UD AL-BAYDA, United Arab Emirates — The Mumbai Cobras closed out the league’s first regular season series in historic fashion Sunday afternoon, defeating the Karachi Monarchs 9-2 at The Baseball United Ballpark behind a standout performance from three pitchers born in India and a late offensive surge that blew the game wide open.
The matchup also made professional baseball history by featuring the first-ever starting pitching duel between players born in India and Finland, as Mumbai right-hander Akshay More faced Karachi’s Konsta Kurikka with the desert sun dipping behind the horizon at The Sevens Stadium Complex.
More delivered a dream debut in his first professional start. He held Karachi to one hit across three innings and struck out three batters, showing poise and command that steadied the Cobras from the opening pitch. His work set up the rest of Mumbai’s India born pitching corps, as Saurabh Gaikwad entered next and struck out both hitters he faced in 0.2 innings. Tushar Lalwani, a native of Mumbai, took the ball for the final two innings and allowed just one hit while adding a strikeout of his own. Together, the trio combined for 5.2 innings of one-run baseball in a landmark performance for both the club and the country they represent.
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Mumbai wasted no time in generating offense. In the bottom of the first inning, Caleb McNeely launched a solo home run over the left-center field wall to put the Cobras ahead 1-0. Brantley Bell, celebrating his birthday, followed with a triple and came home moments later when Lou Helmig lined an RBI single to left. Justin Williams added a double as Mumbai stormed to a quick 2-0 advantage.
The Cobras extended their lead in the second inning. Ian Mercado singled and Victor Vahlberg walked before McNeely worked another free pass. Bell then drove a deep ball into center that deflected off the glove of Jake J. Perez, allowing two more runs to score and pushing the lead to 4-0.
Lineups Karachi Monarchs and Mumbai Cobras for Nov 16, 2025
Karachi scored in the third when Pavin Parks drew a walk and came around to score on Max Jung-Goldberg’s double that sliced down the left-field line. The Monarchs’ best chance to shift momentum came one inning later when Amar Mahmood, Henderson H. Perez, and Jake J. Perez all reached to load the bases. But Mumbai escaped unharmed as Jose Acosta and Eric Meza struck out swinging to end the threat.
Karachi added its second run in the seventh when Mahmood scored on a double play ball, but that would be the final time the Monarchs reached the plate.
Mumbai delivered the knockout blow in the bottom of the seventh. Gedionne Marlin walked, McNeely was hit by a pitch, and Bell drew another walk to load the bases. Raul Shah struck out swinging, but the dropped third strike allowed McNeely to score from third to make it 5-1. Williams walked to reload the bases, setting up the decisive moment of the afternoon.
Miguel Ojeda, coming off a three-run pinch-hit homer the night before, stepped in and hammered a towering three-run home run to left off Alex Dubord. Helmig added a sacrifice fly that scored Marlin as the Cobras closed the inning with a commanding 9-1 lead.
Konsta Kurikka, representing Finland, became part of Baseball United history by starting in the league’s first India–Finland pitching matchup. He worked 2.1 innings and allowed six hits, four earned runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. Isaac Milburn followed with 0.2 scoreless innings before Kolby Kiser steadied Karachi with three strong shutout frames and two strikeouts. Dubord struggled in his 0.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on four walks and a home run. Musharaf Khan closed the final 1.1 innings without surrendering a run.
On the Mumbai side, Chase Gearing earned the win in relief, throwing 3.1 innings with only one hit and one earned run allowed, along with three walks and a strikeout.
Brantley Bell produced one of the top offensive performances of the afternoon, finishing 2-for-4 with a triple, a double, two runs scored, and two RBI. Caleb McNeely added a strong day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI while also reaching base multiple times. Miguel Ojeda continued his power surge off the bench, launching a pinch-hit three-run home run for the second straight night. Lou Helmig contributed with a 1-for-3 line that included two RBI, and Ian Mercado quietly delivered a 2-for-3 showing.
For Karachi, Pavin Parks scored once and finished 1-for-4, while Jung-Goldberg drove him home with an RBI double and went 1-for-3. Mahmood reached base three times on walks and scored, but the rest of the lineup combined to go 0-for-17 with four additional walks, giving the Monarchs only two hits for the game despite drawing 10 walks.
Mumbai Cobras 9, Karachi Monarchs 2
Mumbai wins the first regular season series in Baseball United history.
The game lasted 3 hours and 28 minutes with first pitch at 6:16 a.m. under cloudy skies and an east wind. The umpiring crew included home plate umpire Frantisek Pribyl, first base umpire Humberto Saiz, second base umpire Zdenek Zidek, and third base umpire Jair Fernandez. Official attendance was listed at zero.
World Baseball Network was on hand throughout Opening Weekend in Dubai, continuing full coverage of the league’s launch after the first-ever Baseball United game in the UAE — a matchup we reported on extensively in In Historic Baseball United Debut in Dubai, Karachi Monarchs Top Mumbai Cobras 6-4. The series evened a night later, when Mumbai answered with a five-run first inning in Game Two, covered here: Mumbai Cobras Use Five Run First Inning to Top Karachi in Dubai as Baseball United Series Evens.
Fans looking for more from Dubai can also find our Opening Night sit-down with BU Chairman Kash Shaikh at Kash Shaikh Talks Opening Night in Dubai with World Baseball Network, our breaking story on the league’s full-season debut at Baseball United Made Its First Full Season Debut Today in Dubai, and our in-depth feature on BU’s new rule set in The Dune of Dreams. A complete archive of WBN’s Baseball United reporting, including Wolves–Falcons Game Two and regional expansion news, is available at worldbaseball.com/category/baseball-united.
