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Local Falcons youngsters turned out in droves and were bolstered by a handful of girls from the GB U-13 Cubs and a contingent of players from the LondonSports organisation.

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The Falcons came hot out of the blocks with a seven run first inning, including a third base hit from Lucy Morris and a home run for James Blackall, following up with a solid shut out to leave the Sluggers well behind early in the game.

But by the 5th inning, despite a home run from debutant Dominic Stephenson, the Falcons had been limited to only two runs and the Sluggers exploited mistakes in the Falcons defense to claw back an 11-9 lead.

Sensing defeat, captain David Piesse rearranged the infield, moving Rose Bhanji to first base and Rachel Horton at catcher.

The Sluggers' advance was halted, thanks to a brace of outstanding diving catches from shortstop James Blackball, and Chichester went into the final inning just behind.

With some aggressive hits from the top of their order and gutsy base running from Hettie NcNeil, they concluded their batting with a three run lead.

At the bottom of the seventh, pitcher Jason Mercer picked up his third strike-out of the game to hold the scores at 15-16, before Ally Warr took a vital catch in left outfield to seal the win.

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Senior slowpitch softball for 16+ men and women will get started, whilst a junior fastpitch programme will follow in mid-May, and little league baseball later in the Summer.

Practice will be held at Oaklands Park Softball Field as normal, from 6pm until dark.

As many players would have missed out on baseball and softball for most of 2020, the emphasis will be on mechanics and fundamentals, to ease athletes back into their playing routines with minimal risk of injury.

Covid-relevant measures will be in place to ensure hygiene and safety for all involved.

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BSUK Guidance

As always, we will be closely following BaseballSoftballUK's guidance for a return to play. This results from direct discussion with the government and Sport England.

Our activities are also subject to any restrictions set in place by Chichester District Council.

Senior slowpitch softball (16+)

We plan to start practice on Wednesday 31st March, 6-8pm, until September when we begin our Winter indoor league.

Senior fastpitch softball (16+)

In the past we've practiced fastpitch on an ad-hoc basis, so this can continue as normal. It's still too early to say whether we can host our annual tournament, particularly as many of the teams are based in Europe.

The Great Britain Fastpitch League, which many Falcons participate in, is planning to go ahead as normal this year.

Junior fastpitch softball (12-16)

We plan to start practice on Thursday 13th May, 6-8pm, for 6 weeks, then resume indoors in October.

Little League Baseball (8-12)

We plan to start on Saturday 3rd July, 10am-noon, for 6 weeks, then resume indoors in January 2022.

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Closely following the guidance set out in BaseballSoftballUK's Return to Play Plan, younger players can at last return to the ballfield at Oaklands Park to get back into some hitting, throwing, catching and running.

Dates: (Sundays, 12-2pm)

• September 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th

• October 4th, 11th

Enrolment is �35 per player for all six sessions. Sibling discount (�25 per player) is available for families enrolling more than one player.

Click here to enrol.

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You can read more about the charter here.

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The Falcons� first game of the season was a tough challenge as they took on Itchen Knicks, last year�s league champions. Chichester came out guns blazing by smashing ten runs straight onto the board in the first inning, only to be matched by ten of the Knicks� own. From that point on, the score was never more than three runs apart as both sides battled hard and kept tight defense for the remainder of the game. After six innings the game was still tied and the seventh in the failing light saw the Knicks just edge ahead to finally win the game 23-20.

The following Saturday saw three Chichester youngsters travel to GB U18s trials in Farnham Park, Buckinghamshire. Finley Macknay, Oliver Thornhill and Owen Randell were put through their paces in practice and fastpitch league games, where they teamed up with Falcons coach Olly Howley under the watchful eye of team manager Ian Tomlin. At the end of the day, it was announced that all three had made the grade, and Finley, Oliver and Owen can now continue their development with the rest of their GB team-mates and look forward to enjoying some international softball experience. They join Olly Howley and Amy Morris in a growing gang of five youngsters from Chichester now in the GB softball programme.

Back in the city, the Falcons seniors squad played out the Solent League Firstball tournament, where they took on 13 teams from the local league and beyond. Despite an early loss to Solent Sluggers, Chichester won all of their remaining games against Spitfires, Bracknell, Sharks, Brewers and finally Brighton Beachcombers in order to take the tournament shield trophy. The Falcons squad included four players who have recently graduated out of the juniors section � a positive sign of things to come for softball in Chichester.

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Chichester Falcons Softball Club ended their regular season on a high, coming away as Solent League Division 2 champions. With a 10 & 3 record and having beaten all but one of the Division 1 teams, the Falcons pipped Southampton Spitfires to the top spot by two points to take the title and promotion to Division 1 for the 2019 season. "The team have worked so hard all season at practice, and they should be proud of themselves for this long-awaited achievement," says Falcons manager David Morris. "They hit more runs than any other team in the entire league, let alone our division, and conceded less runs than everybody else too. We're also seeing our older juniors now graduating into the seniors squad and setting a great standard. This is a pattern I'd like to continue and push even harder with next year. We'll have to compete at a higher level more regularly in Division 1 but we have nothing to fear and I'm looking forward to the challenge!"

