Seoul Crabs at Sheffield Mountain Hares (25th to 27th August, 2059)
Logos: SC by @low, SMH by @20-range
Team Profile: Seoul Crabs
Banners: Central & East Asia Champions (2041)
Playoff appearances: 3
Last season: 16th
Current record: 11-7
The Crabs had their worst divisional position since the start of the WBL last season, when they came 16th in the Central & East Asia Division. They’ve started this year on a heater however, hanging around near the top of the division.
Game 1
SP: Alois Herzog
Canadian Bill Edwards left his imprint on the 6-2 Seoul win against the Sheffield Mountain Hares. Edwards, who signed a 4-year contract worth $148m in January, went 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 singles. American Tyler Sansone worked 6 innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, while striking out 3 and walking 1. The Hares struggled across the board as Herzog was taken off after 4.1 innings, having given up 3 runs, while the offense managed only 5 hits. Rob Graham did manage a walk, but continued his disappointing start to the season going 0-2 at the plate, his average now sits at .158, the Hares hope he’ll be out of this slump soon, having had high hopes for his sophomore season.
Player of the game: Bill Edwards
Game 2
SP: Mototomi Motoyanagi
The less said about the Hares’ 5-0 loss in game 2 the better from a Hares perspective. Motoyanagi can’t be completely blamed, though he did give up 4 runs in 6 innings. Essentially, you’re never going to win if your batters can’t score runs, and although the Hares did manage 9 hits, they couldn’t bring anyone home. The 6’6 American, Mike Race, took over in the second inning and proceeded to blast balls past the entire Sheffield lineup again and again, giving up no runs in 6.2 innings. Whenever he looked in trouble, he pulled some magic out the bag.
Player of the game: Mike Race
Game 3
SP: Isaac Saville
Sheffield first baseman Abdul-Karim bin Jameel had 7 RBI while helping his team defeat the Seoul Crabs, 14-5 as they took the series. Isaac Saville allowed 4 runs on 6 hits, with no walks and 7 strikeouts over 5 innings, before Draghici and Kim gave up only 1 more over 4 innings. The highlight came with Sheffield leading 7-4 in the bottom of the sixth when bin Jameel hit a fastball from Huang-fu Kung for a grand slam home run, sending the home crowd into rapturous applause and singing. It was his 1st home run of the season and put the Mountain Hares ahead, 11-4, as Sheffield pulled away. Bin Jameel now leads the team in RBI, with 12, ahead of Rutz with 11.
Player of the game: Abdul Karim bin Jameel
Sheffield Mountain Hares record: 11-10