European Cup 2014: Results of Day Two

No surprises on day two. There were a couple of mercy rule shortened games, a game that needed extra inings and a rain shortened game.

Sweden and Great Britain led off the day at 9.30. They had to catch up yesterday’s rained out game. The British won 7-1.

Spain only needed six innings to beat Croatia 18-2. Croatia starts to look like the tournament’s  punchbag.

A six run third inning by Italy was enough to seal the fate of Sweden (in their second game of the day). After one run in the second inning, the Italian offense exploded in the third. Swedish starter Kent Karlsson had kept the Italians fairly in check in the first two innings. But when the Italian offense caught fire he couldn’t keep the flood gates shut. Italy scored five more runs in their remaining five at bats and the Swedes scored three. Despite the big vicory, the Italians needed nine innings.

The Russians flexed their muscles against Greece. In seven innings the Russians scored fourteen runs to beat the Greek team 14-1.

After nine innings the game between France and Great Britain was tied at 4. The attractive game went back and forth a few times. The British scored three runs in the bottom of the second but the French responded immediately in the top of the third with three runs. In the bottom of the fifth, Great Britain took the lead again by scoring a run. But that lead was erased in the eighth by the French again. So the dreaded tie breaker was needed to decide this game. The French scored five runs in the top of the tenth and besides a fifth run of the British, they shut the door for their second win in the tournament.

Somehow it starts to become a habit for Belgium. Keeping a game close and collapsing in one of the final innings. Against Germany, Belgian starter Kenny Vandenbrande, who pitched a solid game and let the Germans work for their money, allowed Germany’s first run in the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, Belgium took the lead by scoring two runs. But a bad inning in the eighth turned the game around and gave Germany the 6-2 victory.

Group A
Sweden – Great Britain 1-7
Italy – Sweden 12-3
Great Britain – France 5-6
Belgium – Germany 2-6

Group B
Spain – Croatia 18-2
Russia – Greece 14-1
Netherlands – Czech Republic 7-0

Rosters of Group A and Rosters of Group B
Rosters of the Netherlands and Italy