Everything is still wide open in regards to the finals at the European Cup Qualifier in Athens, Greece. On Thursday the Buffaloes Blagoevgrad got their fourth win in as many games. The Vienna Metrostars and the Zurich Barracudas improved to 3-1 each. These three teams still can reach the final on Saturday. The ECQ winner will qualify for next year’s CEB Cup.
Panathinaikos BC – Vienna Metrostars 3-7
The Vienna Metrostars kept their chances alive with a 7-3 win over Panathinaikos BC in the morning game at Helenikon. Vienna scored four runs in the third to take an early 5-0 lead. Afterwards Athens cut the deficit to two runs, but a two-run ninth provided some insurance for the Mets. Hubert Weiser went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Jakob Simonsen allowed three hits in five innings of scoreless relief. Panagiotis Sikaras went the distance for Panathinaikos. He struck out ten, but had to settle for his second loss of the week. He also drove in two of the three runs.
Buffaloes Blagoevgrad – Atletico Alexandria 8-3
The Buffaloes Blagoevgrad scored five runs in the first on route to an 8-3 victory over Atletico Alexandria. When the Romanian champion got on the board with two runs in the fifth, the Buffaloes scored three more in the bottom half of the frame to put the contest into the books. Venkov Shopski had two hits and three RBI at the plate and pitched four innings of one-run relief from the mound. Alexander Blagoev earned the win. Iulian Serban issued nine hits, eight runs (3 ER) and three walks in eight innings to take the loss.
Zurich Barracudas – Olympic School 42 5-4
Triples by Joshua Crouse and Nderim Coma in the bottom of the seventh broke a 4-4 to give the Zurich Barracudas a 5-4 win over the Olympic School 42 in the early evening game on Thursday. It was the third win for Zurich this week, all with just one run difference. Moscow just had tied the game in the top of the frame, when Sergei Vorotolin scored on a wild pitch and Aleksandr Tarasov stole home as part of a double steal. Shane Uhle had driven in the other four runs for the Barracudas. Chris Michals went nine innings, allowing seven hits, four runs (3 ER) and two walks in nine innings. Maksim Makarkin took the loss.
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