Photo Courtesy of the WBSC
Three games of the 2024 Baseball European Cup, a World Baseball Softball Confederation Europe sector event, occurred on Wednesday, June 5. In one game, a team won by 16 runs.
This event began on June 4 at Camp Municipal de Beisbol i Sofbol de València in Valencia, Spain. The 2024 BEC goes from June 4 to 9 at Camp Municipal de Beisbol i Sofbol de València in Valencia, Spain.
The Semifinals and Relegation Round will be on June 8, and the Relegation Round, bronze medal game, and gold medal game will be on June 9.
All 2024 BEC live games are streamed with a paid subscription on https://baseballeurope.tv/home.
Wednesday, June 5
(0-1) Deurne Spartans (BEL) 1, (2-0) Montpellier Barracudas 7 (FRA)
Montpellier Barracudas beat the Deurne Spartans 7-1 on Wednesday, the second day of the 2024 BEC.
Montpellier Barracudas starting pitcher Owen Ozanich recorded the win while throwing eight innings. They allowed six hits, one earned run, and one walk and struck out nine batters while dialing 106 pitches with 75 strikes.
Starting pitcher Anderson Denny Gerdel Nieto took the loss and threw six innings, allowing eight hits, five earned runs, one walk, and 10 strikeouts.
The Deurne Spartans pitching staff, including relief pitchers Mauro Van Mook and Viktor Vandervelden, combined for throwing eight innings, allowing 11 hits, seven earned runs, two walks, and 12 strikeouts in their Wednesday loss.
The Barracudas got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning, with center fielder Paolo Brossier launching a solo home run over the right field wall for a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Montpellier third baseman Julien Monks drove a two-run single to right field, scoring right fielder Mael Zan and catcher Fabian Kovacs to extend the lead to 3-0.
The next batter, second baseman Luc Polit, cracked a single to right field, scoring designated hitter Douglas Rodriguez to make it 4-0.
During the bottom of the fifth inning, Zan drove a solo home run over the center field to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Barracudas did not get another run until the bottom of the seventh inning, with Rodriguez roping an RBI single to left field, scoring Brossier to make it 6-0.
The Deurne Spartans got the only game run with Edgardo Jose Nieto Castillo driving a right field single to right fielder, scoring right fielder Leonel Reina Viant to make it 6-1.
The Barracudas got their final run on Wednesday with shortstop Riley Spring striking a single up the middle, scoring second baseman Luc Polt to extend the lead to 7-1.
Barracudas relief pitcher Yoan Antonac closed out the game on Wednesday by getting Deurne Spartans left fielder Frank Alejandro Prieto Burgos to strike out looking for the final out in the top of the ninth inning to win 7-1.
(2-0) Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz (ESP) 22, (0-2) Diving Ducks (AUT) 6 F/6
The Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz slaughtered the Diving Ducks 22-6 with a six-inning mercy rule on Wednesday at the 2024 BEC.
The Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz pounded 14 hits during their 22-run outburst.
The Marlins pitching staff, between starting pitcher Kevin Rodriguez and relief pitchers Jesus Ustariz and Yancarlo Franco, threw six innings, allowing eight hits, five earned runs, four walks, and eight strikeouts.
Ustariz also played first base and second base defensively on Wednesday.
The Diving Ducks starting pitcher Melvin Perdue recorded the loss and threw 2.2 innings, allowing five hits, six earned runs, and three walks on Wednesday.
Marlins center fielder Lesther Galvan had the only home run of the game in the top of the fifth inning with a three-run home run over the left field wall, scoring shortstop Edison Valerio and Ustariz to capitalize in the eight-run inning.
Galvan, Valerio, Ricardo Mendoza, and Richard Montiel each had two hits and 4 RBIs on Wednesday.
Marlins catcher Joel Borges had two hits, one RBI, one walk, and scored twice in his four at-bats from Wednesday’s win.
Divings Ducks second baseman Melvin Perdue and shortstop Moritz Scheicher were the only players with two hits on Wednesday.
The Diving Ducks pitching staff threw six innings and allowed 14 hits, 17 earned runs, and 16 walks during their loss.
(0-2) Vienna Metrostars (AUT) 1, (1-0) Astros Valencia (ESP) 4
The Astros Valencia beat the Vienna Metrostars on Wednesday 4-1 at the 2024 BEC with help from starting pitcher Yosbanny Torres, throwing eight innings, allowing two hits, no earned runs, no walks, and striking out eight batters.
Vienna Metrostars starting pitcher Mo Hackl recorded the loss on Wednesday and threw three innings, allowing four hits, four earned runs, five walks, and four strikeouts.
The Astros Valencia got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning with catcher Blake Ochoa ripping a two-run double to left field, scoring left fielder Edgar Rodriguez and first baseman Tanner Donnels to break out a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, Astros Valencia center fielder Roibert Decena drove a two-run single through the left side of the infield, scoring third baseman Michael Rodriguez and shortstop Edgar Rondon to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Metrostars got their only run of the game on Wednesday. First baseman Nicholas Schadler reached on a fielder’s choice from a throwing error by Michael Rodriguez, resulting in second baseman Alex Hilliard scoring to make it 4-1.
Astros Valencia relief pitcher Ricardo Hernandez came into the game at the top of the ninth inning and got MetroStars shortstop Claus Seiser to ground out in a 6-4-3 double play to end the game in their 4-1 victory.
Hackl and relief pitcher Josh Topper combined to throw eight innings and allowed six hits, four earned runs, nine walks, and seven strikeouts on Wednesday for the MetroStars.
2024 BEC Pool Round Schedule
All Game Start Times Are Listed in Eastern Standard 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
Thursday, June 6
Group B – Diving Ducks (AUT) vs. Olimpija Karlovac (CRO) – 3:30 a.m. EST
Group B – Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz (ESP) vs. Les Cougars Montigny (FRA) – 7 a.m. EST
Group A – Astros Valencia (ESP) vs. Deurne Spartans (BEL) – 11 a.m. EST
Friday, June 7
Group A – Vienna Metrostars (AUT) vs. Deurne Spartans (BEL) – 3:30 a.m. EST
Group B – Les Cougars Montigny (FRA) vs. Olimpija Karlovac (CRO) – 7 a.m. EST
Group A – Montpellier Barracudas (FRA) vs. Astros Valencia (ESP) – 11 a.m. EST
Saturday, June 8
Relegation Round – 4th Place Group A vs. 3rd Place Group B – 3:30 a.m. EST
Semifinals 1 – 2nd Place Group B vs. 1st Place Group A – 7 a.m. EST
Semifinals 2 – 2nd Place Group A vs. 1st Place Group B – 11 a.m. EST
Sunday, June 9
Relegation Round – 4th Place Group B vs. 3rd Place Group A – 3:30 a.m. EST
Bronze Medal Game – LG-S2 vs. LG-S1 – 7 a.m. EST
Gold Medal Game – WG-S2 vs. WG-S1 – 11 a.m. EST
