Emotional Home Opener: Senators Celebrate Double Victory Against the Cardinals
After six away games and five wins, the Düsseldorf Senators finally returned to Benrather Südallee last Sunday and celebrated their home opener with an impressive double victory over the Cologne Cardinals.
The Cardinals arrived with a younger roster, presenting the hosts with a difficult challenge to assess. Head Coach Frank Mohr had prepared his team accordingly: “We wanted to approach the games aggressively. At first, it doesn’t matter how the opponent is set up — that doesn’t change our mindset.”
Before the first pitch at 1:00 PM, the game paused for a special moment. The Senators entered the field wearing black mourning bands in honor of Werner Krause, the longtime chairman of TSG Benrath, who passed away late last year after a short but serious illness. Krause had supported the softball department for many years and played a major role behind the scenes.
The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by his successor, Oliver Huckstorf. With applause from both teams and the spectators, the moment marked not only the opening of the home season, but also a quiet gesture of gratitude and remembrance.
On the field, the Senators controlled the action from the very beginning. Offensively and defensively, the Düsseldorf side showed why they entered the day as favorites. In the first game, they gave the Cardinals little room to breathe.
The second game proved to be more challenging at first. Until the third inning, the Cardinals managed to keep the Senators’ offense under control. However, a powerful eight-run inning ultimately shifted the momentum and secured the second victory of the day for Düsseldorf.
Mohr also praised the performance of the visitors: “The Cardinals showed tremendous fighting spirit until the very end and never gave up. We have a lot of respect for that.”
Once again, pitching was one of the key factors behind the Senators’ success. With composure, variety, and strong control, the Düsseldorf pitchers gave the Cologne hitters very few opportunities.
Another highlight was the performance of the youngest pitcher on the roster. She stepped up, took responsibility, and earned her first career victory with a strong outing. “We are incredibly proud of her,” said Mohr.
The final matchup against the Cologne Cardinals is still ahead — this time in Cologne. A game the Senators are already looking forward to.
