Halton Polecats Pony Team 2007 BBF North West League Champions The Halton Polecats Pony team play in the BBF North West Pony League, this consists of the following teams:- Bolton Bears Cartmel Valley Lions Halton Polecats Menwith Hill Jammers The Halton Polecats Pony team are the senior youth team of Halton Baseball Club, and have the proud record of being North West League Champions & National Finalists in 2000 & 2001 and 2007, National Finalists 2005 and Frank Caunce Tournament winners 2002 & 2005. For more details use the information on the contacts page to get in touch.	2008 Youth Final Four  National Championships 13/14 September @ Cartmel 24 July Game 1 Game 2 Cartmel 16 - Halton 4 - TEAM W L PCT GB Cartmel 12 0 1.000 - Halton 5 4 .556 5.5 Menwith Hill 0 6 .000 9 Bolton 0 7 .000 9.5 - - -
	2007 National Finalist 2007 NW League Champions 2007 Frank Caunce Runners Up 2005 Frank Caunce Champions 2005 National Finalist 2002 Frank Caunce Champions 2001 NW League Champions 2001 National Finalists 2000 NW League Champions 2000 National Finalist
Team Officials Team Manager - Nick Bustin Team Coaches - Nick Bustin, Glyn Lightfoot, Bob Knowles Home Game Umpires - TBA Home Game Scorer - Rob Vondy

Halton Polecats @ Menwith Hill Jammers, 11/08/07

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Halton Polecats @ Cartmel Valley Lions, 21/07/07

                        1   2   3   4   5   6   7  Final    

Halton               2   5   0   1   0   1   0   9

Cartmel Valley   4   0   0   4   4   0   X  12

A hard-fought defeat away to the Cartmel Valley Lions saw the Polecats fall back into second place in the division.

Catcher Michael Hulme began the game well, earning a lead-off walk. Short-stop Rob Vondy reached base on the fielder's choice as the Cartmel third baseman threw to second base to force out Michael for the first out. Rob stole second, but another out was recorded on a foul fly down the left field line. First baseman Carl Heesom began the scoring with a two run homer to centre field, before the Lions completed the inning on a strike-out. Pitcher Adam Jones saw the early lead disappear as the Halton defence allowed four consecutive hits, two singles and two doubles, scoring three runs. The first out was recorded on a pop-up to Carl at first, before consecutive comebackers to the mound saw the inning end, but not before a fourth run had crossed the plate.

Trailing 4-2, third baseman Jonathan Harrison earned a walk to start the Polecats' response. Second baseman James Knowles was unlucky to drive the ball straight to the short-stop, but left fielder David Murphy's walk moved Jonathan into scoring position. A further walk to right fielder Jonathan Hilton loaded the bases for the top of the line-up. Michael singled, scoring the first run of the inning, and Rob walked to score the second. Adam reached on a fielder's choice as Michael was thrown out at third, although another run scored on the play. The inning ended on the five-run slaughter rule with Carl doubling home two more runs to put Halton ahead 7-4. Adam responded strongly, inducing pop-ups to Carl at first and then back to himself, before striking out the third Cartmel player for a three up, three down inning.

A change in pitcher saw the Lions start the third inning with a strike-out. Jonathan Harrison earned a walk, but another strike-out gave Cartmel a second out. Although David also walked, the inning ended on a third strike-out with runners left stranded at the corners. Adam also began his inning's work with a strike-out, and a grounder to Rob at short was fielded and thrown over to Carl on first for a force-out for two quick outs. A single saw the Lions get a player on base, and an outfield hit looked to be scoring a run for Cartmel, but James' strong relay throw to the plate saw the player tagged out by Michael to end the inning with the scores unchanged.

Michael singled to lead-off the fourth inning, but was forced out at second as Rob hit the ball to the Lions short-stop. Rob himself was unlucky to be called out at first for the second out. Adam singled and then tried to steal second base.  The throw from the catcher went into the outfield and Adam was able to hustle around the bases and score on the error. Carl walked and stole second base, but the inning ended on a pop-up to the first baseman. Consecutive singles saw Cartmel begin the bottom of the inning with two men on base. A ground-out to Carl at first recorded the first out but allowed the runners to advance into scoring position, where two more singles and a double saw four runs scored and a runner left in scoring position. Adam recovered to strike-out the last two batters, with the last out being made on a dropped third strike as Michael threw to Carl for the force-out at first. Cartmel had rallied to tie the scores at 8 runs apiece 

Needing a quick reply, the Halton offence went missing in the fifth inning, as consecutive strike-outs saw the Lions record a perfect inning. In response, Cartmel led off the bottom of the inning with a double, and would have had a second but for a brilliant catch on the run from Kirsty Cross in centre field. A walk led to a second Lions player on base before the Polecats recorded the second out of the inning on a grounder to James, who threw to Carl for the force-out at first. Unfortunately, the next three Cartmel players singled, scoring four runs, before Adam finished the inning by fielding a grounder himself and throwing to Carl at first. The Lions had leapt into a 12-8 lead.

The sixth inning saw Jonathan Hilton lead off with a walk, before Cartmel earned their first out with a strike-out. A pop-up to first base gave the Lions a second out, and a second scoreless inning seemed to be on the cards, but Adam singled to score Jonathan, before stealing his way into scoring position. Sadly, Carl's hard hit line drive was caught by a diving third baseman to end the inning with Cartmel still three runs ahead. Pitching in relief, Rob ensured that the Halton stayed within touching distance as he struck out the lead-off batter before inducing routine ground-outs to first Adam at short and then James at second. Both plays resulted in force-outs to Carl at first, resulting in a quick one-two-three inning.

The Polecats needed to score three runs to force the Lions to bat again, but got off to the worst of starts with a lead-off strike-out. Jonathan Harrison singled to the outfield to start the Halton come-back, but the Cartmel pitcher followed with a second strike-out to leave them one out away from the win. David kept the Polecats' hopes alive as he earned a walk which moved Jonathan into scoring position and put the tying run at the plate. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, as a third strike-out ended the game with a 12-9 home victory.

This was Halton's first game for a month, and the Polecats' rustiness in both fielding and batting cost them at critical moments in the game. However, despite fielding a weakened team, Halton battled well in a game where everything seemed to go against them, and just a couple of outs either way could have given them a well deserved victory. As it is, they finish their games against Cartmel with the series record at 2-2, and now must look to sweep their remaining games to regain the top spot in the division.