Division 2 Final Standings:

	P	W	L	Run Diff	Pts
Chichester Falcons	13	10	3	188	33
Southampton Spitfires	13	9	4	46	31
UPSU Shafters	13	10	3	93	30
Hursley Hurricanes	13	4	9	-31	20

To add to their success, two Falcons received prestigious trophies at the Solent League end-of-season awards ceremony. Outfielder Hettie McNeil was presented with the Division 2 Female MVP trophy for her consistent outstanding performance on the field � this is voted for by opposing captains and game umpires. Hettie has quickly become an essential part of the team having started softball as a rookie in 2017. She plays with commitment and passion, continues to challenge herself, and has also made the leap to fastpitch softball during 2018 where she is hitting and fielding remarkably well already. David Morris was inducted into the Solent League�s Hall of Fame for his services to softball and baseball, and proudly shares this year�s honoured position with Ed Wakeman from Southsea Sharks, who tragically lost his life in June.

2018 has seen huge growth in the younger age groups at the Falcons organisation, as the junior fastpitch team continues to flourish, as well as a new little league baseball club for 7-10 year olds which ran on Sunday mornings in Oaklands Park through the summer. This proved very popular and saw some promising skills developing, with five youngsters from Chichester now attending the BSUK Baseball & Softball Academy in Slough, where they are working monthly with Britain�s top coaches and playing alongside national team players through the winter months.

		The seniors section has also expanded to include a fastpitch softball team, who after cutting their teeth at Chichester�s own fastpitch tournament, headed to Paris in September to compete in the annual Tournoi de Fleur. Up against teams from France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain�s U19s squad, the Falcons fastpitch gang somehow managed to steal 3rd place over the weekend. "The tournament was a lot of fun and good to play in Europe for a change", says Morris, "but we came back with a much better result that we thought we would get! Now we have some basic experience with this format of softball, everybody is hungry and keen to do a lot more." The Falcons will keep working on their fastpitch game, starting with regular indoor practice after Christmas.
The Falcons' next priority is to form a second team to enter the league and tournaments. A rookie squad played out a few friendlies against local teams during 2018 but the plan is to formalize things somewhat and establish a full second team for the 2019 season. A softball team needs 5 male and 5 female players, but the latter has fallen a little short so far. Any interested players (in particular women), of any ability, should contact the Falcons on [email protected] to find out more about playing softball.

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Junior Fastpitch Softball Age 11-16, boys and girls Chichester High School sports hall Thursdays 6-8pm, for 7 weeks, starting November 1st Enrolment: Click here

Chichester Indoor Slowpitch Softball League Age 14 and up, guys and girls Chichester High School sports hall Wednesdays 6.15-8.15pm, for 7 weeks, starting October 31st Enrolment: Click here

BSUK Baseball/Softball Academy Age 10-25, guys and girls Very high quality coaching for athletes who want to improve their skills and maximise their potential Venues in Slough area and (optionally) Coventry Enrolment, dates, more information: Click here

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Dridma Rivas from Spain, Paris Patriots from France, London Meteors and a GB U19 squad joined their hosts for two days at Oaklands Park Softball Field, where they battled out a round robin, a home run derby and two playoff rounds before the weather unfortunately brought things to a close, a few hours earlier than planned. The Falcons have put on a junior fastpitch tournament for the last two years, but after playing in a handful of co-ed tournaments in Paris lately, manager David Morris decided to switch to a senior age group for 2018. "I found that in Europe they use a soft core ball, which makes good sense for co-ed fastpitch, and the pitcher-catcher battery has to be mixed or all-female. Other than that it�s what we�re used to at the Great Britain Fastpitch League (GBFL) every year. I am very pleased that Martha Moya (Spain) and Will Notue (France) were able to bring their teams to the UK � they are wonderful guests to have in our city and added perfectly to the flavour of the event".
Wes Knapp brought a Meteors team from London, calling on the services of some Danish friends to fill his roster, while Ian Tomlin fielded a young team of GB squad and development players, including Oliver Howley and Bronte Harvey from Chichester. The Falcons team was a relatively inexperienced squad, who have stepped up from slowpitch and have been working hard on their fastpitch game in recent months, helped out by GBFL stalwarts Sam Grafton and Ieuan Gale. The round robin stages saw the Meteors go undefeated while GB went 3 & 1, ending on a tight one-run game with Dridma Rivas. Patriots didn�t quite manage a win unfortunately, but Dridma Rivas finished 2 & 2, with wins over the Falcons and Patriots only allowing one run in each game. Falcons managed a win on their first game against Patriots but ended up 1 & 3. At the end Saturday afternoon the Falcons fired up their pitching machine for a home run derby � anyone in attendance who wanted to hit was allowed three swings at as many pitches as they needed. Men and women competed separately, and Carina Thorsland (Meteors) and Mason Brockway (GB) took the prizes � Mason with the only over-the-fence hit of the contest.
Sunday began with the final round robin games with an ominous weather forecast and the rainclouds baring their teeth, but the first round of playoffs were barely completed with the rain falling hard and the pitchers struggling to find a grip with their fingers and feet. The event was brought to a close; as some teams had not taken part in a playoff by then, the round robin placings were set as the final standings. The teams retired nearby to The Bell Inn, who had provided food and drink for the tournament, for a closing ceremony where trophies were given out and MVP prizes were awarded to Josh Peat (GB) and Aida Caballero (Dridma Rivas). Thanks also went to Sue Howley, who volunteered her expertise and time for the weekend as first aid officer. "We definitely want to do this again next year", says David Morris. "With a longer day there is capacity for eight teams, so now that we�ve proven the event can work in Chichester, we hope to have more teams from Europe enter next year."

