EXL: Technika returns to TOP 6 after two wins
Sunday brought rather interesting results in Extraliga. Standings got even more tangled as currently any team can get to TOP 6, or fall to Promotion League.
Hroši Brno – Eagles Praha 8-0 and 9-2
Tomáš Ondra has a good start to season and is one of the main players for Hroši. He had a chance for Perfect Game for 5 innings against Eagles. However, in the sixth he was robbed of the chance by Aleš Prandžev. Nevertheless, Hroši starter didn’t need to worry too much, as he finished with a complete game shutout. His teammates scored first runs in the first inning and they kept increasing their lead until they ended up with 8 runs. Hroši’s top of the order earned 8 out of 13 hits.
The second game was a battle of two young pitchers. It went better for home Matěj Netopilík, who allowed only one run in five innings. Vasko Kolev on Eagles mound remained two more innings, however, Hroši scored 6 runs against him. Hroši outhit their opponent 9 to 4, but they also made more errors (4 against 3). Eagles lost again, and they showed their form outside is not as stable as at home. After winning two, Hroši solidified their first place.
Sokol Hluboká – Třebíč Nuclears 8-7 (F/10)
Until the bottom of the eighth inning it looked like Třebíč would get another win against Sokol. Visitors from Vysočina were able to score 5 runs against Takumune Ichige. On the other hand, Jeffrey Barto had a good start, where he didn’t allow any runs in 5 innings. Filip Kollmann then kept his opponents scoreless for 2 more innings. However, the bottom half of the fifth inning started with visitors’ error which kickstarted home offense. Sokol scored 3 runs against Kollmann and Nuclears substituted him for Lukáš Pacal. Matěj Vlach welcomed the new pitcher with a successful 2 RBI hit and the game was suddenly tied.
We had to wait until the 10th inning to see the winner. First, Jake Rabinowitz gave Třebíč a 7-5 lead. However, Sokol took the win back in the bottom half of the inning. First they loaded the bases without an out for Třebíč to play out at first base. Camden Vasquez walked and visitors only had 1 run lead. Martin Mužík came into batting box after Vasquez and he got the ball in play after another Nuclears error, ensuring Hluboká’s walk-off win.
Draci Brno – Arrows Ostrava 8-9
Not even 13 strikeouts Draci pitchers had was enough to get them win against Ostrava. Home team also walked 11 players, 8 of which were given by starter Juan Jaime. That’s why we could see the scored tied at 7-7 after eight innings, which promised an interesting finish. Jackson Solarte didn’t start the inning well as he walked Jakub Grepl. After out on Gřeš he walked Daniel Černý and Draci decided to substitute him for David Mergans. He was welcomed by Jakub Kubica‘s RBI single and Arrows took the lead. A few moments later Jakub Malík increased it by another run.
Home team had to score two runs to tie the game. In the end they weren’t far. First Arrows helped by with an error, which meant a run scored. Draci loaded the bases with one out and Beiker Mendoza went to the batting box. However, Boris Bokaj striked out Venezuelan and after Jakub Hajtmar’s hit Arrows played an important third out. Arrows beat Draci for the second time in the season and overtook their opponent in Extraliga table. After losing 8th game, Draci are headed for the worst record they ever had in the regular season.
Tempo Praha – Technika Brno 2-3 and 3-8
The first game between Tempo and Technika was a good pitching duel for several innings. Both Daulton Barry and Adonai Gutierrez had their best games of the season. That’s why the score was tied at 0-0 after seven innings. Technika was able to score in the eighth inning, taking 3 run lead. Tempo suddenly only had one inning to at least tie. And Prague team started the inning well. First, Marek Minařík got on base, for Martin Červinka to blast a homerun. However, Daniel Mráz threw three strikeouts afterwards and gave Technika important win.
Technika was clearly in a good mood after the win as they continued into the second game of a doubleheader. Brno took the lead at the very beginning and they didn’t let it go till the end. Radek Burian allowed only one run in 5 innings and Technika bullpen with duo Dominik Polgár and Daniel Just continued the trend. Technika won over Tempo for the second time, snatching the series for themselves. Furthermore, they are now closing in on TOP 6, being 1 win behind.
Regular Season
| # | Team | W | L | T | PCT | GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HRO Hroši | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 0 | |
| 2 | EAG Eagles | 9 | 6 | 0 | .600 | 1.5 | |
| 3 | HLU Hluboká | 7 | 6 | 1 | .536 | 2.5 | |
| 3 | NUC Nuclears | 8 | 7 | 0 | .533 | 2.5 | |
| 5 | ARR Arrows | 6 | 7 | 1 | .464 | 3.5 | |
| 6 | DRA Draci | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 4 | |
| 7 | TEC Technika | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 5 | |
| 7 | TEM Tempo | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 5 | |
