On May 10th, a cold and blustery day in Hadlow, Kent, the Tonbridge Bobcats played two games against the Kent Mariners at the Mariners’ home field in Hadlow. The two teams are part of the British Baseball Federation and compete in Division 5 South.
Game 1
In Game 1, the Bobcats came up just short of their fifth straight win on the season with a thrilling 14-13 defeat to the Kent Mariners at the Mariners’ home field. In a seesaw battle, both teams traded blows throughout the game with the lead changing hands multiple times before the Mariners edged ahead late. Dave Mote, Chris Henderson, and Michael Calamito led the Bobcats’ offense, each driving in two runs with some timely hitting in difficult conditions. Henderson also put in a strong performance on the mound, battling hard and keeping the Bobcats in contention. Although the result didn’t fall their way, the Bobcats showed plenty of fight and resilience in an entertaining contest.
Game 2
Game 2 saw the Tonbridge Bobcats suffer another heartbreaking defeat, falling 11-10 to the Kent Mariners in yet another barn burner in Hadlow. The Bobcats battled hard throughout and were once again right in the contest until the final innings, but luck simply did not bounce their way. Liam Berry led the offense with two huge hits and Justine Walker showed great patience at the plate to earn three walks. Jason Moore also contributed with his first hit of the season as the Bobcats continued to pressure the Mariners lineup. On the mound, Grant Theis delivered a tremendous performance and deserved far more for his efforts, keeping the Bobcats in the game from start to finish. Despite the pair of narrow losses, Tonbridge showed plenty of grit and fight over the doubleheader and now sit at 4-2 on the season.
