Fuengirola’s series opener meant Juha Korhonen and Teemu Nurmio’s Superpesis match in their fourth country.
Hyvinkään Tahko, last season’s semi-final club of Superpesis, showed the character of a fighter on Sunday in the men’s main series opening in Fuengirola, Spain, playing on borders marked with potato flour. Imatran Pallo-Veikot, who appeared as the home team, led the match at the beginning and put a lot of pressure at the end, but Tahko took two points with a 1–0 victory (5–2, 2–2) witnessed by more than 1,500 spectators.
– Our roster is so tough in the indoor game that success comes from pressing your own duun, described Tahko’s first prize winner Petteri Alanen.
The opening period was solved by Tahko’s cannon jokers in a pinch, who scored one run Juha Korhonen and repatriated twice Juha Niemi. The hero of the game’s winning run had shown his speed of progress Jesse Eskelinenwho tipped into the home net with Nieme’s line drive.
IPV’s awardees were the shortstop who brought in two runs and the changeup Rasmus Surakka (5 Top Hits/5 Attempts) and one run batted captain Sasu Toikka (7/7).
The most skilled in Tahko were the locker Alanen (2/4) and Eskelinen, who changed his previous role of locker to the second fireman (7/9).
From super nests abroad
I will Teemu Nurmio, 27, and Korhonen, 42, formed a special two-man club. They have played a major league game in four countries. In 2017, they were in the colors of Kouvola Ballonlöjie playing against Joensuu Maila in Stockholm and faced each other in 2019 in Tallinn, when Nurmio represented IPV and Korhonen Tahko.
– It’s nice to experience more than Finnish fields. It was refreshing to get to the training camp on the Aurinkoranniko after a 15-year break, Korhonen said.
Were there any burns?
– I protected myself so well that it didn’t come. Our game director Raimo Bragge burned himself so badly in 1983 that he missed a practice match then.
Where would taking the match make you prolong your career?
– Australia would be nice. We were there in the fall of 2012 for the World Cup on a self-expense trip. Active players were at least involved Henri Puputti, Sami Haapakoski and Henri Heinäheimo.
Superpesis’ domestic series opener is on Thursday, May 11, when the defending champion Vimpelin Veto hosts the upstart team Alajärvi Ankkurie.