The Austrian Baseball final series starts on Saturday. The participants are Union Kufstein Vikings and Vienna Metrostars. Both teams dominated Austrian baseball over the last years. Union Kufstein will play their fifth finale in the last eight seasons. They have won the title two times. Vienna won in 2005 and 2006, so they are in pursuit of their third straight championship.
Union Kufstein Vikings:
They were called underdogs at the beginning of the first playoff round. The Vikings had finished the regular season with a 12-12 record in fourth place and they upset the heavy favourite SUPERFUND Wanderers, who led the league before the postseason. They won the first two games at home, before losing the next two in Vienna and surprised everyone by winning game five also on the road.
Pitching: Their staff is led by starting pitcher Werner HARRASSER who pitched already 21 innings in two starts against the Wanderers with an ERA of 3.00. He struck out 17. He is accompanied by Bernhard EIDHERR (2-0, 18 IP, ERA 4.50, 9 K’s) who won the decisive game.
Batting: HARRASSER is also their most important run-producer. He bats .400 with five runs scored and five runs batted in. Koichi HIDA is hitting .450 with four runs scored and three RBI.
Vienna Metrostars:
They were runner-up in the regular season with a 19-5 record. Vienna clinched the final berth with a 9-2 in game four of their half-final-series against Mosquito Athletics Attnang-Puchheim.
Pitching: The Metrostars dominate their games through Tim PATRICK (2-0, ERA 0.50), who is the best starting pitcher in Austria. He pitched two complete games against Attnang-Puchheim and allowed just two runs, one earned. He is also the manager of the club. Andreas KRIZSAN (10 IP, ERA 5.40) and Christoph BERNACKI (1-0, 4.2 IP, ERA 1.93) were also on the mound against the A´s.
Batting: Lukas RIGELE is batting .500 with two runs scored and two RBI. Max WALLISCH (.375), Dominik LÖFFLER (.421) and Christian UNGER (.333) had five RBI each.
Prediction: Vienna will win the series in four games, because PATRICK wins two games and the third one will be provided by the Offense.
Schedule:
Saturday October 6:
12:00 Union Kufstein Vikings – Vienna Metrostars
14:30 Union Kufstein Vikings – Vienna Metrostars
Saturday October 13:
14:30 Vienna Metrostars – Union Kufstein Vikings
17:00 Vienna Metrostars – Union Kufstein Vikings*
Sunday October 14:
12:00 Vienna Metrostars – Union Kufstein Vikings*
*If necessary
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