Post season round 2 review
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| Joensuu celebrate as they win game 2 against Tahko Photograph from Joensuu Facebook (c) Joensuun Maila 2019 |
Postseason review: Round 2
Quarter finals
Kiteen Pallo-90 0 v 2 Vimpelin Veto
1-2k (2-5, 8-5, 0-0, 0-2)
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| Will this be Vimpeli’s year? Photograph from Vimpeli Facebook (c) Vimpelin Veto 2019 |
Prediction: At the outset we predicted that Vimpeli would win, 3 games to 0, Kitee very nearly pulled off the upset of the post season when they came back to force a supervuoro, but in the end Vimpeli were just too much and won the game in the kotiutuskilpailu.
Summary: Vimpeli’s victory only a few days ago seemed like a distant memory as Kitee gave it their all in a thrilling game 2 of the series. Vimpeli won the first jakso 2-5, with Perttu Ruuska scoring a 3 run kunniajuoksu in the 2nd inning. The second jakso however was an entirely different story as it became a tight game. Perttu Ruuska opened the scoring for Vimpeli, only for Kitee to equalise in the bottom half of the 1st inning. Sami Haapakoski added 2 runs in the second, only for the home team to come back. Sami Mikkolanaho scored all 3 early runs for Kitee to keep the jakso tied at 3-3 going into the 3rd inning. A 4 run kunniajuoksu from Valentin Ikonen put Kitee ahead for the first time in the jakso, which extended to 8-3 when Ville Liukku brought Valentin home to score. Despite 2 runs from Vimpeli in the 4th inning thanks to Janne Mäkelä, the league leaders found themselves tied 1 jakso a piece and heading for a supervuoro. After a scoreless supervuoro Vimpeli laid down a marker of 2 runs from the kotiutuskilpailu which Kitee simply could not replicate.
Vimpeli limp across the finish line to pick up a second win in the series before heading back home, but they will need to shake this performance off if they want to wrap up the series on the next occasion. Despite leading Vimpeli in runs batted in, Perttu Ruuska was 46% at moving the point runner and was 4/9 with runners on 3rd base. Vimpeli’s batting otherwise was fairly solid and there was only one other player with a percentage under 50% at moving the point runner (Elmeri Anttila 17%). The game was not so much about how Vimpeli played, but how Kitee battled on to keep themselves in with a chance to win up until the kotiutuskilpailu. Valentin Ikonen and Sami Mikkolanaho shone for Kitee, combining for 8 of the teams 9 runs batted in.
It will be interesting to see how Vimpeli approach the next game, given the fact that this win was so much harder to fight for than in game 1 of the series. Kitee have shown that they are capable of giving Vimpeli a tight game, but in order to avoid being knocked out of the postseason they will need to perform a miracle similar to the one they achieved in making the playoffs
Pattijoen Urheilijat, Raahe 0 v 2 Sotkamon Jymy
0-1 (5-5, 4-8)
Prediction: Our prediction in the preview was for Sotkamo to win, 3 games to 1. Despite a wobble from Sotkamo to tie the first jakso, game 2 was very much a run chase for Raahe, which they ultimately did not win.
Summary: Raahe showed grit in coming back to tie the first jakso at 5-5, but Sotkamo ramped it up in the second jakso to win the game. Niilo Piiponniemi and Joni Rytkönen starred for Sotkamo,with Niilo moving the point runner with 82% success and Joni 100%. One highlight from the game was Niilo Piiponniemi’s solo kunniajuoksu that signalled the start of Sotkamo’s offensive in the second jakso and gave them a lead they did not relinquish. Roope Korhonen and Lauri Rönkkö drove home 7 runs between them, but runs also came from up and down the lineup, with Antti Korhonen, Markus Tuikka, Antti Kiiskinen and Jere Vikström all bringing runners home. The top order for Sotkamo was solid and gave Raahe problems throughout the game, as all of the top 4 in the lineup had percentages of 71% and over at moving the point runner and crossed home base for a combined 12 runs.
