Split on Mother's Day

On Mother’s Day, the Vienna Metrostars’ U14 team had two exciting games ahead of them—first against the Hoppers and then against Apollo from Slovakia. Despite a long day of baseball, the team showed many strong moments, great plays, and tremendous effort.

In the first game against the Hoppers, the Metrostars started with a well-established defensive duo: Tobi on the mound and Ibra as catcher. Right in the first inning, the defense allowed only one run. Tobi, in particular, impressed with strong pitching, recording all three crucial outs via strikeouts. On offense, the Metrostars got off to a strong start and scored five runs right away—in part due to the opponent’s passed balls and wild pitches. Charlie also contributed two key RBIs.

The defense led by Tobi remained dominant in the second inning as well. The Hoppers failed to get any hits, and with focused pitching, Tobi quickly sent the opposing players back to the dugout. Offensively, the Metrostars stepped it up again and scored another five runs. Particularly notable was a powerful hit by Jonas Binder deep into right field, which was, however, spectacularly caught out of the air by the right fielder.

In the third inning, Tobi continued to dominate on the mound. No opposing player managed to get a hit, and once again it was his controlled pitching that led to quick outs. The Metrostars then added two more runs on offense.

In the fourth inning, a pitching change was finally made: Jonas Binder took over on the mound, while the catcher remained the same. The Hoppers managed to score three more runs during this phase, but the Metrostars’ lead was already substantial. In the end, the team celebrated a well-deserved 12-4 victory.

In the second game of the day, a strong opponent awaited in the form of Apollo from Slovakia. Simon Lindner started as pitcher and Charlie Steinmetz as catcher for the Metrostars. The offense got off to a promising start, and the team scored three runs right away. The strong hitting was particularly noteworthy: Tobi hit two doubles, and Ibra also hit a double. Other nice hits came from Simon L., Jonas, Letouse, and Simon Jeltsch.

Defensively, however, it was clear that the pitcher and catcher weren’t quite in sync yet. Many walks, as well as several passed balls and wild pitches, made it easier for Apollo to get on base and score runs. At the same time, though, the defense also showed some strong plays: The well-coordinated duo of Tobi at shortstop and Ibra at first base combined for several nice outs and once again demonstrated a deep understanding of the game.

As the game progressed, Louis took over the catcher’s position after Charlie. This time, he visibly struggled with throws to second base. After another inning, Philipp entered the game as catcher and delivered a very focused performance. He provided excellent support for pitcher Benny, who later took the mound, and restored stability to the defense. This ultimately led to several key strikeouts.

Unfortunately, the game was overshadowed by an unfortunate incident. Simon Jeltsch was defending third base when an opposing player slid feet-first into his knee. In the process, he injured his bursa, which subsequently had to be surgically removed on an outpatient basis. The entire team wishes Simon all the best, a speedy recovery, and hopes to welcome him back to the baseball field soon.

Despite the 5-12 loss to Apollo, the Metrostars showed plenty of strong plays, team spirit, and great determination on this Mother’s Day—both offensively and defensively.