Group A: Germany – Sweden
Sweden 000 000 000 0 3 2 Deutschland 101 011 00X 4 5 0
Germany had a successful start into the European Championship in Hoofddorp. They shut out Sweden 4-0 behind a strong pitching performance and some small ball. Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez, Jan-Niclas Stöcklin and Tim Stahlmann kept the Scandinavians to three hits and four walks in nine innings.
Sweden only put runners in scoring position in the fifth and the ninth. Their biggest threat came in the ninth, when Stöcklin walked two. But Stahlmann came in and cleaned up with a strikeout and an induced double play to end the game.
Meanwhile Germany took a quick 2-0 lead after three frames due to a pair of runs by Marcel Jimenez. Nadir Ljatifi and Ludwig Glaser also scored later in the game to secure the win. Max Boldt finished with three RBI, two on sac flies. Eric Brenk had the other RBI.
Per Sjörs, who was named finals MVP in the Swedish Elitserien last weekend, took the loss, surrendering three hits, four runs (3 ER) and seven walks in five-plus innings. Arvid Carlstedt also pitched in the game.
[youtube u6C5f6sX2hw 520]
Photo by Gregor Eisenhuth, www.eisenhuth-photographie.de