Sundbyberg Heat – Karlskoga Bats 5-12, 7-8
Defending champion Karlskoga Bats opened the 2011 season in the Swedish Elitserien with a pair of wins over Sundbyberg Heat. In game one the Bats scored five runs in the seventh to blow a close game wide open, prevailing 12-5. Scott Mulhearn went 2-for-4 with three runs and a RBI. Paul Waterman reached base four times. He doubled twice. Josh Gregory went 3-for-5 for the Heat. Kenta Sato picked up the win after six solid innings. Nick Soubiea took the loss.
In the second match Karlskoga used another five-run rally in the sixth to turn a 3-6 deficit into an 8-6 lead on their way to an 8-7 win. Sundbyberg had taken the lead through five runs in the fourth. Scott Mulhearn homered and drove in three. Paul Waterman went eight innings for the win. Philip Gajzler had three hits for Sundbyberg. Per Lindgren scored twice. Anders Nygren took the loss.
Goteborg Hajarna – Gefle 18-4 (7), 16-6 (8)
In the second doubleheader on Saturday the Goteborg Hajarna crushed Gefle 18-4 and 16-6. Game one was highlighted by a big twelve-run rally in the sixth. Evan Porter went 2-for-3 with a walk, four runs and three RBI. Erik Earnest and Curtis Dionne crossed the plate three times apiece. Dionne also went the distance on the mound to pick up the win. Peter Jansson walked twelve in 5 1/3 innings to get charged with the loss.
In the second game Goteborg opened the game with six runs in the first to set things towards a big victory. Curtis Dionne scored four runs in this game. Erik Earnest drove in four. Evan Porter reached base five times. Brian Strawn-Johnson struck out eight in five scoreless innings of one-hit relief. Mikael Bostroem surrendered twelve runs on 13 hits in five innings for the loss.
The Elitserien continues from Tuesday to Thursday with games between the Swedish Baseball Academy and Stockholm, Karlskoga and Gefle. The next full game day is scheduled for Saturday.
{mrb-standing:sweden-2011}
{mrb-schedule:2011-05-10|2011-05-14|SE}