Full results:

GB U19s 5-9 Meteors		Falcons 8-6 Patriots
Dridma Rivas 9-1 Falcons		GB U19s 16-3 Patriots
Falcons 9-11 GB U19s		Dridma Rivas 2-11 Meteors
Patriots 1-13 Dridma Rivas		Meteors 16-5 Falcons
Meteors 7-3 Patriots		Dridma Rivas 5-6 GB U19s

Standings:

1st: London Meteors (4-0)
2nd: GB U19s (3-1)
3rd: Dridma Rivas (2-2)
4th: Chichester Falcons (1-3)
5th: Paris Patriots (0-4)

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The Falcons went into the game a little too keen, as the opening stages saw six of them sat down again with no runs on the board, flaring several hits up into the prevailing wind making easy catches for the Zombies� infield.

Pitcher Jason Mercer kept things together in the field before starting up a furious ten-run rally which saw Chichester bat round the order, including home runs from Peter Martin and Bronte Harvey. Ally Warr was unlucky to find herself stranded after executing a perfect squeeze play to score David Morris, but got back in the game in the bottom half of the inning with a well taken catch in left field. The Zombies seemed reluctant to swing away as Mercer battled with the wind, but with a mountain to climb the Portsmouth team were left wanting more than a few walks to catch up with the Falcons. Shortstop Ben Sawkins and Lucy Morris stifled a few infield grounders before Chichester slugged a further five runs on thanks to some smart baserunning by right fielder Hettie McNeil, and debutant catcher Katie Newnham powered a line drive down the third base line for an RBI double. More windswept walks tortured the Falcons in the fifth, but with runners on first and second James Wheeler gratefully grabbed a comebacker on third base to keep the Falcons 15 runs ahead, invoking the mercy rule to win the game 17-2.

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Batting first, the OAPs delivered a wake-up call for the Falcons by knocking in seven runs, hitting the gaps consistently despite the best efforts of the Chichester defense. However the Falcons jumped straight back into it with four runs in response, including back-to-back home runs from James Mortimore and Ally Warr. Through the next few innings the OAPs stayed ahead, but began to swing away rather than stick to base hitting, allowing pitcher Jason Mercer to turn the screw and coax them into dishing up easy catches for David Morris in centre field. Nibbling away and edging closer, Chichester added more and more runs as the OAPs watched the game start to slip through their fingers. David Piesse held strong at third base while Bronte Harvey bossed in the infield, turning the first double play of the game by gunning a pinpoint throw to Lucy Morris on first. Not to be outdone, shortstop Ben Sawkins soon turned a double of his own, gathering up a ground ball, stepping across second base for the first out and lasering the ball to first for another.

By now Mercer was in complete control on the mound, tying up the OAPs designated hitter so badly he was called out for stepping out of the batter�s box on two occasions, and the flyballs continued to rain down into the Falcons outfield. However, still five runs behind in the last inning, Keaton Irvine smashed a single into left, Piesse earned a walk and Hettie McNeil brought both of them in with a well-placed single. Panic ensued in the OAPs infield as the next two batters scored, thanks to a second Warr home run to tie the game with just one out. The Falcons kept working hard with both Morrises and Sawkins loading the bases, ready for Bronte Harvey to slap in the winning run to end the game 17-16 to Chichester.

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Mike Moore was given the ball to pitch his first league game for the Falcons, who were shaky in the first inning, conceding five runs. The nervy start continued as leadoff hitter Peter Martin struck out but James Mortimore shored up with a right field triple which first baseman Lucy Morris brought home. Going into the second, the Falcons knuckled down somewhat and started to turn plays, getting themselves back to 8-7 down by the third thanks to Veronika Green�s quick thinking at second base, switching the play between bases to pick off the Sharks runners each time.

Ally Warr was her usual noisy self at bat, clubbing a pair of doubles on the day and Moore started to shine, pitching a shutout in the fourth. Keaton Irvine lasered a hard-hit line drive straight to the Sharks� pitcher for a catch but Hettie McNeil continued to impress, matching David Morris� double with one of her own to keep the Falcons in the game. The left infield pairing of Ben Sawkins and Olly Howley were unusually quiet at bat but they more than made up for it on the field, notably when Irvine gunned down an attempt to squeeze third base, with Howley diving spectacularly to put a tag on for the out.

