Asia Winter League:Europe vs KBO ends in tie

Another report of the European team during the Asia Baseball Winter League .

In a in which the score went back and forth, team Europe took on the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization) today.

European starter Maickel Rietel was hit hard in 1.1 inning of work in which he allowed four runs. A throwing error led to two unearned runs in the first inning.

But Rietel wasn’t the only pitcher who was hit hard. Korean starter Yun-Jun Song lasted six innings but allowed four runs in the first inning that gave Europe a one run lead over the KBO delegation.

After the Koreans tied the game in the very next inning, Europe took the lead again in the bottom of the second as they also scored a run on a solo homerun hit by Urving Kemp.

After Maickel Rietel allowed the fourth run to the Koreans, he was replaced by Lionel Cespedes, who lasted 1.2 innings in which he gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits.

Eventuallly, Europe tied the game at six in the seventh inning when Alberto Mineo scored on a basehit to left field hit by Federico Giordani.
Korean starter Yun-Jun Song was replaced when the run scored but as he allowed the runner on base, he was tabbed with it to end with six runs allowed on ten hits in six full innings and a batter faced in the seventh.

Urving Kemp went 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored. Sebastiano Poma got one hit out of three at bats and scored a run. As a pinch hitter, Chris Howard went 1 for 2. Alberto Mineo went 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Kevin Weijgertse did a good job by going 3 for 5 and by scoring a run. Federico Giordani also went 3 for 5, but he drove in two runs.  The most impact had third baseman Premek Chroust who drove in three runs on a basehit to right field in the first inning.

Pitchers Owen Ozainich and  Matz Schütte kept the KBO limited two two hits each. Ozainich lasted four innings and Schütte two.

It looks like the Europeans are getting accustomed to the pitching in this tournament as they start to hit better.  Both teams collected thirteen hits but the two errors of the Europeans could have saved them from a couple of runs. Nevertheless I think that they can be proud of the result, a 6-6 tie.