German Baseball-Bundesliga Quarterfinals (best of five):
(0-2) Bonn Capitals – Heidenheim Heidekoepfe 5-7, 2-13
The defending German champion Heidenheim Heidekoepfe got off to a perfect start into the quarterfinal series against the Bonn Capitals. They won both games on the road and complete the sweep at home on Saturday. In game one Bonn had the better start and took a fast 3-0 lead in the opening period. But Heidenheim came back and won 7-5 in the end. Four runs in the top of the fifth highlighted by a two-run Matt Pali double decided the outcome.
The second game was only close in the first few innings. The Heidekoepfe celebrated a lopsided 13-2 win after scoring four runs in the sixth and five in the ninth to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Simon Guehring hit a solo homerun and scored three times in the game. Dusty Bergman out-pitched Bryce Schoening.
(0-2) HSV Stealers – Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg 3-6, 5-23 (7)
The Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg also started with two wins, defeating the HSV Stealers in Hamburg. In the first game Regensburg broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh frame when Klaus Hopfensperger drove in Matt Vance. Three more runs in the eighth and one in the ninth blew the score open before the Stealers tagged on two runs in the bottom of the last frame to make things interesting.
After two innings in game two the HSV looked at a 4-1 lead and probably already thought about the split. But afterwards their defense imploded and the Buchbinder Legionaere crushed Hamburg 23-5 in seven innings, taking advantage of 19 hits and a whopping eight errors. Christoph Zirzlmeier with a three-run triple and Ludwig Glaser with a two-run homerun set the highlights.
(0-2) Haar Disciples – Solingen Alligators 4-9, 0-2
The Solingen Alligators became the lone northern club to win on playoff opening weekend in the Baseball-Bundesliga, when they took two victories from the Haar Disciples. In game one Solingen prevailed 9-4 after they answered Lukas Steinlein’s two-run single to tie the game with a four-run third to decide the outcome. Homeruns by Evan Porter and Paul Rutgers sealed the win in the ninth.
In the second match Josh Rickards went the distance to lead the Alligators to a 2-0 shutout. He struck out eleven batters and allowed just four hits in the game. The lefty also picked off three batters at first. A two-run double by Paul Rutgers in the top of the sixth accounted for the lone runs of the game. Calvin Brutus took the loss.
(2-0) Mannheim Tornados – Paderborn Untouchables 6-5, 16-6 (8)
The Mannheim Tornados were the only lower seed to win on the first postseason weekend. The vice champion beat the Paderborn Untouchables twice at home. In game one they blew an early 4-0 lead to win it 6-5 on a RBI single by Dominik Hoepfner in the bottom of the eighth. Dennis Kelly hit a solo homerun. Jonathan Wagner scored twice. Paderborn had tied the contest through a three-run sixth.
Game two turned out to be a 16-6 rout in eight innings. Five runs in the first and four in the fourth and eighth blew things wide open. Each player in Mannheim’s lineup recorded at least a hit, scored a run and got a RBI. Lukas Egetmeyer homered, while Marvin Appiah went 3-for-5 with three RBI. Daniel Hinz hit a solo homerun for the Untouchables.
Games three to possible five are scheduled to be played on August 28 and 29.
Photo: © Gregor Eisenhuth, www.eisenhuth-photographie.de