Summer Cup Day One
The 2024 edition of the BBF Summer Cup is underway. Sixteen teams from across the UK have made the trip to the home of British Baseball, Farnham Park, Slough.
In the second edition of the competition, teams are split into four groups and will once again compete for the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Cup trophies.
Gold
Essex Baseball Club and BC Vetra took an early lead in the Gold Division after going unbeaten in their first two matches against the Croydon Pirates and Scotland Werewolves.
Mattia Papini was the star of the Vetra batting order. The shortstop opened his team’s scoring in their 3-0 victory over the Pirates on a passed ball and scored half of Vetra’s runs in their following 6-3 win against the Werewolves.
Essex Baseball Club’s Richard Chesterton and Arley Lorenzo both equalled Papini’s four-run record in their teams’ convincing 13-2 defeat of the Werewolves, and 8-4 win against the Pirates.
Joint bottom of the table, Croydon Pirates and Scotland Werewolves face each other on Sunday for the chance to pick up their first victory of the tournament.
Essex Baseball Club and BC Vetra battle will battle for first place in the group also.
Scores
Croydon Pirates 0-3 BC Vetra
BC Vetra 6-3 Scotland Werewolves
Scotland Werewolves 2-13 Essex Baseball Club
Essex Baseball Club 8-4 Croydon Pirates
Gold Day One Standings
1. Essex Baseball Club
1. BC Vetra
3. Croydon Pirates
3. Scotland Werewolves
Silver - Steel and Mercury
Birmingham Metalheads and the London Mets lead the Mercury and Steel divisions of the Silver competition respectively with two wins from their first two matches.
Centre fielder Gareth Thomas lead the Metalheads offence with three runs in each of their wins over Guildford and the Scotland Haggis Bashers.
Pitchers Connor Thomas, Armando Da Silva, and Bob Rowe were all stingy on the mound for the team from the midlands as they gave up no runs across either of their two games.
Scotland Haggis Bashers and Essex Baseball Club are the only sides across both Silver divisions that have yet to win at this stage.
Scores
Mercury
Guildford 0-16 Birmingham Metalheads
Scotland Haggis Bashers 6-7 Lionesses
Birmingham Metalheads 17-0 Scotland Haggis Bashers
Lionesses 0-4 Guildford
Steel
Lions U15 11-1 Essex Baseball Club
Newcastle Nighthawks 6-9 London Mets
Essex Baseball Club 8-11 Newcastle Nighthawks
London Mets 15-11 Lions U15
Silver Day One Standings
Mercury
1. Birmingham Metalheads
2. Guildford
2. Lionesses
4. Scotland Haggis Bashers
Steel
1. London Mets
2. Newcastle Nighthawks
2. Lions U15
4. Essex Baseball Club
Bronze
The London Mets’ Bronze division contingent got off to a similar unbeaten start as their Silver counterparts after edging SWWBL 8-7, before convincingly beating the Fire Breathing Kittens 15-4.
Croydon Pirates' defeats at the hands of SWWBL and the Kittens meant that both of the club’s teams failed to win a match on its opening day.
Scores
Fire Breathing Kittens 11-4 Croydon Pirates
SWWBL 8-9 London Mets
Croydon Pirates 7-15 SWWBL
London Mets 15-4 Fire Breathing Kittens
Bronze Day One Standings
1. London Mets
2. Fire Breathing Kittens
2. SWWBL
4. Croydon Pirates
Words : Michael Thomas
Pictures - Jody Demay-Davies
