British University Baseball Association

The British baseball season would usually shut down in early September and prepare to hibernate over the winter period, but since the establishment of the British University Baseball Association (BUBA) the baseball calendar in this country has changed and nowadays October-baseball is played in this country too.

This was the second year of the University Fall Cup and the UEA Blue Sox was the team that set the pace from day one winning their first two group games.  First they came out on top in a close game against the Oxford Kings.  They followed this with an 8-4 win against the Nottingham Thieves.  This meant that, regardless of the outcome of their final group game against Southampton on Sunday, they had booked their place in Sunday’s Final.

In the final round of group games Nottingham came up against Oxford.  Both teams came into this game knowing that they needed to win to reach the Final against UEA.  This turned out to be an epic battle.  With time running out, Oxford went into the bottom of the fifth inning with what appeared to be a comfortable 5-3 lead with starter Paul Boland still on the mound for Oxford and keeping Nottingham’s offense quite.  Despite this the Thieves somehow managed to score two runs on 1 hit and 2 errors.  This took the game into extra innings with the scores tied 5-5.  Oxford again took the lead on a sacrifice fly by starting pitcher Boland to drive in Chris Hayes.  This did not discourage Nottingham.  They came back again in the bottom of the inning and Maurice Lessing was the man to deliver the final blow with a walk-off 2 RBI double.

This nerve-wracking game must have taken its toll and the UEA Blue Sox took full advantage in the Final.  They pounced on the previously invincible Nottingham pitcher, George Lintern, with a phenomenal hitting display which produced 21 runs on 22 hits.  UEA starter, Gary Ward, picked up the win pitching a complete game allowing only 3 earned runs and 4 hits, striking out 6 Nottingham batters in the process.

More images from the 2009 University Fall Cup at Herts

View the 2009 University Fall Cup League Leaders

GROUP GAMES

Southampton 5  Oxford 6

Nottingham 16  Southampton 3

Oxford 4  UEA 6

UEA 8  Nottingham 4

Oxforf 6  Nottingham 7

UEA 5  Southampton 12

STANDINGS

UEA (2-1)

Nottingham (2-1)

Southampton (1-2)

Oxford (1-2)

BRONZE MEDAL GAME

Oxford 7 Southampton 13

FINAL

UEA 21  Nottingham 4