This past weekend, the Baseball European Championship Qualifier Finals took place, and three teams qualified for the 2025 Baseball European Championship. Hungary, Lithuania, and Austria qualified for the tournament after winning their respective groups.
Thirteen teams were split into three groups in these qualifiers, and each group’s winner earned a berth in the Baseball European Championship. Group Serbia, Group Ireland, and Group Poland were the host sites and provided for entertaining baseball over the past week. Two group finals took place on July 27 and one on July 28.
Hungary 11 – Serbia 1 (F/8)
The first final was in Group Serbia, where the host nation took on Hungary. Hungary was 5-0, and Serbia was 3-2 coming into the event. Hungary took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the second and never looked back. They added three in the fourth, two in the sixth, and four in the eighth behind the bats of Sean Tamás Fekete and James József Dutton, who each had three RBIs. Robert Steven Ogg pitched six innings, only allowing one earned run while punching out nine. Serbia never got it going, and Hungary won the final of Group Serbia in eight innings after a ten-run mercy rule by a score of 11-1.
Lithuania 10 – Poland 9
The second final was more competitive as Poland took on Lithuania in their group’s final. Poland, 2-1, was the host nation, and Lithuania was the top seed with a record of 3-0. Both teams scored one run in the first, and in the third inning, Lithuania added three more. Lithuania put together a long inning consisting of a leadoff homer, many walks, and singles that put them up 4-1. Poland answered in the top of the fourth with an RBI double from Arthur Kowara and a two-run home run from Filip Sarota to tie it 4-4.
The game was tied again at 5-5, going into the seventh. Lithuania scored four in the seventh and one in the eighth to leave Poland with their final three outs, down 10-5. Poland rallied, scoring four runs to get within one run with two outs and men on second and third. Unfortunately for them, Dominik Olech grounded into a fielder’s choice that ended the game. Lithuania qualified for the European championship, defeating Poland 10-9.
Austria 14 – Ireland 3 (F/8)
The third final took place on Sunday in Ireland as the 2-2 Irish faced off against 3-1 Austria. Austria scored five runs in the first, with the biggest play of the inning being a three-run triple off Andreas Lastinger. The Austrians continued to build and build, going into the eighth inning up 10-3. They scored four more, and Ireland could not get on the board in the bottom of the inning. The mercy rule went into effect, and Austria qualified as the champion of Group Ireland.
Fans of European Baseball can follow along year round and watch at baseballeurope.tv
