Vienna Metrostars vs Traiskirchen

Traiskirchen struck first in the top of the second. Jacob Clauss doubled home Tobias Kiefer, Liam Vulcano doubled Clauss across, and Philipp Eckel singled to score Vulcano, handing the Grasshoppers a 3-0 lead against regular-season Best Pitcher Zachary Potts.

Vienna answered instantly in the bottom half. Will Nahmens scored on a catcher's throwing error to get the Metrostars on the board, then Felix Dittrich crushed a three-run homer to left field — his first of the series — scoring Nicholas Schadler and Clemens Seiser to flip the lead to 4-3. Alzinger added a two-run double later in the inning, and after two frames it was 6-3 Vienna.

Alzinger struck again in the fourth with a two-run single up the middle, extending the lead to 8-3. The centre-fielder finished 2-for-4 with a double and five RBIs — a game-high and the decisive offensive contribution.

Traiskirchen clawed back in the sixth. Tobias Werner's two-run double cut the deficit to 8-4, and a throwing error by shortstop Mark Rudolf allowed two more runs to cross, making it 8-6. But the Metrostars responded immediately in the bottom half. Will Nahmens launched a three-run homer to left — his first of the post-season — scoring Alzinger and Rudolf to push the lead to 11-6. An RBI fielder's choice from Alzinger in the seventh added an insurance run for the 12-6 final.

Dittrich's two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the second was the game's highest-leverage moment, swinging win probability from 33% to 67% (per Win Probability Added data from the official scorer). Traiskirchen starter Garrett Boes had retired the first two batters of the inning before a walk, an error, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. A misplayed grounder had already allowed one run before Dittrich turned on a pitch and cleared the bases. The inning — and effectively the game — turned in four batters.

• Richard Alzinger (Vienna): 2-for-4, double, 5 RBI, 1 run, 1 stolen base. Three of his five RBIs came with two outs. Player of the match.
• Felix Dittrich (Vienna): 3-for-4, double, home run, 3 RBI, 1 run. His three-run homer in the second flipped the game entirely.
• Will Nahmens (Vienna): 1-for-4, three-run home run, 2 runs, 1 walk. His sixth-inning blast gave Vienna breathing room after Traiskirchen had cut the lead to two.
• Zachary Potts (Vienna): W (1-1), 7.0 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 121 pitches. The regular-season ERA champion (1.80 ERA) battled through traffic all day but gave Vienna length when they needed it most.
• Jacob Clauss (Traiskirchen): 2-for-4, double, 1 RBI, 1 run. His early double sparked Traiskirchen's three-run second.

The box score tells a story of two drastically different innings. Vienna scored 6 of their 12 runs in the second and only 6 more across the remaining seven frames — but those 6 early runs forced Traiskirchen to play from behind all night. The Metrostars drew 7 walks against just 5 strikeouts, a disciplined approach that contrasted with their 11-strikeout, 0-walk showing in Game 3. Traiskirchen out-hit Vienna 13-12 but committed 3 errors, two of which led directly to unearned runs. Potts allowed 11 hits over 7 innings but limited damage with 8 strikeouts; his 121 pitches were the most thrown by any pitcher in the series.

The series is now tied 2-2. Game 5 — the winner-take-all decider — takes place on Sunday 30 August at 15:00 CEST at Ballpark Freudenau, Vienna. The winner advances to the Bundesliga Final to face the winner of the other semi-final between Wiener Neustadt Diving Ducks and Dornbirn Indians. Vienna have won 11 of their last 13 home games against Traiskirchen in all competitions since 2017, but the Grasshoppers have already won twice in Freudenau this season. The Metrostars are seeking their first title since 2020; Traiskirchen are chasing their first championship appearance since 2019.

This was the response Vienna needed after dropping Game 3. The bottom of the order — Schadler, Seiser Clemens, Spitzhirn — reached base seven times, giving the middle of the lineup (Alzinger, Nahmens) the RBI opportunities they capitalised on. Game 5 becomes a one-game season for both sides, with Potts likely unavailable after a 121-pitch outing. Vienna's bullpen depth — Louis Patrick and Dustin Hamilton — will be tested against a Traiskirchen offence that has scored 6+ runs in three of four semi-final games.