The weather was sometimes cold, but the rain stayed away, and after a full slate of games in Week Two of the Great Britain Fastpitch League (GBFL), played on Saturday 2 May at Farnham Park, the league standings are beginning to take shape.
Division 1
In Division 1, the two all-male teams made up of players from the Meteors Men’s Fastpitch Team and the GB Under-19 Men’s Team are first and second in the standings, but the London Angels Women’s Team and the mixed team from Bristol, in their first full season in the GBFL, are not that far behind.
The GB Under-19 Women’s Team have yet to record their first win, but did manage a 7-7 draw with London Angels, and are getting good experience against some tough pitchers that will stand them in good stead at the ISF Junior World Championships this summer in Oklahoma.
Bristol gave the Meteors/GB U-19s2 team a good contest, going down by only 12-8, and in the match-up between the two Meteors/GB U-19 teams, Meteors/GB U-19s1 avenged the 1-0 loss they suffered on Opening Day, winning a close game over Meteors/GB U-19s2 by a score of 9-6.
Following his performance on the GBFL’s Opening Day on 25 April, when he hit the first home run in the league’s history over the 285-foot slowpitch fences at Farnham Park, GB Men’s Team player Kenny Pregnell, playing for Meteors/GB U-19s 1, enlivened the day by hitting three more blasts over the fences.
Division 2
Perhaps not surprisingly considering all the experience they’re getting as part of the Meteors/GB U-19 teams in Division 1, the GB Under-19 Boys lead Division 2 with an unbeaten 4-0 record after wins on 2 May over Oxford by 10-9 and over the GB Junior Meteors by 13-7.
The GB Junior Meteors, essentially an Under-16 team, gave The North a close game, losing by only 9-7, but did defeat their female counterparts, the GB Junior Angels.
The North, largely made up of players from the East Midlands Fastpitch League, are second in the Division 2 standings after their three wins on 2 May, over the GB Junior Angels, GB Junior Meteors and Oxford, showing that the standard of fastpitch in Britain’s newest fastpitch league are steadily improving.
Scores and Standings
The scores from Week 2 and the latest standings are below, followed by more photos taken on the day by Jan Grafton and Grant Pritchard.
GBFL scores on 2 May were:
DIVISION 1
Meteors/GB U-19s1 11, Bristol 0
London Angels 7, GB U-19 Women 7
Meteors/GB U-19s2 12, Bristol 8
Meteors/GB U-19s1 9, London Angels 2
Bristol 10, GB U-19 Women 3
Meteors/GB U-19s1 9, Meteors/GB U-19s2 6
DIVISION 2
GB U-19 Boys 10, Oxford 9
The North 9, GB Junior Meteors 7
The North 14, GB Junior Angels 13
GB U-19 Boys 13, GB Junior Meteors 7
GB Junior Meteors defeated GB Junior Angels
The North 6, Oxford 3
The GBFL standings after Week 2 are:
DIVISION 1
GB U-19/Meteors 1 (4-1)
GB U-19/Meteors 2 (3-2)
London Angels (2-2-1)
Bristol (2-3)
GB U-19 Women (0-3-1)
DIVISION 2
GB U-19 Boys (4-0)
The North (4-2)
Oxford (2-2)
GB Junior Meteors (1-2)
GB Junior Angels (0-5)
