Congratulations FC BARCELONA. The Spanish vice champion and 2007 CEB Cup winner defeated DANESI NETTUNO in a thrilling final 12-11 to win the European Cup in Regensburg. DOOR NEPTUNUS finished in third after an easy 8-1 victory against the BUCHBINDER LEGIONAERE.
Final:
Danesi Nettuno – FC Barcelona 11-12
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The FC BARCELONA used an eight-run fourth, highlighted by a grand slam by Jesus Golindano, to overcome an early 1-4 deficit to beat NETTUNO 12-11. They needed three insurance runs in the top of the eighth, as DANESI tried to rally. But their comeback was stopped right in time.
It was a spectacular slugfest, which the 400 people in the Armin-Wolf-Arena saw. NETTUNO took a fast lead on two homeruns by Luis Ugueto and a solo shot by Vincent Parisi. However BARCA came back in the fourth. They tied the contest on a two-run triple by Emmanuel Febles. They loaded the bases and Golindano cleared them, when he drove a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence. Oscar Roman followed back-to-back with a solo shot on his own, to make it 9-4 after four.
However this was not the end. DANESI scored each twice in the sixth and seventh with BARCELONA widen the gap in the eighth. And again NETTUNO rallied another time. They cut the deficit to a run, but Giuseppe Mazzanti struck out with the tying run on second to end the threat in the eighth. Remigio Leal retired the side in the ninth to secure the win.
Ugueto was four-for-four with four runs scored and three RBI. Ramon Tavarez had five hits in five at bats, driving in two for the Italians.
Homer Baez started for BARCELONA. He had a tough game, being responsible for eight runs (5 ER) on ten hits and a walk in 6 1/3 innings. Nonetheless he received the win. Massimiliano Masin gave up nine hits, nine runs (8 ER) and a base on balls in 3 2/3 innings.
Bronze Medal Game:
Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg – DOOR Neptunus 1-8
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Leon Boyd (started and threw three perfect innings), Jurjen van Zijl (got the win) and Kevin Heijstek (earned the save) combined on a three-hitter, allowing just one unearned run, as NEPTUNUS won the game for third place against REGENSBURG 8-1.
Besides the fast 1-0 lead in the third on a RBI double by Eugene Kingsale, the DOOR offense needed a few innings to get things going against the German vice champion. The LEGIONAERE even tied the game in the fifth on a throwing error by shortstop Jeroen Sluijter.
But NEPTUNUS eliminated all hopes for a surprise with a three-run sixth. Sluijter and Raily Legito both scored on a costly error by second baseman Philipp Howard. Lennart Koster reached home on a groundout by Martijn Meeuwis. They didn’t stop scoring afterwards and added four more runs in the seventh and ninth, highlighted by a two-run shot over the left field fence by Legito.
Mike Bolsenbroek started for REGENSBURG and allowed four hits, five runs (1 ER) and five bb in six-plus innings. Philipp Hoffschild and Benedikt Antwi also appeared in the game.
Playdowns:
MGPU SYOS 42 – Olimpija Karlovac 10-11
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The Croatian champion of 2007 KARLOVAC won a wild game against MGPU 11-10, in which both teams blew commanding leads. OLIMPIJA had started strong and built up a 6-0 advantage midway through the third. However SYOS 42 used two big innings to turn the score over. But KARLOVAC had an answer left. Jason Popishil’s (3-5, 5 RBI) second homerun of the day decided the outcome in the ninth.
Besides Popishil, Branko Nenadic had three hits, scoring twice. Slobodan Gales reached home three times. Damir Karin drove in two for OLIMPIJA. Maxim Polyakov, Nikita Monakhov and Alexey Veshkin each got two RBI. All nine batters scored at least once for MGPU.
Only one of the five pitchers had a good day on the mound. Gales relieved Mario Zdelar in the sixth and allowed just two hits and a walk till the end. He received the win. Zdelar allowed eleven hits, ten runs (9 ER) and two bb in 5 2/3 innings. SYOS starter Evgent Vorotyntsev was charged with three hits, five runs (3 ER) and four walks in two innings. His replacements on the mound, Andrey Selivanov and Alexey Kozin could not stop the opposing batters either. Kozin took the loss.
AVG Draci Brno – Templiers Senart 3-4 (11)
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The TEMPLIERS won their last game of the European Cup on Sunday by a score of 4-3 against DRACI and finished in fifth place at the tournament. They needed RBI fielder’s choice by Mattieu Brelle-Andrade in the top of the eleventh period to decide the outcome. SENART had tied the game in the top of the ninth on a RBI single by David Meurant.
BRNO led since the fifth inning, when they scored twice on back-to-back errors by the catcher and a wild pitch. The TEMPLIERS offense came through first with a RBI single by Ian Young in the first and David Meurant solo homerun in the fourth.
Brelle-Andrade started for SENART. He allowed five hits, three runs (1 ER) and four bb in 4 2/3 innings. Martin Schneider opposed him at the beginning and was charged with six hits, two runs and two bb in 4 1/3 innings. Evan Blesoff received the win after 6 1/3 stellar two-hit innings of relief, striking out five. Jakub Toufar took the loss.
Final Standings:
- FC Barcelona (ESP)
- Danesi Nettuno (ITA)
- DOOR Neptunus (NED)
- Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg (GER)
- Templiers Senart (FRA)
- AVG Draci Brno (CZE)
- Olimpija Karlovac (CRO)
- MGPU SYOS 42 (RUS)