Belgium – Sweden 11-1 (Box score)
Belgium
picked up their first win in the tournament with an 11-1 victory over Sweden.
Belgium scored in each of the first four innings, highlighted by a six-run
rally in the second. Seven different players crossed the plate for the red
devils. Cazimir Vandervelden and Jens Boermans had three RBI apiece. Nils Imbert
scored three runs and drove in two. Olle Andersson scored the lone run for
Sweden.
France – Great Britain 5-11 (Box score)
Great
Britain secured their semifinal berth with an 11-5 win over France. The game
was called in the bottom of the sixth inning after a heavy thunderstorm flooded
both fields in Regensburg. Team GB kicked off the game with a four-run first.
After France cut the deficit to 4-5 after four innings, the British team added
two in the fifth and four in the sixth. Travis James Harfield went 2-for-3 with
a home run, four runs scored and two RBI. Cayden Allen had three RBI. Esteban
Briones scored twice for France.
Netherlands – Czechia 8-2 (Box score)
The Netherlands and Czechia went to the foul lines to listen to the national anthems and when the game was about to start a Thunderstorm led to a two-and-a-half-hour delay. The teams then combined for seven runs in the first inning with the Netherlands leading 5-2. In the fifth and sixth the Dutch team added three insurance runs to seal the win. Djean Macares, Jamies Beerman and Keegan Pieternella each scored twice. Kimi Verkruijssen went six innings, allowing four hits, two runs and a walk to pick up the win.
Austria – Croatia 4-3 (Box score)
In a
thriller Austria prevailed 4-3 over Croatia to reach the win column at the U-18
Baseball European Championship in Group A. Croatia had the better start and
took a 2-0 lead when Ron Karin and Boris Christensen scored in the first and
the third. A bases loaded walk by Maksim Demic and a RBI single by Sebastian
Holzer got Austria back in the game to tie the game after five innings. In the
bottom of the sixth Austria got ahead 4-2 on a RBI single by Paul Kerle and a
wild pitch. In the top of the seventh Croatia scored again to get within a run
with a RBI single by Dorian Bartolcic.
Germany – Israel 9-2 (Box score)
Germany scored eight runs in the first three innings of a 9-2 win over Israel to improve to 4-0 for the tournament. Israel only was able to avoid the shutout with two runs in the fourth. But Germany added a run in the sixth to secure the win. Darrion Richards scored three runs after going 1-for-1 with two walks. Luca Sieger also scored three runs for Germany. Lyrr Friesem and Tomer Naor scored the runs for Israel.
Spain – Italy 1-2 (Box score)
Italy joined Germany at the top of the Group A standings with a perfect 4-0 record after edging out Spain 2-1 in a great pitcher’s duel, which eliminated the defending champion Spain from contention for the medals. Italy struck first and scored with leadoff runner Edoardo Cornelli through a RBI single from Luca Magnani in the first. But Spain came right back and tied the contest in the bottom half of the same frame. Diego Alcala scored on a wild pitch with two outs. In the third Lorenzo Barbona led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sac fly by Giacomo Taschin. Taschin was also the hero on the mound, striking out 11 batters in 5 2/3 innings, while allowing just two hits, a run and a walk. Filippo Sabatini struck out two more to close it out. Andres Pena conceded four hits, two runs and four walks in 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven to take the loss.
Outlook
On Friday
the preliminary round at the U-18 Baseball European Championship ends with the
last six games in Group A and B. In Group A the focus will be on the matchup of
undefeated teams from Germany and Italy at 18:00. The day starts with the
contest between France and Czechia at 10:00. At 11:30 Austria and Israel battle
for fourth place in Group A. At 14:00 Great Britain is facing Belgium. At 15:30
Sweden squares off with the Netherlands. Spain and Croatia conclude the first
round at 19:30. All games are being streamed live at www.baseballeurope.tv. Live play by
play is available at www.wbsceurope.org.
Photo by Legionaere
