Pool A Day 1 EC in Grosseto
Marlins Puerto Cruz – Corendon Kinheim 3-4
KIN 100 020 100 4 6 1 MPC 000 000 003 3 10 0
The Dutch champion and reigning European Cup winner CORENDON KINHEIM got off to a good start into the tournament in Grosseto, Italy. They defeated the Spanish counterpart MARLINS PUERTO CRUZ 4-3.
The match started with 45 minutes delay due to rain and began with a run by the team from Haarlem. Tjerk Smeets singled in a run in the top of the first to give KINHEIM a 1-0 lead. They added three more runs on a RBI single by Denny Rombley and sac flies by Roel Koolen and Dirk Van’t Klooster. With the score 4-0 the game went into the bottom of the last period. The MARLINS had put some runners on base, but failed to score so far. However against closer Michiel van Kampen they rallied for three runs on a RBI single by Victor Jose Lopez and fielder’s choice RBIs by Ivan Granados and Deion Galvan. Finally van Kampen cleaned up the mess personally as he induced a flyout into left field by Daniel Martinez to end the threat.
Patrick Beljaards started for CORENDON and allowed five hits in six innings, while striking out six. Jose Romero opposed him on the mound at the beginning of the match and gave up five hits, three runs and three base on balls in four-plus innings.
T&A San Marino – Tornado Balashikha 2-0
BAL 000 000 000 0 4 1 SMA 000 000 20X 2 4 1
T&A SAN MARINO defeated TORNADO BALASHIKHA in their opener of the European Cup on Tuesday evening. They needed a brilliant performance by Horacio Estrada on the mound to hold their opponents down by a score of 2-0.
TORNADO had brought their ace to the mound and Pat Ahearne delivered. The former DETROIT TIGER had a no-hitter going until two outs in the seventh, when Martin Vazquez ended the try with a triple into center field. He scored moments later the go-ahead run on a RBI single by Max DiBiase. Riccardo Suardi plated DiBiase two batters later with a single to make it 2-0.
Estrada had matched Ahearne pitch for pitch and allowed just four hits in eight innings, while striking out 13. Brian Looney replaced him at the beginning of the ninth and struck out the side to earn the save. Ahearne finished with eight innings, allowing four hits, two runs and a walk. He struck out five.
Pool B Day 1 EC in Grosseto
Mainz Athletics – Rouen Huskies 5-7
ROU 101 401 000 7 4 4 MAI 050 000 000 5 6 4
In a game filled with errors on both sides, the HUSKIES overcame a 1-5 deficit to beat the ATHLETICS 7-5. Both clubs combined for eight errors.
Without three of their best players (Manuel Moeller, Keigo Miyagi, Sascha Lutz) MAINZ got off to a great start, scoring five runs in the second, highlighted by a two-run single by Nils Hartkopf and a two-run homerun by Jan-Niklas Stoecklin. However they would not score anymore afterwards. ROUEN took the lead in the fourth, bringing four runs on the board on one hit, two errors, two walks and two wild pitches. Dany Scalabrini had three hits and two RBI. Luc Piquet scored three times.
Despite the bad second frame, HUSKIES starter Keino Perez did a solid job, pitching the complete nine innings, allowing six hits, five unearned runs and four walks, while striking out seven. He threw 144 pitches, 90 for strikes. His opponent Nils Hartkopf even topped this pitch count. He gave up four hits, seven runs (3 ER) and six bb in seven innings, striking out ten. Though he needed 157 pitches (90 strikes) to get 21 outs.
Montepaschi Grosseto – Royal Greys 2-0
MRG 000 000 000 0 5 1 GRO 000 020 00X 2 4 1
After a lengthy rain delay at the beginning, which postponed the start till 22:00, the host of the European Cup in Grosseto, got off to a perfect start into the tournament. MONTEPASCHI celebrated a 2-0 shutout against the Belgian champion ROYAL GREYS.
Lincoln Mikkelsen and Daniel Howard were locked into a pitcher’s duel with the GROSSETO ace prevailing as the winner. Mikkelsen struck out eleven in eight five-hit innings for the win. The offense needed a few periods to get it going, but finally came through in the fifth. Raul Marval and Lorenzo Avagnina reached base with a single and a double to break up the no-hit bid by Howard. Both scored on a two-run double into right field by Andrea Sgnaolin.
Howard went the distance and allowed four hits, two runs and a walk in eight innings. He struck out four. Anthony Ferrari replaced Mikkelsen in the ninth, walked the leadoff batter, but closed it out for the save.
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