Halton Polecats vs. Cartmel Valley Lions, 23/06/07

                        1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8  Final    

Cartmel Valley   0   1   0   3   1   0   0   0   5

Halton               2   0   2   0   0   1   0   1   6

An extra-innings victory over their close rivals, the Cartmel Valley Lions, took the Polecats to the top spot in the Pony North division.

Carl Heesom, in his second start of 2007, began the game very strongly, inducing the lead-off Cartmel batsman to ground to James Knowles at second base. James fielded and threw to first baseman Joe Murray for a quick first out of the inning. A second out was quickly added on a strike-out, before the third was recorded in the same way as the first, James and Joe once more combining for a three-up, three-down inning. The Lions looked to have a quick inning of their own, recording a first out on a grounder to the first baseman, which was thrown to the pitcher covering at first for the force-out. A second out followed on a routine grounder to the short-stop, but short-stop Adam Jones kick-started the Halton offence with a double, and was scored almost immediately on a double from Carl. Catcher Michael Hulme walked to put runners at first and second. Third baseman Dan Lightfoot singled Carl home and moved Michael into scoring position. Unfortunately, James' grounder to the third baseman caught Michael off his bag, and he was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. The Polecats had, however, established an early 2-0 lead.

A lead-off walk to start the second inning inevitably punished Halton, as the next Cartmel player drove the runner home with a double. Carl recovered well, retiring the next batter on a come-backer, which he fielded and threw to Joe at first for the first out, although the baserunner advanced to third on the play. A wild pitch looked to give the runner the opportunity to score, but Michael pounced quickly on the loose ball and threw to Carl, who was covering the plate, for the tag out and the second out of the inning. Although Carl then hit the batter he was facing on a full count pitch, the third out was recorded on a grounder to Adam, which he threw to James at second for the force-out on the lead runner. Left fielder David Murphy walked to lead off the bottom of the inning, but was forced out at second as right fielder Jonathan Hilton reached on the fielder's choice on his ground ball to the short-stop. Joe grounded to the second baseman, who took the force-out at second himself, allowing Joe to reach first on the fielder's choice as well. A single from centre fielder Rob Vondy finally moved a runner into scoring position but the inning was ended, with the Polecat's lead halved, on a strike-out.

Carl struck-out the lead-off batter of the third inning on a full count, before walking the next Lions' player on four pitches. The baserunner stole his way around to third while Carl recorded another strike-out, and then another walk. Seeing an opportunity to score on a wild pitch, the Cartmel player broke for home, but Michael was once more quick to the ball, which never left the batting circle, and tagged him out at the plate to end the inning. Leading off the bottom of the third, Carl was hit by a pitch.  He moved into scoring position on Michael's grounder to the second baseman, which was thrown to the pitcher covering at first base for the first out. Dan earned a walk to put runners at first and second, and James' single scored Carl and put runners on the corners. David Murphy walked to load the bases before Jonathan's ground-out to the second baseman scored Dan from third. A full count walk to Joe loaded the bases once more but Rob was unfortunate to see his hit fly straight to the centre fielder's glove to end the inning, with Halton having opened up a 4-1 lead.

Another lead-off walk was again immediately punished in identical fashion to the second inning, as the same Lions' player doubled to score an early run in reply. Two more walks saw the bases loaded and resulted in a pitching change for the Polecats, with Adam going onto the mound, Carl moving to catcher, Michael now playing third base, Dan moving into centre field, and Rob replacing Adam at short-stop. Michael was immediately called into action as Adam's second pitch resulted in a line drive straight at him. He caught the ball for the first out, and threw over to Joe at first to double off the baserunner who hadn't tagged up on the play. A single from the next Cartmel player scored two, and a walk saw runners at first and second, but Adam finished the inning with a strike-out to keep the scores level at 4-4. Adam then led off the bottom of the inning with a walk, before stealing second to move into scoring position. Unfortunately, Carl's line drive was caught by the short-stop, who doubled Adam off second base for two quick outs.  Michael restarted the Halton offence with a single, and walks to Dan and James saw the bases loaded, but a strike-out ended the inning with the scores unchanged.

The first Lions' batter of the fifth inning singled, and a walk to the next Cartmel player moved him into scoring position. A hit into shallow left centre scored the lead runner, although Rob's strong throw from the outfield to Michael at third base had the next runner tagged out for the first out for the inning. The play woke the Polecats up, and Adam ended the inning quickly with a strike-out and then a grounder to Joe at first, who threw to Adam covering the bag for the out. Unfortunately, the Polecats' bats were not so alert, and a strike-out was followed by quick ground-outs to the second baseman and the pitcher for a one, two, three inning which left Halton trailing 5-4.

Cartmel looked to extend their lead with a lead-off single at the top of the sixth, but Adam threw his third strike-out before inducing a grounder to Joe, which he fielded himself for the force-out, for two quick outs in response. The inning ended on a dramatic play as Carl gunned down the runner attempting to steal third, with Michael applying the tag. Adam lead-off the bottom of the inning with a single of his own, and stole his way round to third base. A four pitch walk to Carl was completed with a wild pitch, which allowed Adam to score to tie the game up at 5-5.  Carl attempted to advance to second on the play, but was tagged out at second on a strong throw from the catcher. Inspired by this play, the Lions finished the inning quickly, with a strike-out and a ground-out to the third baseman.

Adam pitched a strong seventh inning, striking out the lead-off Cartmel player and inducing a pop-up to Rob at short for the second out. Although he walked the next Lions' batter, he finished the inning quickly with a fly-out to Dan in centre-field.  James began a strong response with a lead-off walk, and a walk to David moved him into scoring position. Unfortunately, Cartmel earned two quick outs as James was thrown out trying to steal third base on a strike-out pitch. The inning ended, with the game still tied, on another strike-out.

The extra innings began well for Halton with a pop-up to Joe at first off the first pitch of the eighth inning. Adam then induced a come-back grounder, which he fielded and tagged out the batter with for the second out. A three up, three down inning was completed on a pop-up to Rob at short-stop.  Rob was first up for the Polecats, but unfortunately grounded out to the first baseman, who threw to the pitcher covering first base for the out. Consecutive walks to Adam and Carl saw them steal their way into scoring position at second and third with just the one out recorded. Any single or outfield hit would win the game, and Michael obliged with an infield hit off a two strike count that somehow leapt off the sodden ground, allowing Adam to beat the play to home for the winning run.

An extra innings victory had been achieved, mostly thanks to solid pitching and defence, which held the Lions scoreless for the last three innings of the game. Had a number of earlier opportunities been taken, the game might have been won in regulation time, but Halton left seven runners in scoring position. If the Polecats can become more efficient at converting their scoring opportunities, they will be able to make close games like this much easier.

