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Team Scotland vs. Northern Knights - Challenge Series
Team Scotland took the field for the first time in 2008 to play the first leg of the 5-game Challenge Trophy against the Northern Knights at RAF Menwith Hill on Sunday the 3rd of August. The Knights were coming off a successful defence of their NASN Dublin Tournament title and featured the very best players drawn from the National League North and would prove to be a stern test for the Scots.
The following players were selected for the team:
Nick Clark
Jason Derr
Sylvain Morisot
Kris Lee
Spencer Mackay
Bret Griffin
Lukas Rajczuk
Chris Willmott
Richard Corral
Dougie Robertson
Tony Byrne
Joe Ainsworth
Juanito Renau
Daryn McCulloch
Santino De Rosa
Jason Stott
The squad showcased a number of veterans but also had an eye on the future with a number of younger players getting their first experience of international baseball.
Game 1 would see Dougie Robertson get the nod as starting pitcher and he battled through a number of long at-bats, keeping things close whilst the Scottish offense worked hard to score some runs. On defense, Bret Griffin and Juan Renau would supply some terrific play to help take the sting out of the Knights attack.
The score was a tight 3-2 to the Knights before Robertson tired and surrendered a key home run to Mike Waisome (Liverpool Trojans) that helped the hosts pull away. Some key big hits in the later innings saw the English side complete their victory by a score of 12-2, a score that outlined the depth of the Knights team but also proved to be an unfair reflection of what was a tight game until late on. Sylvain Morisot keyed the Scottish attack with 2 rbi’s and a pair of hits whilst Waisome would end the game on a 3-run home run off Jason Derr
Game 2 would see Daryn McCulloch take the ball for the Scots against veteran GB international Martin Godsall. Godsall was his usual self, showcasing pinpoint control and too much pace for the Scottish hitters, whilst McCulloch took some time to settle down but pitched effectively enough to give his team a chance. Another home run for Waisome gave the Knights a cushion but the Scots kept battling, extending the Knights for the full 9 innings but simply could not string enough hits together to get some runs, losing by an eventual score of 9-2. Spencer Mackay was the stand out performer as he proved to be his usual stellar self on the field and at bat.
The games were played in tremendous spirit and a terrific showpiece for baseball in the north of the United Kingdom and everyone at Team Scotland would like to extend their thanks to the Knights for their terrific hospitality.
The series continues with 3 games in Glasgow on the 21st and 22nd of September at the GBA’s Tollcross ground. The 5 game series is now planned to be an annual event between the two sides.
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