It's that time of year again, spring training is finally over and your hometown Sydney Sharks are back in action at the Blacktown International Sportspark. The Sharks start the season off with six straight home games before heading on the road to take on the Buenos Aires Brisas. 
Pharaohs Deal Sharks 8-5 DefeatThe Sydney Sharks opened their 2055 season with a disappointing 8-5 loss to the Cairo Pharaohs at Blacktown International Sportspark. Right Fielder Ramiro Hernández was a big part of the win for Cairo. He was 2-5 with a home run and a double while adding 4 RBI and scoring once. The winner was Cairo reliever Satyajit Neel, now 1-0. The loser was Alberto Rodríguez. Beni Ihilani closed it out for his 1st save.
It could have been a different outcome for Cairo, had it not been for Santiago Durán, the 29-year-old third baseman. Durán contributed a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning to put Cairo up, 5-4. "Getting a lot of baserunners and getting some timely hits, it's a good combination," said Hernández.
The Pharoahs quickly grabbed the lead back again in the top of the seventh inning, Nacho Méndez led the inning off with a double before stealing third. 29-year-old third baseman Santiago Durán would score Méndez with a sacrifice fly before Ramiro Hernández would hit a solo home run to stretch the lead to 6-4.
The Sharks would lead off the bottom half of the dining with a long ball of their own, this one from Artus Kihlstedt to cut the lead back to one at 6-5. That's as close as the Sharks would get, as the Pharaohs would add another single run in the top of the eighth and ninth innings to pick up the 8-5 win.
António Ramírez was on the mound for Cairo and pitched 5.2 innings while allowing four runs on five hits, four walks, and six strikeouts. Dorian Tzannetakis started for Sydney and lasted 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Both starters left with no decisions.
With first baseman Nacho Méndez leading the charge, the Cairo Pharaohs defeated the Sydney Sharks, 6-5, at Blacktown International Sportspark. Méndez, who finished 3rd in the GBC in doubles with 38 in 2052, hit 2 home runs, while adding 4 RBI and scoring twice. Liam Johnston, 1-0, earned the win in relief. He allowed no runs on no hits in 2.1 innings. Cairo goes to 2-0.
Méndez had an important at-bat with a runner on 2nd in the top of the eighth when he hit a 2-run home run. The Pharaohs went on to win. "We played hard and won," said Méndez. "Sometimes, baseball really is that easy.'
Cairo broke the shutout in the top of the third inning when the man with the best first name in baseball, Nacho Méndez, hit a two-run shot to cut the lead to three at 5-2. They cut the lead to 5-3 with a Miguel Hernández solo home run in the top of the fifth. The Sharks headed into the eighth inning with the two-run lead, they wouldn't leave the inning with the lead. As Méndez hit the previously mentioned homerun to tie the game before Santiago Durán crushed the first pitch he saw to give the Pharaohs the 6-5 lead that they held on to.
Niegloslaw Woywitka was on the mound for the hometown Sharks, Woywitka pitched 5.1 innings while allowing three runs on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Tom Jackson picked up the loss and the blown save in relief, pitching 2.0 innings while allowing three runs on two hits with two strikeouts. Geoffroy Robert started for Cairo and was injured in the fourth inning. He's been diagnosed with a sore back and is expected to be ready for his next start. His stat line was five runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Liam Johnston picked up the win from the bullpen, pitching 2.1 innings while allowing zero hits with one walk.
Cairo Pharaohs starter Guruvayur Vashisth pitched a strong game against the Sydney Sharks at Blacktown International Sportspark, leading the Pharaohs to victory, 5-1. Liam Johnston notched his second straight win in relief. The right-hander allowed no runs on no hits in 2 innings. His record now sits at 2-0. Cairo goes to 3-0 with the win.
It was a pitcher's duel for most of the game. In the top of the fifth, the Cairo Pharaohs broke the 0-0 stalemate, when Brynjar Nerdal connected for a 365-foot solo home run. His first of the season. The Sharks would quickly tie it in the bottom of the sixth. After a walk, James Tumanpil stole second before Jim Ashford doubled to score him to tie the game at 1-1.
A fourth run 11th inning would give the Pharaohs the 5-1 win and the series sweep.
Tokyo pitcher Markùri Siliqi did his part in helping his team beat the Sydney Sharks, 3-0. Siliqi pitched 6.0 innings while allowing four hits with four strikeouts and a walk. The right-hander kept opposing batters in check throughout the game. The win was credited to Veikko Aravirta in relief, pitching 1.1 hitless innings with two walks. His record improves to 1-0. Tomislav Coslovich took the loss for Sydney, pitching 7.1 innings while allowing two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and a walk. José Velasco earned the save for Tokyo, his 1st of the year.
Tokyo used the clutch hitting of José Ayala to snag the win. The first baseman drilled a 2-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to put the Pearls ahead, 2-0. It was his lone hit in 4 at-bats, but it was a crucial one. Hugh Mangrouthormone made it 3-0 with a home run of his own.
Ayala said his team "played with determination." With their winning streak at 4, the Pearls have raced to a strong start this season.
The Tokyo Pearls topped the Sydney Sharks by a score of 7-6. Leading the way was left fielder Paul Kemp. Kemp went 3-4 with 2 doubles, while scoring 2 runs and driving in 2 for the Pearls. With the win, Tokyo goes to 5-1.
Ramón Camacho helped out the Tokyo cause in the top of the fourth inning with a run-scoring ground out. For the game, the catcher drove in one run. "We found a way to get it done," Kemp said.
The lead didn't last long as Tokyo scored two runs in each of the fourth and sixth innings to head into the bottom of the sixth with a 7-4 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Lorenzo Cardenas singled to score Mohammed bin Mus'ad and cut the lead to two at 7-5. The Sharks made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning, with two outs Geaney Fay hit a solo home run to make it a one-run game. It was the first home run of the season for Fay. That's as close as they'd get as Tokyo held on to the one-run win.
Umar Dogar picked up the win for Tokyo, pitching 5.1 innings while allowing five runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Huang Cheng picked up his fourth save of the season, pitching 1.2 innings and allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts. Rowan Tucker picked up the loss for Syndey, lasting only 3.2 innings while allowing five runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
The Sharks close out the week going 0-5 and currently sit dead last in the GBC.
