EXL: Blesk with another won series. Tempo and Hroši split the doubleheader

22.5.2021 Zuzana Ferková 4 min read

Extraliga continued on Saturday with more games. Only the game in Ostrava had to be postponed due to inclement weather.

After a surprising Friday win, Blansko had a chance to win a series for the first time in the season. Prague team started Carson Goldsmith who was against it, however. In five innings, he only allowed 2 hits and added 9 SO. Šimon Vyklický who followed him on the mound kept up the pace when he only allowed one hit and no runs.

With these performances, the winning run was scored in the first inning. Petr Zýma got an RBI after Andrew Cosrgove got home. Both players also scored in the third inning after Matěj Hejma‚s hit. Eagles leveled the series and so the winner will be decided on Sunday. We can expect a pitching duel between Tomáš Duffek and Luis Rengel.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Olympia Blansko	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	3
Eagles Praha	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	–	3	9	0

Hroši played a doubleheader at Hluboká. In both games we could see a great pitching from one of the starters. The first game was dominated by Jan Novák, who threw a complete game for the second time in the season. For the fourth time this season, he also had 0 ER, lowering his ERA to 0.19 in 47 IP. Home team scored 6 runs and won another game.

Second game had a somewhat surprising hero in Martin Grundmann. Hroši pitcher showed his best performance in Extraliga so far, when he threw 8 innings without a run allowed. He also added 11 SO, which is his career maximum in Extraliga. Hluboká started William Parsons, who gave his team a chance to win, as he only allowed 2 runs in seven innings. But that was enough for the visitors to get a win. They strengthen their position with 5 runs in the ninth inning, after Martin Dvořák‚s grand slam.

G1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cardion Hroši Brno	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2
Sokol Hluboká	0	0	0	1	4	0	1	0	–	6	4	0

G2	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cardion Hroši Brno	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	5	7	10	3
Sokol Hluboká	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1

Třebíč also played a doubleheader against Tempo. Tempo needed wins if they were to remain in the race for TOP 6 spot. The first game was a domain of the starting pitchers, when both threw over 100 pitches. Marek Minařík had a bit of an leeway, as Phillip Steering gave him a one run cushion with his hit in the first inning. Steering added another run in the sixth inning after Jake Rabinowitz‚s hit. Home team was only able to score one run in return.

In the second game, Třebíč was under pressure, because loosing two home games would complicate their position on Sunday. However, they played much better this time, after their starter Justin Revels held Tempo in check. Visitors were only able to get 3 hits on him in seven innings. Nuclears batters were much more successful against Rabinowitz, after they scored 4 runs in 5 innings. They added more runs against Michal Zelenka, who had 9 BB in almost two innings. Třebíč won 7-1 and the series is leveled before Sunday’s finale.

G1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tempo Praha	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	4	10	0
Třebíč Nuclears	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	8	4

G2	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tempo Praha	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	4	2
Třebíč Nuclears	2	0	0	0	2	1	2	0	–	7	7	0

We already wrote that Kotlářka lost all the series this season, and in all of them, they were able to get a win. Prague team wanted to change this record against Extraliga newcomer from Jablonec. However, they will have to hope, they are able to win at least one game in the series as Jablonec was able to get both Saturday games.

In the first game, the score was leveled for a long time. However, Kotlářka bullpen entered the game in the sixth inning and Jablonec was able to take advantage when they scored 11 runs and got the win. If the visitors hoped for a win in the second game, Jablonec cooled them down in the first inning, after they scored two runs. After that, Jablonec refused to loose the lead till the end of the game. Anthony Fell didn’t allow Kotlářka any momentum and he only allowed one run in seven innings. James Smiley took over for the last two innings and Blesk won the game and another series. If Jablonec were to win on Sunday, they would have the same win-loss record as Kotlářka.