The Czech Republic won the U15 European championship last Sunday, July 25, in Brno, winning by tiebreaker after the gold medal contest against France was interrupted by rain in the fifth inning.
With the score even at four (box score), steady rain was followed by thunderstorms that forced the game to be called off. Under CEB tournament rules, the Czech Republic’s 19-3 victory over France in group play resulted in the Czech squad winning the gold.
Filip Kubicek of the Czech Republic was named MVP of the tournament, with his teammate Jan Kozel crowned as the tournament’s top pitcher. France’s Florient Hiep was named Best Hitter.
Both the Czech Republic and France have qualified for the 2022 U15 World Cup.
In the bronze medal game, the Netherlands defeated Italy 5-3 (box score), avenging its group-stage defeat at the hands of the Italians to finish third.
For a summary of the tournament action, go here (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 Day 4), and for complete standings and statistics, visit the WBSC Europe competition page.
