Regensburg scared hot/Heidenheim must go to Halle

Before the third matchday of the Southern German Football League, one thing has become clear: anyone can beat anyone. The Stuttgart Reds are a testament to this. Initially losing to Hünstetten, they secured a victory last week against Heidenheim. Now, the ‘Red Army’ is visiting the newly crowned league leaders from Regensburg. On Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (2 p.m.), the Guggenbach Legion will host the Bad Königshofen team. Mainz Athletics and Hünstetten STORM will clash in the Rhineland-Palatinate-Hesse derby on Friday (7 p.m.) in Mainz and Saturday (1 p.m.) in Hünstetten. On Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.), Munich-Harl recruits and Heidenheim Heidekopf will also duel.

If the Guggenbach Legion can open their home campaign, the outcome might be similar. Regensburg sent Mainz packing to Rhine-Hesse with scores of 12-4 and 11-1. The offensive system built around current ‘Player of the Week’ Devin Ramirez and newcomer Antonio Torres has pitchers trembling for the Athletics. After their first defeat in Heidenheim, Joe Sedano De Leon showed the right response on the mound. In their second consecutive home game, the Upper Palatinate team hopes to build on their early good form.

The Stuttgart Reds perhaps had their ‘wake-up call’ last weekend. Following a humiliating defeat in Hünstetten, they triumphed 6-4 in the derby against Heideköpfen. With the 2-2 victory, everything is back on track for the ‘Red Army’. Rookie Jafson Lopez Gomez secured his first Bundesliga win with 14 strikeouts. On the flip side, the Venezuelan also had nine walks. Along the Danube, the Swabians hope to turn their newfound confidence into a victory against a top team in the next match.

Heidenheim Heidekopf had to endure their own ups and downs earlier this year. The defending champions currently alternate wins and losses. Somewhat surprisingly, last season’s standout player, pitcher Jared Mortensen, suffered two defeats. A trend that needs to be reversed. The offense has played its part too. The seven-time champions scored a total of 20 runs in the first game, but only managed 7 in the following two. However, for coach Ryan Bollinger, the hitting power of Heidenheim is not to be underestimated.

Munich-Harl recruits clinched victory at home against Hünstetten last weekend, reversing two away defeats against Mainz. Player-coach Brinck not only improved from the outset but also accelerated the offense, scoring 26 points in two games. Most importantly, the one-two punch in the batting order, Patrick Music and Lucas Steinlein, left their mark in the home opener against the Storm. Rookie Phildrick Llewellyn has adapted well so far.

The straight-line distance between Mainz and Hünstetten is only 27 kilometers. With a journey time of less than an hour, you can confidently talk about the local derby. This popular team from Rhineland-Palatinate got off to a good start this season with two wins against Harl. However, Regensburg’s two clear defeats quickly put the team in trouble. Therefore, the showdown with neighbors will be decisive for the Athletics. STORM can more or less play freely. Last year’s rookies have repeatedly shown that they can help any team.