European Cup Playoff in Brno, Day 1, September 18
Technika Brno – North Stars Moscow 2-6
NSM 000 200 400 6 7 0 TEC 002 000 000 2 6 3
At the European Cup Playoff in Brno, Czech Republic, host Technika and the North Stars Moscow met for a best-of-three series to earn a spot for their federation in next year’s European Cups. In game one on Saturday the North Stars prevailed 6-2 after scoring four runs in the top of the seventh. Vladimir Timakov and Sergey Solovev drove in the runs during the rally with a single and a double. Earlier in the game Ryan Murphy had homered to put Brno in front 2-0 in the third. But Ivan Kornev tied the contest with a two-run double one frame later. Nikolay Lobanov (W 1-0) struck out five in 3 2/3 dominant innings of no-hit relief. Daniel Mraz (L 0-1) picked up ten strikeouts in seven innings, surrendering six hits, six runs (5 ER) and three bb.
European Cup Playoff in Brno, Day 2, September 19
North Stars Moscow – Technika Brno 6-19
TEC 412 015 105 19 19 4 NSM 030 030 000 6 9 7
Day of the European Cup Playoff in Brno started with a wild game, which was won 19-6 by Technika. They scored seven runs in the first three frames and blew things wide open with five-run rallies in the sixth and ninth. Both teams combined to commit a whopping eleven errors. Brno’s leadoff hitter Billy Hess scored four times. Daniel Mraz, Jan Oralek and Matous Worm picked up three RBI each. Maxim Ayzatulin drove in three for Moscow with a triple in the third. Trevor Caughey (W 1-0) issued eight hits, six runs (2 ER) and two bb in five innings for the win. Artur Donetskiy (L 0-1) surrendered one hit, four runs and four bb, while getting just one out in the opening frame.
Technika Brno – North Stars Moscow 3-4
NSM 100 000 101 3 5 1 TEC 100 201 00X 4 11 1
In the decisive third match of the European Cup Playoff, the North Stars prevailed 4-3 in a nail-biter to get Russia back into the European Cup A-Pool. After both teams exchanged runs in the opening frame, a RBI single by Maxim Ayzatulin and a RBI sac bunt by Vladimir Timakov broke the tie in the third, putting Moscow up in front 3-1. Ayzatulin added another run with a RBI double in the sixth for a 4-1 lead.
Technika tried to come back in the last three frames. A sac fly by Billy Hess in the seventh cut the deficit to two runs. They loaded the bases in the ninth with three consecutive one-out walks. A RBI single by Ryan Murphy made it 3-4. Martin Stritecky stepped to the plate and sent a flyball to right field, which got caught by Alexander Toropov. Hess tried to tag up from third on the play, but got thrown out at the plate ending the game in dramatic fashion.
Evgeny Vorotyntsev (W 1-0) went 8 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, three runs and eight walks. Michal Koci (L 0-1) surrendered eleven hits, four runs (3 ER) and three bb in seven innings.
