Division leaders Moscow Blizzard head to Sheffield with a 66-36 record, flying high atop the European Division in what will surely be the second year in a row they make the playoffs.
Game 1
Kolya Saetgaliev led the Sheffield Mountain Hares to a great 8-3 win over the Moscow Blizzard. The Sheffield left fielder was a force of nature. He banged out 3 extra-base hits, including 2 home runs and 1 double. The 12th-place Mountain Hares now have a record of 50-53, as close to .500 as they’ve been for a long while.
Chase Clem had a big 2-run double for the Mountain Hares in the bottom of the fourth inning. With Sheffield leading 1-0 and runners on 1st and 2nd, he got a fastball from 31-year old left-handed pitcher Tariq Kafele and swatted a double to right-center. It was his 16th double of the season, and more importantly, it put the Mountain Hares ahead, 3-0, a deficit the Blizzard never recovered from. A great start to the series against one of the very top WBL teams this season.
Player of the game: Kolya Saetgaliev
Game 2
SP: Mototomi Motoyanagi
Moscow left fielder, the Austrian superstar Florian Margreiter was on form as the Blizzard took game 2 of the series 10-4. Margreiter, who is on pace to hit a massive 59 home runs this season, went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored to lead the offensive attack for the Blizzard. Moscow starter Josh Peters got the win and is now tied for 8th in the EAA in wins with 11. Saetgaliev was Sheffield’s best player, hitting a 3-run homer in the fourth off Peters. Mototomo Motoyanagi lasted only 1.1 innings before getting pulled, having given up 5 runs.
Player of the game: Florian Margreiter
Game 3
SP: Yushua bin Saqr
Yushua bin Saqr was locked in. The left-hander led the Sheffield Mountain Hares to a 7-3 win as fans went wild following a series win against the top team in the division. The Mountain Hares got a big at-bat from left fielder Kolya Saetgaliev, who is on top form. Saetgaliev was 1-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs. There were also home runs for Willie Perez, Rob Graham - who continues to impress in his rookie season - and Mario Maldonado, his first in the WBL.