Frank Caunce Tournament, 16/06/07

Game 1

Halton Polecats @ Menwith Hill Jammers

                        1   2   3  Final    

Halton               1   5   2   8

Menwith Hill       3   0   3   6

The Polecats went into their first game of the 2007 Frank Caunce tournament knowing that a victory against the Menwith Hill Jammers, who had already lost to the hosts Cartmel Valley, would see them straight through to the final.

Unfortunately, the usually powerful Halton offence struggled at the top of the first, with the first two batters popping up weakly to first and second base respectively. Short-stop Adam Jones got things started with a single, before being driven in on catcher Carl Heesom's double for the first run of the game. Kirsty Cross earned a walk but the inning ended with runners at the corners on a strike-out. In the bottom of the inning, pitcher Rob Vondy got off to a shaky start, giving up a lead-off single before walking the next Jammers batter to move the runner into scoring position. The first out was recorded on a strike-out, but the next batter hit a towering home run to leap Menwith Hill into a two-run lead. Rob settled well in response, inducing a ground-out to Adam at short, who threw to Kirsty at first for the second out. Although Rob walked another batter on a full count, the inning ended on a second infield grounder, with third baseman Dan Lightfoot fielding and throwing to Kirsty to end the inning on the force-out.

Trailing 3-1 the Polecats fought back, as left fielder Matt Baker singled and right fielder David Murphy walked to move Matt into scoring position. The Jammers recorded two quick outs on a strike-out and a grounder straight back to the mound, before Rob helped his cause on a bases-clearing triple to tie the scores. Rob was scored as Adam singled again, and Carl's walk moved Adam into scoring position. Both base-runners advanced on a passed ball, and were driven in as Kirsty doubled into the outfield, ending the inning on the five run slaughter rule. Having taken the lead so emphatically, Rob worked hard to hold it, striking out the first two Menwith batters and fielding a come-backer himself before throwing to Kirsty at first to end a three up, three down inning.

Halton's monster second inning had eaten up much of the time allocated to play the game, and so the third inning was designated as the final, open, inning. The Polecats looked to extend their lead, and Dan's lead-off walk, followed by Matt's second single put runners on the corners to start the inning. The Jammers recorded an out on a strike-out, but second baseman James Knowles scored Dan on the single, before centre fielder Michael Hulme singled Matt home. Both players advanced into scoring position on Rob's ground-out to the short-stop, but were left stranded as a pop-up to the pitcher ended the inning.

The Polecats held a five run lead as they entered the bottom of the inning, but Menwith Hill led-off with a single. A grounder to Adam at short recorded the first out at second base, but Halton were unable to complete the double play. This proved to be more than a little unfortunate, as the Jammers' pitcher hit his second homer, scoring two. Menwith threatened to make the game more interesting than the Polecats wanted, as their next batter doubled himself into scoring position. Halton recorded their second out out the inning as Rob threw his fourth strike-out of the game, but a second double scored the runner, taking the score to 8-6 with a runner in scoring position. Thankfully, that was as close as it got, as Rob finished the game with a sixth strike-out, taking Halton through to the final.

Game 2 (Final)

Halton Polecats vs. Cartmel Valley Lions

                        1   2   3   4   5   6  Final    

Cartmel Valley   0   3   1   0   1   1   6

Halton               0   4   0   0   0   1   5

The Polecats' second game of the tournament was a final against the hosts, the Cartmel Valley Lions.

Although Cartmel were hosting the tournament, Halton actually had home field advantage for the game, and pitcher Dan Lightfoot began strongly inducing groundouts to short-stop Rob Vondy, and third baseman Adam Jones, both of whom threw to Carl Heesom at first for outs. Dan ended a one-two-three inning with a pop-up to Adam at third base. Catcher Michael Hulme began the Polecats' response well, earning a lead-off walk. Rob's double moved him round to third, but with two men in scoring position consecutive pop-ups to short and second base were followed by a strike-out to end the inning scoreless.

The Lions punished Halton's inability to score as Dan walked two to start the second inning. A ground ball to short-stop was relayed accurately from Adam to James Knowles at second for the force-out, but the Polecats were unable to turn the double play.  The runner at third scored on the play to give the early lead to Cartmel. A pop-up recorded the second out, but not before the baserunner had scored on a wild pitch. Two more walks, followed by another wild pitch, scored another run, before the inning ended on a pop-up to Carl at first.  Trailing by three runs, Dan helped himself out by starting the bottom of the inning with a walk. He was scored on left fielder Matt Baker's double, who was himself scored by James' single. James moved into scoring position on right fielder Jonathan Hilton's grounder to short, although Jonathan was thrown out at first on the play.  Michael singled to put runners on the corners, and a walk earned by Rob loaded the bases. Unfortunately, the Lions earned a second out on a pop-up to third base, but a run scored as Carl was also walked, keeping the bases loaded.  Once more, however, the Polecats left multiple runners stranded as the inning ended on a strike-out, but this time with Halton 4-3 up.

Another lead-off walk to start the third would punish Dan again, as the baserunner took the opportunity to advance on ground-outs to first Adam at third and then Rob at second. The run scored on a wild pitch as a second batter was walked. He then stole second base but was tagged out at third on a grounder from the next Cartmel batsman, to end the inning with the scores tied at four apiece. Dan was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the inning, and was moved into scoring position on Matt's single. Unfortunately, James' line drive hit was caught by a diving short-stop, who doubled Dan off at second. The Lions kept the Polecats scoreless as they finished the inning with a strike-out.

Dan threw a very efficient fourth inning, although the lead-off batter did manage to single against him. The second Cartmel batter grounded to Adam at third, who threw to James at second base to force out the lead runner, although again Halton were unable to turn the double play.  This proved to be of little consequence however, as the next Lions' batter drove the ball to Adam, who caught it and doubled off the runner at first to end the inning with the minimum of batters faced. Michael began the bottom of the inning with a single, but Rob was unlucky to drill his full count pitch straight to the right fielder. A strike-out left the Polecats with two down, and the inning ended with Michael stranded at second  on a ground-out to the short-stop.

Adam took over the pitcher's duties in the fifth inning, and was immediately called upon to field a come-backer off his first pitch, which he threw to Kirsty Cross, now playing first, for the first out of the inning. The next Cartmel batter doubled, and was scored on a single from the following Lions' player.  A grounder to Michael, now playing third, was thrown over to James at second for the second out, although Halton were unable to turn two.  Fortunately, they weren't made to pay, as Adam induced another grounder to Michael, who threw over to Kirsty at first to end the inning. Kirsty was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the inning, although Cartmel earned their first out soon afterwards with a strike-out. Matt Baker ground to the short-stop, who threw Kirsty out at second but, like the Polecats before them, the Lions were unable to beat the runner at first base.  Unfortunately, also like Halton, they weren't made to pay, as the inning ended with the Polecats trailing by a run, on a line-out to the short-stop.

