(2-0) Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg – Solingen Alligators
Game 1: Regensburg – Solingen 2-0
SOL 000 000 000 0 3 0 REG 000 000 20X 2 7 1
The BUCHBINDER LEGIONAERE a perfect start into the best-of-five semi-final series against the ALLIGATORS. They shut out the northern conference winner 2-0 in game three on Saturday. Philipp Hoffschild (W 2-0) won a pitcher’s duel against Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez (L 2-1) to lead REGENSBURG to the win.
Hoffschild, who usually is the top reliever of the club, got surprisingly the starting nod versus national team pitcher Marquez-Ramirez to throw nine brilliant innings. He allowed just three hits and two walks in a complete game, while striking out eleven batters. Marquez-Ramirez wasn’t bad either, giving up seven hits, two runs and two base on balls in eight innings. He struck out six.
Offensive wise the LEGIONAERE offense finally came through in the seventh, when Mic Weigl drove in Rodney Gessmann with a RBI single and scored from first on a RBI double by Daniel Husband moments later. It was all they needed on Hoffschild’s big day.
Game 2: Regensburg – Solingen 8-3
SOL 030 000 000 3 9 2 REG 000 120 50X 8 10 0
REGENSBURG defeated SOLINGEN in the second game two and travel to the north with a 2-0 lead in the series. They overcame a third-inning three-run homerun by Robin Drache to win 8-3, deciding the outcome in the seventh, when they scored five times.
The LEGIONAERE tied the game in the fifth on a RBI single by Uli Graf. Klaus Hopfensperger capped the decisive rally in the seventh with a three-run homerun after Graf had driven in the go-ahead run with an infield single.
Graf had replaced left fielder Gessmann in the top of the fifth, after the former Minnesota Twins prospect reinjured his right shoulder on a throw to home, preventing Dustin Hughes from scoring, who also had to leave the game after the collision at the plate.
Martin Almstetter (W 3-0) went the distance, allowing nine hits, three runs and a walk. He struck out four. Andre Hughes (L 1-1) gave up ten hits, eight runs (6 ER) and three bb in six-plus innings.
(2-0) Mannheim Tornados – Heidenheim Heidekoepfe
Game 1: Mannheim – Heidenheim 1-0
HEI 000 000 000 0 10 0 MAT 001 000 00X 1 4 2
A homerun by Billy Hess in the third inning was all MANNHEIM would need in a 1-0 victory against HEIDENHEIM in game one of their semi-final series. The powerful HEIDEKOPFE offense out hit the TORNADOS 10-4, but failed to convert their scoring opportunities. They loaded the bases three times, twice with two outs in the first and ninth, and once with no outs in the sixth, failing to bring the runner home in all three occasions. In addition Simon Guehring advanced to third with one out in the eighth, but two strikeouts ended this threat.
Paul Waterman (W 2-0) allowed six hits and four walks in five-plus scoreless innings. Martin Dewald (S 2) relieved him in the sixth with the bases full and no outs, but got Johannes Schaeffler to strike out and ended the inning with a 1-2-3 double play. He punched out three in four innings of relief.
Markus Winkler (L 2-1) gave up three hits, a run and four bb in seven innings. He struck out seven.
Game 2: Mannheim – Heidenheim 2-1 (10)
HEI 100 000 000 0 1 6 0 MAT 000 100 000 1 2 8 0
In game two the tenth inning had to decide the winner in another nail biter. Dominik Hoepfner was the celebrated hero with a walk off RBI single in the first extra inning, driving in Martin Dewald, who had reached with a walk, stole second base and advanced to third on a single by Sebastian Nowak. MANNHEIM won by a score of 2-1.
HEIDENHEIM had the better start into the match, as leadoff hitter Ryan Lilly opened with a double and scored on a RBI single by Simon Guehring for a fast 1-0 lead. Three innings later the TORNADOS evened the score with a solo homerun by Marvin Appiah in the fourth. It was the last time either team would put a runner on the scoreboard in regulation. The HEIDEKOEPFE botched an attempt to score in the ninth, when Lilly and Guehring were tagged out at home on the same play, a short comebacker by Christoph Gruber.
Eddie Aucoin (MAT) struck out 14 in eight innings. He allowed just one run on four hits. Mike Hartley (HEI) gave up four hits and a run in six innings. Craig Pycock (W 1-0) picked up the win, Peter Dankerl (L 1-1) took the loss.
Both series continue on Saturday, August 23 in Solingen and Heidenheim.