European Cup 2024: Spartans Saves Spot For Belgium

In a nail biter and extra innings, Deurne Spartans clinched a walk-off victory over the Austrian champions Diving Ducks Wiener Neustadt. Thanks to this victory, Deurne doesn’t relegate, and Belgium will have two spots in the European Cup in 2025.

In a game with free baseball, Deurne Spartans needed to go deep to save Belgium’s spot in the European Cup. Only after three innings, both teams got on the board. 
In the fop of the fourth inning, Melvin Perdue singld to third base and advanced to second on the error committed by the Spartans’ third baseman. 
Perdue advanced to third on an unassisted groundout hit by Eoghan Mc Garry. A wild pitch allowed Perdue sto score the opening run. 

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Deurne Spartans hit back. Edgardo Jose Nieto Castillo led off with a triple to right field and scored on a sac fly hit by Johiner Alfonso Arguinzones Ocanto. After Frank Alejandro Prieto Burgos drew a walk, Alexis Marquez doubled to right center field to drive in ohiner Alfonso Arguinzones Ocanto to give Spartans the lead. 

In the top of the fifth inning, Diving Ducks Wiener Neustadt tied the game and in the next inning, Deurne regained the lead again as it scored once. But in the seventh, Wiener Neustadt tied the game once again on a sac fly by Moritz Scheicher. In the remaining regular innings, neither team did score, so extra innings were needed. 

After a scoreless tenth, Wiener Neustadt scored twice. With runners placed on first and second due to the dreaded tie-breaker rule, and two outs, Clemens Raimann doubled to left center field to drive in two runs. 

With things looking bleak for Spartans, the Belgians flexed their muscles. Also Spartans had runners placed on first and second but they managed to execute the tie-breaker situation in a perfect way. Daniel Bustamante bunted to third base and reached first base safely on a fielding error that allowed Alfonso Arguinzones Ocanto to score and cut Wiener Neustadt’s lead in half. 
After Frank Alejandro Prieto Burgos was intentionally walked, Alexis Marquez singled to left field to drive in the game-tying run. Eventually, Mauro van Mook drove in the game winning run as he reached first base on a fielders choice when the third baseman threw towards home plate where the catcher could not control the poor throw by the third baseman and allowed Daniel Bustamante to score.

Edgardo Jose Nieto Castillo earned the win. In the final two innings, he allowed two runs (one earned) on a single and a walk and struck out two. 
Moritz Scheicher took the loss. In 2.1 innings he allowed three runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks as he struck out one. 

Johiner Alfonso Arguinzones was the best hitter for Deurne Spartans as he went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Most runs were driven in by Alexis Marquez. He drove in two, going 2 for 5. 

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