A lead-off walk again proved costly as the Cartmel base runner took his opportunities to advance around the bases, scoring on a wild pitch despite Adam striking out two. The inning ended on a fly-ball to Matt in left field, but the insurance run would prove decisive.  David Murphy, now playing in place of Jonathan, earned a full count walk to start the bottom of the inning, but was thrown out attempting to steal second. A strike-out gave the Lions two quick outs, but Halton had won from a worse position than this before...  A single to Rob, now playing in centre field, began the fight back, as he stole his way around to third base and scored on Adam's single. Adam also stole his way to third as Cartmel intentionally walked Carl, now catching. Although Carl also stole his way into scoring position, the decision to walk him proved to be a good one as the Lions' pitcher ended the game, and won the tournament, on a strike-out.

The Polecats played well on the day and were unlucky to lose in a closely fought final game. Had they taken a number of good scoring opportunities, they might well have won the game and the tournament. They will need to take such chances next week, when Cartmel visit Halton for the next regular season game.

Halton Polecats @ Menwith Hill Jammers, 09/06/07

Click on image for full size

                        1   2   3   4   5   6   7  Final

Halton               4   5   5   0   0   3  15  32

Menwith Hill       0   0   0   0   5   1   0    6

The Polecats travelled to Menwith Hill with a division leading 3-2 record, but with the knowledge that it could so easily have been 4-1. This was to be Halton's first game of the 20007 season against the Jammers, who had done the Polecats a favour the previous week by taking a game from the Cartmel Valley Lions, thus keeping them tied with Halton.

The Polecats' offence began strongly, with both catcher Michael Hulme and centre fielder Rob Vondy walking, to be driven in for the first two runs of the game on short-stop Adam Jones' double. Adam was himself scored on pitcher Carl Heesom's double, before first baseman Kirsty Cross struck with a third consecutive double to score Carl. The Menwith pitcher recovered to strike out three to end the inning, but Halton were already four runs up. Carl didn't waste this excellent opening to his first start of the season, and recorded his first out on a three pitch strike-out. Although he walked the next two batters on full counts, he struck out a second before inducing a grounder to Adam at short, who threw to Joe Murray at third base for the force-out to end the inning 4-0 ahead.

Right fielder Jonathan Hilton was hit by a pitch at the start of the second inning, and Michael reached base on a single before Rob earned his second walk to load the bases. Adam's single scored the first run of the inning, and Carl's base clearing double added another three. Once more Carl was driven in by Kirsty, this time on a single which ended the inning on the five run slaughter rule with no outs recorded. The Jammers started the bottom the inning with a single of their own, which hit second baseman first in the arm and then in the neck, but was kept on the infield by his block. When Carl hit the next Menwith batter with a pitch it looked like the start of a long inning. Carl recovered well to strike out the next two players but walked one more to load the bases. The inning ended with the Jammers held scoreless as James fielded a grounder and threw to Kirsty at first for the third out of the inning. Halton's lead was already a healthy nine runs with Menwith yet to score.

The Jammers suffered a pitching collapse in the third inning as their new pitcher threw consecutive four pitch walks to third baseman Joe Murray, James, left fielder Matthew Baker and Jonathan, to score the first run of the inning. A second was scored as Michael earned a walk after a tough at-bat, and Rob earned a third on an infield single. Adam walked to score a fourth run, and Carl drove in the fifth, inning ending, run with another single. For the second consecutive inning the Polecats had scored five runs without an out being recorded. Carl took full advantage of the run support, striking out the lead-off batter on just three pitches and fielding the come-backer from the next Menwith batter himself for the force-out on the throw to Kirsty at first. Two Jammers batters earned themselves walks and moved into scoring position before Carl ended the inning on his sixth strike-out of the game, preserving Halton's 14-0 lead.

Dan Lightfoot, replacing Kirsty in the line-up and the injured James at second base, drove a ball to left field but saw it fly straight into the fielder's glove for the first out of the fourth inning. Joe, now playing at first, singled and stole his way round to third base. A strike-out earned Menwith the second out of the inning, and Matthew was very unlucky to have his hard hit line drive snatched instinctively by the pitcher as it flew over his head. For the first inning of the game the Polecats had been held scoreless, but Carl struck out the Jammers' lead-off batter to maintain Halton's grip on the game. Although he walked the next Menwith player, he struck out his eighth opponent for the second out before inducing an infield grounder to Dan at second, who threw to Joe at first for the force-out to end the inning.

The fifth inning began promisingly with Jonathan earning a walk to reach base for the third time in the game, but Michael ground into a smoothly turned double play. Although Rob, now playing short-stop, walked and stole his way round to third base, Adam, now fielding at third, struck out looking to end the inning with Rob stranded ninety feet away. Carl walked the first Jammers' batter in the bottom of the inning, and hit the second to put two on base with no outs. A single to the outfield scored Menwith's first run of the game, before two more were scored on a bases clearing triple which found the gap in the outfield. Carl recovered to strike-out his ninth batter for the first out of the inning, and when the next batter grounded out to Joe at first base it looked like the Polecats' hold over the game had been restored, but a grounder snuck its way through the infield to score a fourth run, and the runner went on to steal his way all the way round, scoring on a wild pitch to end the inning on the slaughter rule. Having not scored for two innings, Halton had now given up a big inning to a resurgent Jammers' team.

The Polecats were urged to turn things around and get some insurance runs to quieten a re-energised Menwith bench, and lead-off walks to Carl, now catching, and Dan, now at third base, started their response positively. A pop-up to the short-stop recorded the Jammers' first out of the inning, but left fielder David Murphy drove Carl in on his grounder to the pitcher, although he was thrown out at first on the play. Matthew, now playing in centre field, Jonathan and Michael, now playing at second, all walked, loading the bases and scoring a second run.  Rob's single scored a third run with the bases still loaded, but Adam's infield grounder was thrown to second for the force-out to end the inning. Adam, replacing Carl on the mound, was the beneficiary of excellent defence to start the bottom of the inning. Firstly, a grounder to Dan at third base was efficiently converted into the first out of the inning on Joe's controlled stretch at first. Adam walked the next batter, but induced the following Menwith player to hit a grounder to Joe at first. Joe, pulled off his bag on the play, threw over to Rob at second base to start the double play, but neither he, nor second baseman Michael, were able to beat the speedy baserunner back to first for the second out. This proved costly, as the runner scored on a triple to the outfield fence, before Adam induced a pop-up to Rob at short to end the inning with Halton ahead 17-6.

