by Jeffrey Darrion Siler II
Sunday in Abrantes, Portugal the White Sharks of Almada faced Académicade Coimbra in a league-play double-header. The two teams split the wins, and a dramatic finish to game 2 gave Coimbra the win to keep their championship drive alive.
Game 1 ended early due to 10-run lead by White Sharks after impressive offensive run by Almada batters. Eight Sharks posted at least one hit, with Tiago Fonseca (3B,2 singles) and Ricardo Pacheco Costa (2H, 2R) leading the offensive charge. White Sharks pitching kept Coimbra subdued, allowing 6 hits all game, thanks to the debut relief appearance of João Alves. Final score 12-2.
Game 2 was a nail-biter to the very end as Coimbra came back to upset Almada in the bottom of the last inning. White Sharks batting struggled early against Coimbra pitcher Petr Stříbrcký (12K, 6H, 4BB), but costly errors in the field allowed Almada to score runs. Coimbra bats were largely silent through most of the game due to White Sharks pitcher Carlos “Alex” Machado Tavares(10K, 4H, 11BB), but late in the game were able to string together crucial hits and capitalize on walks and errors by White Sharks defense. Final Score 8-7 Coimbra.
Weekend of May 8th 2011 will not see games in the Portuguese Baseball League as Académicade Coimbra has another administrative bye. Games resume next weekend for the National Championship with current standings showing Almada White Sharks (4-2) with a slight edge over Académicade Coimbra (2-4).