The final of the Baseball European Federation Cup 2024 in Varazdin was a close game with a thrilling ending. Varazdin scored three times in the first and four in the sixth for a 7-1 lead. They entered the bottom of the ninth inning with a six-run lead, when Apollo started a big rally. Bratislava loaded the bases with two outs and then Matej Rudohradsky made it 5-7 with a big grand slam home run.
But it was
not enough for a successful comeback, as a ground out to short ended the game.
Juan Angel Morao Martinez with a RBI single and Adams Peguero with a two-run
single produced the three Varazdin runs in the first. A pair of triples by
Isaac Cardenas Cordero and Karlo Kos led to the four-run sixth. In between an
error helped Alexander Vaclavik to score for Apollo. Nino Kruhek pitched a
complete game for the win. He struck out 15 batters. Matej Skerlec got charged
with the loss.
Bratislava (SVK) had dominated the preliminary round this week, winning all three first-round games. Vindija (CRO) came in second with a 2-1 record. The Sofia Blues (BUL) and the Zurich Challengers (SUI) finished in third and fourth place in the final standings.
The Hoboken Pioneers had won the second Baseball European Federation Cup this week, which was held in Zurich, Switzerland.
All results and statistics can be found through www.wbsceurope.org.
All games of the Baseball European Federation Cup 2024 were streamed on baseballeurope.tv.