The seventh, open, inning began explosively, with Carl's third double. Dan and Joe walked to load the bases and David once more drove Carl in on a grounder to first base, although again he was forced out on the play. Matthew was hit by a pitch to load the bases once more, and this sparked a pitching collapse, with Jonathan and Michael both walking to score two more runs before Rob was also hit by a pitch to score a fourth with the bases still loaded. Adam walked, scoring a fifth run, before Carl's fourth double scored two more runs, leaving him and Adam in scoring position. Five more walks to Dan, Joe, David, Matthew and Jonathan scored another four runs with the bases loaded before Michael's grounder to the pitcher was thrown home for the force-out to record the second out of the inning. A bases clearing triple from Rob scored three more runs, taking the total up to fourteen for the inning. Adam's single scored Rob before the Jammers escaped the inning on a towering pop-up to the first baseman. The bottom of the inning produced more highlights for the Polecats as Michael took an over-the-shoulder catch on the run into shallow right field for the first out of the inning. Adam struck-out the second batter of the inning and had the third swinging at a third pitch in the dirt, which Carl threw to Joe at first for the out to end the game with a resounding 32-6 victory to Halton.

This was another heavy victory for the Polecats and was distinguished by some excellent defence and strong pitching to accompany Halton's offensive prowess. A loss of concentration in the middle innings was disappointing, but the Polecats recovered well to finish very strongly. Next Saturday's fixture sees Halton travel to Cartmel for the annual Frank Caunce tournament. The reduced innings format punishes lapses, and it is to be hoped that the Polecats can eliminate these slips in a year in which they stand a real chance of regaining the title they won two seasons before.

Click on image for full size

Game 1             1   2   3   4   5   6 Final    

Halton               2   0   2   1   0   1   6

Manchester       0   3   1   0   0   3   7

Following a rampant 18-8 victory last Saturday, the Polecats travelled to local rivals the Manchester Saints in confident mood. Unfortunately, their complacency saw them lose a game they had every opportunity to win.

Halton began the game with left fielder Michael Hulme earning a lead-off walk on a full count. A pop-up to first base and a strike-out saw him still stranded at first with two outs quickly recorded for Manchester. A towering two run homer from catcher Carl Heesom drove him in and, although a second strike-out ended the inning, the Polecats had jumped into an early lead.  Pitching in response, Dan Lightfoot got off to a promising start, as the first batter flew out to Michael in left field, and the next two Saints players were struck-out to end the inning with the score 2-0 to Halton.

Third baseman Jonathan Harrison led off the second inning with a base hit to right field. He stole second to move into scoring position, but a strike-out and a pop-up to the short-stop gave Manchester two outs with Jonathan still at second.  He moved over to third on a passed ball as first baseman Jonathan Hilton earned a walk, but was left ninety feet from home as an infield out ended the inning with the scoreboard untroubled. A lead-off home run for the Saints emphasised the Polecats' failure to score, and sparked a minor pitching collapse as Dan walked two players, who both stole their way into scoring position. A grounder to second baseman James Knowles was thrown to Jonathan at first for the first out of the inning, but the runners advanced on the play, scoring one. Dan's third strike-out of the game recorded the second out, but a single into right field scored a third run for Manchester. Another walk moved the lead base-runner into scoring position, but Dan fielded a comebacker himself and threw over to Jonathan at first for the force-out to end the inning with Halton now finding themselves down by a score of 3-2.

Centre fielder Rob Vondy singled up the middle and stole twice to move over to third base at the start of the third inning.  Short-stop Adam Jones' infield single drove him in to tie the scores. Adam too stole his way around the bases as the Saints' pitcher recorded the first out of the inning on a strike-out. Right fielder Kirsty Cross earned a walk, scoring Adam in the process on a wild pitch. A second single to right field from Jonathan Harrison moved her into scoring position, but a second strike-out was followed by a grounder to the short-stop, who threw to second base for the force-out, ending the inning. A lead-off walk in the bottom of the inning was converted into a runner at third on a single to right field, which put runners on the corners. A second walk loaded the bases, and Dan walked in a run with a third free pass on a full count. With the scores tied once more and bases loaded, a big inning was threatening to build, but Dan settled to strike out the next three batters on just ten pitches to end the inning at 4-4.

Now playing in right field, Jonathan Hilton began the fourth inning with a walk, but was forced out at second on Michael's infield grounder to the short-stop. Michael moved to second on the play as the Manchester second baseman threw the ball away while attempting the double play, distracted by Jonathan's slide into the base. Rob was hit by a pitch in his at-bat, and when Adam's grounder to the third baseman was also thrown away, scoring Michael and allowing Adam to reach base safely, it looked like the Polecats would have a big inning of their own. Unfortunately, despite both Rob and Adam stealing their way into scoring position, a pop-up to the first baseman, followed by a grounder to short, ended the inning with just a single go-ahead run scored.

A pop-up to the first baseman on the first pitch of the fifth inning earned the Saints a quick first out. Dan, now playing at short, earned a four pitch walk and moved over to second on a wild pitch as Joe Murray, playing second base in place of James, was also walked. Both Dan and Joe stole to move into scoring positions, but a pop-up to the pitcher and a strike-out ended the inning with two players stranded once more. Halton's continued failure to score their baserunners looked like it would be punished as the Saints led off the bottom of the inning with a base hit to left field. A walk moved the lead runner into scoring position, but Adam took control once more, striking out three batters in a row to end the inning with both sides unable to score.

The Polecats' one run lead was looking very slender, and the team was encouraged to earn some insurance runs in the open inning. A lead-off out straight to the first baseman wasn't the best beginning, but Adam helped his cause with another hit to the third baseman, which he beat out at first, advancing to second on the rushed throw. Adam stole third and was scored on Carl's hit to left field, increasing the lead to two runs. Carl stole second to move into scoring position, but was left stranded as two strike-outs ended the inning. Needing two runs to keep the game alive, Manchester were given a helping hand as the Polecats failed to convert a routine grounder to third base. The baserunner stole second to move into scoring position and was joined on base as Adam walked the next Saints' batter. A second infield error at second base scored the lead runner and moved both runners into scoring position, with the tying run ninety feet away. That run was scored on a grounder to Kirsty at first, who made the force-out but was unable to hold the runner at third. Manchester won the game on yet another infield hit, fielded at third base by Jonathan Harrison, who was unable to prevent the winning run from scoring on the hit.
 Despite not getting the ball out of the infield, the Saints managed to score three runs against a lacklustre defence, achieving what Halton had failed to do on numerous occasions earlier in the game by scoring crucial runs from third base.