With the game tied at the bottom of the final inning thanks to two further shutouts, the Falcons needed just one run to win it. Moore led off with a blooped single into the dirt which the Sharks hesitated on, before Peter Martin deservedly redeemed his opening at-bat by airmailing the ball way over the Sharks outfield to centre right, bringing both Moore and himself in with a walk-off home run. The Falcons are now at 3 & 1, having dispatched 3 teams from a higher division in the Solent League.

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Up first were Portsmouth Dodgers, historically the Falcons' bogey team who have won all previous encounters. Nevertheless, batting first, Chichester went right after the Dodgers outfield and hit three runs in the first inning, including a 2 run homer from Dave Piesse, and limited Portsmouth to just one. This turned out to be the Dodgers� only run of the game as pitcher James Wheeler plowed through their lineup, helped out by a running full-stretch catch in centre left by David Morris. Seven runs were added in the third as the Dodgers began to falter and fumble routine infield plays, with third baseman Oliver Howley pounding another home run through right field. Umpire discussions about the mercy rule began as early as the bottom of the third inning, after outfielder Bronte Harvey crushed to centre field, with the Falcons adding a further 12 runs to take the score to 22-1.

The hit parade continued in the fourth as once again the Dodgers were shut out and the Falcons clobbered another seven, before the umpire applied the mercy rule and stopped the game early at 29-1 to Chichester.

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Following a short break, Solent Sluggers took the field against the Falcons. Traditionally a big-hitting team, Sluggers set out for their long-ball game but the Falcons were prepared and shifted the outfield extra deep. The plan worked and again Chichester shut out their opponents following another outfield catch from Morris, who ran halfway to the infield to snag the leadoff hitter. Catcher Keaton Irvine slogged herself onto first ready for the dependable James Mortimore to steer a three run homer over the top of the right field, and the Falcons were soaring again. 18-6 up by the fourth inning, Chichester slowed a little despite fleet-footed Anne Rutherford reaching second on one out, but Lucy Morris and Veronika Green kept control at first and second respectively to keep the game out of reach for the Sluggers. Going into the final inning defending a ten run lead, a few nerves frayed in the Falcons infield as Solent hit three, but Wheeler gratefully snatched a high slice right to the pitchers mound to end the game 19-13 to the Falcons.

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In the group stages Ally Warr and James Mortimore led the Falcons� offensive charge, consistently slugging the ball deep into the outfield, bringing Hettie McNeil and Keaton Irvine in to score, with Mortimore notching up a stack of monstrous homeruns. As usual the Falcons defence was brutally tight and draining on the opposition, marked by series of catches in deep left field by Warr, with Benny 'Staxx' Sawkins flashing some quick moves at shortstop and Veronika Green gunning the ball to Lucy Morris who made some dazzling stretches to beat out the runners at first base. In the quarter-final, clever base coaching and a pep-talk from player/manager David Morris turned the tide in a low scoring game against the multiple league trophy holding 'OAPs'. Returning to their 'small-ball' strategy of manufacturing runs one hit at a time, the Falcons loaded the bases at the bottom of the last innings for Seita Sawasaki to blast a grand slam 'sayonara home run' to take Chichester into the semis.

The semi-final with Southsea Sharks turned into a great display of softball and sportsmanship. Player/coach James Wheeler smoked the Sharks right fielder with a laser of a hit, bringing two runners home but a great relay from the Sharks had their pitcher, Andy 'Beefy' Burgess, and Wheeler colliding with a big tag out at home plate. The two former Arun Panthers dusted themselves down and hugged it out. The bottom of the innings saw the defensive play of the tournament with Sawasaki and Bronte Harvey, at catcher, showing some incredible game smarts with Seita first faking out the opposing runners and redirecting his throw to Harvey who tagged out the runner stealing home before launching the ball across the diamond to second base for Wheeler to lay on the tag and complete the trick double play. Falcons made it to the cup final where they were finally bested by the Itchen Knicks but not without a fight. With bases loaded, pitcher Jason Mercer, crushed a home run way out into left, bringing in four runs to keep the game close but Knicks took the cup 16-10.

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A superb tag at 2nd and a breathtaking triple play from short-stop Cary Chen helped see the Falcons take the match 23 - 6 and with further wins, they eventually progressed into the Silver final, facing league rivals Southsea Sharks.

The Chichester defence remained strong, with junior Jenny Horton taking a number of flyball catches at left field, leaving the Sharks frustrated. The Falcons batted well and edged slightly ahead, but in the 2nd inning Chichester really let the bats swing and a flurry of home runs put the Falcons out of sight and to an eventual 24 - 14 win and a final piece of silverware to end the indoor season. The event raised �650 for the Tom Prince Cancer Trust.

