GERMANY – The Paderborn Untouchables dealt the Solingen Alligators a rare twinbill sweep in a matchup of the top two North Division squads last weekend in the German League.

The Untouchables, who claimed three wins in four meetings against the Alligators this season, handed Solingen ace left-hander Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez his first regular season loss in two years with a 5-3 win in the opener. Eugen Heilmann silenced the Alligators high-octane batting lineup to get the win.

Michael Franke’s bases-clearing double plated three runs in a six-run fifth to help Paderborn complete the sweep with a 12-3 win over coach Andy Fleishacker’s squad.

DORTMUND SWEEPS PAST BONN

The Dortmund Wanderers ended their regular season card with two victories over the Bonn Capitals to clinched the third seed in the North Division. The Wanderers trounced Bonn in the opening game 12-1 and then squeaked past the Capitals 6-5 in the second game on Alexander Nassapov’ game-winning RBI groundout.

HAMBURG NOTCHES FINAL PLAYOFF BERTH

The HSV Stealers rallied in the final inning to beat the Cologne Cardinals 5-4 in the first game of a twinbill, and then escaped with a 3-2 win in the second encounter to clinch the final playoff spot in the North Division.

Marcel de Vos stroked a walk-off RBI single to complete the four-run rally in the first part of a doubleheader, and Kody Hightower drove home two runs and picked up the win on the mound in the second meeting to put the Stealers into the post-season.

NORTH DIVISION

South Division

REGENSBURG CLINCHES TOP SEED

Coach Martin Helmig’s team clinched the South Division regular season title with two not-so-easy wins against the Gauting Indians. The Legionaere erased a 6-3 deficit in the opening game Friday night with a four-run ninth highlighted by back-to-back homers by Chris Howard and Daniel Husband. Alex Lauterbach capped the 7-6 comeback win in the 10th with an RBI single.

Regensburg fell behind again the next day but responded with another game-winning rally as Husband went deep again in a 6-3 victory.

HEIDENHEIM AND MANNHEIM SPLIT TWINBILL

Rene Franke tossed six solid innings and the Mannheim Tornados edged the Heidenheim Heidekoepfe 3-2 in a matchup of two of the South Division elite teams. However, last year’s regular season champion overcame an 0-3 hole to claim a 5-3 win in the second meeting.

MAINZ NEARS PLAYOFF BERTH

The Mainz Athletics moved closer to claiming the final playoff berth in the South Division with two wins over the Saarlouis Hornets. The Athletics took the first game, 8-7, in 10 innings before cruising to a 6-2 win in the second contest.

Max Boldt, who cracked a pair of long balls in the doubleheader and ended the day with six RBIs, earned the win in relief in the opening game. Nils Hartkopf struck out nine in the second game to notch the win.

SOUTH DIVISION

Photo courtesy of the Solingen Alligators

Tags: Germany