Around the league - 16th July 2020

Kitee continue their good form to take 2 points against SiiPe

Kiteen Pallo -90 v Siilinjärven Pesis

1-0 (4-1, 1-1)

Kitee have held out for some incredible results so far this season, taking the edge over IPV and Joensuu in particular. With 4 wins from 5 it has been a great start to Kitee’s anniversary year. Many people were sceptical of Kitee’s chances this season (and many people still are), in particular due to them losing Topi Hurskainen in the off-season to Joensuu and have to part ways with Ville Kotro and Veli-Matti Sigvart due to funding issues brought on by the impact of Coronavirus. Kotro in particular was a key figure in the outfield for Kitee and not easily replaced. SiiPe however are equally short of key players from their 2019 season, or rather the key player - Simo Vainikainen (who has also gone to Joensuu). SiiPe’s games this season have included some tantalisingly close moments where they have either tied a jakso or been just 1 run down against high performing teams like Pattijoki and Sotkamo. Since promotion to Superpesis in 2019, SiiPe have played Kitee 6 times (including Halli-SM games). Kitee have taken 11 points out of a possible 18 and were clear favourites for this game.

Siilinjärvi were the first to score, with Tommi Piirainen’s hit to right field giving Ville Pietinen just enough time to beat the throw to home. It wasn’t until the bottom of the 2nd inning until the next run was recorded, with Samu-Kalle Varonen starting the scoring rally with a hit to the midfield line that cleared the infielder and then split the shortstops to bring home Elmeri Purmonen. Sami Mikkolanaho notched up his 2nd RBI of the game in the 3rd inning as Samu-Kalle Varonen got a good jump on a soft hit to the right shortstop. SiiPe couldnt mount a comeback and Kitee won the first jakso.

Sami Mikkolanaho made it 3 RBI’s on the day with a crucial hit in the 2nd inning of the second jakso to score Kitee’s only run with a line drive to right field darting between 2nd baseman and right shortstop. SiiPe levelled the score with Toni Toivanen’s perfectly placed loping hit to centre field giving Eemeli Paldanius more than enough time to reach home. From there on out the game never really looked like it would be wrestled from either team and the second jakso remained 1-1. Another tied jakso for Kitee gives them 3 from 6 games.

Looking at the game statistically, Kitee and Siilinjärvi were actually fairly evenly matched; the difference being in converting 3rd base situations. Whilst both teams had 15 3rd base situations, Kitee went 5/13 compared to SiiPe’s 2/12. In particular, Samu Vainikainen had a tough day at the plate, going 0/4 with runners on 3rd base and 30% overall at moving the point runner.

 Kiteen Pallo -90

pj:Petri Tuuva Saku Havukainen

3-tilanteet:15, harhat:0, vapaat:0

		#	Pelaaja	Up	Ly	Tu	KL	1%	2%	3%	K%	KL %	P
		1	Elmeri Purmonen	3V		1	3/6	3/6				50%
		2	Tommi Päivinen	2P			3/6	0/1	3/5			50%
		3	Hannes Pekkinen	1V		1	6/7	0/1	3/3	3/3		86%	I
		4	Samu-Kalle Varonen	3K	1	2	4/8	1/2	0/1	2/2	1/3	50%
		5	Valentin Ikonen	3P			2/7	1/2	1/1	0/1	0/3	29%
		6	Ville Liukku	L	1		4/5			3/3	1/2	80%	II
		7	Joni Lehikoinen	S			1/2	1/2				50%
		8	Juhani Myyryläinen	2V			1/2	1/1	0/1			50%
		9	Lassi Vasarainen	2K			0/1		0/1			0%
		10	Sami Mikkolanaho		3		6/8	0/1		3/3	3/4	75%
		11	Jiri Pippola				0/2			0/1	0/1	0%
		12	Valtteri Havukainen			1	0/4	0/4				0%
					5	5	30/58	7/20	7/12	11/13	5/13	52%

 Siilinjärven Pesis

pj:Perttu Westersund Tommi Luostarinen

3-tilanteet:15, harhat:0, vapaat:0

		#	Pelaaja	Up	Ly	Tu	KL	1%	2%	3%	K%	KL %	P
		1	Ville Lantiainen	S			4/5	4/5				80%
		2	Ville Pietinen	2K		1	6/8	0/1	6/7			75%	I
		3	Eino Puustinen	2V			4/8	0/1	1/2	3/4	0/1	50%
		4	Samu Vainikainen	2P			3/10	0/1	1/2	2/3	0/4	30%
		5	Mikko Hakomäki	3K			0/3			0/1	0/2	0%
		6	Eemeli Paldanius	3V		1	2/3	2/3				67%
		7	Juho Keinänen	3P			1/3	0/1	1/2			33%
		8	Matias Hänninen	1V			1/3	0/1	0/1	1/1		33%
		9	Teemu Kinnunen	L			1/2	1/1	0/1			50%	II
		10	Tommi Piirainen		1		3/6		1/1	1/1	1/4	50%
		11	Toni Toivanen		1		4/5	2/2		1/2	1/1	80%
		12	Sebastian Lahti				2/2	2/2				100%
					2	2	31/58	11/18	10/16	8/12	2/12	53%

Elsewhere in the league

Seinäjoki took on Sotkamo after a solid win against Manse earlier in the week. Sotkamo are the team to beat at the moment, with 27 runs scored in their last 3 games with only 12 against. The first jakso was dominated by Sotkamo, who scored 5 unanswered runs. The second jakso however was more muted and we finally saw an end to Sotkamo’s streak of scoring 4 or more runs in a period; instead Jukka-Pekka Vainionpää kept the game in sight for Seinäjoki with his RBI in the 3rd inning. Despite their efforts however, the best Seinäjoki could do was deny Sotkamo the full 3 points.

Sami Partanen had a great day at the plate

Hyvinkää traveled to Imatra to take on IPV, still hurting after their 1-2s loss against Kitee earlier this week. IPV had only scored 18 runs across 4 games before this matchup; however something connected for the reds and Hyvinkää were on the receiving end of a big score. IPV scored 9 runs in the 2nd inning of the first jakso and their score at the end of the period was two thirds of their season total (12 runs). The second jakso was still in IPV’s favour, albeit the run count was somewhat lower. Hyvinkää were simply outgunned and IPV star players Tuomas Jussila and Sami Partanen put on a strong performance. Jussila scored 4 runs and was 8/9 at moving the point runner, with Sami Partanen going 4 RBI (including a home run) and 12/13 at moving the point runner. 

16th July 2020

Imatran Pallo-Veikot v Hyvinkään Tahko

2-0 (12-2, 4-1)

Seinäjoen JymyJussit v Sotkamon Jymy

0-1 (0-5, 1-1)

Photographs

Cover - (c) Kiteen Pallo -90 2020

Photograph 1 - (c) Imatran Pallo-Veikot 2020