01/10/2023 1 Minute Read

Spain is Baseball European Champion 2023

Spain defeated Great Britain 11-2 in the Gold Medal Game at the Baseball European Championship 2023 in Brno, Czechia on Sunday evening to become Baseball European Champion for the second time after 1955. For Great Britain its third silver medal after 1967 and 2007.

The final of a well-organized Baseball European Championship in front of 2,394 started off with a powerful Spanish attack. They batted around in the top of the first inning to score five runs through a RBI single by Edison Valerio and RBI doubles from Jesus Ustariz, Daniel Jimenez, Wander Encarnacion and Gabriel Lino chasing Great Britain’s starting pitcher Austin Hassani after just three outs.

Nick Ward put Great Britain on the board with one swing in the bottom half of the first thanks to a solo home run. But Spain was leading 5-1 after the first inning. In the fourth Great Britain threatened to come back. They loaded the bases with no outs, but managed just one run by Ward due to a sac fly by Kennard Dawson.

Two innings later Spain decided the outcome definitely. Wander Encarnacion and Engel Beltre hit two-run home runs to blow the score to 9-2. In the ninth Daniel Jimenez capped the scoring for Spain with a two-run double.

Pablo Guillen earned the win, allowing just one hit, two runs and two walks in five innings. Carlos Sierra, Daniel Alvarez and Rhiner Cruz closed out the victory. Hassani got charged with five runs on six hits in just one inning to take the loss. Afterwards Chris Messer kept GB in the game with four scoreless two-hit frames.

All games of the Baseball European Championship can be watched on www.baseballeurope.tv and the boxscores are available on www.wbsceurope.org.

Photo by Grega Valancic