If there is something that baseball players look forward to the most, it is probably the so-called “Opening Day”, the first day of the season. After long months of indoor training, the time had finally come last Sunday. The 89ers Bundesliga players were expecting the Berlin Roadrunners at the start of the season. With the best weather and a great backdrop of around 250 spectators, the first victories were to be achieved.
“The Berliners are a very young, sometimes a bit wild team without any imported players. We are very excited to see how they have developed,” said Coach Max Jaeger before the game. And head coach Evan Renner couldn’t wait either. “That’s what everyone wants. Finally playing,” said the US coach at the start of the season.
After the preparation tournament unfortunately literally fell through, Renner inevitably had to rely on his training impressions from the last four weeks. Renner initially relied on last year’s cast, supplemented by US Boy Roman Trujillo. As usual, Leon Mühlen started on the mound, who got into the game well and only allowed two runs for the Berliners in the first four innings.
The 89ers started the game very strongly, scoring three runs in the first inning. But then the opposing pitcher got better and better into the game and the 89ers couldn’t get anything countable on the board until the last inning. The Braunschweigers were able to score a total of 8 hits, but in the end this was unfortunately not enough.
Marc Hoffmann was as strong as usual at the start
The Berliners were different, as they increasingly put the 89ers in trouble. They had good contacts and increased the pressure on Mühlen and the defense. Unfortunately, unnecessary errors crept in. In the 5th inning, the guests scored three quick runs before Renner sent Mika Kockmann onto the mound for Mühlen. He made a quick out, but also had to accept a few hits and a total of two more runs from Berlin (7:3). Another run in the sixth inning meant a comfortable five-point lead before the 89ers came back in the final inning.
Shota Usuda (1B), Max Jaeger (HP), Rene Jecht-Gonzales (1B) got on base and were able to score before Kockmann went on strikeout (8:6). Marvin Voigt came to first base with a walk and to second base with a steal. Dominic Stripling brought Voigt home with his groundout. Then things got wild. Lübbers hit a nice double, but unfortunately misjudged his baserunning. The Berliners played the run down perfectly and ended the 89ers’ rally and secured victory.
Max Jaeger with his walk off home run, with which he was able to decide the second game early in favor of the 89ers
Now we had to focus fully again for the second game in order to at least achieve a split. On the mound, veteran Sebastian Kaluza began the first inning with two quick outs before the strong Berliners were able to score a run with a double and a single. Kaluza ended the first half inning with a walk and a key strikeout. The following innings were a clear affair. The Roadrunners couldn’t do much with Karamba’s tricky throws and got very few hits. Since the defense was extremely stable alongside the confident Kaluza, the 89ers only allowed a total of three baserunners in the following four innings.
On offense, the 89ers attacked with a fair amount of anger. The high level of concentration was evident in the many very good at bats that gradually wore down the opposing pitchers. “If you constantly put pressure on the opponent, mistakes, inaccurate plays and therefore runs will happen at some point. We wanted to be more aggressive in the second game, and my boys implemented that very well,” said Coach Renner after the game. And further. “My team fought hard in the first game and lost very unfortunately. After the loss we went out and showed heart and gave the right answer in game two. That’s exactly what I want to see from the boys.”
Accordingly, the 89ers were able to score two or more points in all but the second inning. Catcher Max Jaeger achieved the highlight with a 2-run walkoff home run for an early 11-1 victory after five innings. Jaeger, who also serves as coach of the 1st men, said: “For me, what is more important than the home run is that we came back as a team and at least got the split.”
Next Saturday, April 13th, the 89ers will play in Berlin against the even stronger Berlin Flamingos, before the Berlin Sluggers, the third of four teams from the capital, will be guests at the next home game on April 21st at the 89ers Ballpark in Lindenberg is.
Local mayor Detlef Kühn at the first pitch
Pictures: Miriam Wesche
2024-04-08 21:02:14
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