Schwarz Tigers Upset Vienna Metrostars

Schwarz Tigers Surprises Vienna Metrostars
The Schwarz Tigers opened their 2008 season with a stunning 11-10 win over the Vienna Metrostars in a hotly contested battle this past weekend in the Austrian Baseball League. The second game of the double-header was rained out.

The Tigers (1-0), who competed in the second division last season, were led by player/coach Peter Nagiller and pitcher Franz Haisjackl (1-0). Both collected key RBI hits as Schwarz rallied late to upset the Metrostars (2-1) who lost for the first time this young season.

Union Kufstein Salvages Split Against Linz Bandits
Luis Hernandez Espinal picked up his first win of the season and the Linz Bandits broke a 3-3 tie with a five-run outburst to defeat the Union Kufstein Vikings 8-4 in the first game of a double-header.

In the second match, the Vikings ace pitcher, Werner Harrasser, fanned 14 batters as Union Kufstein rolled to a 22-1 thrashing of the Bandits to improve to 3-1. The Bandits (1-3) claimed their first win in the ABL after competing in the second division last season.

Athletics Sweep Past Dornbirn Indians
Walter Strasser opened the new season with a solid performance and Martin Rabengruber hit a pair of home runs as the Mosquito Athletics claimed two easy wins over the Dornbirn Indians last week in ABL action.

Strasser (1-0) scattered three runs on two hits in a seven-inning complete game effort due to the 10-run Mercy Rule. Rabengruber, who was celebrating his birthday, also had six RBI’s for the Athletics.

Wolfgang Strini (1-0) pitched the Athletics to a 13-0 win in the second affair as Aris Quirantes connected for his first homer of the season as the Athletics improved to 2-0. The Indians (0-4) suffered their fourth straight setback.

Stock City Upsets Superfund Wanderers
The Stock City Cubs used a strong outing from their ace pitcher Harry Kainz to pick up a 3-1 nailbiting win over the Superfund Wanderers last weekend. The Wanderers regrouped to take the second game, 12-2.

American skipper Jim Malec’s emphasis on defense is already paying dividends as the Cubs, one of the worst teams in the ABL a year ago, stood eye-to-eye with one of the league’s best teams in a thrilling contest.

The Wanderers, who captured the regular season crown in 2007, roughed up Cubs starter Matthias Koppensteiner in the weekend finale to improve to 3-1 on the season while the Cubs (1-3) won for the first time.