Talons @ Spartans - July 7

This last Sunday the Nighthawk Talons, self-professed reigning NEBL champions, made the journey down to Staindrop for their second series of the year against the County Durham Spartans. Last time around, their ace Paul Brown put on a spectacle, throwing a no-hitter and the offence was nothing to scoff at either. The Talons swept the series, taking game one 15-0 and game two 19-8. However, coming off the BBF Summer Cup, Brown suffered an arm injury and was unable to pitch against the Spartans this time. Thankfully, Newcastle’s deep rotation stepped up and reaffirmed their place on top of the ladder, taking another two wins.

Game one saw Kazuma Takeuchi, former Newcastle University Lions player, taking the mound in his final appearance in the NEBL. Takeuchi’s low fastball had the Spartans swinging in a pitch-to-contact masterclass as catcher Alex Parchment’s blocking and strong arm kept baserunners at bay. On offence, Ryota Kawase set the tone early with a colossal home run and a line drive double from Cal Distin had the score ticking up quickly. Patience at the plate and some well-timed hard hitting resulted in 19 runs total coming into the bottom of the final inning. Fatigue had set in, allowing the Spartans to climb back up from 6 runs to 17, but debut closer Eliot Rosenstock’s composure helped secure the Talons’ win. Final score 19-17 Talons.

Game two was a calmer affair for the Talons, with Chris Holland making his pitching debut as well. Holland was able to paint the corners magnificently, and pitched two key strikeouts to secure the first inning. The bats didn’t let up either. Well placed singles and wise baserunning netted Newcastle 16 runs in the end. Tried and tested pitcher James Hacking came in to relieve Holland, putting on a dominant display. The infield was truly the star of the game. A diving block by Chris Voisey at second and Paul Brown holding the fort at first kept the Spartans to only 9 runs. Final score 16-9 Talons.