by Alexander Gorrin
Baseball saw the regular phase of the National Championship conclude and the playoff couples be decided , while softball provided the first trophy holder of the year with the finalization of the Bulgaria Cup. Summer break is now on.
The baseball team of the Titans from Varna observed their last weekend of regular play with games hosted in the Sea capital. Junak Sofia travelled to play a doubleheader against one of the newest clubs in the league. As I commented in my previous correspondence, the NE region of Bulgaria, and Varna in particular, saw a series of terrible floods that affected in many ways the Titans Varna club. All of the games that they had to skip from the regular season were officially documented as forfeits, after discussions between the clubs and the technical committee of the federation. Still ,the fact that the club was able to play on home soil the last weekend of the regular phase was a positive sign for the Varna baseball community and they will surely be looking forward to more baseball action in the near future.
With the conclusion of the regular phase of the National Championship, baseball will be looking forward to the postseason, starting on August 30 and August 31st. The playoff scheme will see the top 8 teams meet in couples to decide (best of 3) the semifinal match-ups (best of 3), which then will decide the finalists (best of 5). The scheme also provides an opportunity for the teams to distribute positions 3-8 in the final standings.
So, here’s the summary:
Baseball
July 26:
Lions Sofia – Akademiks Sofia 21:15
Titans Varna – Junak Sofia 0:18
Junak Sofia – Titans Varna 22:1
July 27:
Lions Sofia – Buffaloes Blagoevgrad 0:9 (ff)
Buffaloes Blagoevgrad – Lions Sofia 9:0 (ff)
Final Standings from the Bulgarian National Championship Regular Phase:
1. Athletic Sofia 15:1
2. Buffaloes Blagoevgrad 14:2
3. Devils Dupnitsa 12:4
4. Sofia Blues 10:6
5. Junak Sofia 7:9
6. Lions Sofia 7:9
7. Akademiks Sofia 4:12
8. Athletic Kozloduy 3:13
9. Titans Varna 0:16
Playoff Matchups (best of 3, starting on August 30):
- Athletic Sofia v Athletic Kozloduy – winner plays against Sofia Blues/ Junak Sofia in the semifinal series
- Buffaloes Blagoevgrad v Akademiks Sofia – winner plays against Devils Dupnitsa/ Lions Sofia in the semifinal series
- Devils Dupnitsa v Lions Sofia – winner plays against Buffaloes Blagoevgrad/ Akademiks Sofia in the semifinal series
- Sofia Blues v Junak Sofia – winner plays against Athletic Sofia/ Athletic Kozloduy in the semifinal series
Softball: Bulgaria Cup Results
July 27:
Athletic Sofia – Akademiks Sofia 0:11
Angels Dupnitsa – Akademiks Sofia 2:10
Angels Dupnitsa – Akademiks Sofia 4:11
The softball team of the Akademiks Sofia are winners of the Bulgaria Cup 2014.
The Bulgaria Cup was first celebrated in 1997 and this is the Akademiks’ 6th Bulgaria Cup trophy. Athletic Sofia has 5 and Devils Dupnitsa has 3 trophies in 2nd and 3rd place correspondingly in the title count standings.
Bulgarian Softball will now be looking forward to the European club competitions in early September. Dupnitsa will be hosting the XXI ECW with the participation of the Babes from Blagoevgrad. In the same time, the Angels from Dupnitsa will travel to Propetto, Italy for the XXIII ECWCW.
Also, the playoffs in the National Championship are set to decide this year’s National Champion in the Fall.
Both baseball and softball are on a well deserved break now, but clubs will be eagerly awaiting the end of the summer holiday season and the return to the fields where the postseason promises to be an unforgettable one.