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Both opponents were from a lower division but the Falcons took no chances and dispatched both their Hampshire opponents within 4 innings on a mercy rule.

Infielder Cary Chen was unlucky at bat, with a series of fierce liners caught at third base, but Harsha Desai shored up, hitting 8 for 8 on the day, all singles and holding her own at catcher position. David Morris and Stefan Panayotopoulos kept things steady in centre outfield with a few routine fly catches and a trickle of singles and doubles, but pitcher James Wheeler outclassed everybody at bat with 4 home runs, two of which remarkably coming from one single inning as the Falcons batted around the order.

Not far behind was shortstop Oliver Howley, with a homer of his own preceding four extra base hits to put the final nail in for the Raiders. First baseman Lucy Morris quietly put in a faultless performance in the field as the Falcons ran off with 26-6 and 28-4 respective wins.

One league game remains for the 2017 season - a home encounter on 6th September at Oaklands Park, where the Falcons hope to win their division against veteran team The OAPs.

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Enrolment is now open - click here - as players enrol individually before being rostered into teams prior to games starting.

Anybody aged 14 and up is welcome to join - beginners and experienced players can mix in together. Qualified coaches are always on hand to help out as the frantic pace of indoor softball keeps everybody on their toes.

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Thanks to the brilliant work of the team at e-patches.com we now have these totally professional custom embroidered patches, of our team logo, to sew onto our caps and/or uniforms.

Money raised from the team logo patches will go towards a team boom box so we can get pumped up with our 'at bat music' every time we step into the batter�s box.

e-patches made a very specific size of custom embroidered team logo patch for us, of 70mm in diameter, because it looks great on a baseball cap. We suggest you buy a decent cap in Falcons team colours and then glue or sew a patch on. I used UHU glue and it worked great.

Patches can be ordered from the Falcons Online Store, along with shirts, caps, mugs and hoodies.

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No less than three junior girls from the Falcons� fastpitch youth team joined the squad to travel to Southampton for a second division clash in cloudy conditions.

The Falcons got ahead early thanks to singles from David Morris and James Mortimore, proceeded to shut out Hursley with three can-of-corn outfield catches, and stayed ahead for the duration of the game. The third inning brought a monstrous twelve runs to effectively put the game to bed at a very early stage. Juniors Bronte Harvey, Freya Peake and Jenny Horton all reached base as Mortimore again stuck the knife in with a home run to take the score to 15-6.

In the field, the Falcons held well as Emma Brown was untroubled in right field, Mortimore and Morris were kept busy catching deep flyballs in centre field but Ben Sawkins picked out the play of the game with a spectacular dive to his left to snatch a fierce line drive in the fifth. Jason Mercer pitched steadily through the final innings as Lucy Morris and Cary Chen continued to pound the Hurricanes defense, but the Falcons left the best until last as Peake reached up to grab a would-be homer from the Hurricanes for the penultimate out, taking Chichester to a 30-15 victory.

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Sluggers took the lead early on by living up to their name � an early inning hit saw the ball leave the park altogether � but the Falcons nibbled away with home runs from David Morris and Peter Martin, as Stefan Panayotopoulos was his usual acrobatic self in centre field, snatching some remarkable deep catches much to the disbelief of the onlooking Portsmouth team.

As neither team managed to surge ahead too far, the game saw a few nervy moments in the field with the Sluggers dropping a few routine catches and the Falcons throwing the ball loose on occasion, but both teams continued to hit well. MVP Lucy Morris repeatedly slogged into shallow centre and Ally Warr found her form on her third at-bat to reach base and knock in Bronte Harvey, keeping Chichester just behind the tiring Sluggers.

Going into the late stages the score had never been more than 3 runs apart, but the Falcons blew it open in the ninth. Jason Mercer whacked a 2 RBI double to tie the game, Peter Martin homered the go-ahead run and James Wheeler, hitting 5 for 5 on the night, reached second base hustling out on a close play. Up stepped Hettie McNeil with a pivotal punch to centre field, bringing in Wheeler to put the Falcons three runs ahead with the Sluggers still to bat.

Mercer struck out the first batter and retired the next with an outfield catch, but the Sluggers pulled one run back and with one runner on, the Sluggers� big hitter stepped into the box and hit deep to right field; the ball landed just foul, much to the relief of the Chichester side. Sensing trouble, the Falcons outfield made a small positional adjustment for the next pitch, which seemed to rattle the batter who tried to steer a line drive down the middle. Shortstop David Morris made quick work of it, stretching to his left to grab the ball and flip it to Bronte Harvey on second base to win the game 15-13.

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With the season squad now set, the Falcons began the Zombies game with a single run and things stayed that way until the fourth inning where the Chichester offense busted out with a pile of hits to get 7-3 ahead. Doubles from Oliver Howley and Lucy Morris set up pitcher Jason Mercer for a three-run homer, where he was initially called out on a tag at home plate. A short discussion with the umpire saw the call overturned before Emma Brown and David Morris rubbed salt into the Zombies� wound with another pair of doubles and three more runs.

