This past Saturday marked the final game day of the 2013 season for the Erbach Grasshopper HerrenTeam (Men’s Team). Pitted against the second placed Darmstadt Whippets (19-7), the Grasshoppers (14-14) dropped the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader 13-3 before picking up the win in Game 2 by a score of 9-5.
Darmstadt opened the scoring in Game 1 with 3 runs in the second inning after a leadoff walk to right fielder Andre Spies was followed by two more walks and a two run single from shortstop Daniel Bauer. A sac fly from center fielder Steffan Olschok brought home the final run of the inning.
Grasshoppers starter Yannick Schnellbacher appeared to find his groove once again in the third inning, giving up two singles before striking out the final batter. Things began to unravel for Schnellbacher again in the fourth as the Whippets scratched across 3 runs. In the 5th, a costly throwing error from catcher Sean Morash allowed three Whippets to score.
The Grasshoppers were able to mount little against Whippets starter Jan Kraft. Kraft stuck out 7 in his 6 innings of work against just 2 walks and 5 Grasshopper hits. Johann Gelhorn was 2-2 with a walk and drove in 2 of the 3 Grasshoppers who scored.
The game was called after 6 inning thanks to the 10-run rule and the final score was 13-3.
The story of Game 2 was starting pitcher and number 3 hitter Kevin Phillips. The first baseman in Game 1, Phillips pitched 6 strong innings and went 3-4. His 2-run 5th inning home run sailed high into the bushes in left field while his first inning double drove in another run.
The scoring started in the first, following a leadoff walk and Phillips’ double, another walk and a single brought home two more runs. The Grasshoppers would add two more runs each in the second, fourth and fifth innings off of Whippets starter Jason Lillebo. Lillibo surrendered 10 hits and issued three free passes.
Phillips’ pitching excellence was buoyed by double plays in the third and fifth innings. In the third, after walks to each of the first three hitters, Phillips induced a groundball to shortstop Kevin Keihl. Keihl quickly turned the double play and a flyout from the next batter ensured that just one run would score in the inning. The Whippets added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Johann Gelhorn relieved Phillips in the 7th inning for the Grasshoppers with the score 9-3. Gelhorn issued three walks in the inning, but struck out pinch hitter Daniel Bauer to finalize the 9-5 win for the Grasshoppers.
Darmstadt is scheduled to play Frankfurt in a double header this coming Sunday (Sept 8) in a matchup of two teams playing for promotion. The games on Sunday will determine the league champion with Frankfurt currently holding a 1 game lead over Darmstadt.
As for the Grasshoppers, win marks the end of the 2013 season for the Grasshoppers and ensured at least one victory over every team in the league. The .500 record marks the Grasshoppers best record since 2010 and the 14 wins are tied for the most since 2009. The team heads toward winter excited about the 2014 season and happy with the progress shown in 2013.
-Sean Morash
