First Home Win of the Season against the Bonn Capitals 2

On their next home game day in the 2nd Bundesliga, the Düsseldorf Senators hosted the Bonn Capitals’ second team. The visitors arrived with a very young, athletic squad that displayed plenty of speed, solid defensive positioning, and strong pitching throughout both games. So another challenging game day awaited the Senators—but this time with a well-deserved victory.

Game 1: Narrow Loss Despite Strong Performance

The first game was a close contest from the start. On the mound for the Senators was newcomer Tom Kremer, who delivered a strong performance right off the bat in his first official pitching appearance for Düsseldorf. With several strikeouts, a calm demeanor, and a commanding presence, he kept the Bonn offense in check for a long time and gave his team the chance to keep the game close until the end.

The pitching was strong on the Bonn side as well. As in previous weeks, the Senators initially struggled to be aggressive and consistent enough at the plate early on. As a result, the game remained low-scoring for a long time. It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the first runs were scored.

In the sixth inning, the Senators had a golden opportunity to turn the game around. With the score at 2-3, Düsseldorf came close to tying the game, but Bonn managed to escape the jam. In the seventh inning, the Capitals added to their lead, while the Senators were unable to mount a decisive comeback in their final at-bat.

In the end, it was a narrow 3-5 loss in a game that could easily have gone Düsseldorf’s way.

Senators claim their first Win of the Season

In the second game, the Senators made it clear from the start that they were determined to respond. Anton De Angelis took the mound and once again delivered a very solid performance. He provided a standout moment as early as the second inning: he finished the entire inning with just three pitches—three pitches, three outs. It doesn’t get much more efficient than that.

However, it was Tom Kremer who made the first big statement. After pitching strongly in the first game, he immediately provided the highlight of the day on offense in the second game: In the first inning, he hit a massive 3-run home run against the wind, giving the Senators an early 3-1 lead.

In the second inning, Düsseldorf added to their lead. Bonn couldn’t quite find their rhythm on the mound; several hit-by-pitches put the Senators on base, and Düsseldorf capitalized on the opportunity consistently. The score was 6-1 for the hosts early on.

But Bonn remained dangerous. In the third inning, the Capitals responded with a two-run home run, narrowing the gap to 6-3. Nevertheless, the Senators held their ground. Defensively, in particular, there was a clear improvement over the previous week. Javier Liere and Nori Ogata made key plays with strong defense, diving catches, and precise throws, helping to stop the Bonn offense time and again.

The Senators held a 7-4 lead going into the seventh inning. But the final inning turned into a nail-biter. Bonn fought back with walks and errors, scoring two runs and loading the bases with two outs. The tension was at its peak.

Then came Bonn’s final at-bat: a hard hit toward second base. The ball was caught in the air—game over.

With the 7-6 victory, the Düsseldorf Senators secured their first win of the season.

Looking back, it was a successful game day for the Senators. After a difficult week against Wuppertal, the team showed a clear improvement, especially on defense. The plays were cleaner, the body language was right, and there were also more promising signs on offense.

Of course, there is still work to be done—especially at the plate, where more consistency and aggressiveness are needed. But this game day showed that the team is taking steps forward.

And in the end, that’s exactly what counts: progress, team spirit, and the first win of the season.