2023 Federation Cup: Close Loss For Deurne Spartans

Despite taking a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, the Deurne Spartans suffered a close 9-7 loss, handed by the other first place team, Dornbirn Indians.

As mentioned in the prologue, the Deurne Spartans took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. With one out and runners in scoring position, Elio Fundora Basnueva grounded out 4-3 but drove in Frank Alejandro Prieto Burgo from third base. Roche Junior De Saedeleer followed with an RBI single to first base to give the Spartans that 2-0 lead. 
But there the run production stalled. The main reason was Lochlan Southee. The Aussie pitcher pitched a gem of a game in which he did not allow an earned run. 

The Spartans’ starting pitcher Alexis Marquez started well as he limited the Indians to two hits in the first six innings. But in the seventh, Marquez collapsed and had to allow four runs thanks to some timely hitting, aggressive base running,  and some shaky fielding. 

The eighth inning was even a bigger festival of errors as the Spartans committed three. As a result the Indians scored four more runs. 

But Lochlan Southee was replaced in the bottom of the ninth, after having thrown 105 pitches. His replacement, Marcel Jäger, struggled mightily as he gave up a lead-off single to Elio Fundora Basnueva, and walked the next three batters and thus allowed Spartans to score twice. It may not come as a surprise that Jäger was replaced by Japanese pitcher Shotaro Usui. But Usui couldn’t stop the Belgian offense. When Johiner Alfonso Arguizones Ocanto singled to right field, all three base runners scored to bring Spartans back in the game. Johiner Alfonso Arguizones advanced to second on the throw to home plate. Usui was replaced by Chris Squires. With runners on first and second and one out, Frank Alejandro Prieto Burgo singled to load the bases. But Squires retired the two batters he faced for the save. 

Lochlan Southee earned the win after eight innings in which he allowed two unearned runs on six hits and a walk and struck out eleven.  Alexis Marquez took the loss. In 7.1 innings, he gave up eight (!) unearned runs on four hits and three hits, as he struck out nine. 

The best hitter for the Dornbirn Indians was Ferdinand Obed, who went 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored. 

When you look to the boxscore of the game, you will see that Dornbirn was outhit 5-10 by Deurne. But the defense of Deurne let their pitcher down. As a result, Dornbirn scored only one (!) earned run. Eight runs were unearned, which may be called rather questionable. 

But with this loss, all is not lost. If Spartans will win the remaining games, they still will make the final. 

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