The South Korean team scored four runs in the top of the ninth to defeat host Czech Republic 6-3 in a rain-filled opening match of the 4th World University Baseball Championships. Seven teams are participating in the tournament till July 27th.
The heavy favorite is Team USA, which is coming fresh of winning the Haarlem Baseball Week, including two victories against the Cuban Olympic team. They are riding a 16-game winning streak on their trip to Europe. With the withdrawal of India, the field was reduced to seven teams. Besides the already mentioned squads, Canada, Taiwan, Japan and Lithuania are also in the mix for the Winner’s Cup.
The ballparks in Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc, Blansko and Chocen (pictures) are the venues for the 27 games. After a round robin in the preliminary round the best four teams will advance into the semi-finals on July 26th.
Result:
Thursday July 17:
Czech Republic – Korea 3-6 (HR: Simon Kudernatsch (CZE))