The European Cup in Brno has its first big upset after AVG Draci Brno prevailed against Fortitudo Bologna to hand the Italian champion its first loss of the tournament. A two-run double by Michal Ondracek put the winning run on the board at the AVG Arena. Earlier the Heidenheim Heidekoepfe and the Konica Minolta Pioniers scored a combined 39 runs in two blowouts against the Rouen Huskies. In the evening CB Sant Boi suffered its first loss, dropping their match 2-9 against the Pioniers. Four teams are now tied with 2-1 records.
Rouen Huskies – Heidenheim Heidekoepfe 7-20 (7)
HEI 160 416 2 20 23 3 ROU 112 030 0 7 8 2
The Heidenheim Heidekoepfe out-slugged the Rouen Huskies 20-7 in seven innings in the morning game at the European Cup in Brno on Friday. They hit a whopping seven homeruns in seven innings, scoring 20 runs on 23 hits, 13 of them for extra bases. Five players scored three runs apiece. Brandon Taylor (5-6, 6 RBI) and Johannes Schaeffler (4-5, 5 RBI) did most of the damage with two homeruns each. Michael Weigl (4-5), Chris Beck and Simon Guehring also went deep for the German champion. Kenji Hagiwara homered for Rouen. Joris Bert crossed the plate thrice. Peter Dankerl (W 1-0) issued eight hits, seven runs (6 ER) and eight bb in 6 2/3 innings. Giovanni Ouin (L 0-1) surrendered 13 hits, eleven runs and a walk in 3 2/3 innings.
Konica Minolta Pioniers – Rouen Huskies 19-9 (7)
ROU 300 012 3 9 15 4 PIO 114 292 X 19 9 1
Another game, another blowout loss for the Rouen Huskies. The Konica Minolta Pioniers used a nine-run fifth to celebrate a 19-9 win in seven innings. Rouen actually out-hit the Pioniers 15-9, but 15 walks for the club from Hoofddorp against the five for the Huskies, decided the outcome. Lennart Koster (3 runs, 2 RBI) and Mark-Jan Moorman (3 RBI) hit homeruns for the Dutch vice champion. Shurty Tremus scored four times. Maxime Lefevre went deep twice for Rouen, Kenji Hagiwara and Aaron Hornostaj once. Shane Gnade (W 1-0) conceded 15 hits, nine runs (8 ER) and five bb in seven innings. Justin Staatz (L 0-1) surrendered six hits, 14 runs (10 ER) and ten walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Fortitudo Bologna – AVG Draci Brno 3-4
DRA 000 103 000 4 9 1 BOL 010 002 000 3 5 1
Another big upset in the 2010 European Cups. AVG Draci Brno stunned the Italian champion Fortitudo Bologna with a 4-3 win in the afternoon for their first win of the tournament. Fortitudo had the better start into the game, taking a 1-0 lead in the second on a RBI single by Francesco Alaimo. But AVG Draci came back. They tied the game in the fourth, when Jakub Hajtmar scored on a throwing error by first baseman Daniele Malengo.
Two frames later Brno put three runs on the board and went up 4-1 thanks to a sac fly by Martin Schneider and two-run double by Michal Ondracek. Bologna tried to answer right away and loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame. Stefano Landuzzi was hit by a pitch and Alaimo walked to force in two runs, but Livinston Santaniello and Juan Carlos Infante flied out to end the inning. They loaded the bases with one out again in the bottom of the ninth, but Joseph Mazzuca lined out to the shortstop who turned the double play at second, ending the rally and the game.
Leos Kubat (W 1-0) was the hero on the mound for Brno, allowing just four hits, three runs and five walks in 5 1/3 innings. Former Seattle Mariner Greg McCarthy bailed him out in the sixth. Radek Prochazka closed it out in the ninth after McCarthy and Radim Chroust had loaded the bases. Fabio Betto (L 0-1) gave up seven hits, four runs (3 ER) and two bb in 5 2/3 innings.
CB Sant Boi – Konica Minolta Pioniers 2-9
PIO 000 011 232 9 11 1 BOI 000 000 020 2 7 2
The Konica Minolta Pioniers scored in each of the last five frames to beat CB Sant Boi in the evening game in Brno on Friday. Shurty Tremus drove in the first run with a single in the fifth and cleared the bases with a double in the eighth. Mark Duursma scored three times. Jan-Mark Moorman went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Eddie Aucoin (W 1-0) allowed five hits, two runs and two bb in 7 1/3 innings. Junior Guerra (L 0-1) struck out twelve in seven innings, but also gave up six hits, four runs (3 ER) and four bb.
Schedule Brno, June 5:
- 9am CB Sant Boi – Heidenheim Heidekoepfe
- 1pm Konica Minolta Pioniers – AVG Draci Brno
- 6pm Rouen Huskies – Fortitudo Bologna
Live play by play on CEB Website
Standings:
- CB Sant Boi 2-1
- Fortitudo Bologna 2-1
- Heidenheim Heidekoepfe 2-1
- Konica Minolta Pioniers 2-1
- AVG Draci Brno 1-2
- Rouen Huskies 0-3