Sheffield Mountain Hares vs. Budapest Red Squirrels Series Recap
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Game 1 — Tuesday, April 27, 2060
Sheffield Mountain Hares 9, Budapest Red Squirrels 7
The opener at Kingfisher Park was a thriller, ending in walk-off fashion. Sheffield trailed 7–5 heading into the bottom of the ninth, but
Espen Aas provided the decisive blow — a towering grand slam to left field off D. Shundi. Aas finished 2-for-3 with a home run, hit by pitch, and five RBIs. Rob Graham and Jesus Morales also doubled, while Sheffield capitalised on 10 hits overall. For Budapest, J. Saarinen led the way with three hits, including a homer, and two RBIs, while D. Dhoruba also went deep. C. Root worked five innings of two-run ball for Budapest, but the bullpen faltered late. Sheffield’s bullpen steadied after early struggles, with Nestor Barrios picking up the win.
Player of the Game: Espen Aas
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Game 2 — Wednesday, April 28, 2060
Budapest Red Squirrels 6, Sheffield Mountain Hares 2
Budapest evened the series behind a standout night from
J. Saarinen, who went 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. His solo blast in the third and three further hits ensured Budapest never trailed. J. Qays added a key two-run double in the fourth inning, while E. Norman contributed two hits and two runs. For Sheffield, Adam Koehler struck with a two-run homer in the second inning, but the bats were otherwise quiet. H. Tsui earned the win for Budapest, tossing seven solid frames while allowing just two runs. N. Addae closed the door for the save. Sheffield’s starter Alain Herzog allowed three runs in 4.2 innings and took the loss.
Player of the Game: Joonas Saarinen
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Game 3 — Thursday, April 29, 2060
Sheffield Mountain Hares 9, Budapest Red Squirrels 7
The rubber match again ended dramatically. Budapest clawed back from an early deficit to tie things at 7–7 in the ninth, but
Rob Graham played the hero. With a man aboard, the second baseman launched a two-run homer off V. Koeck, sending the home fans into raptures. Graham went 3-for-5 with two homers, a double, and five RBIs on the night. Sheffield also got key contributions from Adam Koehler (two hits, two RBIs) and Espen Aas (two RBIs). Budapest stayed in the contest thanks to homers from S. Haack and D. Dhoruba, but the bullpen couldn’t contain Sheffield late. S. Phillips left injured for the Hares after a brief relief appearance, but Barrios steadied things again to claim the win.
Player of the Game: Rob Graham
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Series Summary:
Sheffield claimed the series 2–1, moving to 13–11 on the season. The Hares twice walked off their rivals thanks to dramatic late homers from
Espen Aas and
Rob Graham, while Budapest’s highlight came from
J. Saarinen’s four-hit, four-RBI showcase in the middle game.