Game 2        1   2   3   4   5  Final    

Manchester       0   0   0   0   0    0

Halton               2   4   4   2   4   16
 

The disappointment of the first game's final inning defeat proved to be the motivation needed for a truly dominant performance to take game 2.

Starting on the mound for Halton, pitcher Rob Vondy saw the Manchester lead-off batter reach base on an infield hit to third base. However, the next batter hit the ball straight back to Rob, who caught it and threw over to Kirsty Cross at first for the double play to empty the bases. The next Saints' batter singled into right field, but despite walking two to load the bases, Rob ended the inning with a strike-out to keep Manchester scoreless, despite sending six players to the plate. The Polecats' response began slowly, with a ground-out straight to the first baseman, but Rob helped his own cause with a single to centre field. Moving round to third base on wild pitches, he was scored as short-stop Adam Jones beat out an infield hit to third base, and advanced to second on the wild throw. Adam stole third base and was himself driven in on catcher Carl Heesom's grounder to the second baseman, although Carl was retired at first on the play. The inning ended, with Halton ahead 2-0, on a pop-up to third.

The Saints began the second inning with another single to right field, and had two men on base after Rob walked the next batter. The first out of the inning was an automatic out, and the second out followed with the next Manchester player grounding the ball to Jonathan Harrison at third, who stepped on his bag to force out the lead runner. The inning was ended on a grounder to Adam at short, who threw to Kirsty for the force-out. The Polecats started the bottom of the second in the same way that the first had ended, with a pop-up to third. Centre fielder Dan Lightfoot earned a four pitch walk and stole his way to third base. Right fielder Jonathan Hilton was also walked on four pitches, and wild pitches saw Dan score and Jonathan move round to third base. A third four-pitch walk to left fielder James Knowles put runners on the corners. Second baseman Joe Murray's grounder to the pitcher was thrown to first for the second out of the inning, but moved James into scoring position.  Jonathan scored from third on the throw to first, and as the first baseman threw wildly to home plate to try to stop him from scoring, James moved over to third. A wild pitch to Rob scored James from third, before Rob himself reached base on his second single up the middle. Rob again stole his way round to third, and also scored on a wild pitch as Adam walked on a full count. A steal and a wild pitch saw Adam reach third as Carl also received a four-pitch walk, but although Carl also stole into scoring position, they were left stranded as the inning ended on a strike-out.  Nine Halton players had stepped up to the plate in the inning, as the Polecats took a six run lead.

Rob walked the first batter of the third inning, but the next Saints' player hit into the 6-4-3 double play, Adam to Joe to Kirsty, for the first two outs of the inning. Another walk put the next Manchester batter on base, who stole and advanced his way to third, but was left standing there as the inning ended on a grounder to Adam at short, who threw to Kirsty at first to end the inning. Once more, Halton began an inning the way they had finished the last, as the lead-off batter struck-out. A fly-out to left-field saw the second out quickly recorded but five consecutive walks, to Jonathan Hilton, James, Joe, Rob and Adam, saw two runs score before Carl's single to left scored two more. The inning ended as it had begun, on a strike-out, with the Polecat's lead now a commanding 10-0.

A grounder to Joe at second base, thrown to Kirsty at first for the force-out, started the fourth inning well for the Halton defence. A single to left field, followed by a steal saw the next Saints' batter move into scoring position. He reach third as the Polecats were unable to record an out on an infield hit to third. The next Manchester player hit the ball to Adam at short, who threw to Carl at home to tag out the runner attempting to score from third base. The inning ended with Adam fielding another grounder himself, and stepping on the bag at second for the force-out to hold the Saints scoreless once more. Kirsty started the bottom of the inning by reaching base on an error by the first baseman, but was thrown out at second as the ball was returned sharply from the outfield. The Manchester defence stuttered as both Dan and Jonathan Hilton reached base on infield hits, and James moved them both into scoring position as he grounded to the second baseman for the second out of the inning. Joe walked to load the bases, and Rob's single scored two more runs to take the lead to 12. The inning ended as Joe was thrown out stealing third base.

The fifth inning started very shakily for Rob as a single to centre field was followed by two walks to load the bases. He settled down after that, inducing an infield fly pop-up and then a foul pop which was caught by Carl behind the plate, before striking out the next Saints batsman to end the inning. The bottom of the fifth saw Adam lead-off with a four-pitch walk, and then steal both second and third before scoring as the throw from the catcher got past the third baseman and rolled into the outfield. Carl doubled and Michael Hulme, playing third base, walked, and the pair stole their way into scoring position. Carl scored on a wild pitch and Michael moved over to third as Kirsty earned herself a walk. Michael became the first out of the inning as he found himself caught in a run down on the third base line, but walks to Dan and Jonathan Hilton, followed by more wild pitches, scored two more runs to end the game on the slaughter rule.

This victory was impressive not for the number of runs scored, which were mostly due to the number of walks handed out by the opposing pitchers, but for the lack of runs conceded. The combination of consistent pitching and solid defence held the opposition scoreless, an achievement that has not been achieved in the Pony league for over two years. Combined with their offensive potential, defensive displays like this demonstrate the potential of the 2007 Polecats.

Halton Polecats vs. Manchester Saints, 26/05/07

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                     1   2   3   4   5   6  Final    

Manchester    0   1   3   2   0   2   8

Halton            2   4   5   5   0   2   18

A commanding victory over local rivals the Manchester Saints moves the Polecats level with the Cartmel Valley Lions on top of the Pony North division.

In his second start of the season, Halton's pitcher Rob Vondy started shakily, walking the first Manchester batter. He recovered well, however, inducing a pop-up to Adam Jones at short-stop for the first out of the inning, and was two strikes and no balls up on the next batter, before the batter chose to wear an inside pitch to get on base. With two players on base, Rob struck out the Saints' fourth and fifth place batters to end the inning scoreless.  Manchester struck out the first Halton batter for their first out of the inning, but Rob and Adam both singled to get on base, before being driven home on catcher Carl Heesom's double to the outfield. Carl was moved over to third base as right fielder Kirsty Cross ground out to the third baseman, but the inning ended with him left stranded at third on a comebacker to the pitcher.

