Anticlimactic Game For The Mainz Athletics

The two teams that are dead last in the Deutsche Baseball Liga South, Mainz Athletics and München-Haar Disciples, faced each other tonight in an attempt to get out of the cellar. In a typical see-saw game, both teams took the lead several times. Eventually extra innings were needed to decide who would walk off as the winner.

Mainz Athletics 9 – 10 Haar Disciples

The Mainz Athletics took the lead in the top of the first inning. Without a hit, Nicolas Weichert got on base on an HBP, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. A single by Peter Johannesen drove him in for the opening run.

In the bottom of the second inning, München-Haar turned the tables when, with runners on first and second, Fabian Felix Schmidt and Moritz Broske hit back-to-back singles to give the Disciples a 2-1 lead.

After Haar added one more run in the bottom of the third, Mainz bounced back with three runs in the top of the fifth, but Haar bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the same frame. Mainz scored four runs in the next three innings, but Haar added three to their total, so after nine innings, the fans could watch free baseball.

With the dreaded tie-breaker rule, Mainz placed runners on first and second before Guy Gillis Kilgore drew a walk to load the bases. Lennard Stöcklin gave the Athletics the lead with an RBI-single to right field, but pitcher Dean Sacher managed to get out of the jam without further damage, thanks to his defense and a strikeout.

With runners on first and second and two outs, things looked gloomy for the Disciples. But a wild pitch advanced both runners to the next base and when Dean Sacher hit the ball towards first base, the first baseman of the Athletics made a fielding error that allowed both runners to score for the walk-off victory.

With this “hit” Dean Sacher helped his own case as he earned the victory after four innings in relief, in which he allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks, as he struck out four. For reliever Kenny Fermin Giere, the grapes must be sour as he was on the brink of clinching the victory. In two innings in relief, he allowed two unearned runs on no hits and three walks.

Best hitter for the Disciples was Timothy Compomizzi, who went 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Thanks to this win, the Haar Disciples are not in last place anymore, at least until tomorrow, when the second game of this series will be played.