OSLOPRETENDERS

Rommen, Oslo, Sept. 26th 2021

By Mullah

 

The Pretenders were the host in the playoffs this year but showed no mercy to the visiting teams by over-powering them in both games to clinch the club's 20th ESB title.

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Semifinal, vs Kristiansand Suns, 20-3

The Suns took the lead 1-0 in the top of the 1st inning after a long double off the wall by Andy Johnson, but from then on, the Pretenders had full control of the game and ended up with a comfortable 20-3 win due the mercy-rule in the 5th.

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Nate Peterson started on the mound for the champions and was one pitch away from a complete game - going 4.2 IP with 6 Ks and 2 ER but had to hand the ball over to Darren "the one-pitch wonder" McKellep after walking 4 batters in the last frame. Darren needed exactly one pitch to finish the game as he got the last batter of the game to pop-up to 3rd on a nasty curveball.

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At the plate the whole team contributed with 4 multi-hit contributors in the heart of their line-up (Joe Rollwagen, Pat Gunn, Alberto Danzie and Greg Jamanila) - highlighted by Greg Jamanila's 2-run homer in the bottom of the 3rd to take a 6-1 lead.

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In the bottom of the 4th the Pretenders totally destroyed any hope for the Suns as they scored no more than 10 runs. 

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The Finale vs Bergen Wetsox, 14-1:

In the NM-semifinal earlier in September the Pretenders lost their only game of the season to Bergen Wetsox. A devastating defeat that has been in the back of our heads ever since. Only one word could describe the Pretenders' approach to this finale: Revenge!

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Joe Rollwagen started on the mound for the defending ESB champions and pitched one of his best games ever - pitching a complete 1-run game with 9 Ks and only 2 HP.

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At the plate the Pretenders scored runs in 5 of their 7 innings as they kept attacking and spreading the ball all over the field. Once again, we had 4 multi-hit contributors in Joe Rollwagen, Paul Yuan, Greg Jamanila and Alex Guilford. This time Joe-tani showed why he is the most feared hitter in this Kingdom by crushing a 3-run homer to left field in the top of the 7th to secure the Pretenders their 20th ESB title.

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With 42 titles combined with ESB and NM the Pretenders are with no doubt the best baseball club in Norway.

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Best of the best:

• Joe Rollwagen: 7-9 with 2 doubles, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, and 7 IP with 9 Ks and 1 ER

• Greg Jamanila: 4-6 with 1 double, 1 HR and 3 RBIs

• Nate Peterson: 4.2 IP with 6 Ks and 2 ER

• Paul Yuan: 3-5 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs