened an easy close out to the game. But again Bristol scrapped hard, batting in 4 runs but a strike out and a second catch for Csicso in the inning saw the visitors fail to overhaul Yeovil’s total and the Whirlwinds ended the second game victorious, 10 runs to 9. 

By Chris Spurway