Mister Baseball

Heidenheim Heidekoepfe - Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg 5-4, 8-16

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HEI 400 000 001  5  7 3

REG 160 111 501  16 20 0
HEI 200 060 000   8 12 3

The highly anticipated duel between the two best teams in the south, the people in attendance saw an interesting split. HEIDENHEIM took the first game with a 5-4 score. They had opened the contest with four runs in the first for a 4-1 lead. However REGENSBURG came back and tied the game in the top of the eighth on a RBI double by Jerin Harper. But the HEIDEKOPEFE had an answer left, loaded the bases against reliever Mike Bolsenbroek and Simon Guehring delivered a walk-off RBI single to end the thriller. Starter Martin Almstetter took the loss, as he had left the winning run on base, when he was replaced after eight plus innings. Peter Dankerl received the win after a complete game.

Disappointed about the loss in the first part of the doubleheader, the LEGIONAERE came out firing in the second. They took an early 7-2 lead in the second period and decided the outcome definitely through five runs in the seventh. HEIDENHEIM had cut the deficit to a run in the fifth, but could not score further. Alex Lauterbach, who already had a homerun in the first match of the day, hit two more in the second one, including a grand slam. Jerin Harper scored five times. Philipp Hoffschild got the win, Hagen Raetz the loss. Mike Hartley had started the second game, but was replaced after the first frame due to unknown reasons.

Mainz Athletics - Haar Disciples 3-4, 15-0

HAA 031 000 000  4  7 2
MAI 000 030 000  3 11 2

HAA 000 000 0   0  3 2
MAI 206 700 X  15 11 0

The ATHLETICS hit a bump on their way to the top four, after settling for a split against the DISCIPLES. HAAR scored four runs in the second and third period of game one and stopped the MAINZ offense in the end. Bernd Radovic drove in three runs for the DISCIPLES with a two-run double and a RBI single. The A’s had cut the deficit to a run in the fifth on a two-run double by Max Boldt and a RBI single by Hendrik Schewe. Mike Larson thought he would tie the game with a solo shot in the seventh. But center fielder Adalberto Paulino (picture) made the catch over the fence, stumbled over it, but held on to the ball.

Manuel Moeller took the loss after four runs on five hits in three innings. Dimitar Nassapov, who struck out seven in six innings of two-hit relief, replaced him. Theo Gieschen started for HAAR and struck out seven in four two-hit-one-walk innings. Reliever Dirk Fries received the win.

MAINZ decided the second game in the third and fourth period, when they put 13 runs on the board. Daniel Hayes reached base four times, scored two runs and drove in three. Nils Hartkopf was 3-for-4 with two runs and a two-run double. He also was excellent on the mound. He allowed just three hits and two walks in six shutout innings. Hartkopf struck out ten in his season debut as a starter. Clemens Cichocki took the loss, after giving up twelve runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Mannheim Tornados - Saarlouis Hornets 7-8, 7-0

SLS 001 000 412  8 9 1
MAT 301 000 003  7 7 2

SLS 000 000 000  0 1 2
MAT 102 100 03X  7 9 0

Another doubleheader and another split for the HORNETS. They overcame a 1-4 deficit in the first game, by scoring seven runs in the last three periods and stopped a rally right before blowing the lead in the ninth. Billy Hess had opened the scoring for MANNHEIM with a solo shot in the first. Craig Pycock (2 RBI) and Marvin Appiah added runs through two RBI doubles and a RBI single until the third. But SAARLOUIS came back. They took the lead through a grand slam of Eddy Martinez in the top of the seventh and added insurance runs on RBI singles by Thorsten Krapf and Ales Keprta in addition to a RBI double by Chris Sweeney. However the TORNADOS tried a comeback in the bottom of the ninth. They scored three runs on a sac fly, a wild pitch and a bases loaded walk. But Pycock struck out with three men left on base to end the nail biter.

Well, and the second part of the doubleheader featured the Eddie Aucoin show. The American hurler dominated from the start and led MANNHEIM with a one-hit complete game shutout to a 7-0 victory. He faced just two batters over the minimum and struck out 13, without conceding a walk. It was just the most impressive start in the 2008 season so far. He also got early run-support after Jens Heymer homered in the first period. The TORNADOS offense continued to score throughout the whole game. Heymer and Appiah each scored twice. Hess drove in two. Sweeney started for the HORNETS and allowed seven runs (6 ER) on nine hits in 7 1/3 innings, while striking out four.

Neuenburg Atomics - Gauting Indians 8-4, 3-7
The two teams from the bottom of the standings, NEUENBURG and GAUTING, each won a game. The ATOMICS stopped their losing streak of lopsided defeats and got a 8-4 win in the first part of the doubleheader. Andreas Gerth pitched the complete game and received his first Bundesliga victory. The second match saw the debut of Alex Aucoin for the ATOMICS. However he lost his start against Matt Fuller, who led the INDIANS to 7-3 win.

Photo: © Manfred Holzhauser