The European Cup Qualifier ended on Saturday with the best-of-three final series (game one is result from preliminary round) at the four locations throughout Europe. The winners will play in one or two tournaments later this summer against the TEMPLIERS SENART and the TENERIFE MARLINS for two spots in next year’s European Cups.
Ostrava, Czech Republic
In the morning Jon Jon Robles struck out 16 batters in a 1-0 shutout of ARROWS OSTRAVA against BREST ZUBRS to lead the Czech host of the Qualifier into the finals later the day against MGPU. Robles allowed just a walk in the first and a single in the ninth, facing two batters over the minimum. OSTRAVA scored the lone run in the sixth, when Truesdale came around on an error by the right fielder. Viacheslav Pivavarchuk gave up four hits, one unearned run and a walk in eight innings. He struck out seven.
But the ARROWS didn’t capture the win at the Qualifier. MGPU celebrated a 6-3 victory in the afternoon to win the best-of-three series 2-0 after winning the preliminary round match 5-4 on Monday. Samchuk and Vorotilin each scored twice. Kobrinets drove in two. Nikol Chermoshentsev picked up the win with a complete game.
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Trnava, Slovakia
KNTU scored a pair of runs in the eighth on an error and a groundout to defeat VINDIJA 5-4 on Saturday and to win the Qualifier with a 2-0 in the best-of-three series. The Ukrainian team already had won 4-1 on Thursday. M Symchyna went two-for-three with a walk, a run scored and two RBI. D Nelipa scored twice. G Harder collected four hits, two runs and a RBI in the losing effort. A Bekic drove in two.
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Attnang-Puchheim, Austria
The people in attendance at the Qualifier in Attnang-Puchheim saw a dramatic final day. In game one in early afternoon, the MOSQUITO ATHLETICS crushed the CARDINALS 9-1 behind four hits, two runs and two RBI by Martin Rabengruber. Nick Pardikes (2-3, 3 runs, 3 BB for ATT) and John Baum (CAR) homered. Walter Strasser went the distance for his second win this week. With the win the A’s tied the best-of-three series, as BERN had won game one on Wednesday by a final score of 15-2.
In the rubber match the CARDS prevailed 8-7 to win a European Cup Qualifier for a second year in a row. ATTNANG-PUCHHEIM had the better start and built up a 6-2 lead until the end of the seventh. But BERN rallied, scored three runs each in the last two frames and turned the deficit into a victory. A fielding error by the second baseman helped Johnny Perigos and Baum to score the decisive runs in the top of the ninth. Baum went three-for-four with his second homerun on the day, four runs scored and two RBI. He also pitched nine innings for the win, allowing twelve hits, seven runs (5 ER) and six bb. He struck out nine. Pardikes suffered the loss in relief. Martin Rabengruber once again had four hits in game two of the day.
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Antwerp, Belgium
The final day in Antwerp, Belgium also had a thrilling ending. The HOBOKEN PIONEERS tied the best-of-three series with a 3-1 win against the MANNHEIM TORNADOS, after having lost 0-6 on Wednesday. A RBI triple by N Mertens and a RBI double by J Peerens pushed the winning runs over the plate in the top of the tenth. Both teams had scored once in the first nine innings. TJ Hendricks went the distance and surrendered just one unearned run on nine hits and five bb. He struck eight. Michael Otto started for the German club and gave up three hits, a run and three walks. Martin Dewald replaced him in the fourth and closed out, taking the loss.
A third game had to decide on the winner and MANNHEIM got back on track, scoring in four of the first five innings en route to a 6-1 win and the title at the European Cup Qualifier. Billy Hess and Marvin Appiah combined for four hits and five RBI. Craig Pycock collected four hits. Jan Ruessel pitched nine innings, issuing five hits, an unearned run and two walks. He struck out nine. TJ Antonacci was charged with 15 hits, six runs and a walk in nine innings. He punched out eight.