Joensuun Maila v Vimpelin Veto - round 2

A victorious Joensuu address the sell out crowd
Photograph from Joensuu Facebook (c) Joensuun Maila 2019
Semi finals review


Joensuun Maila (4) 2 v 0 Vimpelin Veto (1)
2-0 (6-1, 5-4)
Prediction: In our preview we struggled to pick a winner for this series, ultimately plumping for Vimpeli 3-2. With JoMa now 2-0 up in the series, the next game is a must win for Vimpeli to keep their post season hopes alive.
Vimpeli came up short in the game as JoMa dominated defensively
Photograph from Joensuu Facebook (c) Joensuun Maila 2019
Summary: Joensuu head to Vimpeli with the wind in their sails, knowing that victory will secure their place in this year’s final. The home crowd of 3145 packed out the stadium and created a daunting atmosphere for the visitors. Vimpeli were truly beaten in this game and they will need to show some of the resilience and spirit that they displayed in the regular season, if they want to keep this series alive, when they return for game 3 on 31st August. Joensuu opened the scoring in the first jakso with Juha Niemi’s hit bringing Tuomas Jussila home in the top of the 1st inning. JoMa would score 2 more runs before Vimpeli could put runs on the board, thanks to Aleksi Rautiainen and Juha Niemi in the 2nd inning. Perttu Ruuska’s run in the bottom of the 2nd inning sparked life into the Vimpeli offence, but Janne Mäkelä and Viljo Sillanpää failed to bring runners home safely from 3rd base. In the 4th inning Lauri Kivinen scored a 2 run kunniajuoksu to put the jakso firmly in Joensuu’s hands, 5-1. Aleksi Rautiainen made it 6 for Joensuu in the 4th inning, but Vimpeli faded and were unable to respond. Joensuu won the first jakso with a dominant 6-1 score line.

In the second jakso Joensuu showed no signs of letting up and Aleksi Rautiainen picked up where he left off by scoring the team’s first run before Henri Litmanen and Lauri Kivinen made it 3-0 in the bottom of the 1st. Things went from bad to worse for Vimpeli as Joensuu added to their tally in the bottom of the 2nd inning thanks to Juha Niemi bringing Konsta Kettunen home, now bringing the score to 4-0. Going into the 3rd inning of the second jakso Vimpeli had been held to only 1 run compared to Joensuu’s 10. Hope came for the visitors in the form of a 2 run kunniajuoksu from Mikko Kanala, but tensions showed as Perttu Ruuska was unable to bring him home from 3rd base. Despite this setback, Vimpeli scored again in the 3rd inning as Sami Haapakoski made it across home base thanks to Janne Mäkelä’s hit. With just 1 run now separating the two teams, Joensuu took to the plate and extended their lead by another run as Henri Litmanen scored a kunniajuoksu. Down to the final inning Vimpeli came up short and were unable to overcome Joensuu’s lead, despite Viljo Sillanpää scoring a consolation run.


JoMa celebrate as they wrap up game 2 with a big win over Vimpeli
Photograph from Joensuu Facebook (c) Joensuun Maila 2019
Joensuu dominated the game, with a significantly better percentage at moving the point runner, 60% compared to Vimpeli’s 43%) and having 20 3rd base situations compared to Vimpeli’s 12. Everyone performed up and down the lineup for Joensuu, but Henri Litmanen had a particularly good game, with key statistics in all situations - 2/2 to 1st base, 2/2 at moving runners to 3rd, 2/3 at scoring runners from 3rd and running home 3 times (including his kunniajuoksu). Mikko Kanala performed well for Vimpeli, with 80% overall percentage at moving the point runner, along with going 2/2 and scoring a kunniajuoksu. Sadly, the team that usually has glowing numbers up and down the lineup was somewhat dulled by a sharp JoMa defence in the game, with their most hurtful statistic being that they only succeeded at reaching 1st base 6 times out of 21. Big name and East v West all star Perttu Ruuska had a torrid time, being 1/6 overall opposed to his usual high success rate at converting runners from 3rd base. Joensuu have a dominant lead in the series and look to have broken Vimpeli’s spirit; it is all or nothing for Vimpeli now as they are confronted with the prospect of being swept by Joensuu for consecutive years in the semi finals. Vimpeli will have to dig deep and show the kind of spirit that they showed in the regular season if they are to beat the seemingly rampant Joensuu.

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