Around the league 23rd to 25th July 2019


Around the league
23rd to 25th July 2019 

Hyvinkään Tahko v Kankaanpään Maila 23rd July 2019
1-2k (12-2, 0-2, 0-0, 1-2)
Photograph taken from KaMa Facebook (c) Kankaanpään Maila 2019

Tahko came to the game with 3 wins out of the last 5, having suffered losses at the hands of Vimpeli and JoMa, who are on outstanding form, but their best result recently was a win over KPL. Kankaanpää have had just 2 wins from 5, both at the hands of relegation candidates Siilinjärvi and Koskenkorva. Kankaanpää had just nipped 8th place at the end of last week and were hoping to hold this with a few points here and there.

Tahko started the first jakso with a bang with runs from Teemu Nikkanen and Santtu Patova (2) to make it 3-0. Santtu’s hit was narrowly missed by a diving shortstop across the midfield line only to be missed by Kankaanpää’s 2 outfielders, allowing Kalle-Tapio Huusko and Juha Korhonen to score. Kankaanpää managed to reduce the deficit with Mikko Pauna scoring off Kari Kellokoski in the first, while Tahko’s pitcher threw the ball to 3rd base instead to get the easy out. With the bases empty and 2 outs in the 2nd inning, Tahko then went on to score 2 unanswered runs with hits from Juha Korhonen (which sent 3 fielder’s flying before being stopped) and Roni Wahl. In the 3rd inning Tahko scored twice more with Teemu Rouhiainen just beating the long throw from right field off Kalle-Tapio Huusko’s hit and Juha Korhonen bringing Patrik Vartama home to give them a 7-1 lead. Petteri Kortelainen’ hit in the 3rd inning game Kankaanpää their 2nd run of the jakso, but it was all too little too late as Tahko came to put this one out of reach in the 4th inning with Juha Korhonen scoring a 4 run home run (kunniajuoksu) with a sharp hit past 3rd base. Roni Wahl capped off the inning with Tahko’s 12th run Tahko won the jakso 12-2.

After dominating in the first jakso, Tahko seemed to be a totally different team in the second jakso and simply could not get runs on the board. Tahko had only 5 plays from 3rd base to move the runner and failed in each one, compared to their first jakso record of 12 runs from 15 plays. In the 1st inning Kankaanpää scored with Joona Anttila bringing Mikko Pauna home at a stroll as his hit bounded over the infield. Kankaanpää’s 2nd run on the jakso came in the 3rd inning when Toni Powell’s hit to the left field shortstop was thrown just wide which caused the Tahko pitcher to run and try and field the ball, only for Joona Anttila to slide towards him and make it safely home. 2 runs was all it took fro Kankaanpää to take the jakso and force the supervuoro.

Photograph taken from KaMa Facebook (c) Kankaanpään Maila 2019
In the supervuoro neither side could mount much offence and neither side came close to scoring; the game was then to be decided by a scoring contest (kotiutuskilpailu). In the scoring contest Tahko batted first and Juha Korhonen was able to open the contest with a run as the nerves seemed to get the better of the KaMa shortstop who spun round in an effort to quickly throw the ball to home, only to drop it. The next 4 efforts by Tahko were defeated by KaMa to leave the very beatable target of 1 run. Kankaanpää scored twice in 3 attempts to finish the game, with runs from Jouni Itävalo and Petteri Kortelainen

The game was an absolute thriller and really highlights the significance of the format of the game. Tahko outscored Kankaanpää 13-6 (including the scoring contest) but still lost. Tahko do take a point from the game and in reality their place in the top 8 is not in too much peril as they are 18 points ahead of 9th place. For Kankaanpää the result gives them an edge over the teams jostling for the last playoff spot, but there is still a long way to go before they can claim they are safe.


Elsewhere in the league
Seinäjoen JymyJussit v Alajärven Ankkurit 23rd July 2019
2-0 (4-2, 2-0)

Kempeleen Kiri v Vimpelin Veto 23rd July 2019
0-2 (5-6, 1-9)

Koskenkorvan Urheilijat v Pattijoen Urheilijat, Raahe 23rd July 2019
0-1 (4-11, 2-2)

Siilinjärven Pesis v Kiteen Pallo -90 24th July 2019
0-2 (4-6, 1-5)

Sotkamon Jymy v Kouvolan Pallonlyöjät 24th July 2019
2-1k (1-2, 8-1, 1-1, 3-2)

Joensuun Maila v Imatra Pallo-Veikot 25th July 2019
2-0 (8-2, 6-5)

Kankaanpään Maila v Seinäjoen JymyJussit 25th July 2019
0-2 (5-7, 4-9)

Pattijoen Urheilijat, Raahe v Koskenkorvan Urheilijat 25th July 2019

2-0 (4-2, 6-0)

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