Mister Baseball

Bundesliga South
Buchbinder Legionaere - Mannheim Tornados 8-1, 2-1

MAT 001 000 000  1 5 2
REG 041 010 02X  8 8 2

MAT 000 100 000  1 6 2
REG 002 000 00X  2 3 0

The TORNADOS may have high hopes for the year. But they were reminded by the LEGIONAERE last weekend that they still have a few things to do, to pass the Bavarian club in the standings. REGENSBURG scored four runs in the second to get an early lead through two-run-singles by the 15-year-old Max Kepler-Rozycki and Alexander Lauterbach. MANNHEIM answered with back-to-back doubles by Billy Hess and Chris Falls to cut the deficit to 1-4. However homeruns by Daniel Husband and Klaus Hopfensperger build up the advantage again. Martin Almstetter pitched six innings for the win. Geoff Freeborn took the loss.

The second game of the doubleheader featured a pitchers duel between Craig Crow (REG) and Eddie Aucoin (MAT). Phillies prospect Jakub Sladek and Cedric Bassel scored two runs for REGENSBURG in the third for a 2-0 lead. The TORNADOS cut the deficit an inning later through a sac fly by Rene Franke. Crow allowed three hits, one run and two walks in six innings, while striking out five. Mike Bolsenbroek struck out three in three innings for the save. Aucoin struck out eleven in seven three-hit-one-walk innings. However the two unearned runs lead to his first loss of the season.

Mainz Athletics - Heidenheim Heidekoepfe 7-11, 8-10

HEI 100 202 231  11 15 5
MAI 000 220 111   7 10 3

HEI 010 052 200  10  8 1
MAI 100 011 005   8 11 2

The 2007 champion ATHLETICS hit the bottom of the standings after taking the losses three and four on the second weekend of the season. The HEIDEKOEPFE scored six runs in the last three frames to defeat MAINZ 11-7. Markus Winkler struck out six in six innings. He gave up five hits, four runs and four walks for the win. Manuel Moeller was charged with six hits, five runs (3 ER) and two walks in six innings. It was his second loss of the year. Max Boldt hit a solo homerun for the A’s.

The second game started with a pitchers duel between Peter Dankerl (W 1-0) and Daniel Hayes (L 0-2). The offense of HEIDENHEIM came through in the fifth with five runs and they added four more during the next two frames for a 10-3 lead. Former major leaguer Mike Hartley pitched two scoreless relief innings in his debut. He left the game after the eight with a hamstring strain and the ATHLETICS started another comeback try. They scored five runs in the top of the ninth, but the deficit was too big.

Saarlouis Hornets - Neuenburg Atomics 10-1, 14-4
The HORNETS showed their big bats and crushed the ATOMICS in a two-game sweep. Eddy Martinez got them going with a two-run double and Javier Perez followed with a three-run shot in the first period. They build up the lead to 10-0 until the sixth and won easily. NEUENBURG got their only run through a RBI by Moritz van der Brelie. Ales Keprta faced four batters over the minimum in a complete game victory. Andreas Gerth went seven innings and took the loss.

SAARLOUIS needed a bit longer in the second part of the doubleheader to put the game into the books. They led already 5-1 in the sixth, when the ATOMICS scored three times after a leadoff double by Andreas Schwarzl to close the gap to a run. But the HORNETS answered right away, scoring six two-out runs, capped by a three runs-homerun by Chris Sweeney (3-4), in the bottom of the sixth. Sweeney scored another run in the seventh bring the game to an end due to ten-run-rule. Martinez was two for five and Michi Kratz three for four. Sweeney received the win after giving up four runs in six innings.

Coach Fred Beitler was satisfied after his debut in the Bundesliga: “Two good wins. Neuenburg is a very hard working team that lacks talent. They will steal some wins because of their work ethic. Their player/coach (Rob Piscatelli) is the glue to that team. Though the Hornets won twice, we cannot make mistakes in the field against Regensburg, Manheim, Heidenheim, Mainz and expect to win games. We have to win games against the teams we are supposed to beat, and steal wins against teams that had better records than us last season where we can. If we can do that, it gives us a chance to make the playoffs and get a seeding higher than fourth.”

Haar Disciples - Gauting Indians 6-4, 5-6

GAU 002 020 000  4 6 2
HAA 300 020 10X  6 9 3

GAU 310 000 200  6 7 2
HAA 010 001 102  5 9 4

The doubleheader between the two local rivals from the Munich suburbs ended with a split. The DISCIPLES took a fast 3-0 lead in the first game, through runs by Nate Fish (two runs), Gregor Klinc and Adalberto Paulino. However the INDIANS came back and overcame the deficit to turn the score into their favor. But HAAR rallied again and scored the decisive runs through RBIs by Klinc and Paulino (two RBI) in the bottom of the fifth. Paulino hit a double in the seventh and scored the final run. Dominik Hartinger (L 0-1) was charged with nine hits, six unearned runs and two walks in eight innings. Dirk Fries (W 1-0) received the win after eight innings. He allowed six hits and four unearned runs, while striking out four. Seth Binder (GAU) scored two runs.

The second match on Sunday was similar like the first one, but with a different outcome. GAUTING scored four runs in the first two periods and took an early 4-1 lead. The game went back and forth and the INDIANS took a 7-3 advantage into the ninth. HAAR tried to come back and rallied with two outs for two runs in the bottom of the frame, but failed to plate the tying run. Johannes Jung (GAU) reached base four times in five plate appearances, scored twice and drove in a run with a RBI-double. Matt Fuller (GAU) got the win after eight innings of work. Bernard Radovic (HAA) was two for three with three RBI including the two-run-single in the ninth. Clemens Cichocki was charged with four unearned runs in two innings for the loss.

Photo: © Saarlouis Hornets