KENT BUCS ADVANCE IN DOUBLE-A POSTSEASON
Sunday, 12th August 2018
VS
The 2018, Double-A Postseason started with game one in the tournament, in Kent. Divisional (Double-A) South Pool-B winners the Kent Buccaneers hosted the Milton Keynes Bucks (Central) on an overcast afternoon at their home field. Both teams are coming off an exemplary regular season e.g., Milton Keynes in 2017 being at the end of the Central Division table made many changes to their club and team coming into the 2018 season. As a result of the mentioned, Milton Keynes Bucks turned their faith around and made this years playoffs as the number six seed.
First-year team in the British Baseball Federation (BBF) Leagues, the Kent Buccaneers, won their division (South Pool-B) and advanced to the playoffs. The orange and black colours of the home team favourite Kent Bucs were on display at their home field throughout the day. The atmosphere was electric for game one of the Double-A postseason.
Both sides looked sound and steady in the first two innings of play with no scores for either side. However, in the third inning home team the Kent Bucs opened the scoring and developed a rally with a walk, and back to back (five hits) to end the inning with a five-run lead. Adding to their score the Kent Bucs posted three more unanswered runs in the fourth inning bringing their score to eight runs (Kent Bucs) to nil (Milton Keynes).
Not to be outdone the Milton Keynes Bucks showed signs of a comeback, i.e., the Bucks started the fifth inning with a walk, followed by two strikeouts. Then the Bucks had a short rally to end the top of the fifth with three runs bringing the game score Milton Keynes three and the Kent Bucs eight. The Kent Bucs answered the Bucks three runs by ending the sixth by posting one run through a walk, some key sacrifice hits and stolen base. The Bucs continued adding to the Milton Keynes Bucks deficit by posting another run in the seventh.
Milton Keynes Bucks then added one more run in the eighth inning through a walk, stolen base and well placed RBI. However, at the end the eighth inning the Kent Bucs rallied once again to answer the Bucks one run at the top of the inning with three more runs, bringing the game score to Milton Keynes four and the Kent Bucs 13. With one last push for a rally, the Milton Keynes Bucks amounted a rally at the top of the ninth, but could only score three runs before ending the game. The final score Milton Keynes Bucks 7 and the Kent Bucs 13 in nine innings of postseason action.
"Both teams deserved much credit in making the playoffs and for the great action on the field, said a spokesman for the BBF. He went on to say both teams showcased both clubs long work in developing their clubs teams and work in the community. Starting the postseason with two teams and organisations like the Milton Keynes Bucks and Kent Bucs shows how well teams can fair with the right attention, management and development of players."
The Kent Buccaneers now, advance to the Double-A Postseason, where they will face seed number one Bristol (Central Divisional Champions) on Sunday, 19th August (game time 12:00).
