Austria – Russia 2-3
Russia has won the B-Level European Championship in Vienna, Austria and will therefore play in the 2014 European Championship in the Czech Republic. In the championship game they scored two runs in the top of the ninth to hold off Austria 3-2, which had led for most of the match.
Austria indeed had the better start into the final. An error on Lukas Scheicher’s single in the second and a RBI single by Peter Ferak in the third gave the host a 2-0 lead. Russia got on the board in the fourth thanks to a RBI single by Daniil Khomyakov.
The score of 2-1 for Austria would remain until the ninth inning. A leadoff walk and a single got Russia’s comeback try going. However a groundout and a caught stealing at home put the favorite on to the brink. But with two outs, Victor Samchuk hit a 0-2 pitch into center field, where Dominik Talir let it drop, which allowed pinch runner Maksim Shevchenko to tie the game. Two batters later Maxim Ayzatulin, who went 4-for-5 in the game, plated Samchuk with the go-ahead and eventual winning single.
Andrey Lobanov pitched around a walk and a single in the bottom of the ninth to close out his complete game win.
After the game the Technical Commission of the Confederation of European Baseball honored Peter Ferak (Austria) as Most Valuable Player. Victor Samchuk was the best batter, Nikita Lobanov (both Russia) the best pitcher.
Final Standings:
- Russia
- Austria
- Belarus
- Slovakia
- Lithuania
- Ireland