The first two games of the best-of-five semi-finals in the German Baseball-Bundesliga are in the books and everything remains wide open, although SOLINGEN and REGENSBURG now might are slightly favored due to home field advantage. Game three to possible five will be played on August 15 and 16.
(1-1) Heidenheim Heidekoepfe – Solingen Alligators 4-1, 2-5
Before the start of the first two games of the series, the ALLIGATORS would have bet that they would win game one, HEIDENHEIM game two. In the end it came different. The HEIDEKOEPFE took game one by a score of 4-1. Markus Winkler gave up just one run on six hits and six bb in seven innings for the win. Sam Whitehead scored two of the four runs. Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez issued four hits, four runs and a whopping eight walks in eight innings. He also struck out eight, but took the loss.
In the second match HEIDENHEIM had hoped to take a 2-0 lead, as they send out Dusty Bergman to the mound. But SOLINGEN rallied for three runs in the fifth en route to a 5-2 victory. Moritz Buttgereit, who already had three hits in game one, doubled his total for the day. Robin Drache scored twice. Robert Gruber drove in both runs for the HEIDEKOEPFE. Peter Dankerl collected four hits. Jens Cornelsen picked up the win after five-plus solid innings, allowing seven hits, two runs and two bb. Matt Pali and Marquez-Ramirez closed it out with scoreless relief outings. Bergman surrendered eight hits, five runs (3 ER) and three walks in nine innings.
(1-1) Mannheim Tornados – Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg 5-6, 8-7
After a homerun-filled doubleheader the semi-final series between MANNHEIM and REGENSBURG is tied. In game one Ludwig Glaser hit two homeruns for the LEGIONAERE, including a go-ahead three-run shot in the fifth, leading his team to a 6-5 win. Matt Vance (REG) and Sascha Lutz (MAT) also homered. Benedikt Antwi picked up the win after a solid relief appearance. Rodney Gessmann had gotten the start. Rene Franke went the distance and had to take the loss.
In the second match the third homerun on the day by Glaser wasn’t enough, as MANNHEIM came back several times and won on a walk-off two-run homerun by Marvin Appiah against Martin Almstetter in the ninth by a score of 8-7. Justin Lazarus hit a solo homerun for the TORNADOS. Martin Dewald got his fourth win of this year’s playoffs after going the distance. REGENSBURG’s Eddie Aucoin pitched seven innings and received a no decision.
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