Game of the week 09.07.2021 KPL v Sotkamo

 

Ossi Meriläinen celebrates a bases loaded home run that defined the game

Kouvolan Pallonlyöjat v Sotkamon Jymy

2-0 (3-0, 7-5)

This week’s featured game is a re-run of the 2020 final, more specifically game 2 at KSS where KPL saw their first championship since 1976 slip through their fingers with a Roope Korhonen home run in extra innings. The build up to the game was a curious one - both teams were coming into this game with an extended rest; Sotkamo due to a dip in their schedule, whereas KPL had their game against PattU cancelled as a precaution after players had close contact with a player who tested positive for Covid (from IPV). This, mixed with the games IPV had to cancel has meant that the way the table will be determined has changed. The table now will be ranked by the average number of points earned per game played. The impact of this immediately shot KPL up the table into 2nd place and they overtook Sotkamo.

Another element to the game was the fact that KPL’s game manager (Iiro Haimi), who was recently named game manager for the East in this year’s Allstar game, was handed a 1 game ban for his behviour at a recent game. KPL are set to appeal the ban however and he was able to take his position for the game. If that wasn’t enough to follow, KPL were fielding 17 year old Elias Pitkänen as pitcher. Pitkänen joined KPL earlier this season after starting the year with local rivals Hamina.

In amongst all the other storylines was the fact that this game marked Toni Laakso’s first game against his former club. Laakso has proved a solid signing for Sotkamo this season and his recovery from injury last season seems to be going well.

In terms of head to head, 2020 was a curious year, as KPL and Sotkamo didnt meet in the regular season, but they did in the final. Sotkamo won the series and the championship 2 games to 1. In 2019, it was a semi-finals clash that Sotkamo claimed 3-2 before losing in the final against Joensuu.  KPL looked to extend their winning streak to 9 games; a streak that stems back to game 2 of the season after dusting off a humiliating loss to SiiPe in the season opener.

1st Jakso

Sotkamo won the hutunkeitto and decided to field. KPL started with great energy and from the first to pitches had runners on 1st and 2nd base, before Hacklin used all his strikes and loaded the bases with a well placed bunt hit to the left foul line. Despite Matti Latvala, failing to bring the runner home, Ossi Meriläinen’s looping hit cleared the right field shortstop and gave KPL the first run of the game. KPL extended their lead in the 2nd inning after loading the bases in an almost carbon copy of the 1st inning. Likewise, it was Meriläinen who drove the ball straight to centre field ad brought Matti Saukko home for the run (2-0).

The remainder of the jakso remained a tense and close affair; however Sotkamo’s offence never seemed to get into the game and they remained scoreless going into the 4th inning. KPL added to their tally in the top of the 4th inning worth Juho Hacklin bringing Ville Pesu home to score from a hit deep to right field that somehow found a gap between the deep-set shortstop and outfielder. With 3 runs now against them, Sotkamo tried to do it all in the 4th inning, but pitcher Elias Piktänen shone through and Sotkamo were scoreless in the first jakso.

Toni Laakso’s first game against his former club

2nd Jakso

Sotkamo finally broke through in the 1st inning of the second jakso, as Kalle Kuosmanen scored off a wild throw to 3rd base. Sotkamo doubled their lead as Roope Korhonen flexed his bat and brought Allstar invitee Joni Rytkönen home to score. KPL however were not going to let Sotkamo back in the game without a fight, with Matti Saukko blasting the ball straight through centre field and out through the gate at the end of the grounds for a 2 run home run to tie the jakso. 

Lauri Rönkkö broke the deadlock in the top of the 3rd inning with a bunt hit to the right foul line that gave Niilo Piiponniemi the chance to score. Aapo Komulainen made it 4-2 when Toni Laakso narrowly beat the throw to home off Komulainen’s short hit towards 1st base. But KPL blitzed their way back in style at the bottom of the inning, with a bases loaded home run off Ossi Meriläinen’s hit to deep right field. The hit took a mighty bounce and Piiponniemi was unable to stop the ball scampering away into the advertising boards. Valtteri Luoma added a 7th run to KPL’s tally for the jakso by bringing hero of the moment Meriläinen home from 3rd base. 

With the prospect of another loss with no points, Sotkamo had to pull somethings special out of the bag. Roope Korhonen was unable to conjure up anything spectacular with the bases loaded and despite Rytkönen reaching home off a fielder’s choice, the game seemed already out of Sotkamo’s grasp. 

Analysis

Pitkänen was sensational in the game and is clearly one of the young names to look out for in years to come. Of equal note in the game however was the 1 home run and 5 RBIs of Ossi Meriläinen. His bases loaded hit in the 3rd inning of the second jakso was the clear moment when victory was all but assured. For Sotkamo, Piiponniemi’s 7 hits on the day (including a stunning doubl in th second jakso) were the most promising statistics. Roope Korhonen’s 2/5 with runners on 3rd base was a clear indication of how Elias Pitkänen and KPL managed to tackle his plat appearances. Whilst KPL and Sotkamo had similar numbers of 3rd base situations (16 for KPL and 14 for Sotkamo) and the same overall success rate a moving the point runner, KPL’s success at bring runners home from 3rd base was much higher. The key for KPL was the combination of solid pitching, powerful and well placed hits that turned into home runs and (more importantly) keeping focused wen Sotkamo tried to pull themselves back into the game.

In the recent podcast we questioned how Vimpeli truly stack up this season, as they hadn’t faced any of the other top 5 teams. Having blitzed Sotkamo, Vimpeli proved their worth; however this result against KPL means that Sotkamo are now 0 points from 3 games against KPL, Vimpeli and Joensuu. Sotkamo’s next game against Manse will be another chance to break this run; however it is worrying for Jymy fans that they cannot even dent their championship rivals so far this season. Whilst KPL are on a great wining streak, their are some difficult games on the horizon, with 2 games against JoMa and 1 game against Manse and Vimpeli in the next 2 weeks or so. If Kopla can weather the impending storm and come away with a decent amount of points, fans will be dreaming of another return to the final… could this finally be their year?

                                                                   

Game stats

Photographs 

Cover - (c) Kouvolan Pallonlyöjat 2021 (Raine Martikainen)

Photograph 2 - (c) Sotkamon Jymy 2021