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dinosauryoshi · 11-18-2025, 07:43 PM

Athens Philosophers at Sheffield Mountain Hares - Series Recap

Logo by @20_range

Game 1
Friday, June 25th, 2060

The Mountain Hares opened the set with an emphatic 11–3 win, riding a barrage of extra-base hits to blow past Athens at Kingfisher Park. After the Philosophers scratched out an early run, Kolya Saetgaliev answered in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer off E. Zepeda, setting the tone for the night. Saetgaliev later added a run-scoring triple and finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while R. Graham and N. Ngunda chipped in two hits apiece.

The knockout punch came in the sixth. Leading 5–2 and facing reliever Detlev Hoover with the bases loaded, Espen Aas drilled a grand slam to right for his 14th home run of the year, stretching the lead to 9–2. Athens managed 11 hits but stranded 10 runners; A. Wakil had two doubles and drove in two.

Isaac Saville was sharp on the mound, allowing just two runs on five hits over 6.1 innings, with U. Bercovici closing out the final 2.2 frames.

Player of the Game: Kolya Saetgaliev (SHM)

⸻
Game 2
Saturday, June 26th, 2060

Sheffield clinched the series with a 4–1 victory behind an elite performance from center fielder Nsen Ngunda, whose three-hit day and sixth-inning solo homer were the difference. His long ball off R. Lewis made it 4–1, providing needed insurance for a Hares pitching staff that repeatedly escaped trouble.

Athens threatened in the seventh, trailing 4–1 with runners on first and second and one out, but J. Starke induced a pop-up before D. Hoover ended the inning with a strikeout. A. Wakil doubled and tripled for the Philosophers, but they again struggled to convert chances, leaving nine men stranded.

Rey Ochoa improved to 3–0, working 5.2 innings of one-run ball while striking out four. Sheffield’s bullpen trio of U. Bercovici, L. Zhang, and N. Barrios combined for 3.1 scoreless frames to lock it down.

Player of the Game: Nsen Ngunda (SHM)

⸻
Game 3
Sunday, June 27th, 2060

The Mountain Hares completed the sweep in convincing fashion, rolling to a 7–1 win behind a masterful outing from Yushua bin Saqr. The left-hander threw eight shutout innings, scattering five hits and striking out six without allowing Athens a foothold. A. Sandoval handled the final inning.

On offense, power was the theme. S. Rutz homered twice off M. Reynolds—once in the first and again in the fifth—while Espen Aas added his 16th home run in the fourth. J. Morales and A. Koehler each added two-run shots late, pushing the game out of reach and giving Sheffield four home runs on the afternoon.

Athens managed a lone run off the bullpen but never seriously threatened against bin Saqr’s command and sequencing.

Player of the Game: Yushua bin Saqr (SHM)

⸻
Series Summary

Sheffield swept the Philosophers in dominant fashion, outscoring them 22–5 across the three games. The offense delivered 11, 4, and 7 runs, powered by homers from Espen Aas, S. Rutz, Kolya Saetgaliev, Nsen Ngunda, J. Morales, and A. Koehler. On the mound, Isaac Saville, Rey Ochoa, and Yushua bin Saqr combined for 20.2 innings and just four earned runs. The Mountain Hares improve to 40–37, tightening their grip on a winning record as the season’s halfway point approaches.

11-18-2025, 07:43 PM	#190
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 405	Athens Philosophers at Sheffield Mountain Hares - Series Recap Logo by @20_range Game 1 Friday, June 25th, 2060 The Mountain Hares opened the set with an emphatic 11–3 win, riding a barrage of extra-base hits to blow past Athens at Kingfisher Park. After the Philosophers scratched out an early run, Kolya Saetgaliev answered in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer off E. Zepeda, setting the tone for the night. Saetgaliev later added a run-scoring triple and finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while R. Graham and N. Ngunda chipped in two hits apiece. The knockout punch came in the sixth. Leading 5–2 and facing reliever Detlev Hoover with the bases loaded, Espen Aas drilled a grand slam to right for his 14th home run of the year, stretching the lead to 9–2. Athens managed 11 hits but stranded 10 runners; A. Wakil had two doubles and drove in two. Isaac Saville was sharp on the mound, allowing just two runs on five hits over 6.1 innings, with U. Bercovici closing out the final 2.2 frames. Player of the Game: Kolya Saetgaliev* (SHM)* ⸻ Game 2 Saturday, June 26th, 2060 Sheffield clinched the series with a 4–1 victory behind an elite performance from center fielder Nsen Ngunda, whose three-hit day and sixth-inning solo homer were the difference. His long ball off R. Lewis made it 4–1, providing needed insurance for a Hares pitching staff that repeatedly escaped trouble. Athens threatened in the seventh, trailing 4–1 with runners on first and second and one out, but J. Starke induced a pop-up before D. Hoover ended the inning with a strikeout. A. Wakil doubled and tripled for the Philosophers, but they again struggled to convert chances, leaving nine men stranded. Rey Ochoa improved to 3–0, working 5.2 innings of one-run ball while striking out four. Sheffield’s bullpen trio of U. Bercovici, L. Zhang, and N. Barrios combined for 3.1 scoreless frames to lock it down. Player of the Game: Nsen Ngunda* (SHM)* ⸻ Game 3 Sunday, June 27th, 2060 The Mountain Hares completed the sweep in convincing fashion, rolling to a 7–1 win behind a masterful outing from Yushua bin Saqr. The left-hander threw eight shutout innings, scattering five hits and striking out six without allowing Athens a foothold. A. Sandoval handled the final inning. On offense, power was the theme. S. Rutz homered twice off M. Reynolds—once in the first and again in the fifth—while Espen Aas added his 16th home run in the fourth. J. Morales and A. Koehler each added two-run shots late, pushing the game out of reach and giving Sheffield four home runs on the afternoon. Athens managed a lone run off the bullpen but never seriously threatened against bin Saqr’s command and sequencing. Player of the Game: Yushua bin Saqr* (SHM)* ⸻ Series Summary Sheffield swept the Philosophers in dominant fashion, outscoring them 22–5 across the three games. The offense delivered 11, 4, and 7 runs, powered by homers from Espen Aas, S. Rutz, Kolya Saetgaliev, Nsen Ngunda, J. Morales, and A. Koehler. On the mound, Isaac Saville, Rey Ochoa, and Yushua bin Saqr combined for 20.2 innings and just four earned runs. The Mountain Hares improve to 40–37, tightening their grip on a winning record as the season’s halfway point approaches. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here Last edited by dinosauryoshi; 11-18-2025 at 07:51 PM.