NRW League: Zülpich Eagles – Verl Gütersloh Yaks 1:15 and 1:11. The Zülpich Eagles, who have been spoiled by success in the past two years and have been promoted twice in a row, have definitely learned one thing after three match days and six games: the level in the NRW League is, unsurprisingly, higher than in the state league.
The balanced record (two defeats on the double match day against the Düsseldorf Senators and two wins against the Dortmund Wanderers II) is now gone again. Because the Verl Gütersloh Yaks showed coach Jens Weiler’s team its limits and won the two games in Niederelvenich comfortably 15:1 and 11:1.
The personnel situation: regular players were missing, pitcher injured
Unlike in the previous season, when the Zülpicher team was able to compensate for losses, they are now a much bigger factor. For example, four regular players were missing from the match against Verl Gütersloh, including first pitcher Simon Benentreu. And then bad luck came into play.
Pitcher Daniel Friedel was injured before the game and was impaired in his throws.
Copyright: Thomas Schmitz
Basically, Daniel Friedel is not a bad substitute. But during warm-ups, he was hit in the wrist by a baseball so unluckily that his game was affected and he was unable to throw curve balls. That limits the options. After just over 80 throws in the first game, last season’s player-coach, Fabian Schild, replaced him.
And Schild’s successor in the responsible position, Jens Weiler, also went from being a coach to a player-coach and once again took his number 13 jersey out of the closet. However, his body couldn’t last a whole game. This time his back wouldn’t take it anymore.
The class of the opponents: Verl Gütersloh exploited every mistake of the Eagles
Did Verl Gütersloh play outstandingly? That depends on the definition. If outstanding is synonymous with spectacular, then not. But the Yaks, who now have a record of five wins and three losses, were clever. They clearly exploited Zülpich’s mistakes and hardly did anything themselves. For example, Eagles newcomer Stefan Lauringer was a little desperate because although he hit a few balls, they landed right in the center fielder’s glove. That led to a fly out, i.e. Lauringer’s immediate elimination. “Verl had a great day and dominated us from the start,” said Jens Weiler.
This is what the Eagles coaches say: Weiler and Schild criticize the defense
“Our pitchers were let down by our offense in both games,” said head coach Jens Weiler. In the first game, they only managed seven hits (i.e. hits that allow the batter to get to first base). In the second game, the Eagles only managed two hits. “The Verl pitcher was very strong and dominated our hitters at will. We hadn’t even managed a single hit until the sixth inning,” said Weiler, who clearly acknowledged: “Verl was a size too big, and we learned the hard way.”
On the wet floor, the balls absorbed water and had to be dried quickly so that they didn’t become too heavy. Here it’s Nico Marx’s turn with a kitchen towel.
Copyright: Thomas Schmitz
“It was difficult: Verl was a good and young team,” said Weiler’s predecessor Fabian Schild, now the Eagles’ assistant coach. “Verl was well-rehearsed and knew exactly what to do.” The Yaks made few mistakes. “It felt like every throw they made was on target. And they hit the gaps directly. That’s difficult to defend. Then you have to hit the gaps yourself,” said Schild. The pitching was OK, mistakes were made on defense. In addition, the Eagles became hectic. “It all came together,” said Schild.
The compensation: Today we play against Ratingen
The Eagles want to get two important wins this Saturday, both away from home, as they are playing a double-header against the Ratingen Goose-Necks, with the first game starting at 1 p.m. Ratingen is bottom of the table and has only won one of five games – against the Dortmund Wanderers 2. For Zülpich, this is a game that will set the tone even at this early stage of the season.
“Ratingen is a direct competitor when it comes to staying in the league,” says Jens Weiler. And Fabian Schild adds: “We want to do well, that’s our direction – and then make sure we go home with two wins or at least one.” The Zülpich Eagles’ next home game is on Sunday, June 16. They will play against the Wuppertal Stingrays at 1 p.m.
2024-06-08 18:05:54
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