Summary
The Budapest Red Wolves were active in Euro Interleague baseball for the second consecutive week and put on an impressive display against Beograd ’96, playing its first contest of 2022 in the four-country circuit. The long-time Serbian power finished third in the country’s Prva Liga in a severely shortened 2021 season, with Vojvodina — also an Interleague member — claiming its first-ever title. After finishing last in 2019 Interleague Pool B, Beograd got off to a poor start to 2022 in a doubleheader sweep by the relentless Red Wolves.
Highlights
Hungary’s leading adult club got off to a slow start, with the visitors breaking the 0-0 deadlock in a three-run fourth. That was all it took to wake up the Red Wolves, however, who feasted on Beograd pitching for 12 runs in the bottom of the frame. A single marker in the next innings gave Budapest a mercy rule-walkoff. Game 2 featured more hihg-powered offense, with the Wolves scoring three in the opening inning before allowing the Serbians to equalize. After swapping runs in the second, the Hungarians unloaded for four runs in the third, six more an inning later, and 11 runs in the sixth to take an 18-5 lead and put the game into mercy rule conditions. The 96ers responded with four runs, keeping the game alive, before the hosts piled on seven in the seventh to ice the victory.
Carlos Rubio had a monster weekend, ripping three longballs in only eight at bats, adding four other hits and knocking in 12 runners. César Chacín hit a pair of homers, including grand slam, and Craig Batchelor and Zsolt Győri also both went yard. Győri, a rising prospect on Hungary’s national teams, also tossed three stellar relief innings in the nightcap, sending seven down on strikes without surrendering an earned run.
Results
Week 2 (April 10)
Beograd 3 – Budapest 13 (5)
Budapest 25 – Beograd 9
Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | H | A | RF | RA | +/- | Str |
| Budapest Red Wolves | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | – | 2-0 | 1-0 | 49 | 17 | 32 | W3 |
| Apollo Bratislava | 0 | 0 | – | 1.5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Nada Split | 0 | 0 | – | 1.5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Vojvodina Novi Sad | 0 | 0 | – | 1.5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Érd Aeros | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 5 | 11 | -6 | L1 |
| Beograd ‘96 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 2.5 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 12 | 38 | -26 | L2 |
By Gabriel Fidler.