European Champions Cup: Draci Brno Edges Amsterdam Pirates 4-3

Draci Brno edged the Amsterdam Pirates 4-3 on the first day of the European Champions Cup in the Netherlands. (Photo: Dennis Vogt – Hard-Ball photography & Nina Ellerman/World Baseball Softball Confederation)

The World Baseball Softball Confederation’s European Champions Cup started yesterday with four games between selected European club teams at Rob Hoffmann Vallei in Bussum, The Netherlands and Loek Loevendie Ballpark in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 

The eight club teams in the tournament are playing in two separate groups. All WBSC Europe events are streamed on the WBSC Europe YouTube page.

Group A: Loek Loevendie Ballpark, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Untouchables Paderborn (GER) 0, 1949 Parma Baseball Club (ITA) 13 F/8

Parma starting pitcher Pablo Diaz pitched six innings, allowing three hits, no earned runs, no walks, and struck out five during his performance. Parma reliever Matteo Bocchi pitched two innings to close out the game in eight innings due to the mercy rule,  giving up no hits, no earned runs, and striking out four.

Untouchables Paderborn starter Nicolas Gobert went 2.2 innings, allowing two hits, four earned runs, walking five batters, and striking out two.

Parma’s designated hitter Cesare Astorri collected six RBI with two hits and one run scored in his five at-bats, with one of his hits being a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning to end the game via mercy rule against Untouchables Paderborn 13-0. 

Parma (1-0) will play the Amsterdam Pirates (0-1) at Loek Lovendie Ballpark at 1:30 p.m. EDT. 

Amsterdam Pirates (NED) 3, Draci Brno (CZE) 4

Draci Brno from the Czech Republic’s Extraliga took care of business in the first game of the European Championships Cup, beating the Amsterdam Pirates 4-3 off of Brno first baseman Flip Mostek’s game-winning RBI single to center field that scored Jonas Krejci as the winning run.

Brno got on the board in the bottom of the first inning as center fielder Arnost Dubovy drove an RBI triple down the right field line scoring Filip Mostek for the first run of the game.

The next batter, catcher Andres Angulo extended the lead to two runs as he doubled down the right field line resulting in Arnost Dubovy scoring to go up 2-0.

The Amesterdam Pirates did not get on the scoreboard until the top of the eighth when Roelie Henrique laced a double to right center field and Luca Pastor and Jason Jakobus came in to score to cut the lead to one run at 3-2.

In the top of the ninth, the Pirates tied the game up at three when Duco Nuijten hit a ground ball to shortstop, scoring Tieme Nahuis.

In the bottom of the ninth with the game tied at three, Filip Mostek’s RBI single to right field to won the game 4-3 for Brno.

Draci Brno starter Jhenderson Hurtado pitched 6.2 innings, allowing one hit, no earned runs, walking three batters, and striking out 10. Draci Brno reliever Juan Mojica pitched 1.2 innings without allowing a hit, gave up one earned run, walked two and struck out one during the first game and received the win.

Pirates starter Jelle Van Der Lelie threw seven innings, allowing seven hits, three earned runs, one walk, and struck out four in his start. Pirates reliever Michael Bennet received the loss, throwing 1.1 innings and allowing four hits, one earned run, one walk, and no strikeouts in his appearance.

Draci Brno (1-0) will play Untouchables Paderborn (0-1) at Loek Lovendie Ballpark at 9 a.m. EDT. 

Group B: Rob Hoffmann Vallei, Bussum, Netherlands

SKSB Arrows Ostrava (CZE) 3, Bonn Capitals (GER) 1

Ostrava starting pitcher Ondrej Satoria received the win and went seven innings, allowing five hits, no earned runs, walking one batter, and striking out four. Ostrava relievers Jiri Hikl and Jan Kozel combined to allow one hit, one walk, and struck out two during Tuesday’s win.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Terrel Joyce reached on a dropped pop up by Ostrava second baseman Radim Novotny, which scored Erik Brenk for the Capitals’ lone run of the game.

Ostrava got all three runs of the game in the top of the eighth inning when Ostrava first baseman Matyas Kozel ripped a single to right center field and Rory Graf-Brennen came in to score to tie the game at one. A few batters later, Radim Novotny singled to right field as Jakub Grepl came in to score as Ostrava took a 2-1 lead. The next batter, catcher Michael Vykoukal, laced an RBI single up the middle to score Novotny to make it 3-1. 

Capitals starting pitcher Jordan Lucas went 7.1 innings allowing eight hits, one earned run, one walk, and no strikeouts. 

Capitals relief pitcher Titus Von Kappff received the loss, working 1.2 innings and allowing three hits, one earned run, no walks, and no strikeouts. 

SKSB Arrows Ostrava (1-0) will play the HCAW (1-0) tomorrow at 1 p.m. EDT at Rob Hoffmann Vallei. 

Rouen Huskies (FRA) 5, HCAW (NED) 18 F/7

HCAW out of the Honkbal Hoofdklasse tormented the Rouen Huskies pitching staff, ending the game in seven innings due to mercy rule with an 18-5 lead in their first game of the European Champions Cup. 

The HCAW offense tallied 12 hits in their 18-run outburst. 

HCAW starting pitcher Lars Huijer went three innings, allowed two hits, no earned runs, walked one batter, and struck out two. HCAW’s bullpen pitched six innings of relief, allowing six hits, two earned runs, four walks, and striking out two in the mercy rule win. 

HCAW designated hitter Quintin De Cuba went 3-for-4 yesterday with three hits, three runs scored, three RBI, and one walk during the rout. De Cuba drove in the first two runs of the game with his two-run double to left field in the first inning which allowed Jeandro Tromp and Kevin Dirksen to score to take a 2-0 lead out of the gate. 

HCAW led 14-0 until the top of the fourth inning, when Huskies right fielder Gabriel Harrison broke the shutout with his single down the right field line which scored Hugo Blondel and Louis Brainville to make it 14-2. 

Huskies pitching did not fare well, allowing 13 walks and 16 earned runs during the first game of the European Champions Cup. 

Huskies starting pitcher Luis Ysla was shelled during his start after he threw just one inning allowing five hits, six earned runs, walking three batters, and no strikeouts in yesterday’s game. 

The Rouen Huskies (0-1) will play the Bonn Capitals (0-1) Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Robb Hoffmann Vallei.