1949 Parma Baseball Club A.S.D. – Draci Brno 11-1 (8 Innings)
The defending European Champions 1949 Parma Baseball Club had no problems in their opening Match of Group A against Draci Brno winning 11-1 after 8 Innings and Ten-Run-Rule decision. Brno scored first in the Opening frame with Arnost Dubovy singleing and coming around to score the lone Brno Run. Draci never threathened afterwards and Parma quickly got on top scoring three times in the bottom half. Noel Gonzalez had three Hits for Parma while teammates Cesare Astorri and Aldo Koutsoyanopoulos each had two RBIs for the 14 time European Title Holders. Parmas Offense collected 13 Hits und put the game away with seven Runs after the fifth Inning. Parma Starter Emailin Montilla went five Innings striking out seven and giving up no earned runs. Draci Pitcher Gillian Ashley Wernet gave up 8 Hits in five Inning to take the loss.
L&D Amsterdam Pirates – VOITH Heidenheim Heideköpfe 2-4
A furious late Inning Comeback by the Heidenheim Heideköpfe turned the opening Game of Group B around and gave the German Champions a 4-2 victory against the Amsterdam Pirates. Heidenheim came back to tie the Game on Simon Liedtkes Sacrifice-Fly in the Top of the Ninth Inning with two Outs. Moments later, an error by Shortstop Sharlon Schoop on a possible Game ending Groundball left the Dutch Defense in disarray while two more Heidenheim Runners scored to make it 4:2 for the Germans. Amsterdam could not come back, Heidenheims Reliever Andres Perez Padilla made quick work of the Pirates Hitters not allowing a Baserunner and earning the Win. Amsterdam took a 2-0 lead after Tommy van den Sandens RBI-Single in the second Inning and a Homerun by Denzel Richardson in the following frame. Heidenheim got on the scoreboard in the seventh Inning when Luke Sommer homered off Pirates Reliever Jelle van der Lelie. Righthander Franklin van Gurp took the loss giving up three runs late. Heideköpfe Starter Jared Mortensen pitched a decent game, giving up eight Hits against the reigning Dutch Champions.
Text: Franz-Werner Krausgrill / Foto: Thomas Schönenborn