After Saturday crowned the Qualifier winners, the European Cups “A” in Brno (Czech Republic) and Hoofddorp (Netherlands) ended with the finals.
In Brno Rimini celebrated the tournament win thanks to a 9-2 victory over the previously unbeaten team of DOOR Neptunus. Seven runs in the top of the ninth broke a 2-2 tie and blew the score wide open at the same time. Pierangelo Cit had two RBI. Giuseppe Spinelli scored twice. Gianision Boekhoudt hit a solo home run for Rotterdam. Raily Legito had tied the game with a RBI single in the eighth. Neptunus was 5-0 going into the finals, including a 17-3 rout of the Pirates on Thursday. But in the final Michael Ekstrom matched Diegomar Markwell on the mound and in the end Rimini won the battle of the bullpens.
Final Standings:
- Rimini (ITA)
- DOOR Neptunus (NED)
- Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg (GER)
- Draci Brno (CZE)
- Templiers Senart (FRA)
- KNTU Elizavetgrad (UKR)
In Hoofddorp the unbeaten Dutch team suffered the loss against an Italian Baseball League club in the final as well. T&A San Marino prevailed 2-1 against the Vaessen Pioniers to earn the title at the new Park21 ballpark. A solo home run by Jairo Ramos in the fourth and a RBI single by Wuillians Vasquez in the sixth made the difference. Dirk van’t Klooster had tied the game with a RBI single in the fifth. On the mound Jose Guera and Jesus Delgado out-dueled Ricardo Hernandez and Sedley Karel. In the preliminary phase the Pioniers had beaten San Marino 4-2.
Final Standings:
- T&A San Marino (SMA)
- Vaessen Pioniers (NED)
- Rouen Huskies (FRA)
- Solingen Alligators (GER)
- Nettuno (ITA)
- Kotlarka Prague (CZE)
With the wins by T&A San Marino and Rimini it will be a local derby in the best of three European Champions Cup Final Series in August. Both ballparks are separated by a mere 15 kilometers near the Adriatic Sea.
All results, box scores, statistics and final reports are available at www.baseballstats.eu