The 2024 Baseball European Cup, a World Baseball Softball Confederation Europe event, began June 4 at Camp Municipal de Beisbol i Sofbol de València in Valencia, Spain, and runs June 4-9 at Camp Municipal de Beisbol i Sofbol de València in Valencia, Spain.
The Group Round was played June 4-7, the Semifinals and Relegation Round were June 8, and the Relegation Round, bronze medal game, and gold medal game will be played on June 9.
The Astros Valencia of the Division de Honor operated from the Real Federación Española de Béisbol y Sófbol, the Deurne Spartans of Division I operated by the Koninklijke Belgische Base en Softball Federatie, the Montpellier Barracudas of Division I operated by the Fédération Française de Baseball & Softball, and the Vienna Metrostars of the Bundesliga operated from the Austrian Baseball and Softball Federation are all playing in Group A of the 2024 BEC.
The Olimpija Karlovac of the Croatian Baseball Association, the Diving Ducks of the Bundesliga operated from the Austrian Baseball and Softball Federation, the Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz of the Division de Honor operated from the Real Federación Española de Béisbol y Sófbol, and the Les Cougars Montigny of Division I operated by the Fédération Française de Baseball & Softball are playing in Group B. The Croatian Baseball Association is also referred to as the Hrvatski Baseball Savez.
All 2024 BEC live games are streamed with a paid subscription on https://baseballeurope.tv/home.
Relegation Round – Saturday, June 8
Vienna Metrostars (AUT) 14, Les Cougars Montigny (FRA) 3
The Vienna Metrostars won 14-3 over the Les Cougars Montigny in seven innings via the mercy rule in the first game of the Relegation Round at the 2024 BEC.
The Vienna Metrostars offense scored seven runs in the top of the first inning and five runs in the top of the third inning on Saturday.
Vienna Metrostars starting pitcher Josh Topper and relief pitcher Omar Duenas threw seven innings, allowing six hits, one earned run, three walks, and eight strikeouts.
Les Cougars Montigny starting pitcher Kiyoshi Grisot Garbacz allowed one hit, seven earned runs, six walks, and struck out designated hitter Mo Hackl as the only batter he got out prior to him being taken out of the game.
Les Cougars Montigny relief pitchers Ahmed-Zakaria Guesmia, Lucas Desrumeaux, and Antoine Rault threw 6.2 innings, allowing seven hits, seven earned runs, 10 walks, and five strikeouts during Saturday’s loss.
Vienna Metrostars shortstop Claus Seiser smacked three hits, three RBI, two walks, and scored two runs in his three at-bats on Saturday.
Vienna Metrostars second baseman Alex Hillard had one RBI, three walks, and scored two runs in his two at-bats.
Vienna Metrostars left fielder Felix Dittrich during his three at-bats ripped two hits, one walk, one strikeout, and scored twice.
Metrostars center fielder Jakob Simonsen had one hit, one RBI, two walks, and scored once in his three at-bats.
Les Cougars Montigny first baseman Dylan Mayeux drove a solo home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the fifth inning Saturday and finished the day with two hits, one RBI, and one walk in his three at-bats.
Semifinal No. 1 – Montpellier Barracudas (FRA) 1, Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz (ESP) 17 F/6
The Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz pounded the Montpellier Barracudas 17-1 in six innings via the mercy rule in the first semifinal game of the 2024 BEC on Saturday.
Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz starting pitcher Jose Diaz threw six innings, allowing three hits, one earned run, and struck out eight batters.
Montpellier Barracudas pitching staff between starting pitcher Daniel Peter Gossellin, relief pitchers Kevin Canelon, Paolo Brossier, and Quentin Scheurer threw 5.1 innings, allowing 10 hits, 16 earned runs, nine walks, and two strikeouts during Saturday’s loss.
Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz center fielder Lesther Galvan had a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning over the left-center field wall and ended the day with two hits, four RBI, one walk, and scored two runs in his three at-bats.
Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz right fielder Luis Rodriguez rocked a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning over the left field fence and had one hit, three RBI, one walk, and scored two runs in his three at-bats.
Marlins third baseman Leomartires Rodriguez had a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning over the left field wall. Leomartires Rodriguez finished the day with four at-bats and had two hits, four RBI, one walk, and scored two runs.
Marlins shortstop Edison Valerio rocked a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning over the center field wall. Valerio had two hits, one RBI, one walk, and scored twice in his three at-bats.
The lone run for the Barracudas came in the top of the sixth inning with catcher Fabian Kovacs doubling down the left field line, scoring Brossier.
Semifinal No. 2 – Olimpija Karlovac (CRO) 11, Astros Valencia (ESP) 6
In the second semifinal of the 2024 BEC the Olimpija Karlovac beat the Astros Valencia 11-6 and advanced to the championship game on June 9.
