Heidenheim Heidekoepfe – Saarlouis Hornets 8-3, 15-11
The defending German champion from Heidenheim kicked off the new season with a pair of wins over the Hornets. In game one on Sunday, for the first time in the evening, Markus Winkler led the Heidekoepfe to an 8-3 win, allowing just two hits and no walks in seven scoreless innings. The offense had provided him with an early and commanding lead, putting runs on the board in each of the first five innings. David Fuesser, Simon Guehring and Sam Whitehead scored two runs each. Dusty Bergman drove in two. Jakub Vojak debuted with two runs for the Hornets. Alex Keprta took the loss after four innings, in which he allowed seven runs (4 ER) on ten hits and two walks.
In the second game on Monday the 150 fans in attendance saw a slugfest. Heidenheim put runs on the board in each of the first seven frames, highlighted by a pair of four-run rallies in the fourth and sixth. Saarlouis didn’t stop battling throughout the game, but had to settle for an 11-15 loss in the end. Robert Gruber led the way for the home team, going 5-for-6 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI. Guehring (4-4) scored thrice and drove in five. Raeff Hobbs-Brown, Eddie Martinez and Matt Matlacki had three hits apiece for Saarlouis, combining to score seven of the eleven runs. Starters Bergman (W 1-0) and Tom Fiebig (L 0-1) labored through five innings.
Heidenheim had to play without shortstop Chris Beck, who missed the first two games of the season due to a suspension he received following last year’s semi-final with the Solingen Alligators against the Heidekoepfe.
Mannheim Tornados – Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg 1-8, 2-9
After a winter with lots of roster changes, the expectations of the Buchbinder Legionaere weren’t that high opening the season in Mannheim. But in the end they took two lopsided wins home. In game one Tornados’ new shortstop Dennis Kelly tried to kick start the home offense, when he homered in his first Baseball-Bundesliga at-bat. But afterwards only Regensburg was able to score and won 8-1. Hits by Rodney Gessmann and Christoph Zirzlmeier put the guests ahead in the second. RBIs by Richard Klijn and Cedric Bassel in the fourth extended the lead to three runs, before Ludwig Glaser and Matt Vance (3 RBI) sealed the win with homeruns in the sixth and seventh. Boris Bokaj (W 1-0) picked up the win in his debut in Germany, allowing just one run on three hits and two walks in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out six. Rene Franke (L 0-1) issued 14 hits, eight runs (7 ER) and three bb in 6 2/3 innings.
In the second game the Buchbinder Legionaere scored eight runs between the third and sixth en route to a 9-2 win. Petr Cech went 4-for-5 with a double, a run and a RBI. Glaser and Chris Howard crossed the plate twice. Kelly scored both runs for the Tornados on singles by Sascha Lutz. Chris Paterson (W 1-0) gave up just two runs (1 ER) on six hits in six innings, striking out six. Cory Stevens (L 0-1) surrendered eight hits, seven runs (4 ER) and five bb in five innings.
Haar Disciples – Gauting Indians 14-2 (7), 10-6
The Disciples missed the playoffs last year by a single game despite starting the season with nine losses in the first ten games. After one weekend in 2010 they already have two victories on their belt, having defeated the local rivals from Gauting in both ends of the twin bill on Monday. Zach Kim and Mitch Stephan went a combined 7-for-8 to lead Haar to an easy 14-2 win in game one. Gregor Klinc (W 1-0) picked up the win on the mound. John Dobkowski (L 0-1) was charged with the loss in his debut for the Indians.
Gauting had a better start in the second game, taking a three-run lead in the opening frame. But the Disciples answered right away and got in front with a five-run rally in the second. They held on to the four-run gap until the end and won by a score of 10-6. Calvin Brutus (W 1-0) received the win. Alex Howard (L 0-1) took the loss. The best batter for the Indians on Monday was Andre Salcher with four hits in the doubleheader. Kim reached base in eight of his eleven plate appearances.
Neuenburg Atomics – Mainz Athletics 1-8, 1-5
The Athletics started with two wins against the promoted Atomics into the new season thanks to a pair of solid performances by the defense. Right-hander Manuel Moeller (W 1-0) dominated in game one and led Mainz to an 8-1 win. The offense provided him with two early runs and built up an 8-0 lead through seven innings. Neuenburg’s losing pitcher Pat Carlson (L 0-1) drove in Alex Aucoin in the eighth to avoid the shutout. In the second game Mainz scored three runs in the first on their way to a 5-1 win. Soh Terada (W 1-0), their new foreign pitcher, controlled the Atomics offense over six innings and picked up the win. Aucoin (L 0-1) took the loss for Neuenburg.
Photo: © Gregor Eisenhuth www.eisenhuth-photographie.de