Sotkamon Jymy v Kouvolan Pallonlyöjat - round 5

Antti Kiiskinen and his teammates celebrate his game changing 2 run kunniajuoksu.
Photograph from Sotkamo Facebook (c) Sotkamon Jymy 2019

Semi finals review

Sotkamon Jymy (2) 3 v 2 Kouvolan Pallonlyöjät (3)

1-0 (1-1, 9-2)

Prediction: In our preview we suggested that the series would be tight, but Sotkamo would win 3-1. The fifth and final game in the series was close for the best part, but Sotkamo dominated midway through the second jakso. We predicted a Sotkamo win, but thought it would be a 4 game series not 5.

Roope Korhonen scored 5 runs in the game.
Photograph from Sotkamo Facebook (c) Sotkamon Jymy 2019

Summary: In the climax to this semi-final series Sotkamo came with momentum having edged KPL at home. KPL needed to keep level heads to win this series and that is what they did. The game however swung in favour of Sotkamo as threatening storm clouds brought a deluge of runs in the second jakso and put KPL to task.

KPL struck first in the first jakso with Sasu Toikka bringing leadoff man Tommi Mäentausta home to score. Sotkamo immediately responded with Joni Rytkönen’ blast seeing Jere Vikström score. The first jakso unfolded like a great chess game, with both sides manoeuvring their pieces only to be equalled by their opponents. As the jakso drew to a close, neither side could gain an advantage and for the 3rd game in the series there was a tied jakso.

Sotkamo were slick at running the bases in game 5.
Photograph from Sotkamo Facebook (c) Sotkamon Jymy 2019

The second jakso started with a little more zip, but with the same deadlock ensuing. Sotkamo kicked things off with Roope Korhonen bringing Niilo Piiponniemi round to score in the 1st inning, only for KPL to level the score in the bottom of the first off the bat of Matti Latvala. With the drizzle starting to turn into more of a downpour, Sotkamo flooded the bases with runners and piled on 5 runs in the 2nd inning. Roope Korhonen started the scoring with a well placed hit bringing Niilo Piiponniemi home. As conditions worsened, Joni Rytkönen made it home from a wild throw  To make it 3-1. The highlight of the jakso and possibly the game came when number 7 Antti Kiiskinen scored a two run kunniajuoksu, who then was himself brought home by leadoff man Niilo Piiponniemi. KPL were held scoreless until the 4th inning, by which time Roope Korhonen had scored 3 more runs, including a 2 run kunniajuoksu in the 3rd inning. With the game all but over, KPL were faced with a mammoth 8 run deficit to overcome in the 4th inning. Despite Toni Laakso bringing leadoff man Tommi Mäentausta home to make it 9-2, KPL had run out of chances and Sotkamo won the game to advance to the final.

The turning point in this game was the 5 run 2nd inning from Sotkamo, which included Antti Kiiskinen’s 2 run kunniajuoksu, his 2nd of 2019. Roope Korhonen had a huge day going 5/6 with runners on 3rd and was 9/12 overall. Sotkamo edged KPL in 3rd base situations, 17 to 13, but Sotkamo’s percentage at moving the point runner was significantly higher, being 61% to KPL’s 52%. Whilst Tommi Mäentausta and Antti Hartikainen solid games (going 6/8 and 7/7 overall respectively), Juho Hacklin, Sasu Toikka and matti Latvala all had muted games and could not produce the runs KPL needed, going 2/10 collectively at bringing runners from 3rd base to home. The game was on a knife edge in the first jakso, but Sotkamo’s 5 run blast in the second jakso truly buried KPL and effectively ended KPL’s chances of reaching the final again this year.