The U12 European championship in Mortsel, Belgium, got underway on Tuesday, with five of the opening day’s seven games decided by large margins. Germany ended its first day of competition with two victories and a run differential of +36, and the Czech Republic and Italy both scored 23 runs against Poland in Group A play. France’s 3-2 victory (box score) over Hungary and the Belgian hosts 7-5 victory (box score) over Lithuania were Day One’s most competitive contests.
The Day Two highlights can all be found in Group A, with the Czech Republic taking on Italy and France for control of the group, while the surprise of the tournament thus far, Hungary, steps on the field at 15:00 (CEST) to challenge Italy.
Two groups of five teams apiece are battling over three days for the right to compete for the medals on Friday and Saturday, with the gold medal game scheduled for 17:30 (CEST) on Saturday, August 14.
For complete standings and statistics and links to live streams, visit the WBSC Europe competition page.
The tournament is the third European youth championship of the summer, with the Czech Republic having won the U15 title on home soil on July 25 and the Netherlands claiming the U18 gold medal in Macerata, Italy, on July 11.
RESULTS — DAY 1
Group A |
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| Italy vs. Poland | 23-0 (3 innings) | ||
| Hungary vs. France | 2-3 | ||
| Czech Republic vs. Poland | 23-0 (3 innings) | ||
Group B |
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| Lithuania vs. Germany | 0-15 (4 innings) | ||
| Austria vs. Netherlands | 5-16 (5 innings) | ||
| Germany vs. Austria | 22-1 (3 innings) | ||
| Belgium vs. Lithuania | 7-5 | ||