The Hares head off to take on the Mariners, who have won the Central and East Asia Division a record 5 times, and made the playoff 6 times. Their last division win came in 2053, and they’ve struggled since - failing to come above 12th. This year they sit in 3rd however, with a very good record of 69-55 as they look to return to the playoffs.
Game 1
SP: Jonathan Baca
The Singapore Mariners faced a tough opponent in Sheffield pitcher Jonathan Baca, but found a way to pull out the victory by a final score of 3-2 in 10 innings, in yet another close game for Sheffield fans. Baca went 7 innings and allowed 2 runs, but a spluttering offence meant that wasn’t enough to stop Singapore winning their 7th in a row.
Vietnamese Hieu Thach delivered a run-scoring ground out in the bottom of the tenth to win it for the Mariners. For the game, Thach drove in one run.
Player of the game: Jonathan Baca
Game 2
SP: Giobbe Marinello
The Sheffield Mountain Hares faced a tough opponent in Burman pitcher Hai Phang, but did just enough to pull out the victory by a final score of 5-4. Phang went 5 innings and allowed 1 run while Giobbe Marinello allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts in 6 innings of work. Enosa bagged his first save of the season. Jesus Morales led the way offensively for the Hares with 4 total bases, while Perez upped his RBI total to 109, a new Sheffield single-season record.
It could have been a different outcome for Sheffield, had it not been for Jose Garay, the 31-year old third baseman . Garay contributed a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning to put Sheffield up, 4-3.
The Mountain Hares, at 66-61, sit in 8th place in the Europe, Africa & Asia Europe.
Player of the game: Hai Phang
Game 3
The Sheffield Mountain Hares had to overcome another good Mariners pitching performance, this time from Cameroonian pitcher Wanjala Bagaza, to claim a 2-1 win. Bagaza went an impressive 8.1 innings and allowed only 2 runs. Nestor Barrios earned the save for Sheffield, his 20th of the year.
Jose Garay had the most important play again, contributing a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning to put Sheffield up, 2-1.
The win gives Sheffield the series win, and ups their record to 67-61.
