Vimpelin Veto v Joensuun Maila - round 3

It’s deja vu all over again as Joensuu sweep Vimpeli for the second consecutive season in a semi final
Photograph from Joensuu Facebook (c) Joensuun Maila 2019

Semi finals review

Vimpelin Veto (1) 0 v 3 Joensuun Maila (4)

1-2k (0-2, 5-3, 0-0, 1-2)

Prediction: In our preview we struggled to pick a winner for this series, ultimately plumping for Vimpeli 3-2. Sadly for the league leaders, this was not to be their year and they have been bested by the reigning champions for the second year running in the semi final. So we didn’t predict this one correctly at all - wrong winner and by a sweep! Well when you actually look at the games individually they could have been won by either team if only one little thing had gone their way; but who lives in a world of “if only’s”?

Tuomas Jussila slides into 1st base in a game of tight margins
Photograph from Joensuu Facebook (c) Joensuun Maila 2019

Summary: This was an epic series; despite the fact that it was a clean sweep by Joensuu, the games themselves were actually very close and 2 went down to a kotiutuskilpailu. Joensuu will advance to the final, whilst Vimpeli will have to settle for competing for the bronze medal position. Joensuu kept Vimpeli scoreless in the first jakso, but they only managed to score 2 runs themselves. Juha Niemi opened the jakso with a run batted in during the 1st inning. The visitors had to wait until the 4th inning until Aleksi Rautiainen brought Tuomas Jussila home to double Joensuu’s lead. The second jakso was more eventful and Vimpeli worked out a 5 run lead with runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Janne Mäkelä brought home 3 of the runners (2 in the 2nd and 1 in the 3rd) with Matias Rinta-aho and Elmeri Anttila making up the other runs. Despite their efforts, Joensuu could not salvage the jakso and fell short, scoring 3 runs in response. Juha Niemi’s shot brought Samuel Tirkkonen home in the 3rd inning and Aleksi Rautiainen brought home Tuomas Jussila and Henri Litmanen in the 3rd and 4th innings respectively. With the game being 1 jakso apiece, the game went to a supervuoro with elimination from the playoffs on the line for Vimpeli.

The supervuoro was a close run thing, but neither side could gain the upper hand and the matter went to a kotiutuskilpailu for the second time in the series. Joensuu started the kotiutuskilpailu with 3 failed attempts from superstars Juha Puhtimäki, Juha Niemi and Aleksi Rautiainen all failing to bring home their running partners. Lauri Kivinen kept the game alive for Joensuu as his hit brought Konsta Kettunen home. Henri Litmanen made it 0-2 to throw down the gauntlet for Vimpeli, who needed to score twice in order to keep their championship dreams alive. Perttu Ruuska scored in Vimpeli’s 2nd pairing to give the home fans some confidence, but the following 3 pairs all failed to score, leaving vimpeli a run short. Vimpeli lost the game in yet another dramatic game against last years champions and will have to settle for a stake in playing for 3rd place in the Bronze series against the loser of Sotkamo v KPL series. 

Juha Puhtimäki celebrates as Vimpeli’s offence stumbles
Photograph from Joensuu Facebook (c) Joensuun Maila 2019

Joensuu will be ecstatic to be back in the final with momentum on their side to try and retain their title. Juha Puhtimäki featured for Joensuu with 5/6 overall and setting up runners in scoring position 3/3 (to 3rd base). Most of Joensuu’s runs came at the hands of Aleksi Rautiainen who was 3/7, but the team combined for 5/15, showing how they struggled to pull away from Vimpeli despite having more 3rd base situations (16 compared to Vimpeli’s 10). Joensuu’s overall percentage at moving the point runner was an average 51%; however they did enough to take the game to a supervuoro and then a kotiutuskilpailu. Vimpeli’s percentage at moving the point runner was little better than Joensuu’s (52%) which showed how tight the game was overall. Despite having fewer 3rd base situations, Vimpeli scored the same amount of runs as Joensuu, with Janne Mäkelä taking 3/4 from 3rd base to home. It was a poor day for Perttu Ruuska, who was 3/8 overall and failed both times to bring runners home from 3rd. Ruuska did score in the kotiutuskilpailu; however his lack of production in the game was sorely missed and Joensuu did a good enough job at keeping him ineffective in the game as a joker. With the series now over Joensuu will start to look towards their second consecutive final and wonder who they will face; will it will be KPL (last years runners-up) or Sotkamo (the team with the most championships in the Superpesis era).