By Gabriel Fidler
BLAGOEVGRAD, Bulgaria — The third qualifier for the CEB Federations Cup commenced in southwestern Bulgaria with Athletic Sofia representing the host nation in a battle of clubs from three European capitals. Unusually, the tournament will be played as a double-round robin, as there are only three total teams. Jordan Edmonds and Matteo Sollecito had four hits apiece in a 21-4 romp by the London Mets, while RusStar Moscow’s Vladislav Kochetov equalled their feat in the 16-2 victory in the nightcap.
Sofia 4 – London 21 (7)
The Mets started well, piling up a 6-0 through its first three turns at bat and recovering from a three-run rally by Sofia in the bottom of the third. A four-run fifth and 11 markers in the sixth led to the invocation of the mercy rule.
The top four in London’s lineup went 13-for-21 with four doubles and two walks, scoring 12 of its runs and driving in 11. Jordan Edmonds and Matteo Sollecito were each 4-for-6, the latter adding two doubles and four RBI, while Edmonds scored three runs and drove in three.
Moscow 16 – Sofia 2 (7)
It was RusStar’s turn to pile up the runs that afternoon, scoring six runs in the second to take a 7-0 lead. Five runs in the fourth and another four in the subsequent frame allowed Moscow to coast to an easy win. Dmitry Shtyker chucked 5.1 innings, striking out five and allowing both Sofia runs on four hits and a walk. Vladislav Kochetov was 4-for-5 and a homer short of the cycle. After walking 10 London hitters, a dozen RusStars took the easy way to first.
Standings
| Team | W-L | RF | RA |
| London Mets | 1-0 | 21 | 4 |
| RusStar Moscow | 1-0 | 16 | 2 |
| Athletic Sofia | 0-2 | 6 | 37 |
Results
Aug. 3: Sofia 4 – London 21 (7)
Aug. 3: Moscow 16 – Sofia 2 (7)
Aug. 4: London – Moscow
Aug. 5: Moscow – London
Aug. 5: Sofia – Moscow
Aug. 6: Sofia – London
Final (Aug. 7): TBD