France 002 010 030 6 11 0 Germany 110 022 11X 8 13 2
Germany prevailed 8-6 over host France in the unofficial opener of the France International Baseball Tournament “Yoshida Challenge” in Senart on Wednesday. It was a back and forth battle, where the German squad took control with a pair of two-run innings in the fifth and the sixth.
Chris Howard, who drove in three runs overall, put the final nail in the coffin with a solo home run in the eighth. Christoph Ziegler went 3-for-3. Marcel Jimenez and Howard scored twice. Maxime Lefevre tripled for France, while reaching base in all five of his plate appearances.
On the mound Germany used Julius Spann, Maurice Wilhelm, Sean Cowan, Jonathan Eisenhuth and Lukas Steinlein. France sent out Thomas Langloys, Antoine Villard, Pierre Turrettes, Pierick Lemestre and Norbert Jongerius.
The first official games of the Yoshida Challenge will be played on Thursday. At 2pm Germany faces the Netherlands. In the evening game at 7pm the International Stars square off against France. For more information visit www.yoshidachallenge.com