On Sunday the 4th annual MLB Academies Tournament started with two games at the Armin Wolf Arena in Regensburg, Germany. After the organizers weren’t blessed with perfect weather in the past two years, day one featured 22 degrees and sunny conditions, making it feel like Spring Training in Florida. This is also the purpose of the tourney, as the games are supposed to give the players time on the field in preparation for the new season in European Baseball.
Games are played with modified rules (25 pitches per inning, strict pitch counts, unlimited substitutions) to keep the focus on development. On Sunday representatives from 10 MLB organizations were in attendance. On the field the Netherlands and Germany settled for a 3-3 tie, as the Dutch team erased a 0-3 deficit. Later in the afternoon Sweden beat Belgium 9-8.
Results:
Day 1, Sunday, April 3:
Game 1
Germany 001 200 000 3 5 2 Netherlands 000 000 120 3 3 2
Game 2
Sweden 213 300 0 9 8 3 Belgium 004 031 0 8 8 1