The Mainz Athletics and ace pitcher Manuel Moller will try to reach the German Baseball League finals when they meet the Solingen Alligators on Saturday in Game 3 of their semi-finals playoff game. The Athletics stunned the defending champions last week 7-0 and 3-2.
Moller outpitched Solingen ace Andre Hughes in a Game 1 duel featuring two of the league’s top hurlers. The Athletics crossed the plate four times in the fifth and added three more runs the following inning en route to the upset victory.
Mainz avoided a letdown and churned out a critical 3-2 win in 11 innings to take Game 2 and a commanding lead in the best-of-five series. Japanese pitcher Keigo MIYAGI went the distance and the Athletics scraped out a tough win to put the Alligators on the brink of elimination.
The Alligators have championship pedigree and Hughes will get another look at the Athletics lineup this weekend. But if Solingen’s playoff dreams are to survive, Coach Zeke Mitchum’s squad must find a way to beat Moller – twice!
The Regensburg Legionare have had an impressive playoff run and pitcher Martin ALMSTETTER and Matthew FLAHERTY both have been outstanding in the post-season thus far. The tandem limited Heidenheim’s offensive juggernaut to a paltry five hits last weekend in two easy wins, 18-1 and 9-1.
The Legionare need one win this weekend to secure their second straight appearance in the German Baseball League finals. Solingen swept Regensburg last year to win the national championship.
In Playdown action on Saturday, the Haar Disciples will battle the Tubingen Hawks and the Saarlouis Hornets meets the Gauting Indians. The Hornets disposed of the Hawks 10-0 and 3-2 last weekend while the Disciples collected a pair of wins against the Indians, 6-3 and 1-0.
The Hannover Regents will square off against the HSV Stealers on Sunday and the Disciples will battle the Hornets. The Stealers squeaked past the Neunkirchen Nightmares last week in a couple of nailbiters, 5-4 and 2-1.
