Wiesbaden sophomore Tyler Truesdell slides while stealing third base in a game against Spangdahlem in Wiesbaden, Germany on April 20, 2024. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany — It was a cold, wet day for baseball and the Wiesbaden Warriors and Spangdahlem Sentinels were both looking for sparks to fire up their seasons.
Both teams entered Saturday’s doubleheader at or near the bottom of their divisions with one win each in six games. The results on the day were lukewarm with the two teams splitting: Wiesbaden winning 12-9 in the opener and Spangdahlem taking the second game 6-5.
In the first game, the Warriors took an early lead with four runs after holding the Sentinels scoreless after the first inning, but Spangdahlem answered in kind with three runs in the top of the second.
Despite Wiesbaden holding Spangdahlem to only four hits the entire game, a slew of walked batters and fielding blunders made for a couple of long innings and kept the contest a close one, with the Warriors eventually holding on to close out the game after three and a half innings as the allotted time expired.
Spangdahlem’s offense and defense helped the Sentinels to a 3-0 lead after two innings in the second game.
The Warriors took the lead with four runs in the top of the third as the sky opened. Rain, wind and hail cooled Wiesbaden’s bats as the game was halted briefly.
Coming out of the delay, Spangdahlem tied the score at four in the bottom of the third and went ahead with two more in the fourth.
The Sentinels were able to keep the Warriors at bay behind relief pitcher Ryan Roe and smart fielding to secure the win.
Wiesbaden catcher Owen Smith catches a pop fly ball in a game against Spangdahlem in Wiesbaden, Germany on April 20, 2024. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden senior first baseman Sergio Egland tags out Spangdahlem catcher Andre Danielson at first base during Game One of a doubleheader in Wiesbaden, Germany on April 20, 2024. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Spangdahlem centerfielder and team captain Caiden Taherimorovat catches a ball in the outfield during a game against Wiesbaden on April 20, 2024, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Spangdahlem pitcher Casey Supinger throws during Game One of a doubleheader against Wiesbaden on April 20, 2024, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden junior Jonah Harvey scores the first run of a game against Spangdahlem on April 20, 2024, in Wiesbaden, Germany. The Warriors won the game 12-9. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Spangdahlem catcher Andre Danielson tags out Wiesbaden’s Ryan Maraccini in Wiesbaden, Germany on April 20, 2024. Maraccini was attempting to score. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden junior Jack Lehr throws a pitch in Game Two of a doubleheader against Spangdahlem on April 20, 2024, in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
“The fielding was definitely a lot sloppier in the second game than we thought it would have been,” Wiesbaden sophomore Andrew Byrd-Craig said. “There were so many errors that should have just been routine plays.”
Although the teams now go into the second half of the season with 2-6 records, both Spangdahlem and Wiesbaden are hopeful for strong finishes to the season and competitive showings at the European championships in May.
Byrd-Craig said he was disappointed with today’s finish but believes the Warriors will remain competitive with renewed focus on their communication and minimizing errors.
“It can only go up as we pull ourselves together,” Wiesbaden coach Jon Ring said. “We’ll get more confident at the plate and figure out who our pitchers really are.”
Ring said one of the key elements of the European championship is pitcher management over the three-day tournament.
“Spangdahlem from here on will be doing exactly what Spangdahlem is supposed to be [doing],” coach Douglas Cobb said. “Fight and lead and seek and destroy — that’s what we’re going to do.”
Cobb said he’s proud of his players rising to meet this year’s challenges, not the least of which is the team’s lack of a baseball field to practice on. Weather and poor field conditions at home have limited the Sentinels to practicing on the school’s softball field or soccer fields.
The Sentinels, despite being a Division III team, aren’t discouraged by playing against four Division I opponents this year.
“The thought process is anybody can beat anybody on any day,” Cobb said. “We’re always gonna go in and do the best we can with what we have.”
