Game of the week - Kankaanpää v Raahe


Kankaanpään Maila v Pattijoen Urheilijat, Raahe
9th July 2019

After the short break, both teams hope to start the second half of the season with a win. Just before the break Raahe beat Kempeleen Kiri for 3 points as Kankaanpään Maila beat Alajärven Ankkurit also for 3. Only 1 point separates the two teams who are both jostling for a playoff spot. 

Raahe 1st 1A
Jere Achren made a perfect start running the bases and eventually scoring off Juuso Keski-Koukkari hit, beating the ball to home due to a KaMa over throw. Raahe were unable to get anything else going in the inning as Timo Kallio was out at home attempting off Juuso Keski-Koukkari’s hit to centre field. Timo Hanhisalo’s misdirected hit straight to the KaMa shortstop saw Jan Hankala out at second base to close out the inning.

KaMa 1st 1T
Niko J Korhonen’s dramatic dive to third just beat out the throw, but he was unable to reach home off Arttu Ruuska as the throw was comfortably caught by Topi kosonen for the out. Miikka Riikonen’s hit to right field gave Mikko Pauna just enough time to cross the line at home plate. Sadly Miikka Riikonen was unable to reach first base and was recorded as the second out. Teemu Utunen’s lazy hit to centre infield was easily thrown to home to put out Jouni Itävalo.

Raahe 1st 2A
Raahe struggled to get runners beyond first base in the second as Timo Kallio was out at third base, Miikka Matikka was out at second and Harri Kolehmainen couldn’t beat the throw to second from Marko Nikula’s hit directly to the fielder between first and second.

KaMa 1st 2T 
A misfield from Raahe in the infield allowed Niko J Korhonen and Mikko Pauna to reach second and first respectively, but Niko J Korhonen was out stumbling from second when Topias Lilja was at the plate. Topias Lilja managed to move Mikko Pauna to second base and reach first himself, but Arttu Ruuska’s hit directly to second base saw himself and Topias Lilja out on a double play to end the inning. (Photograph from Kankaanpään Maila Facebook (c) Kankaanpään Maila 2019)

Raahe 1st 3A
Miikka Matikka was unable to bring Jere Achren to third base as his bouncing hit failed to clear the KaMa right shortstop. Jari Törmänen failed to register a fair hit and was out on strikes to leave the bases loaded. Raahe’s closest chance for a run came when Juuso Keski-Koukkari’s hit to shallow right field, some good fielding from KaMa saw the throw to the pitcher arrive ahead of a diving Timo Kallio for the final out. The score remained 1-1.

KaMa 1st 3T
KaMa failed to generate anything in the 3rd inning with Jouni Itävalo, Toni Pomell and Teemu Utunen being run out at second base from very soft hits that seemed to go straight to the Raahe fielders.

Raahe 1st 4A
Raahe had plenty of plate appearances in the final inning, but after Timo Hanhisalo was out on strikes Teemu Juntunen was caught with Harri Kolehmainen and Marko Nikula to leave the bases empty. Jere Achren was out failing to register a fair hit and make it 2 outs in the inning. It looked like another scoreless frame until Jari Törmänen’s well placed hit in mid right field split the fielders and brought Timo Kallio home to score and take the lead 1-2. Raahe’s final out came as Juuso Keski-Koukkari tried to move Jari Törmänen to second from a somewhat anti-climactic bouncing hit directly to the Kama

KaMa 1st 4T
Niko J Korhonen reached second vase off Mikko Pauna’s hit whilst Mikko Pauna was out attempting to reach first. Kari Kellokoski struck out to leave KaMa only one out away from losing the first jakso. Jouni Itävalo’s line drive to left field was easily handled and thrown to third, beating Niko J Korhonen for the final out. 

Overview
A tight first jakso with both sides unable to get much going. The difference in the inning was Raahe’s 4th inning where Jari Törmänen brought Timo Kallio home to score. Raahe won the jakso 1-2.