Raahe’s statistics in the game were not too bad, but the team was just out muscled by the visitors. Whilst Jari Törmänen and Juuso Keski-Koukkari combed to bring in 5 of the team’s 7 runs in the game, they had a number of lost opportunities also, combining for 5/13 with runners on 3rd base. Sotkamo set off back home with the wind in their sails, despite the troubled waters they found themselves in in the first jakso. To stay in the competition, Raahe will have to pull of the seemingly impossible and defeat Sotkamo in 3 straight games.
Seinäjoen JymyJussit 0 v 2 Kouvolan Pallonlyöjat
0-2 (1-4, 3-4)
Prediction: We predicted that this series would be tight, but overall KPL would win, 3 games to 2. Whilst game 1 was tight, game 2 was more one sided and it now leaves Seinäjoki 1 loss away from elimination.
Summary: KPL outscored Seinäjoki 8 runs to 4 overall in the game and had good production up and down the lineup. Seinäjoki’s Jukka-Pekka Vainionpää scored 3 of the team’s 4 runs and was 67% at moving the point runner, but the team struggled overall to capitalise on their chances, going 4/11. KPL kept control in the game and Seinäjoki were never ahead in either jakso. Tommi Mäentausta went 6/7 getting to 1st base at the top of KPL’s lineup, with Antti Hartikainen batting 2nd going 9/11 overall with 2 runs batted in. The next game is a must win for Seinäjoki and they will hope to be on better form, otherwise their postseason journey will end abruptly.
Hyvinkään Tahko 0 v 2 Joensuun Maila
0-2 (5-6, 0-3)
Prediction: The preview post pegged Joensuu to win, 3 games to 1 despite their being only 1 place between the two teams in the table. Having said that, the current champions gave a spirited performance to show Tahko that they will have to pull out something special to win this series.
Summary: Joensuu won game 2 with a strong performance away from home to set them up for a home game 3 that could see them sweep the series and head to the semi-finals with confidence. Teemu Nikkanen was the stand out hero for Tahko, scoring all 5 of their runs in the game, sadly it just wasn’t enough to overcome Joensuu, who had 19 3rd base situations compared to Tahko’s 12. Tahko’s overall percentage at advancing the point runner was telling, as they were 42% compared to Joensuu’s 54%. Joensuu controlled the game and prevented Tahko from effectively using their jokers, which in turn meant that only Teemu Nikkanen scored for the home team. Joensuu showed a strong performance at the top end of their batting order, with all 4 top spots acheiving over 50% at moving the point runner. Juha Puhtimäki and Lauri Kivinen had a good day, with Puhtimäki going 4/4 at moving runners to 3rd although he failed to bring a runner home safely from 3rd from 1 attempt. Kivinen was good across the bases with 73% overall, going 1/1 to 1st base, 2/2 to 2nd base, 4/6 to 3rd base and scoring a solo kunniajuoksu. It was however Juha Niemi who provided the lions share of runs on the day, thanks to Kivinen and Puhtimäki setting up. Niemi scored 4 of the teams 9 runs and was 4/6 at advancing runners from 3rd base to home.
Elimination series
Alajärven Ankkurit 0 v 2 Siilinjärven Pesis
1-2k (1-5, 5-2, 0-0, 1-3)
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| Photograph from Siilinjärvi facebook (c) Siilinjärven Pesis 2019 |
Summary: What an effort from Alajärvi! This was a real fight for survival moment for them and sadly it didn’t come to fruition for them, as they face SiiPe away in a do-or-die elimination match on 20th August. SiiPe started the game by winning the first jakso after leaping to a 4 run lead in the 3rd inning before Alajärvi managed to score. The second jakso however was a different story and Alajärvi put runs on the board in each inning to win the jakso 5-2 and tie the game and force a supervuoro.
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