2019 European Championship: Austria just falls short vs Great Britain

In the battle for ninth place, debuting Austria and Great Britain took on each other. Austria that surprised the European Baseball community by staying in the A Poule as they left Croatia and Sweden behind them, wasn’t able to pull off another stunt as they fell to Great Britain 11-9.

In a high-scoring game, Great Britain took a four-run lead in the first inning on a two-run home run and a two-run single. But in the very same inning, Austria turned the tables. A single, a bases-loaded walk, a bases-loaded single, a bases-loaded double and a wild pitch led to six runs for the Austrians.

In the third inning, the Alpine country loaded the bases once more and scored on another wild pitch. In the next inning, Felix Zimmerle hit a double down the left field line that drove in Samuel Hackl all the way from first base.

In the sixth inning, a single and a throwing error led to two more runs for the British as they got within two runs of the Austrians. But the seventh frame would be a disastrous one for the Austrians. Paul Astl, who pitched a perfect 1.1 inning, striking out two, was replaced by Alex Seidl. And that did not pan out very well as Seidl did not get the needed defensive support. The Austrian defense committed three errors that led to four unearned runs next to the one earned run.

This was too much too overcome. Austria scored one more run in the bottom of the ninth but that was all the Austrians were capable of.

With the win, Great Britain claimed ninth place in this year’s European Championship.
Austria finished in a surprising tenth spot.