The defending champion CORENDON KINHEIM from the Netherlands and the reigning Italian champion MONTEPASCHI GROSSETO won their semi-finals on Friday and advanced into the final on Saturday at 21:00 local time. They also have clinched berths for the final four in Barcelona, Spain this fall.
The ROYAL GREYS and the MARLINS PUERTO CRUZ won their games in the play downs, standing at 2-0 in pool C and know already that they have avoided relegation before the last game.
Semi-Finals:
Corendon Kinheim – Rouen Huskies 13-0 (7)
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KINHEIM didn’t mess around and pounded the French champion and 2007 European Cup vice champion ROUEN with 13 runs on 15 hits. The outcome was decided early, when CORENDON put seven runs on the board in the third, highlighted by a three-run homerun by Bryan Engelhardt (4 RBI). Dirk Van’t Klooster, who was four-for-five, and Vince Rooi each drove in two.
David Bergman made his second appearance at the European Cup, after a brief relief outing in the opener on Tuesday. He pitched all seven innings this time and allowed just six hits and a walk, while striking out five. He threw 71 pitches, 51 for strikes. Alexandre Sochon gave up eight hits, eight runs (5 ER) and three bb in 2 2/3 innings for the loss.
Montepaschi Grosseto – T&A San Marino 6-1
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In a preview for next week’s matchup in the Italian Baseball League, MONTEPASCHI defeated SAN MARINO 6-1 and advanced into the final against Dutch champion CORENDON KINHEIM. They already led 2-0, when GROSSETO scored three runs in the seventh to put the game away. Raul Marval and Lorenzo Avagnina each drove in two. Jorge Nunez was four-for-four with a triple and a run scored. Max Di Biase drove in the only run for T&A.
Chris Cooper won the duel against Horacio Estrada. Cooper allowed just one run on seven hits and two walks in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out six. Estrada gave up five hits, two runs and two bb in 3 2/3 innings. It was his second start after pitching eight innings last Tuesday.
Playdowns:
Royal Greys – Tornado Balashikha 3-2
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The ROYAL GREYS won 3-2 against TORNADO and avoided the relegation. Bryon Bell got them the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot. Kevin Knollenburg and Filip van der Meiren added two more runs on a RBI double and a RBI single in the sixth and seventh frame. BALASHIKHA rallied for two runs in the top of the eighth and threatened to tie the game. But after Andrey Kripochin singled in two runs, Viktor Samchuk struck out swinging with runners at the corners.
On the mound both teams had nominated their aces. Daniel Howard pitched seven scoreless innings for the win. He allowed five hits and walk, while striking out seven. Pat Ahearne had also his second appearance in the European Cup. He gave up six hits, three runs (2 ER) and two base on balls in seven innings. He struck out nine.
Marlins Puerto Cruz – Mainz Athletics 8-1
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Even the arrival of their number one pitcher didn’t help the ATHLETICS. The MARLINS scored early and often and defeated MAINZ 8-1 to avoid relegation. Nestor Perez and Victor Jose Lopez combined for five RBI. Daniel Martinez and Richard Montiel each had three hits. Nils Hartkopf put the lone A’s run on the board with a solo homerun in the seventh.
Ivan Granados went the distance and received the win after a solid performance. He allowed four hits, one run and four walks in the complete game. MAINZ starter Manuel Moeller couldn’t make it to the team earlier this week due to professional reasons. However he didn’t fare much better than the other pitchers from his club. He was charged with twelve hits, eight runs (7 ER) and two bb in 6 1/3 innings.