With all other games cancelled due to heat, Germany and Czech Republic faced off in the Under-12 European Baseball Championship title game, with fans rewarded with a thrilling contest. The two nations had already secured a spot in the 2027 Baseball World Cup, but the fate of European baseball at the age level was still on the line.
Championship
Vojtěch Kašpar led off the game with a single, moving to second and third on wild pitches. Daniel Hotový then lifted a sacrifice fly to left to put Baseball Czechia on the scoreboard.
In the bottom of the first, Nico Leone and Jakub Kraus hit back-to-back, one-out singles before Miloš Schumacher ripped a double to right center to score Germany’s first run. A good throw from Mikulaš Morávek kept Krauss for scoring, and the game was tied.
Morávek then singled to start the second, moving to second on a grounder, scoring on a RBI-single by Tobiaš Pivoda. Camilo Miranda then lined a double down the left field line, and the Czechs would take a 3-1 lead into the lower half of the frame.
The Deutscher Baseball boys responded quickly, bunting over Luuk Then-Bergh, who had reached on an error. Felipe García then roped a double to the gap in right to score the first run. A strikeout followed a coaching visit, but Leone then stepped up and drilled a four-bagger to right center and Germany had the lead.
After a scoreless top to the third, Schumacher got a hold of a ball and launched his own home run to add another to the tally, with a second run scoring later after a walk, passed ball, and a two-bagger by Tim Krüger.
The game then settled into a scoreless rhythm for the next two innings, with Baseball Deutschland’s 6-3 lead looking increasingly large. However, in the top of the sixth, the final frame, Hotový started things off with a safety, with Tobiaš Novosad replacing him following a force-out. A pitching change brought in Jakob Kraus from shortstop, who registered the inning’s second out by K, befoe Lukaš Kuruc smacked a single through the left side to score Novosad. However, Kraus buckled down and induced a pop out, and Germany became the Under-12 Baseball champions of Europe.
Schumacher was 3-for-3 with two RBI, while Leone had two hits in three times at bat, also driving in a brace. Azuma Awokou earned the win after fighting through the first two innings, punching out eight in 5.1 innings.
No awards for issued for the tournament, but the final standings were confirmed by WBSC Europe, with Italy taking third, one shy of qualification for the Under-12 Baseball World Cup.
Box scores can be found here [link].
Playoffs
July 11
Placing: Great Britain – Spain (Cancelled, heat)
Third: Italy – Netherlands (Cancelled, heat)
Final: Czech Republic 4 – Germany 6
Final Standings
| Team | W-L | RF | RA |
| Germany | 4-1 | 43 | 19 |
| Czech Republic | 4-1 | 54 | 16 |
| Italy | 3-1 | 25 | 18 |
| Netherlands | 2-2 | 17 | 15 |
| Belgium | 2-2 | 12 | 28 |
| Spain | 1-3 | 26 | 26 |
| France | 1-3 | 28 | 30 |
| Great Britain | 0-4 | 8 | 61 |