Men's Softball European Super Cup 2023: day one recap

In Amstelveen, the first game of the day featured a face-off between DVH Amstelveen from the Netherlands and the Hoboken Pioneers from Belgium. The Belgian team emerged victorious with a final score of 8-6. Throughout the game, the Hoboken Pioneers maintained their lead, shutting down the attempt by the Dutch team to stage a comeback in the seventh inning, where they managed to score 4 runs.

Over in Nieuw-Vennep, the home team Vennep Flyers faced off against the Montpellier Barracudas from France. The French team secured a commanding win with a score of 8-1 in six innings. The New Zealander pitcher TWIGDEN playing with the French allowed only 3 hits.

The day continued with the XI. Men’s Softball European Super Cup opening ceremony that brought together the teams, officials, umpires, local organizing committee, and local authorities in Haarlem.

Following the ceremony, the action continued on the field, where the home team Olympia Haarlem took on the Deurne Spartans from Belgium. The game started off as a balanced contest, with the home team managing to score a run in the second inning due to a defensive error. A significant turning point came in the sixth inning when BEAUMONT of Olympia Haarlem hit a no-doubt homerun, bringing in two more runs. The seventh inning turned out to be a game-changer, as Olympia Haarlem scored an impressive 5 runs, securing a decisive 8-0 victory and marking their first win in the tournament.

Simultaneously, on the second field in Haarlem, the Chicaboo's from Belgium faced off against the Stags from Great Britain. The Chicaboo's dominated the game, emerging victorious with a score of 7-0. They took an early lead by scoring 5 runs in the first inning and added one more in the fourth and fifth innings, ultimately ending the game by the mercy rule. A notable performance came from RAMOS Roberto, who managed to hold the opposing team hitless.

Eighteen games are scheuduled for day two of the Men's Softball European Super Cup 2023 over the three venues.

Streaming is offered by the local organising committe on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel and play-by-play is available for all games on the official event's website.

Cover photo by Aneta Šimůnková