KaMa 2nd 1A
Mikko Pauna was narrowly beaten to first with a throw from the centre infield for the first out of the inning. Arttu Ruuska was KaMa’s greatest threat as he sat at 3rd base for the best part of the inning. Unfortunately he was run down reaching for home off Miikka Riikonen’s hit by Raahe’s 3rd baseman as he ran onto the short ball down the right foul line. In the end a soft hit directly to the Raahe infield was thrown to home base with plenty of time to see Teemu Utunen out.

Raahe 2nd 1T
Raahe got straight to business in the first inning and lead-off hitter Jere Achren scored off Jan Hankala’s home run (kunniajuoksu) to make it 0-2. After Timo Kallio and Miikka Matikka were haava (caught running), Jari Törmänen drove Jan Hankala home with an unexpected tap shot short of first base. Harri Kolehmainen recorded the first out for Raahe moving the point runner to second. Juuso Keski-Koukkari drove in the fourth run of the inning but stuttered and returned to home to avoid being thrown out at first. Marko Nikula ventured from third base only to be declared out as Juuso Keski-Koukkari took another strike. The inning ended after Jere Achren had hit a double, only to be run down diving for third base off Timo Kallio’s hit to the infield.

KaMa 2nd 2A
KaMa seemed flat going into the second jakso and Niko J Korhonen and Mikko Pauna were out running to second early in the inning. The final out came shortly after, as Teemu Utunen was out at second when the ball was easily collected by the Raahe shortstop and thrown to second base.

Raahe 2nd 2T
Jan Hankala made it to third base in the second inning, but couldn’t be brought home to extend Raahe’s lead. Miikka Matikka failed to record a hit and was out on strikes for the first out. Eventually Jan Hankala was beaten by the long throw from deep left field for the out. The final out came as Timo Hanhisalo was havva on third strike.

KaMa 2nd 3A
Mikko Pauna managed to run the bases in the third inning and was able to score as Kari Kellokoski’s looping hit to centre field gave enough time for him to run home and beat the throw, the score was now 1-4. KaMa’s first out came as Miikka Riikonen’s hit found the glove of Raahe’s shortstop. With runners loading the bases, KaMa had the opportunity to score and bring the game back under control, only Topias Lilja was out thanks to a diving pick up and throw front Raahe’s first baseman, then Arttu Ruuska was out shortly after as  the ball rolled to Raahe’s shortstop between first and second base for an easy throw to home.

Raahe 2nd 3T
Things started to get loose from KaMa in the third inning as Marko Nikula and both Timo Hanhisalo reached first from walks. Despite Timo Hanhisalo making it to third base off a wild throw to second base, Juuso Keski-Koukkari was ruled out at second off what originally appeared to be a home run (kunniajuoksu) to end the inning. 

KaMa 2nd 4A
The first 5 batsmen for KaMa were all caught (haava) and the offence only really started when Topias Lilja got to second base thanks to Arttu Ruuska who was himself out on strikes. Topias Lilja however was out moments later at third base as the long throw across the infield from near first base beat the dive. With 2 outs KaMa managed to drive Kari Kellokoski home as Petteri Kortelainen’s hit through centre field just cleared the shortstop. The rally was however cut short as Miikka Riikonen’s seeming miss-hit left Petteri Kortelainen stranded between first and second to end the inning and the match. 


Overview
Overall Raahe were the better team, but both sides seemed to record outs from hits that went straight to fielders and generally there was a lack of zip at bat. Raahe now have more of a cushion within the top 8, whereas Kankaanpää will be disappointed that they couldn’t capitalise on the chances they had to at least take a point from the game.
Score - 0-2 (0-4, 2-4) to Raahe
Stats
- https://pesislive.fi/#gamePage?id=B2RVuK 
Up next for Kankaanpää - Vimpelin Veto (11.07.2019) 

Up next for Raahe -  Hyvinkään Tahko (12.07.2019)

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