With the Dutch hoofdklasse starting this weekend, there are now five major countries where the competition has started: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. Here is an overview of this week’s games in the various leagues.
Austria
Two clear victories for the Schwechat Blue Bats, that is debuting in the Austrian Baseball Bundesliga. Against the Feldkirch Cardinals, the Blue Bats did not show any mercy.
In game one, the Blue Bats only needed five innings to beat up the Cards 23-6. Sebastian Christof was clearly the man of the match as he hit a three-run home run and drove in a total of six runs, going 2 for 5.
Also game two was a clear victory for the Blue Bats: 15-4 in seven innings. This time Braudy De Leon Morel was the man of the match with six RBI, a grand slam home run, going 2 for 4.
Also a sweep for the Vienna Wanderers. In game one vs the Hard Bulls, the Wanderers won 9-3. The Bulls collected almost as many base hits as the Wanderers but they didn’t come at the right time. The second game was a walk over in which the Wanderers only needed seven innings: 17-1. This victory was clearly a team effort, as no one got more than two RBI.
Two very close games in Attnang-Puchheim with the same outcome. In game one, the Diving Ducks Wiener Neustadt were victorious in a come-back-from-behind victory. Trailing 5-0 in the biggest part of the game, the Ducks rallied in the seventh to score four runs. In the ninth inning they added another run to tie the score. And in the tenth, a wild pitch allowed the Diving Ducks to score the winning run: 6-5.
In the second game the final score was the same and it was also a come-back-from-behind victory. Dutchy Rick van Dijck pitched five innings in which he gave up five runs on nine hits and a walk. As he left the game when the Ducks were trailing, he got a no decision.
On Sunday, a doubleheader between the only unbeaten teams, the Dornbirn Indians and the Traiskirchen Grasshoppers took place. Game one was a clear 13-1 victory for the Grasshoppers. The second game went deep into extra innings as neither team did not score during the regular nine innings. Eventually, in the eleventh frame, the Dornbirn Indians scored twice on a solo home run and an RBI single for the 2-0 win.
Czech Republic
In the Czech Extraliga a complete series of games could be played this weekend.
Olympia Blansko was swept by Trebic Nuclears 3-2 and 10-9 and remains one of the main candidates to be demoted to the First League (second-tier league).
Also Draci Brno clinched the series in the first two games. Game one was a close affair as the Dragons beat Kotlarka Praha 2-0 but game two was a walk over in 7.5 innings: 14-3. But Kotlarka salvaged a bit of the series in game three as they beat Draci 2-1.
Eagles Praha didn’t have any problems with Hrosi Brno as they needed eight innings for the 10-0 victory in game one. In game two however, the Eagles had to go deep. With Hrosi leading 8-1 after the fourth inning, the Eagles scraped up some runs in each of the following innings. Only in the eighth, they scored the go ahead for the win. In game three, Hrosi clinched the win as they took a 4-0 lead in the fourth and with the Eagles only scoring two runs in the eighth, it proved to be a big enough lead.
Arrows Ostrava clinched the series during the first two games of the series. In game one, they beat Tempo Praha 4-1. Game two wasn’t much of a game as the Arrows won 22-1 in seven innings. But Tempo Praha salvaged a bit of the series by winning the third game 6-4.
Blesk Jablonec and Sokol Hubloká split the first two games of the series, so it all came down to the rubber game on Sunday.
Game one was won by Blesk Jablonec 8-0. Sokol Hubloká prevailed in game two as they beat Blesk Jablonec 9-6. The third game between the two teams was postponed.
Germany
Still no start of the Northern Division in sight. The planned date was May 8 but the games on that date have been postponed.
In the Southern Division of the German Baseball Bundesliga four series took place this weekend.
The Heidenheim Heideköpfe are cruising on the auto pilot. Two mercy rule shortened games vs the Stuttgart Reds: 12-0 and 13-3.
The Haar Disciples clinched their first series win as they beat the Tübingen Hawks 14-0 in six innings and 10-5. With these two victories, the team climbed to the fifth place in the standings, trailing unbeaten Heidenheim by six games.
Also the Mannheim Tornados swept their opponent. Both games were mercy rule shortened affairs as they beat the Ulm Falcons 17-0 in five innings and 17-7 in seven.
As was written last week, the Mainz Athletics are coming of a slow start. Normally the club is a contender but so far this season, the club doesn’t play a role of any importance. Against the Guggenberger Legionäre from Regensburg, they fell in mercy rule games twice: 18-6 (eight innings) and 15-1 (seven innings).
The Netherlands
https://dutchbaseballhangout.blog/2021/04/29/dutch-hoofdklasse-2021-round-1-day-1/
https://dutchbaseballhangout.blog/2021/04/30/2021-dutch-hoofdklasse-round-1-day-1-second-attempt/
https://dutchbaseballhangout.blog/2021/05/01/2021-dutch-hoofdklasse-round-1-day-2/
https://dutchbaseballhangout.blog/2021/05/02/2021-dutch-hoofdklasse-round-1-day-3/
Spain
Where Viladecans was one of the three unbeaten teams last week, they now dropped out as unbeaten team as they were swept by reigning champion Astros Valencia 11-2 and 5-1.
The other title candidate, Tenerife Marlins didn’t have much problems with their opponent either as they beat CBS Antorcha Valencia 9-6 and 12-2.
After two more losses, CBS Barcelona, once part of the omni club FC Barcelona, is dead last in the standings with no victories. This weekend they fell to San Inazio Bilbao Bizkaia 7-1 and 9-3
CBS Miralbueno Zaragoza and CBS Toros split the series. Game one was won by CBS Toros 10-7, game two went to CBS Miralbueno Zaragoza 9-4.
CBS Sant Boi was beaten 13-5 by CBS Rivas Baseball in game one. But in the second game, Sant Boi clinched a clear 18-10 victory.
Beisbol Navarra beat CBS Gavà 8-5 in game one. By the time this blog post was published, the result of the second game between the two wasn’t published yet.
Dutch Baseball Hangout 
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