The 2015 European Cup in Chartres and Paris, France started on Tuesday with three games and wins for T&A San Marino, L&D Amsterdam and host Paris UC. The top two of the round robin face each other in the final on Sunday.
T&A San Marino – Unipol Bologna 5-2
It was a possible preview of the tournament final and an inner IBL duel. Defending European Champions Cup winner T&A San Marino downed favorite Unipol Bologna 5-2. Four runs in the bottom of the fourth erased an early 0-2 deficit. Francesco Imperiali had the big hit with a two-run single. Jack Santora also drove in two. Rodney Rodriguez and three relievers kept Bologna to five hits. Marquis Fleming got charged with the loss.
Solingen Alligators – L&D Amsterdam Pirates 1-11
Former Texas Rangers minor leaguer Nick Urbanus led the L&D Amsterdam Pirates to an easy 11-1 victory over German title holder Solingen Alligators. The son of Amsterdam manager Charles Urbanus went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBI. The Pirates scored five runs in the top of the eighth to turn the game into a blowout. Kenny Berkenbosch tripled and drove in three. Markus Stryczek scored the lone run for Solingen in the fifth. Kevin Heijstek issued just an unearned run on four hits and a walk in five innings to pick up the win. Chris Mezger, who played one season in France, took the loss, getting charged with four hits, four runs and two walks in three frames.
Brest Zubrs – Paris UC 1-14 (7)
Host Paris UC celebrated a lopsided opening match against Belarus champion Brest Zubrs in the evening in Paris, winning 14-1 in seven innings. After James Murrey and Aliaksei Lukashevich were locked into a pitcher’s duel early on, PUC scored 12 combined runs in the sixth and seventh to end the contest early due to the ten-run rule. Dan Camou and Christophe Goniot scored three runs apiece and collected five RBI together. Murrey finished the game with seven innings of two-hit ball, striking out ten. Lukashevich was charged with seven runs (4 ER) on six hits and five base on balls in five-plus innings.
Outlook
On Wednesday the European Cup in Chartres and Paris continues with three more first-round games. At 12pm L&D Amsterdam and T&A San Marino will square off in another key matchup in regards of the finals. At 3pm Unipol Bologna takes on Brest Zubrs. In the evening at 5pm Paris UC hosts the Solingen Alligators.
Complete Schedules and Live Play by Play at www.baseballstats.eu
Livestreams of the European Cups:
Rotterdam (Games of ASD Rimini) http://m.ustream.tv/channel/rimini-baseball-live
Paris http://original.livestream.com/pucbaseball
Chartres http://livestream.com/accounts/13242543/events/4095514