VOITH Heidenheim Heidekoepfe – Eagles Praha 13-0 (Box score | stream)
The reigning German Baseball-Bundesliga champion VOITH Heidenheim Heidekoepfe opened the 2024 BECC with a commanding 13-0 win over the Eagles Praha in seven mercy rule shortened innings.
Pitchers Jared Mortensen and Mike Bolsenbroek held Praha to only two hits combined – by Michal Anton and Marek Slaby. Mortensen earned the win, striking out ten batters in six innings.
On offense the Heidekoepfe took a 2-0 lead on RBI hits by Drew Janssen and Gary Owens in the third. In the fourth they blew the score wide open with an eight-run rally highlighted by a three-run home run by Billy Germaine. In the sixth Heidenheim added three more runs to finalize the score. Germaine finished with three runs scored and four RBI. Janssen went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI. Shawn Larry and Simon Liedtke added two RBI apiece.
Natsuki Tamba took the loss on the Eagles site, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in three innings on the mound.
Draci Brno – Guggenberger Legionaere Regensburg 2-0 (Box score | stream)
The second game on opening night of the BECC on Wednesday was a much closer affair. Draci Brno won a pitcher’s duel against the Guggenberger Legionaere Regensburg by a score of 2-0.
The Czech champion got on the board with a solo home run by Alex Monsalve in the bottom of the fourth inning.
In the seventh Markus Kalabek led off the bottom half with a double and came around to score on a pair of wild pitches.
Regensburg had a couple of good opportunities to cross the plate. In the second Marlon Jimenez led off with a double, but a pair of strikeouts and a flyout ended the threat. In the fourth inning, Elias von Garßen and Antonios Torres Skerrett reached base with no outs to open the frame. But again failed to bring them home.
Yoervis Medina collected the win with five scoreless innings on the mound. Scott Harkin got charged with the loss.
Next up
The Baseball European Champions Cup, which will be played in a league format this year instead of the tournament layout of previous years, continues on June 5 with matchups between the Guggenberger Legionaere Regensburg and the Eagles Praha as well as the duel between opening day winners Draci Brno and VOITH Heidenheim Heidekoepfe. Both games will start at 19:00 CEST.
All games are streamed live through www.wbsce.tv and can be followed via live play by play on the WBSC Europe website.
Photo by Grega Valančič
