Saturday:
Soroptimist Stockerau Cubs @ Rico Highlanders
Round 6 of the ABL starts with a Saturday matchup of the teams holding down the bottom of the standings. The Stockerau Cubs, who won their first game of the year last weekend, have shown they can put up a battle against the top clubs in the league. The RiCo Highlanders took less time grabbing their first win; an upset against the Vikings was their first victory in the ABL. The Cubs have a clear advantage when it comes to pitching, with depth and talent. The Highlanders will need to live up to their potential on D and at bat. It will be an exciting matchup to see who grabs the upper hand of the bottom teams.
Attnang Puchheim Athletics @ Kufstein Vikings
The Vikings, looking to grab a signature win this weekend, run into a tough opponent against which to do so. They’ve been flat in the nightcap recently, and despite good performances, Game 1 hasn’t gone their way either. The A’s and their 4 game winning streak will need to continue their strong road performance in order to extend that streak on the road: Castanzahas acclimated to the Austrian game and has 16 straight shutout innings. Coach Trever Rooper has gone back to Walther Strasser as the Game 1 starter based on his ongoing success, and the two will pose a tough task for the home team to face.
Sunday:
Vienna Wanderers @ Schwaz Tigers
The Wanderers hit the road this weekend with the intent to get revenge in Tirol. Last fall the Tigers knocked them out of the playoffs in the semifinals, crushing the Viennese dreams of another championship. The Tigers are looking for a sweep too, after splitting with the Cubs on Sunday last week. Game 1 will see Paul Astl of the Tigers in a duel against the two-headed pitching dragon of the Wanderers: Johannes Godler and Clemens Cichocki. Cichocki had his ABL return postponed by rain last weekend, but he and Godler form a first game pitching combo that is anything but a walk in the park. The foreigner game will pit Jason Fronczak of the Tigers, who has yet to dominate an opponent, against Magarian, who has won a single game despite his good outtings.
Schwechat Blue Bats @ Vienna Metrosstars
A short trip up the road for the Blue Bats, as they travel to Vienna to take on the Metrostars. After two unlucky setbacks to the A’s, the young Metrostars will look to take it out on their neighbors. The Bats, coming off a split in Kufstein, will be hoping for a miracle in Game 1, as they have yet to win the first game of a series, and on the road it won’t be an easy chore. Zsolt Zalabai will put his stamp on Game 2 for the guests, and it’s been impressive so far this season. JT Hilliard put forth a strong start last week, but will count on more offensive support to get the job done.
| Time | Home | Visitor | Field | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation! | ||||||
| Saturday, May 21 2011 | ||||||
| 12:00 | Rico Highlanders | Stock City Cubs | Martin-Schütz-... |  |
||
| 13:00 | SU Kufstein Vikings | Athletics Attnang-Puchheim | Baseballplatz H... | |
||
| Sunday, May 22 2011 | ||||||
| 12:00 | Schwaz Tigers | Vienna Wanderers | Tigersfield Schwaz | |
||
| 13:00 | Vienna Metrostars | Schwechat Blue Bats | Spenadlwiese Pr... | |
||
Standings
| # | Team | W | L | R+ | R- | .pct | GB | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Athletics Attnang-Puchheim | 24 | 4 | 224 | 87 | .857 | 0 | W9 |
| 2 | Vienna Wanderers | 22 | 6 | 227 | 82 | .785 | 2 | L1 |
| 3 | Vienna Metrostars | 18 | 10 | 243 | 117 | .642 | 6 | L1 |
| 4 | Schwaz Tigers | 14 | 14 | 204 | 190 | .500 | 10 | L2 |
| 5 | Schwechat Blue Bats | 10 | 18 | 147 | 247 | .357 | 14 | L6 |
| 6 | Stock City Cubs | 10 | 18 | 119 | 165 | .357 | 14 | W1 |
| 7 | Rico Highlanders | 7 | 21 | 149 | 260 | .250 | 17 | L3 |
| 8 | SU Kufstein Vikings | 7 | 21 | 116 | 281 | .250 | 17 | W1 |
