Porto Alegre Winemakers at Sheffield Mountain Hares (1st - 4th May, 2059)
Logos: SMH by @20_range
Team Profile: Porto Alegre Winemakers
Banners: South America Champions (2055)
Playoff appearances: 2
Last season: 11th
Current record: 11-13
The Winemakers are still the only team to win their division in their first year in the league, but they’ve had a couple more difficult years recently and look to be embarking on another less successful year, as they come to Sheffield for a 4 game series.
Game 1
SP: Mototomo Motoyanagi
The Porto Alegre Enólogos got a clinic of a performance from pitcher Mike Torres, but the Sheffield Mountain Hares still prevailed, 4-3, in 10 innings. Torres threw 8.0 innings of 3-hit ball. It was 2-2 going into extra innings, and the Winemakers had gone 3-2 up in the top of the tenth when the Hares got a clutch steal from Rutz, who converted it in to a run on a Padilla single before Graham had the crowd singing his name following a walk-off single. Muraguri and Morales both got their 4th homers of the season in the game, while Motoyanagi went 7 innings only giving up 1 run.
Player of the game: Mike Torres
Game 2
SP: Isaac Saville
It was another tight game in Sheffield but this time the Winemakers came out on top, 3-2, to tie the series. In another strong pitcher’s game for Porto Alegre, Jaquan Gibson went 7 innings only giving up 1 run, while Isaac Saville gave up 3 in 5 innings for the Hares. Solomon Islander Kealamauloa Kahaaheo was the hero for the Winemakers, contributing a 2-run home run in the top of the third inning to put Porto Alegre up, 3-0. The only real positive from a Hares perspective was Sergio Rutz going 3 for 4.
Player of the game: Jaquan Gibson
Game 3
SP: Yushua bin Saqr
Yet another tight game ended 3-2 with the Hares on the losing side, in a repeat of game 2. Both pitchers put in strong start, and left the game having given up 2 runs a piece in 5 innings, though Porto Alegre’s Bastian Espanca gave up less hits. It took a Maxwell Lapointe solo home run in the top of the 7th to break the deadlock, in a game that felt like it was always going to be decided by one run. Veteran first-baseman Padilla went 4 for 4 for the Hares, but failed to get any runs or RBI.
Player of the game: Bastian Espanca
Game 4
SP: Giobbe Marinello
Sheffield pulled a dominant 9-1 win out the bag to end the series as a tie. Giobbe Marinello’s went deep, giving up only 1 run in 8 innings, while Shilchegger and Marty King both impressed on offense. It was King’s first WBL appearance of the year, and he thanked Reynold’s faith in him by going 2 for 2, including 3-run home run which got the Hares offense started, putting them up 3-0 in the top of the second. Schilchegger went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI, while Su-min Kim closed the game out with an inning of unhittable pitches.
Player of the game: Giobbe Marinello
Sheffield Mountain Hares record: 14-14
