by Thommy Brolin
When the Swedish Championship Series continued at Karlskoga IP
the home team won the game 9-6 to take a 2-1 lead in the best of
five series.
The first two games of the series was played in beautiful autumn
weather in the Swedish capital, but for the conclusion of the
series Karlskoga offered totally different conditions. Game three
was delayed 40 minutes due to heavy rain, and although the
it eased up somewhat, the game was played in cold and very
wet circumstances.
Sami SÄKKINEN took the mound for Karlskoga, and unaffected by
the weather, pitched very impressively over six-plus innings. He gave
up five runs, only one earned, seven hits, three base on balls and two hit batters. He struck out six.
After giving up base hits to the first two batters in the seventh
inning, Sami was replaced by Ronny FRID who got out of the seventh
inning without damage, aided by a strikeout and poor Sundbyberg
base running and bunting.
Ronny FRID went on to close the game with three innings pitched, one earned run, one hit, two bb, one hbp and three strikeouts. He recorded
the save.
Karlskoga opened the scoring in the third inning when Elias
SÖLVELING leads of with a double to left-centerfield. Elias then
scores on Petter LUNDBERGS triple to right-centerfield. Petter makes
the score 2-0 when Joe ROVIROSA doubles to leftfield, and two fly
outs later Stefan FAHLIN hits a single to right field that scores
Joe ROVIROSA and Karlskoga has a comfortable 3-0 lead.
Sundbyberg mounts a strong comeback in the fifth inning when a
combination of hits by Rickard LJUNG (double), Robert PORSKLINT
and Per LINDGREN, and three Karlskoga errors puts four unearned runs
on the board and Sundbyberg has taken the lead 4-3.
The lead doesn’t last long as Karlskoga responds in the bottom of
the frame. Again errors are the main factor behind the scoring. A
leadoff walk by Petter LUNDBERG, a double by Joe ROVIROSA and a
single by Adam SOWELL evens the score a 4-4, but two Sundbyberg
errors and two Karlskoga hits produces four more runs and
the home team takes a 8-4 lead that Sundbyberg can’t pull back.
Karlskoga adds one more run and Sundbyberg two to make the final score 9-6.
Nick SOUBIEA started for Sundbyberg and pitched well over 5 2/3
innings, but Sundbyberg errors proved very costly in this game.
Christoffer CLANCY and Kerim TROELLER closed the game.
Most productive with their bats for Karlskoga were Joe ROVIROSA
with two doubles in four at bats and Stefan FAHLIN and Olle ÖIJEN,
who both had 2 singles on 4 at bats. Petter LUNDBERG had a triple
in three at bats.
In Sundbyberg Rickard LJUNG had a two doubles in two at bats,
Per LINDGREN was three for five, and Robert PORSKLINT two for three.
With only two games left the reigning champions Sundbyberg now
face an uphill battle if they want to repeat their victory from
last season.
