Jyväskylä’s Kirittäret took the first stake in the women’s Superpesis championship. The most thrilling situation of the match led to Manse PP’s game manager Antti Vihtkari being ejected.
Mika Halonen,
Joska Saarinen
10.9. 16:25•Updated 10.9. 18:01
The Superpesis finals started in a dramatic way on Saturday in Tampere Kaup. Jyväskylä’s Kirittäret beat Manse PP 2–0 (5–2, 5–2) in the women’s opening final.
The most thrilling situation of the match was seen at the start of the fourth inning. Kirittärien Eeva Mäki-Maukola shook through the kunnar from the second side. Manse PP violently protested the situation as an illegal beating. Manse from PP’s playmaking duo (Jari Cavernelis and Antti Vihtkari) Vihtkari received a yellow card from the referee.
After that, Vihtkari left the place, but came back to complain to the referee, after which another yellow card and a red card appeared. Vihtkari gave the judge sarcastic applause and left the place.
From the slow-downs of the screen broadcast, it could be seen that Vihtkari threw his referee’s fan onto the field, when the jury interpreted Mäki-Maukola’s hit as correct.
It was a rare strikeout, as strikeouts by the game manager are not very common in baseball.
– It was pretty pointless. At that point, when a yellow is given, you should mutter and leave the place. He was already leaving, but still decided to go back, Urheilu’s expert Aino-Kaisa Mantere said on Puhe’s broadcast.
– I don’t know what he thought he would achieve by still coming to protest.
The municipality of Mäki-Maukola emerged as the solution of the first period. Kunnar had time to get home Ella Korpela.
Vihtkari’s outing was a source of pain in the Tampere camp even after the match.
– The playing slowed down at the point when the second game director received a red card, which came on pretty easy grounds, Manse PP’s second game director Jari Cavernelis said on Puhee.
– It was quite a tough decision to draw a red card, when there was no verbal unpleasant word of any kind (from Vihtkari).
Cavernelis said in an interview with Ruudu that Manse PP will make a request for an investigation of the red card to the Päsäpalloliito. Vihtkari will be out of Sunday’s second final if the verdict stands.
This was not the first time that the behavior of Manse PP’s game managers has become public. In the semi-final series, Lapuan Virkiä filed a request for an investigation against Cavernelis, who, according to Virkiä, “violated the rules of the game of baseball, behaved inferiorly and showed a complete lack of respect for the opponent and the game”.
At the time, baseball’s disciplinary chief Sea Mountain gave Cavernelis one penalty point for provocation.
The star of the match was Mäki-Maukola of Kirittärien, who hit two homers and two regular runs and brought in five runs. According to Mäki-Maukola, despite the win, there was still a bit to think about on the bus trip.
– In a couple of innings, he was caught in the barrel, that needs to be refined. Quite well in the away game, we were caught up in our friend’s decisions. There is absolutely no need to make changes, Mäki-Maukola thought.
The women’s Superpesis final series continues on Sunday in Jyväskylä at 14:00. The match will be watched live on Puhe’s Sports Tour.
Ladies:
Sat 10.9. at 13 Manse PP–Kirittäret 0–2 (2–5, 2–5)
Sun 11.9. at 2 pm Kirittäret–Manse PP
Sat 17.9. at 13 Manse PP–Kirittäret
Sun 18.9. at 2 pm Kirittäret–Manse PP (if necessary)
Sat 24.9. at 2 pm Manse PP–Kirittäret (if necessary)
Gentlemen:
Sat 10.9. at 15 Vimpelin Veto–Manse PP 2–0 (3–1, 6–3)
Sun 11.9. at 15 Manse PP–Vimpelin Veto
Sat 17.9. at 15 Vimpelin Veto–Manse PP
Sun 18.9. at 15:00 Manse PP–Vimpelin Veto (if necessary)
Sat 24.9. at 2 pm Vimpelin Veto–Manse PP (if necessary)
Story edited on 10.9. at 5:14 p.m.: Added information about the behavior of Manse PP’s game director in the semi-final series against Virkiä.
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