Day 1 of the 2022 Confederation Cup in Rouen, France, saw the Tenerife Marlins, Hoboken Pioneers, and Montpellier Barracudas all record victories.
The Marlins, the reigning Spanish champion, faced the toughest fight, squeezing out a 6-5 walk-off win (box score) over Switzerland’s Therwil Flyers thanks to two runs in a final frame that saw two walks (one intentional) and three bunts, including a squeeze bunt by Angel Torres that brought home the winning run.
Hoboken, on the other hand, cruised to a 12-1 victory (box score) over the Vienna Metrostars, with the game ended by mercy rule after seven innings. Hoboken’s batters sprayed 15 hits, with every player in the starting lineup getting at least one and the bottom of the batting order contributing 11 of the 15 base hits. Three Hoboken pitchers, on the other hand, limited the Metrostars to just two hits of their own, with the hurlers collecting 10 strikeouts. Bebee Brayden was awarded the win after striking out five in three innings of work.
Montpellier eased to victory as well, a 6-3 (box score) final result over Croatia’s Olimpija Karlovac. Ismael Pontiac hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the third inning to break a 2-2 tie and Mael Zan added a solo blast in the following inning to extend the lead. Karlovac’s line-up was kept in check by a Barracuda pitching staff that scattered seven hits while striking out 10, with just three of those hits coming after Karlovac’s two-run second inning.
The host Rouen Huskies will begin play on Thursday when they take on the Vienna Metrostars in the third game of the day, with Olimpija Karlovac and the Therwil Flyers getting the action started at 10:00 CEST. The Tenerife Marlins and Montpellier Barracudas take the field at 13:30 CEST, with the Hoboken Pionners enjoying a day off on Day 2.
The Confederation Cup is the WBSC Europe’s second-tier club competition, with this year’s edition running from Jun 8 to Jun 12. For links to live streams, schedules, rosters, and more information on the clubs and the competition, visit the WBSC Europe tournament page.