The Vault

BBF AAA National Baseball Championship Final - 2012

A flashback to our second consecutive national championship. Thanks very much to Emily Smith for her expert camera skills, commentary and occasional cheering.

23rd April 2017 - Miracle on Merseyside!

The Hull Scorpions were the visitors to Norman Wells Ballpark where they took on the reigning northern championship holders, the Liverpool Trojans in what was one of the most remarkable contests ever to have taken place on the hallowed fields of Maguire Avenue.

Coming in to the day the Scorpions had a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, while the Trojans – who had played a couple of games less – were undefeated with a record of 2-0.

Game two of that day’s double-header saw one of the greatest comebacks ever to take place in this sport (or quite possibly any other) that the UK has ever seen. Read more below and then take in the final moments as streamed live on our Facebook page.

Hull Scorpions 19 Liverpool Trojans 20

Unbelievably, there are some people on this planet that think baseball is boring. Comments like “It’s too slow” or “nothing ever happens” are tbanded about. Now, we’ve known for years that they are wrong, but there is no way that even the most hardened baseball sceptic could fail to be entertained by the action contained within this thrilling battle.

The pitching would be contested between the Trojans’ Paul Smith and Scorpions’ Dom Rawlins. On paper, this seemed a good match-up and it would prove to follow the script in the early frames. The Trojans would edge ahead in the bottom half of both the first and second innings, before Hull scored four in the third to take the lead for the first time.

Hull would extend to their lead to 7-2 in the top of the fourth on hits from Mark Storey, Phil Wells and Chris Marshall before the Trojans pulled two back as Victor Juarez drove in Chris Gary, before he himself scored on Ian Blease’s single.

With the scores at 7-4 to Hull after four innings, the Trojans made a change on the mound as Matty Waddington replaced Smith, who would stay in the game at shortstop. Waddington endured a tricky first outing of the season two weeks ago against Halton, and was determined to give a strong showing this time out.

He got off to the perfect start as Andy Wiltshire could only manage a slow-roller back to the pitcher and he had one out on the board. After that however, things didn’t go quite as well . He would walk the next three hitters, before hitting the fourth, giving up three consecutive singles and then walking two more. Just like that, the Scorpions were ten runs ahead.

More walks would follow, compounded by errors in the field and even bad luck would play its part before Mark Storey would drive in what would prove to be Hull’s final run. By the time Waddington struck out Dom Rawlins to finally get out of the inning, Hull had a seemingly unassailable lead of 19-4.

As the Trojans trudged off the field they knew that, after that marathon inning, the game time limit was going to be too close to allow any further chances. It was now or never, but did they really believe they could do it? One player that did was Martin Godsall. The pitching hero from game one earlier in the day was now watching from the bench but his words of encouragement wouldn’t stop ringing out throughout the inning.

Up until this point, Rawlins had pitched a gem. And make no mistake, at this level restricting your opposition to only four runs is most certainly a gem, regardless of which team you’re facing. He would face Paul Smith who would lead off and pick up a walk, before scoring on Chris Taggart’s double down the left-field line. One run down, many more to go.

Harry Wren would pinch hit for Chris Gary and also pick up a walk, before Jairo Erasmus laced a line drive into right to score two more. That’s three of the sixteen runs needed to win, no outs on the board. Was anyone starting to worry yet? Probably not.

Victor Juarez and Waddington would both pick up walks as Rawlins began show clear signs of fatigue. With the bases loaded and the big-hitting Ricky Brito at the plate, maybe now, if he could unload a trademark blast over the fence, there might be some twitches among the Scorpions and the Trojans might start to think that the impossible was possible. Rawlins caught Brito looking though and the first out was recorded. The impossible just got a whole lot harder.

Up next was Ian Blease, who lined a hit to right to score both Erasmus and Juarez for the eighth and ninth runs for the Trojans. It was then Dave Martin Baez’s turn. His single loaded the bases for Smith who unleashed a three RBI bases-clearing triple down the right-field line and the Scorpions lead was cut to 19-12.

Chris Taggart’s single to right would score Smith and the Trojans were now six behind with only one out. Wren would walk, and at this point, enough was enough for Rawlins as he was relieved of pitching duties by Andy Wiltshire. The first batter that Wiltshire would be Jairo Erasmus, his single would drive in another pair and cut the score to 19-15.

Just as the momentum seemed to be entirely with the Trojans, Wiltshire would get Juarez to go down swinging and the Scorpions were one out away. The Trojans weren’t done yet though as next-up was Waddington and he would single, driving in the speedy Erasmus all the way from first. 19-16. The lead was down to three, and the Trojans home run leader, Ricky Brito, was up next.

Brito crushed a two-run jack over the right-field fence. The score was now Hull Scorpions 19, Liverpool Trojans 18. Maybe, just maybe, it was possible.

At the plate next was first baseman Ian Blease. His hard-hit grounder to third proved too hot for Chris Marshall to handle and the tying run was aboard. With quicker wheels than Blease available from the bench, Paul Mason was called on to pinch-run.

Up next was Dave Martin Baez, who was struck on the helmet by an errant inside pitch. The tying run moved over to second, the winning run was on first. Again, with younger, fresher legs available to the Trojans, Sixteen year old GB Starlet Conor Baker-Latham was brought in to pinch-run.

Over the years the Trojans have, so many times, relied on the RBI production of their powerhouse shortstop, Paul Smith. And guess who was up to bat...

It was an at-bat that was streamed live on Facebook and so far has since been seen by thousands of viewers all over the world. With a pitchers count of one ball and two strikes, Smith lasered a line drive over third base down the left-field line. Mason will easily score from second and the game will be tied. Baker-Latham got a great jump from first though and he’s round second coming into third in no time. His coach waves him home as his helmet falls from his head and he digs deep and pounds the turf with his cleats. The throw comes in from the outfield, it's offline and he is safe. The Trojans win in the most incredible circumstances by a score of 20-19. Paul Smith had walked, tripled and doubled, while picking up five RBIs all in the same inning!

The youngster Baker-Latham was mobbed at home plate by his teammates, before the attention turned to Smith. Huge shouts of celebration could be heard from the Trojans’ players and spectators. A remarkable result!

The video below was captured by Dave Martin Baez as the drama unfolded.