Bruins overwhelm Jetts to claim BBF WBL crown
Sheffield Bruins overwhelmed the Manchester Jetts 14-3 to claim the 2024 BBF Women’s Baseball League Championship.
The Sheffield Bruins are the 2024 BBF Women's Baseball League champions
Picture : Tim French
The Bruins took control from the start and surged into a 10-1 lead by the end of the third innings.
Kelly and Kirstie Wright were dominant for the Bruins from the mound and at the plate.
Kelly hit a two run home run and Kirstie drove in four runs on three hits. The sisters struck out 10 Jetts from the mound to complete an fantastic afternoon.
BBF NBL
Essex Arrows complete late comeback against Sheffield Bruins to book NBL Final against London Mets
National Baseball League regular season champions Essex Arrows overturned a late two-run deficit at Waltham Abbey to avoid a shock defeat against the lowest-ranked team in the playoffs, Sheffield Bruins.
The Bruins may have finished six games behind their opponents at the end of the regular season, but they showed no fear in this NBL semi-final matchup.
Starting pitcher Alex Deacon’s single to centre field drove home Ray Sass to give the Northerners an early lead at the top of the opening inning.
An enthralling pitching battle ensued between Deacon and Arrows pitcher Giovanni Pappalardo, with neither giving up a run in their next five innings.
Deacon was pulled after five fantastic innings, where he struck out four batters and allowed just one hit.
After five scoreless innings, defensive confusion from the league champions' infield allowed Manuel Silvestre, Jonathan Rodriguez, and Sass to score at the top of the seventh inning, giving the Bruins a shock 4-0 lead.
This seemed to kick the Arrows’ batting order into gear as they immediately replied with three runs of their own, scored by Kendry Marte Batista, Arley Lorenzo, and Franklin Martinez.
Pinch runner Nathan Simmons’ score at the top of the eighth inning meant that the Arrows had only two more innings to avoid defeat against a Bruins side that had defeated four times in the 2024 season.
The Essex side showed the extent of their offensive power at the bottom of the eighth inning as runs from Yonathan Novas and Richard Chesterton tied the game at 5-5.
With no outs recorded, the Arrows were hungry for more. Second baseman Batista was allowed to score his second run of the game on a fielder’s choice to give his team their first lead of the day.
Pinch hitter Lorenzo and catcher Martinez also doubled their run tallies to extend the Arrows’ lead to 8-5.
Relief pitcher German Obando held his nerve on the mound at the top of the ninth inning to retire all three batters via two fly-outs and a ground-out to book his team’s place in the NBL Final.
Winning manager Eduardo Rodriguez credited his team’s fighting attitude: “It has been a great semifinal, we were losing 4-0 in the bottom of the seventh and this team just showed that we never give up and we came back to win the game 8-5.”
He commented further on his team’s success in 2024: “It has been an amazing season putting the Arrows back in Europe and another final after 10 years just shows the hard work that we have been doing over the last three years has finally paid off.”
Despite being on the losing side, Bruin’s manager Charlie Batho was full of praise for his team: “An unbelievable performance that we sadly couldn’t get over the line.
“Very proud of the team effort today and Congratulations to our friends at Essex who were great hosts.”
London Capitals @ London Mets
Reigning National Baseball League champions London Mets defeated city rivals London Capitals at Finsbury Park to book a championship final series against Essex Arrows next weekend.
First baseman Mitch Tyse and right fielder Geremias Dominguez gave the nine-time national champions an early lead after the opening inning which proved to be insurmountable by the Capitals.
Josh Mariott gave the Capitals hope of a comeback in the fourth inning when he batted in second baseman Julio Almonte with the help of a throwing error.
However, just one inning later, shortstop Marc Theberge’s single to right centre bought home catcher Callum Vinall for the final score of the game.
Mets pitcher Chris Messer was the star of his team’s 3-1 victory. He pitched eight innings, struck out 11 batters, and allowed just one earned run.
The Mets head to the National Baseball & Softball Complex at Farnham Park next weekend in search of an eighth national title in a row.
“Although we were never able to open up a big lead, we felt in control for all 9 innings. Chris was dominant on the mound, and we executed at the plate when we needed to,” said the Mets Ryan McLaughlin.
BBF AAA
Essex Saxons 1-5 Herts Cardinals
Herts Cardinals 2-5 London Metros
London Metros 5-6 Croydon Pirates (AAA)
Liverpool Trojans 1-8 Bristol Badgers
Croydon Pirates (AAA) will face Bristol Badgers in the three game AAA Championship Final next weekend at Farnham Park.
BBF AA
Bootle Trojans 3-11 Wragby Warhammers
Richmond Dragons 8-7 Bristol Bats
Leeds Locos 9-8 Milton Keynes Bucks
Essex Archers 6-10 London Meteors
BBF A
Milton Keynes Bucks (2) 15-14 London Minotaurs
Cambridge Royals 7-8 Bracknell Phoenix
Weston Jets 13-15 Bristol Buccaneers
Guildford Millers 16-14 Northants Centurions
BBF WBL
London Mayhem 7-0 (Forfeit) Belles Baseball
Manchester Jetts 3-14 Sheffield Bruins
Sheffield Bruins are the National Women's Baseball Champions
