The second day of play at European Baseball Championship B-Pool in Wrocław, Poland, finished with a rollercoaster, as Slovakia and the host nation grappled in a thrilling quest for a second win. Earlier in the day, Ireland and Ukraine posted commanding victories to make it four countries with a win in the Polish Baseball qualifier at Wrocławska Arena Sportu Baseball Field.
Slovakia – Poland
Slovakia took a 5-0 lead after two in the nightcap, before Carlos Romo entered in relief, completely shutting down the Central Europeans. After Dominik Grzecicha smashed a two-run shot to dead center, Romo took the team fully on his back, capping a five-run outburst in the third with a two-run triple, adding a moonshot over the center field wall in the seventh to add a run to what was, by then, a 7-5 lead.
Romo exited after 5.1 scoreless innings of relief during which he permitted a mere three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Jakub Križan immediately took advantage, launching his own rocket over the wall in center on the first strike he saw from Poland’s second reliever. An inning later, Slovakia’s offense fully reawakened, with the first four batters in the ninth reaching. This set up Križan for a booming double to left, after which the ball was chucked around, and all four runners crossed home.
Deven Pietrzak retired the next three batters, but Poland suddenly found itself in an 11-9 hole. Closer Jakub Ižold entered, and a one-out error put a runner on second. Arthur Kowara then laced a double to the wall in right and Ižold plunked a pinch hitter, putting the winning run at the plate. However, the Slovakian southpaw punched out the next two on strikes and Poland lay stunned after the dramatic loss at home.
Križan finished 3-for-5 with a walk, three runs, and three RBI for Slovakia, while Matej Škerlec added a double, a single, and a stolen base, with Matej Rudohradský and Martin Brunegraf joining him with a pair of hits. Hubert Zgórzyński joined Romo with a pair of hits for Poland.
Ireland – Lithuania
In the morning game, the Irish already had a substantial lead by the end of the fourth, and with Brendan Flaherty on the bump, there was little that Lithuania could manage in a complete performance by Ireland. Flaherty was utterly dominant, permitting a single unearned run on just two hits, whiffing 10 in seven innings without walking a batter. Matthew Dutton and Colin Walsh each crushed big flies, the latter adding a double as the two combined for half of Ireland’s eight hits. Isaiah Smith scored two runs and pilfered three bags for the winners.
Norway – Ukraine
Despite the final scoreline, Norway looked excellent in the early going, taking a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth. After Ukraine opened with a run in the first against Emil Fjellvang, Steffen Torgersen put a charge in a ball to right, clearing the fence for a solo shot in the third. Were it not for a nifty pickoff by Ihor Lukin, two runs would have scored.
An error and a passed ball scored two for Norway in the fourth, but Ukraine answered immediately in the exact same fashion, turning a leadoff single by Yevhenii Poliakov into a run thanks to a walk, a passed ball, and an error. From there, Ukraine just kept scoring, adding at least one in every inning until the game concluded.
Poliakov led the way with three safeties, while Viacheslav Babii had three walks, a hit, a stolen base, and two runs. Andrii Kostashchuk was aces in relief of Lukin, finishing the game with 5.2 scoreless, sending down seven on strikes. Fjellvang lasted 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs, clearly tiring through unncessarily long innings. Alexander Deutsch had a double and two singles for Norge Baseboll, while Aidan Brødsjø had two hits and two walks.
Box scores are available here [link]. Previous coverage includes: Preview [link], Day 1 [link]. See also coverage of the Baseball Euros Bulgaria Qualifier: Day 2 [link].
Results and Schedule
July 28
Ireland 11 – Lithuania 1 (7)
Norway 3 – Ukraine 11
Slovakia 11 – Poland 9
July 29
Norway – Lithuania
Slovakia – Ireland
Ukraine – Poland
Standings
| Team | W-L | RF | RA |
| Ireland | 2-0 | 17 | 3 |
| Slovakia | 2-0 | 22 | 10 |
| Poland | 1-1 | 20 | 14 |
| Ukraine | 1-1 | 13 | 9 |
| Lithuania | 0-2 | 2 | 22 |
| Norway | 0-2 | 6 | 22 |