Yanni Orfanis pitched Vålerenga into the championship game of the Federation Cup in Slovakia with a no-hitter, while Poland’s Stal Kutno saw off Bulgaria’s Sofia Blues to set up a meeting with the Norwegian baseball club in the Cup finale. The Blues will finish third, ahead of the hosts, Angels Trnava, both with a 2-2 record.
Orfandis, a veteran ace for the Greek national team, went seven innings and permitted only one baserunner on a walk, striking out eight. Incredibly, it was the second no-hitter in three days for Vålerenga, following Lars Liguori’s gem two days’ previously.
For more on the Federation Cup, see our coverage of the Slovakia Group: Introduction [link], Day 1 [link], Day 2 [link], Day 3 [link], Day 4 [link]. Box scores can be found here [link]. Updates from the Lithuania Group are here: Day 1 [link], Day 2 [link], Day 3 [link]. All games played to seven innings, rather than nine.
Results
June 8
Herts 0 – Kutno 10 (5)
Trnava 4 – Sofia 7
June 9
Herts 2 – Vålerenga 16 (5)
Kutno – Trnava (PP)
June 10
Kutno 1 – Trnava 5
Vålerenga 8 – Sofia 0
Trnava 5 – Herts 0
June 11
Sofia 15 – Herts 2 (6)
Kutno 9 – Vålerenga 1
June 12
Sofia 1 – Kutno 6
Vålerenga 4 – Trnava 0
June 13
First: Vålerenga – Kutno
Standings
| Team | W-L | RF | RA |
| Stal Kutno (Poland) | 3-1 | 26 | 7 |
| Vålerenga B.C. (Norway) | 3-1 | 29 | 11 |
| Sofia Blues (Bulgaria) | 2-2 | 23 | 20 |
| Angels Trnava (Slovakia) | 2-2 | 14 | 12 |
| Herts Toucans (G.B.) | 0-4 | 4 | 46 |