The Olimpija Karlovac will play the Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz on June 9 at 11 a.m. EST in the gold medal game.
The Olimpija Karlovac pitching staff between starting pitcher Kruno Gojkovic and relief pitcher Duje Papic threw nine innings, allowing nine hits, six earned runs, eight walks, and three strikeouts.
Papic played defensively at third base prior to him entering the game to pitch.
Gojkovic threw five innings, allowing five hits, four earned runs, and three walks.
The Astros Valencia pitching staff with starting pitcher Jorge Balboa and relief pitcher Ricardo Hernandez threw nine innings, allowing 12 hits, 11 earned runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts.
Balboa recorded the loss and threw 4.1 innings, allowing seven hits, eight earned runs, one walk, and five strikeouts.
The Olimpija Karlovac offense had eight runs in the top of the fifth inning on Sunday.
The first score of the game did not come until the bottom of the fourth inning with Astros Valencia center fielder Roibert Decena launching a two-run home run over the left field wall scoring first baseman Tanner Donnels to crack a 2-0 lead.
The Olimpija Karlovac offense finally got on the board in the top of the fifth inning, when Papic drove an RBI single to center field, scoring catcher Philip Smith to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The next batter, right fielder Daniel Alexandro De Freitas Guanipa cracked an RBI single into center field, scoring second baseman Jorman Javier Alcala Quijije to tie the game up at 2-2.
A few batters later, center fielder Sven Anic drilled a two-run double down the left field line, scoring Papic and Guanicpa and took a 4-2 lead.
Olimpija Karlovac first baseman Slobodan Gales unleashed the floodgates in the top of the fifth inning with a three-run double down the left field line, scoring Anic, Gojkovic, and shortstop Jose Gregorio Pereira Tovar to extend the lead to 7-2.
Olimpija Karlovac catcher Philip Smith shortly after ripped an RBI ground rule double over the right field wall, scoring Gales to mount the eighth run of the inning at 8-2.
Gojovic helped his own cause out on Saturday with a solo home run over the left field wall in the top of the seventh inning and ended the day with three hits, one RBI, and scoring two runs in his five at-bats.
Papic went two for four and had two RBIs and scored one run in his four at-bats.
Quijije had two hits, one RBI, and scored two runs in his three at-bats.
Astros Valencia shortstop Edgar Rodriguez had a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning over the left-center field fence and ended the day with two hits, two RBI, one strikeout, and scored one run in his five at-bats.
The Astros Valencia will play the Montpellier Barracudas on June 9 at 7 a.m. EST in the bronze medal game.
The Diving Ducks will play in the second relegation game on June 9 at 3:30 a.m. EST against the Deurne Spartans.
2024 BEC Pool Round Schedule
All Game Start Times Are Listed in Eastern Daylight Time
LG – Loser Game
WG – Winner Game
SF1 – Semifinals 1
SF2 – Semifinals 2
Tuesday, June 4
Group B – Diving Ducks (AUT) 0, Les Cougars Montigny 4
Group A – Montpellier Barracudas (FRA) 14, Vienna Metrostars (AUT) 4 F/8
Group B – Olimpija Karlovac (CRO) 0, Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz (ESP) 11 F/7
Wednesday, June 5
Group A – (0-1) Deurne Spartans (BEL) 1, (2-0) Montpellier Barracudas 7 (FRA)
Group B – (2-0) Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz (ESP) 22, (0-2) Diving Ducks (AUT) 6 F/6
Group A – (0-2) Vienna Metrostars (AUT) 1, (1-0) Astros Valencia (ESP) 4
Thursday, June 6
Group B – (0-3) Diving Ducks (AUT) 4, (1-1) Olimpija Karlovac (CRO) 11
Group B – (3-0) Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz (ESP) 23, (1-1) Les Cougars Montigny (FRA) 2 F/5
Group A – (2-0) Astros Valencia (ESP) 19, (0-2) Deurne Spartans (BEL) 4 F/5
Friday, June 7
Group A – (0-3) Vienna Metrostars (AUT) 3, (1-2) Deurne Spartans (BEL) 13 F/7
Group B – (1-2) Les Cougars Montigny (FRA) 4, (2-1) Olimpija Karlovac (CRO) 5
Group A – (2-1) Montpellier Barracudas (FRA) 8, (3-0) Astros Valencia (ESP) 11
Sunday, June 9
3:30 a.m. – Relegation Round – 4th Place Group B – Diving Ducks vs. 3rd Place Group A – Deurne Spartans
7 a.m. – Bronze Medal Game – Montpellier Barracudas (FRA) vs. Astros Valencia (ESP)
11 a.m. – Gold Medal Game – Olimpija Karlovac (CRO) vs. Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz (ESP)