The first Saints' batter of the second inning also took an inside pitch to reach base on a hit-by-pitch. Again, Rob recovered well, striking out two more batters, his third and fourth of the game. A single from the next Manchester hitter scored a run, but the batter was thrown out trying to steal second, to end the inning with the Polecats still ahead 2-1. Halton began their batting response with consecutive walks to centre fielder Anthony Hulme and second baseman James Knowles. Anthony was driven in for the first run of the inning on first baseman Jonathan Hilton's single, which moved James into scoring position.  The Saints earned their first out on a driven catch by the first baseman, but Rob Vondy scored two more on a double to the outfield.  He was moved over to third base on Adam's single, before scoring on the throw as Carl ground out to the third baseman. Manchester ended the inning with a strike-out, with the score at 6-1 to the Polecats.

A lead-off single to start the third inning was quickly followed by Rob's fifth strike-out for the first out. The next Saints' batter singled, before Rob induced another pop-up to Adam at short. Unfortunately, the next Manchester hitter doubled on a full count to score two, and was himself scored on another double. Despite quickly conceding three runs, Rob regained his composure with a strike-out to end the inning and retain a two run Halton lead.  Third baseman Jonathan Harrison welcomed the new Saints' pitcher with a double, and was scored on Anthony's outfield single. A strike-out gave Manchester an out, but consecutive singles from Jonathan Hilton, Michael and Rob scored two more runs. A fly-out to the left fielder led to the second out of the inning, before Carl drove two more runs in on his second double of the game, ending the inning on the five run slaughter rule, with Halton ahead 11-4.

Rob started the fourth inning with another strike-out, but four consecutive singles resulted in two Saints runs, before Rob finished a fine pitching performance with two more strike-outs to finish the game with nine. Manchester had closed the gap, but the Polecats immediately responded as Kirsty walked, Jonathan Harrison singled, and Anthony walked to load the bases.  James walked to score the first run of the inning, and the second scored on the fielder's choice as the Saints were unable to turn the double play on Jonathan Hilton's comebacker to the pitcher. Michael was unlucky to have his line drive caught sharply at first, but Halton were lucky to escape the double play again, as Jonathan scrambled back to his base on the play.  A consecutive inning ended on the five run slaughter rule as Rob, Adam and Carl all singled in runs. The Polecats had extended their lead to 16-6.

Adam, now pitching, didn't get off to the best start in the fifth inning, as a Manchester batter managed to get himself hit-by-pitch for the second time in the game, this time by sticking his foot in the way of a low pitch. Unperturbed, Adam struck out the next batter, and then turned a quick double play by catching a pop-up from the third batter of the inning before throwing over to Michael, now playing at second, to tag out the runner. Facing a new Saints pitcher, Halton looked to continue their good scoring run, with Kirsty, now playing first base, walking and Jonathan Harrison singling. While Manchester earned an out with a strike-out, both players stole to reach scoring position, but Kirsty was picked off at third for the second out of the inning. James, replacing Anthony in centre field after he injured himself when diving back to second during the previous inning, also walked, but a second strike-out ended an unusually scoreless inning.

A solid infield out from second baseman Michael to Kirsty at first recorded the first out of the sixth inning, before Adam struck out the next Saints' batter for the second. However, the next Manchester player singled and was driven home by a double from the following batter. He also scored on a single from the Saints' catcher.  Despite this rally, Adam quickly settled, and ended the inning on a three pitch strike-out. A lead-off pop-up to the pitcher started the bottom of the inning with an out for Manchester, but consecutive singles from Rob, Adam and Carl scored two runs, before a 1-6-3 double play ended the inning. With Halton once more ten runs ahead 18-8, the game ended on the slaughter rule, a comprehensive victory for the Polecats, who never looked like losing the lead they took in the first inning. There were a number of improvements from the previous week, although a few areas needing improvement remain.

Halton Polecats @ Cartmel Valley Lions (double header), 19/05/07

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Game 1             1   2   3   4   5   6  Final
Halton               3   0   3   0   0   0   6
Cartmel Valley   2   0   3   3   0   x   8

The Polecats' 2007 season began, after a two week delay, with a double header at last season's Pony North champions, the Cartmel Valley Lions, who had already recorded a massive 27-12 victory in their first game.

Batting first, Halton started well, with left fielder Michael Hulme earning a lead-off walk. Singles from pitcher Dan Lightfoot and short-stop Rob Vondy drove in the run. An infield grounder from third baseman Adam Jones scored Dan, although Adam was thrown out at first on the play. Catcher Carl Heesom drove the ball into the outfield, scoring Rob for a third run, but he was called out at second base. Cartmel ended the inning with a strike-out, having conceded three runs.

Dan's first outing as a Pony pitcher started shakily, as he walked the first two batsmen he faced. He recovered well, to strike out the next batter, and the Polecats made their second out with a ground-out from second baseman James Knowles to Jonathan Hilton at first. A single to the outfield scored two runs for the Lions, and Dan walked the next batter to leave runners on the corners, but induced a fly-ball to Rob at short-stop to end the inning with Halton ahead 3-2.

The second inning started with a strike-out, and although James earned a walk, successive infield ground-outs to the pitcher and the short-stop left him stranded at third. Cartmel's lead-off batter walked to start the bottom of the inning, but was thrown out trying to steal second. Dan struck out the next batter, and the inning ended with the scoreboard unchanged, on a fly-out to third.

The Polecat's batting picked up in the third inning, with Dan leading off with a walk. Moving to second on a passed ball, he scored with heads up baserunning on an infield grounder from Rob, rounding third and sprinting home as the Lions concentrated on retiring the runner at first.  Adam singled and stole second to move into scoring position, and was driven home in style on a home run to left-centre by Carl. Cartmel recorded a second out on a strike-out, but centre fielder Anthony Hulme singled to keep the inning alive. Unfortunately, he was thrown out at second as he hesitated before setting off for second on a passed ball, and the inning ended with Halton up 6-2.

The Lions replied forcefully as their first batter singled, Dan walked the next, and the third Cartmel batter of the inning drove both in on a single.  He was scored on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Kirsty Cross, as the Polecats made a mess of relaying the throw in from the outfield. The scores were tied, and a walk to the next batter threatened more runs, but Dan recovered well, striking out two to end the inning with Halton still ahead 6-5.

Suddenly, the Polecats' bats fell ominously silent as the Lions' pitcher completed a quick fourth inning with consecutive strike outs.  Adam, now pitching for Halton, replied in kind, striking out the lead-off batter.  The next batter singled, but a second strike-out quickly followed.  Unfortunately, consecutive doubles scored two runs, with a third scoring on a passed ball.  The inning ended on an infield fly to Michael, now playing at second base.  Cartmel had leapt into an 8-6 lead.

