On the first day of the 2021 U23 European Baseball Championship the following games were scheduled: Great Britain @ France, Ukraine @ Germany, the Netherlands @ Belgium, and Italy @ Czech Republic.
Great Britain 3 – 0 France
It was a game in which the runs and the hits did not come cheap. Both teams collected a combined seven hits. American-born Iain Isdale limited the French lineup to three hits. The British took the lead in the first inning when Oliver Thompson scored on a passed ball.A solo home run by Ben Leid in the fourth inning, extended the British lead by a run. On a single by Kennard Dawson, Matteo Sollecito scored the third British run in the sixth inning.
In three of the four innings, France had a runner on second but that was about it.
Iain Isdale earned the win. In 5.2 innings, he allowed three hits, walked one and struck out ten. In the same number of innings, Quentin Moulin took the loss as he allowed three runs
on four hits and two walks and struck out eight. In a perfect seventh inning, Myles Janson earned the save and struck out two.
The best British batter was Ben Leid, who went 1 for 3 with a home run, an RBI and a run scored.
Ukraine 0 – 10 Germany
The Germans only needed five innings to seal the fate of Ukraine. A seven-run third and a three-run fifth were enough to end the game prematurely. For two innings, Ukraine could keep pace with Germany but in the third inning, the German offense caught fire. Four singles, a double, a throwing error and a walk led to seven runs. In the fifth, Germany scored three more runs on a double, on a sac fly and on a single. Throughout the game, Ukraine was limited to one hit. Daniel Mendelsohn pitched two innings in relief for the win. He allowed one hit and struck out one. Danyil Khodakovskyi took the loss as he allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits and a walk
and struck out four.
Average-wise, catcher Yannic Walther was the best hitter as he went 1 for 1 with a run scored.
the Netherlands 17 – 3 Belgium
Italy 4 – 1 Czech Republic
The Czech Republic made Italy go deep for the victory. For six innings it was a close game in which both teams had scored one run. But in the seventh, David Mergans, who had pitched three solid innings without giving up a run, was hit hard. A walk, a double and a home run drove in three runs for Italy, a lead the Azzurri would not give away again.
Italy took the lead in the first inning when Daniel Monti doubled to center field and drove in Cesare Astorri. A throwing error that followed on a sac bunt by Martin Pernicka, allowed Ondrej Kalandra to score the game-tying run in the third inning. That 1-1 score would stay until the seventh when Italy rallied for those three runs.
Maurizio Andretta earned the win. He pitched three innings in relief in which he allowed two hits and two walks and struck out six. David Mergans took the loss. In four innings, he
allowed three runs on four hits and a walk and struck out six.
Giulio Monello was the best hitter for Italy. He went 2 for 3.
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