The Falcons outfield worked hard and kept Portsmouth quiet thanks to a commanding right field of Hettie McNeil and Dave Piesse, before Chichester took up the bat again in the fifth to club another seven runs on the board, with back-to-back-to-back home runs from Morris, Piesse and double MVP Ally Warr. Going into the final inning the Falcons were a clear 14 runs ahead and managed to keep the Zombies pinned back to win the game 20-6.

The following Wednesday brought a tougher fixture at Oaklands Park, with the Falcons facing Southsea Sharks. Founding members of the league, the Sharks are typically an organised outfit but the Falcons welcomed them with a four-spot in the first and some spectacular fielding by James Wheeler, returning from injury at third base. Peter Martin was rampant, hitting 5 for 5 on the night as Chichester pegged back the Sharks thanks to another stellar performance at second base by Anne Rutherford, while Ben Sawkins hoovered anything close to shortstop. Stefan Panayotopoulos made the play of the night with a herculean running catch deep in centre right, as pitcher Jason Mercer battled with the wind to frustrate the Sharks offense.

Another two-out rally in the third effectively put the game to bed as the Falcons hit 9 runs � that all but two of the eleven hits were singles demonstrated their discipline at bat � as they went into the final innings way ahead at 18-9. Ally Warr continued to impress as she worked hard to snag a flyball in foul territory and Lucy Morris held steady at first base to limit the Sharks� final response to just one run, leaving the Falcons to celebrate a second win for the week at Oaklands Park.

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< Click here to enrol >

Due to the success of the inaugural event in 2016, the Falcons are keen to put on another full day of fastpitch softball for boys & girls aged 13-16.

Players enrol individually, and are rostered into teams before tournament day. This helps to ensure the teams are evenly matched, leaving it to the players to shine on the day and take home a winners medal.

As with last year, coaching sessions are also planned midway through the day, and a host of experienced coaches and players will be on hand to keep the teams working and playing hard.

Players of any ability are invited. Entry for the day costs �15, and players can enrol here.

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In the group games, the rookies crucially overcame High Voltage 12-8, thanks to triples from pitcher James Porter and first baseman Shannon McCarthy, to earn a place in the Plate Semi-final against the Spitfires.

After a cagey first inning, the Falcons stepped up a gear. Keaton Irvine notched up her fifth straight base hit to help create a seven run lead, before the Spitfires recovered to 14-13 in the final innings, but now with two outs. Outfielder Mike Moore snagged a prospective fly ball to kill the game and give Chichester the win.

The Plate final, against UPSU Shafters, was a game of attrition, with all the pressure on the pitchers. At 10-8 to the Falcons things were looking tight, but a disciplined infield of Olly Howley, Emma Brown and Miguel Rosa kept the Shafters at bay. Chichester pulled ahead, thanks to Anne Rutherford hitting her third from three, while junior Molly Rayner displayed great base-running. The clock eventually ran down with the Falcons ahead at 21-12 and the score was reverted to the last inning, Chichester winning it 13-9.

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Following the success and growth of the juniors roster throughout 2016, the team can start to prepare for the 2017 season early, with 10 weeks of indoor softball training and games.

The club is looking forward to welcoming new players to bolster the squad. Any boys and girls aged 11-16 can join, regardless of ability or experience.

All players should be enrolled here.

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The teams, headed up by Jason Mercer (Red), Nick Harris (Black) and James Wheeler (Blue), were neck-and-neck for the first two weeks of play, with the Reds just falling behind in week three.

The teams are formed of regular Falcons players, including a handful of older juniors, plus some new faces who signed up to play.

Anybody over 14 is welcome to join - new players are fed into the existing teams on the night.

Standings:

Oliver (15), mixed in with other international hopefuls as the squad were put through their paces with a full day of practice at a training camp, followed by a tournament under the watchful eye of GB manager Ian Tomlin. The players were assessed on their throwing, catching, pitching and hitting as well as working on game situations.

After the tournament, each player was given individual feedback by Tomlin regarding their performance over the weekend, and were told whether they had made the GB squad for the year. Tomlin said, �We were very pleased with Oliver�s performance and as such we have included him in our squad. He will get the opportunity in the future to go to Paris as they have a second trip in March�.

Oliver can also look forward to representing his country in the European Championships in the Czech Republic and the World Championship in Canada next year.

Falcons coach David Morris said, �We are so proud of Oliver and delighted he has made the U-19s team at such a young age. He works so hard at practice, he is a fantastic role model for the other players and he has the support of his parents who drive him all over the place to play. It has been our goal to get a junior Falcon into the GB squad but we didn�t expect to achieve it so early, so a lot of credit can go to the coaching staff at the Falcons organisation.�

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The first game, against Spitfires Mk2, saw a remarkable debut for junior Falcon Freya Peake, who slapped a third base hit and two singles on the day, whilst holding her own in right field. Lauren Smith on first base helped the Falcons get ahead in the early innings and the Chichester side kept their lead all through the game. Pitcher Jason Mercer was on fire with his curveball tying the Spitfires in knots as David Morris snapped up several hits down the third base line to keep the Falcons in the lead.

