The 2022 Champions Cup got underway in Bonn, Germany, with only two of the four games scheduled for Day 1 of Europe’s premier club competition completed due to rain. In Game 1, Parma Baseball Club enjoyed a decisive victory over Draci Brno, while the Heidenheim Heideköpfe put three runs on the board in top of the ninth inning to secure a 4-2 victory over L&D Amsterdam.
The Game 3 match-up between Curaçao Neptunus and San Marino was interrupted by rain with the score tied at five and the ninth inning set to begin, while the nightcap between the host Bonn Capitals and Arrows Ostrava was postponed and rescheduled for Day 2.
Game 1: Parma Starts with an Easy W
In Game 1, the titleholders Parma handily defeated Draci Brno 11-1 (box score), with the Italian hurlers limiting the Czech batters to just three hits. Starter Emailin Montilla struck out seven in five innings of work, with Marc-André Habeck earning the three-inning save (3K, 1H).
Brno opened the scoring in the first inning. Lead-off hitter Arnost Dubovy, who had two of Brno’s three hits on the day, singled to center field, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a throwing error. Parma responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning and added another run in the second. The two clubs were evenly matched until the sixth inning, when Parma scored twice. The Italians added three more in the seventh and two more runs in the eighth inning to end the game early by mercy rule.
Parma’s offense produced 13 hits, with Noel Gonzalez going 3-for-3. He also walked twice. Cesare Astorri und Aldo Koutsoyanopulos both contributed two RBI.
Game 2: Heidenheim Rallies in the Ninth
In Game 2, with light rain falling and storm clouds approaching, the Heidenheim Heideköpfe scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to book a 4-2 victory (box score) over L&D Amsterdam.
In the wet conditions, Heidenheim benefited from a hit batter, two fielding errors, and heads-up base running in the final frame to secure the W. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, and with the game tied at two apiece, Heidenheim’s Drew Janssen hit a routine ground ball to the Amsterdam shortstop. The Dutch defender bobbled the ball, however, allowing Janssen to beat out the late throw. Luca Hörger, who had been at third, scored on the throw, as did a hustling Philip Schulz, who made it home from second without even a throw from the Amsterdam first baseman.
Game 3: Neptunus and San Marino Tied at Five When the Rain Came
Game 3 started under heavy clouds and light drizzle, with heavier rain leading to a rain delay in the second inning and, ultimately, to the game’s suspension with the score tied at five and the ninth inning set to start.
Before the heavy rain came, however, the match-up was a back-and-forth affair, with Curaçao Neptunus scoring two runs in the top of the first inning to take an early lead. The second run came on a Rogear Bernadina solo homer.
Neptunus held the lead until the bottom of the fourth, when San Marino, the reigning Italian champion, scored four runs to take the lead, two of them coming on a two-run homer by Lorenzo Morresi.
Neptunus stormed back in the sixth to tie the score at five, and that was the score when heavy rain settled over the ball field in Bonn. The competition’s technical committee will determine when to continue the game.
Five Games Scheduled for Day 2
The Day 2 schedule includes the four regularly scheduled contests plus the postponed match-up between the Bonn Capitals and Arrows Ostrava, with play starting at 10:30 CEST.
L&D Amsterdam v. Draci Brno — 10:30 CEST
San Marino v. Arrows Ostrava — 11:00 CEST
Arrows Ostrava v. Bonn Capitals — 15:00 CEST
Parma v. Heidenheim Heideköpfe — 15:30 CEST
Bonn Capitals v. Curaçao Neptunus — 19:00 CEST
Europe’s top eight clubs will be battling it out between Jun 7 and Jun 11 in Bonn to determine the continent’s club champion. For links to live streams, schedules, rosters, and more information on the teams and the competition, visit the WBSC Europe tournament page.