Tranås – Leksand 4-3, 8-11
TRANAS, which finished in first place at the end of the first round in the Swedish Elitserien, started the second round of the top six teams with a split against sixth-ranked LEKSAND. In game one Eimantes Zickus (W 7-0) allowed three runs (1 ER) on five hits and six walks to lead TRANAS to a 4-3 win. He struck out six. Richard Leander (L 4-1) took the loss, conceding six hits, four runs (3 ER) and three bb in eight innings.
In the second match LEKSAND pulled off the comeback, after already trailing 1-8 at the end of the fourth. They cut the deficit to 4-8 with three runs in the fifth, before turning the score into their favor with five runs in the seventh. Two more insurance runs in the ninth sealed the 11-8 win. Tom Brice drove in three for the LUMBERJACKS. Every player in the starting lineup at least scored a run or drove in another. Matt Merrifield went three-for-four with a homerun for TRANAS. But he also took the loss, as he issued seven runs (4 ER) on nine hits in three innings of relief. Mats Jones (W 2-2) went the distance for the win.
Sundbyberg Heat – Karlskoga Bats 4-2, 4-7
The teams in third and fourth in the standings met in Alby and settled for a split. In game one Nick Soubiea (W 2-3) allowed four hits, two runs (1 ER) and a walk in eight solid innings to lead the HEAT to a 4-2 win. Grant Irving scored twice and picked up the save with a scoreless ninth. Gary Kahn (L 12) suffered the loss for the BATS after five hits, four runs (3 ER) and three bb in six innings.
In part two of the doubleheader KARLKOGA took the lead for good with four runs in the fifth en route to a 7-4 win. Christoffer Johansson collected three hits, scored once and stole two bases. Ruben Garcia drove in two. Joshua Gregory and Oliver Gajzler got two RBIs each for SUNDBYBERG. Ronny Frid (W 3-1) pitched six innings for the win. Irving (L 4-2) took the loss after five innings of relief.
Stockholm – Rättvik 5-3, 7-12
STOCKHOLM and RÄTTVIK also settled for the split, as the second-ranked defending champion took game one by a score of 5-3. The BUTCHERS came back in the second match, prevailing 12-7. They remain in fifth place.
Standings:
- Tranås 13-3
- Stockholm 12-4
- Sundbyberg Heat 10-6
- Karlskoga Bats 9-7
- Rättvik Butchers 7-9
- Leksand Lumberjacks 6-10