An exciting series was expected in advance and this was confirmed by the shared victory (17:8 and 2:7) in Heidenheim. We now continue with game three on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Paderborn’s Ahorn Sports Park, the fourth game will take place at the same location on Sunday from 12 p.m. If the score is 2-2, the all-important fifth game will be played afterwards.
It would be the seventh championship for both clubs. This means they are still some way away from the Mannheim Tornados (11 titles), but would be the record champions for the time when baseball is – well, let’s say – played seriously in Germany. What are the advantages of each of the two opponents?
Die Offensive has so far brought slight advantages for the Heideköpfe, who hit a strong 23 hits with two home runs in the first two games. But one often had the impression: There is more. Some of the actions at bat seemed a bit unfocused, and sometimes the swing was too fast. On the other hand, the young Paderborn team also did well and was not much behind the Heidenheim team with 19 hits and two home runs. Especially with two strikes, the “U’s” acted extremely focused and the Heidenheim throwers should be careful not to leave the balls in the middle of the zone. Stand 1:0 for the heath heads
Defensive und Pitching On the other hand, they narrowly go to the men from the north. Both teams showed strong actions in field defense, but made serious mistakes. Surprisingly, the Heideköpfe’s supposedly best throwers, Mike Bolsenbroek and Jared Mortensen, had some problems, but should still be able to improve. The Heidenheimers, for their part, scored happily against all Paderborn pitchers – except Mark Harrison. It remains to be seen whether he will play another game like last Sunday. However, the Untouchables also have two throwers up their sleeves with player-coach Matt Kemp and the American Quinn Di Pasquale and probably have some advantages, especially in a series of five games. Stand 1:1
The home advantage is certainly not to be underestimated. In the first game, the Heidenheimers have to deal with the unfamiliar floodlights in the Ahorn Ballpark. Due to the much-discussed postponement of game four in the semi-final against Regensburg, there is now one less weekend available for the final and the Heideköpfe are deprived of the real home advantage in a possible fifth game. They would have the final right to bat in this game, but of course that is not as important as the support from the fans and the advantage of knowing the stadium well. Stand 1:2
The experience certainly speaks for the heath heads. Almost everyone in the team has already won one or more titles. The Paderborn team are not newcomers either; they were German runners-up in this formation last year. In the first game of the series, however, it became clear that the team also made mistakes under pressure; in this phase, the Heidenheimers quickly turned a 6:7 into a 13:7. Stand 2:2
Personnel Things are looking good for both teams. Heidenheim is only missing Luca Hörger, who is now playing at college in the USA, Paderborn is still worried about the use of its shortstop Darrion Harrison, who had to be replaced injured in the second game last weekend. Stand 3:3
Conclusion: A balanced series can still be expected, but there is no such thing as a draw in baseball. In the end, little things and possibly the luck of the game will be the deciding factor.
2023-09-14 16:05:19
#Heideköpfe #win #seventh #title #Paderborn