The Polecats' batting woes continued, with a strike-out to lead off the fifth. Rob earned a walk, and stole his way round to third, but was stranded as the next two batters flew out to left and struck out. Adam kept Halton in the game, catching a weak pop-up from the first Lions' batter, and striking out the next. Despite hitting the next batter, he finished the inning strongly with his fourth strike-out.

Needing two runs to force Cartmel to bat again, the Polecats started well as Kirsty, now playing first base, singled.  Unfortunately, she was then picked off by the pitcher for the first out of the inning. Anthony, now in left field, also singled, but two strike-outs ended the game with him stranded at second, and the Lions finished 8-6 victors.

Halton had generally played well, but a few lapses in concentration were enough to deprive them of the victory.

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Game 2             1   2   3   4   5   6  Final
Cartmel Valley   5   5   2   0   2   2   16
Halton               4   3   0   2   0   8   17

Halton played the second game as the home team, with Rob Vondy on the mound. His first outing of the 2007 season didn't get off to the best start, however, as the lead-off hitter doubled. He recorded the first out of the inning as he induced a pop-up from the next batter, which he caught himself. An infield grounder from the next Cartmel player hit the lead baserunner as third baseman Anthony Hulme tried to field the ball, and the runner was called out for runner's interference with the batter safe at first.  He was scored on a triple to the outfield, which the Polecats were slow to return to the infield. Another double scored the second run, and after Rob walked the next batter, two more runs were scored on the third double of the inning. Consecutive singles to the next three batters scored a fifth run, ending the inning on the slaughter rule, with all five runs scoring with two outs.

Halton needed a good response after a shaky start, and left fielder Michael Hulme started well with a single. A strike-out earned Cartmel the first out, but Rob helped himself out by driving the ball into the outfield to score the first run in reply.  Short-stop Adam Jones earned a walk, before both catcher Carl Heesom and right fielder Kirsty Cross were hit by pitches, scoring Rob for the second run. Another walk to Anthony scored a third, and second baseman James Knowles singled to score a fourth. Unfortunately, with the bases loaded, first baseman Jonathan Hilton's grounder was thrown to the catcher to force out Kirsty at home, and the Lions managed to retain a one run lead as a strike-out ended the inning with the bases loaded.

Rob's pitching troubles continued in the second inning, as he walked the first two Cartmel batters, both of whom scored on a double. A third run was added as the fourth Lions' batter singled. A third walk of the inning was enough to convince the Polecats' coaches that today was not going to be Rob's day, and he swapped positions with centre fielder Dan Lightfoot. The first batter he faced singled, scoring a fourth run, and although he managed to record the first out of the inning on a fly-ball to Rob in centre field, the sacrifice hit was enough to score the fifth run from third base.

Another good batting performance was required, and consecutive singles from Dan and Rob started the bottom of the inning on the right track. Cartmel recorded the first out on Adam's grounder to the short-stop, but Dan scored on the play.  Carl's ground rule double scored a second run, and he was scored on an outfield hit from Kirsty. Unfortunately, Kirsty was tagged out at second base as her slide into the base left her short of the bag as the throw came in from centre field. The Lions ended the inning retaining a 10-7 lead as Anthony's line drive flew straight into the third baseman's glove.

Dan began the third inning strongly, striking out the first batter, but the next three Cartmel players singled, scoring two runs. A walk put runners at first and second, but it was now Anthony's turn to grab a line drive at third base, which he turned into an inning-ending double play by throwing to James to retire the runner who hadn't tagged up on the catch. Unfortunately, Halton were unable to make any dent in the Lions' five run lead, as a come-backer to the pitcher and two strike-outs left Michael stranded at first after his single.

The Polecat's defence was completely reorganised to start the fourth inning, as Adam stepped onto the mound to replace Dan, who had pitched his full allocation of innings.  Adam began strongly, striking out the first batter, and despite the next hitter singling, a second strike-out followed by a ground-out fielded by Kirsty, now at first base, finished the inning with Cartmel failing to score for the first time in the game. Rob, now at short-stop, began the bottom of the inning with a single, but was picked off at first base for the first out.  Consecutive singles to Adam, Carl and Kirsty followed, scoring two runs. The Lions recorded a second out on a fly-ball to left-field and although James, now in right field, earned a walk, left fielder David Murphy's infield grounder was thrown to second base for a force-out to end the inning with Halton still trailing 12-9.

The Polecats' defence fell apart in the fifth inning, as the lead-off hitter grounded the ball into what should have been a simple out, but the throw went astray and the batter was safe at first. Adam struck the next batter out, but a weak pop-up was dropped to allow a second Cartmel batter to reach base when he should have been retired. A walk and a single scored two runs, and the Lions were threatening another big inning, but Adam struck out the next Lion's batter and the inning was ended as Michael, now playing at second base, fielded an infield grounder and threw to Kirsty for the third out. Once more behind by five runs, Halton desperately needed to start the bottom of the inning strongly, but a grounder to the pitcher and a pop-up to the second baseman gave Cartmel two quick outs. Rob singled once more, but was left stranded at second as another pop-up was caught by the catcher.

With the score at 14-9, Adam began the final inning by inducing a pop-up from the lead-off batter, which he caught himself.  The next batsman grounded out to Rob at short, who threw over to Kirsty at first. Although the throw pulled Kirsty off the bag, she tagged the runner to record the second out. Unfortunately, the next two Lions players singled to the outfield, and a run scored as the Polecats were slow to get the ball back to the infield. A second run scored on a passed ball as Adam ended the inning by striking the next batter out on a full count.

Halton went into the bottom of the sixth trailing 16-9, and the Polecats' batters were exhorted to bat "like they'd never batted before". Carl led-off the inning with his second home run of the season on a two strike count, cutting the lead to six. Both Kirsty and Anthony also hit the ball firmly, but their efforts were rewarded only with outs, as both went straight to the Lions' centre fielder. The game looked to be Cartmel's, but seven consecutive singles from James, David, Michael, Dan, Rob, Adam, Carl resulted in six runs to level the scores, before Kirsty drove in Carl to win the game for Halton and split the double header at a game apiece.

The Polecats start the season 1-1 after an impressive opening double header.  There are still areas needing improvement, but with batting performances as demonstrated in the final inning, Halton look set to be a force in 2007. The return of a number of big bats, missing on Saturday, can only strengthen what has already proven to be a powerful offensive line-up.

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