Peter Martin, playing through a shoulder injury, was smart to stick to base hitting, leaving the slugging to Miguel Rosa to bring in shortstop Ben Sawkins on a well-placed double in the third. Lucy Morris kept a steady second base through the game, her awareness and heads-up play earned her an unassisted double play as she bagged out one runner and tagged another, caught napping just off first base.

The Falcons eventually ran out 25-5 winners before a group huddle and quick celebration before they took on the Spitfires first team for the 1pm fixture.

Despite a first inning home run from Peter Martin, the Falcons found themselves 3-1 behind in the early stages, but Bart Garofalo, Louise Rowe and Bronte Harvey got them back on track with successive singles. However, in the field the Falcons flapped and threw the ball away too many times, allowing Spitfires to take a 13-7 lead in the fifth. The Falcons were not about to give up - Clive Janes kept his head and earned a walk and Milko Giuffrida caused pandemonium in the dugout as he knocked a triple to score two runs and get the Falcons just two runs behind going into the final inning.

Jason Mercer struck out yet another hitter to shut out the Spitfires, with himself now up to bat and needing three runs to win it. Mercer walked, Clive Janes brought him home with a double, and Emma Brown got herself on third base to tie the game. Louise Rowe stepped up as the last batter and slugged the ball back at the Spitfires pitcher, who tossed it to Paige Jones on first base where it was juggled and dropped, but Jones managed to get the ball under control just before Rowe arrived at the base for the third out, tying the game 13-13.

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Boys and girls from around the UK mixed with a core of players from the Falcons� roster to form three teams to pit against each other in a round-robin format. On hand to coach and umpire were BSUK Fastpitch Development Officer Johanna Malisani, Academy coach Robbie Robison, U-13 GB girls team coach Julie Spittle, Lee and Sam Grafton from the GB Fastpitch League, Larry Rushin from Horsham Softball Club and Falcons manager David Morris.

After a group warmup, play quickly got under way and spectators were treated to a fine display of fastpitch softball from the budding ballplayers, who were guided and coached at every step through the game. The pace was hot as the coaches encouraged frequent base stealing and a commanding infield to constantly challenge the players and keep up the competitive element. The players responded with great enthusiasm and their skills improved dramatically as the day progressed.

After a short break for lunch, Jo Malisani led a light clinic where the players improved their bunting and baserunning skills, before the final game of the day began. Michelle Shaw and Rose Bhanji both pitched well through the day, as their battery partners Bronte Harvey and Finley Macknay worked hard at the plate. Oliver Howley and Bruce Candlish were invited to pitch, both of whom took up the opportunity with aplomb; notably Howley who struck out two with his first inning at the rubber.

With the final standings established, all players from the three teams were each awarded a medal for their efforts, and Owen Randell and Bronte Harvey from Chichester also picking up the male and female MVP trophies respectively. Owen had a great day playing shortstop, having executed numerous 6-3 plays and made several catches with apparent ease, while Bronte earned her trophy for her strength and command at the plate as catcher.

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Ben Sawkins led off with a fine double and came home off debutante Molly Rayner's confident first hit in a senior league game. The Hurricanes responded well at first, and it could have been a tight game, however pitcher Jason Mercer quickly turned up the heat, consistently attacking the strikezone and putting the home team under pressure.

Big sticks from the Hurricanes threatened the outfield, but Rochelle Enticknapp and Bart Garofalo blocked right field, whilst Vicki Cathie's long arm and Peter Martin's pinpoint accurate throws to catcher Carrie Suhr helped keep the runs at bay.

The infield pairing of James Mortimore and Lauren Smith was deadly, with consistent outs at first base. Running out of ideas, the Hurricanes were unable to attack the left base-line due to an on-form Emma Brown at third base, and a superb catch from a low line-drive helped her win female MVP. Meanwhile the Falcons' strategic batting line-up was paying dividends as the Falcons hit nine runs in the fifth, helped on with a Ben Sawkins home run and a dramatic slide into third base by MVP Sam McGann. The Hurricanes were limited to four runs in the last six innings as the strikeouts kept coming and the Falcons came home with a deserved 18 - 7 win.

Report by Jason Mercer

A convincing win over Portsmouth Zombies kept Chichester Falcons flying at the top of Solent League Division Three on Wednesday 3rd August.

Determined to wreak revenge on their defeat at Oaklands Park earlier in the season, Chichester wasted no time by hitting eight runs in the first, three of which came from first baseman Lucy Morris, who put up her second career home run, bringing in Vicki Cathie and Ben Sawkins in the process. Pitcher Jason Mercer was on fine form, using the gusty conditions to rattle the Zombie bats and restricting them to just one run in reply.

