The German Baseball-Bundesliga had a pre-opening weekend with two-game sets of the European Cup participants kicking off the 2013 season. Both the Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg and the Untouchables Paderborn celebrated two-win starts.
The Buchbinder Legionaere defeated the heavily improved Stuttgart Reds 3-0 and 10-7. On Friday evening Mike Bolsenbroek and two relievers shut out Stuttgart 3-0 under the lights. One day later the Reds drove seemingly towards an easy victory behind a strong start of Richard Olson. The guests led 7-0 midway through the seventh inning and were on the verge of a first statement win.
However Chris Howard initiated a comeback with a two-run home run, which was capped by a seven-run rally in the bottom of the eighth. Maik Ehmke drove in the tying and the go-ahead runs with a single. Stuttgart two men on in the ninth, but Jonathan Eisenhuth struck out the last two batters to close out the win.
Not so much drama between the Dohren Wild Farmers and the Untouchables. Paderborn won 10-5 and 3-0. In game one Jendrick Speer and Robert Herrmann hit home runs, while Octavio Medina drove in four. In the second match Taylor Swift and Harry Glynne combined to keep Dohren off the board in a 3-0 win. Speer scored two more runs.
Results Week 1:
Friday, April 12, 2013:
Regensburg – Stuttgart 3-0
Saturday, April 13, 2013:
Regensburg – Stuttgart 10-7
Dohren – Paderborn 5-10
Dohren – Paderborn 0-3