Asia Winter League: Europe no match for NPB

As manager Gilberto Gerali said: “A night to forget quickly.” It sure is after a 24-3 defeat vs the NPB’s delegation. No mercy rule was in place in this game, so the struggle lasted and lasted.

In the third consecutive game in which the European team was the road team, the NPB delegation proved way too strong.

With the Italian pitcher Gianni Fracchiola from the Regensburg Legionäre (GER) on the mound, the Japanese took an early lead in the first inning and scored one more in the second.

In the top of the third, the Europeans had a golden opportunity to get on the board as they loaded the bases with one out. But a ground out towards third base by Freddy Noguera led to a 5-3 double play to end the inning.

In a disastrous third inning the NPB delegation scored nine runs as relief pitcher Lucas Dickmann couldn’t get an out and after facing five hitters he was pulled. He gave up four earned runs on two hits and two walks and was replaced by Bryan Sheldon, who gave up a two run homer to Yamashita Kouki. Eventually Sheldon got out of the inning, trailing 12-0.

The Europeans never got a grip on the pitching of the Japanese.

With Diego Fabiani on the mound, the Europeans got out of the fourth inning without any runs allowed. A nice 6-4-3 double play led to the first two outs and Fabiani retired the final batter with a strikeout.

The NPB team had another big inning in the sixth as they scored eight runs.

It took Europe until the seventh inning before the team got on the boards. In that inning the Europeans scored two runs. In the eighth Europe scored one more run.

The best hitter for team Europe was Mattia Mercuri, who entered the game as a pinch hitter and went 2 for 2. Urving Kemp went 2 for 4 and drove in two runs with a single to left field. Shorstop Freddy Noguera got one basehit out of four at bats. Third baseman Premek Chroust went 1 for 3. Europe was outhit 22-6.

No European pitcher could escape being slaughtered as Japan scored 23 earned runs. The five pitchers that took the mound each gave up at least three runs.