The Falcons turned up the heat again in the second, with Peter Martin hitting the first of two doubles on the day before Ben Sawkins hit the ball far enough to reach the perimeter hedges. On an open field Sawkins would have had time to reach home plate, but with the ball lost and unplayable, he was placed on second base for a ground rule double. Thankfully junior Falcon Bronte Harvey stepped up and brought him home with a line drive to left field, continuing to establish herself in the seniors team with her calm, consistent approach to the game.

Zombies couldn�t resurrect anything at bat; a weak chopper down the third base line was hoovered and gunned to first by third baseman David Morris, as Jason Mercer�s knuckleball continued to torture the Portsmouth offense. Ally Warr and Emma Brown were untroubled in the outfield as the Falcons found themselves 22-3 up in the third, before taking their foot off the gas somewhat. Nevertheless Carrie Suhr forced an error in the fourth to get herself on second base, Clive Janes was smart and aggressive running the bases to add another run, and finally Stefan Panayotopoulos knocked in a further RBI to end the game 25-3 to the Falcons.

Juniors

Meanwhile the Falcon Juniors have started their holiday softball programme � six outdoor sessions in Oaklands Park, with a helping hand from BaseballSoftballUK Fastpitch Development Officer Johanna Malisani. Johanna will be taking the players through their paces and hoping to pluck a few starlets for the GB Academy after the summer. �With this months� good news of baseball and softball returning to the Olympics in 2020, this is a crucial time for our youngsters to better themselves and start to work alongside GB staff and players,� says Falcons captain David Morris. �With Jo Malisani working with us right here in Chichester, our juniors are right in the shop window and have an incredible opportunity in front of them�.

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The Falcons were shaky fielding in the first, with 2 overthrows eluding first baseman Lucy Morris, but pitcher Jason Mercer settled things down with a strikeout and a tidy 1-3 play to limit the Spitfires to a single run. Mercer wasted no time responding at bat with a leadoff walk, while Milko Giuffrida singled to left field ready for David Morris to send him home with a 2-out triple, putting the Falcons 2-1 ahead.

The Spitfires were shut out in the second thanks to a spectacular catch by Ally Warr deep in centre field, followed by pinpoint glove work from Vicki Cathie at second base. The Falcons continued the offense onslaught with Bartolo Garofalo reaching second base with his first ever at-bat for the Falcons, Louise Rowe slogged her first double of the season out to right field, and Carrie Suhr knocked over the Spitfires� shortstop�s head to bring them both in to score.

The Falcons were running away with the game by the fourth inning as Clive Janes continued to show consistency, hitting 2 for 2 on the day as Bronte Harvey continued to improve, drawing a walk ready for Stefan Panayotopoulos to drill his trademark line drive out to centre right. The Falcons continued to bat right through the order in the fifth to end the game early with the score at 27-5 win. The final score was reverted to 20-5 on a mercy ruling.

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A slow start at bat saw shortstop Ben Sawkins hit the first of his four doubles on the day, but the Falcons only managed to squeeze 2 runs in the first. Taking the field however, it was �good morning, good afternoon and good night� for the Raiders as the first three batters were quickly retired thanks to a sharp double play instrumented by James Mortimore, pitching his first game for the Falcons.

The second inning saw the Falcons soar ahead with a whopping 9 runs thanks to a series of base hits from catcher Louise Rowe and first baseman David Morris, but the biggest cheer came for Harsha Desai who slung a flyball deep to right field before haring around the diamond to score her first home run, bringing three runs to put the Falcons 11-0 ahead. The Raiders responded sharply with 2 runs of their own but Sam McGann ended that with a catch in centre right. By now the Falcons were flying high, putting a further 11 runs up in the third with outfielders Bronte Harvey and Stefan Panayotopoulos again pounding the Raiders infield.

The Raiders� frustrations continued at bat with Vicki Cathie and Lucy Morris both securing outs at second and third base leaving the Falcons to put a further 4 runs up in the fourth inning to end the game early at 26-2.

Next Sunday (5th June) at 11am, the Falcons hope to continue their run of good form when they play their first home game of the season at Oaklands Park, against Portsmouth Zombies.

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The Falcons got ahead immediately by putting up 6 runs in the first inning, with the first 5 batters in the lineup all getting on base, ready for outfielder Clive Janes to bring everybody home to score with a fierce line drive down past third base. The Shafters responded with 4 runs of their own but shortstop Nick Harris� athleticism restricted them to infield hits to keep the Falcons ahead.

The onslaught continued as the Falcons clubbed in a further 12 runs in the second and third, with Ally Warr hitting a three run homer while debutants Sammy Joyce and Paige Muggeridge both hitting impressively to keep the runs coming in. With the game already out of the Shafters� reach by the fourth, Peter Martin and James Mortimore caught a routine flyball each as Louise Rowe earned two walks to add to the Portsmouth side�s frustration.

Jason Mercer capped things off well with a couple of strikeouts and first baseman David Morris hit an RBI double in the fifth to end the game early at 23-12.

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