2023 European Champions Cup: Day 1

Today, the ECC teed off with the Dutch representatives playing the night cap.
Amsterdam Pirates took on Draci Brno, while HCAW took on Rouen Huskies

Amsterdam Pirates  3  –  4  Draci Brno
The weird situation occurs that Amsterdam Pirates represents the Netherlands even though the club didn’t make it to the Holland Series. As the club won the first half of the 2022 competition, it earned a ticket to the ECC, leaving the runner up of the Holland Series, Curaçao Neptunus with empty hands. And with the many players that left the club in the off-season, some hung up their spikes, some were lured away by the main competitor Curaçao Neptunus, this team is quite a bit weaker than the previous editions. It showed tonight. 
In the first inning, Draci Brno took a 3-0 lead when Jelle van der Lelie gave up a single, a triple, and a double that allowed Brno to score twice. A sac fly to left field drove in the third run for the Czech champions. Van der Lelie settled down in the following innings and kept the Czechs from scoring. In the following innings, the Amsterdam lineup was kept hitless for six innings by Jhenderson Hurthado. 
But in the eighth, Pirates rallied for two runs when Roelie Henrique hit a two-RBI double to bring Pirates back in the game. 
In the top of the ninth, Pirates tied the game. Kenny Berkenbosch drew a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Tieme Nahuis. Nahuis moved to second on a balk and was bunted over to third by Jorrit Penseel. A 6-3 groundout drove in Nahuis for the game-tying run. 
But Brno clinched the walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth when Michael Bennett gave up back-to-back singles to the first two batters he faced in the inning. Michal Sindelka bunted both runners over to the next base and single by Filip Mostek drove in the winning run. 
Michael Bennett took the loss, Jaime Mojica pitched 1.2 innings in relief for the win. He gave up one run on two walks and struck out one. 
The best hitter for Draci Brno was Filip Mostek, who went 3 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored. 

Rouen Huskies  5  –  18  HCAW
The other Dutch representative did what it had to do. And they did it in style. 
HCAW needed only seven mercy-rule innings to clinch the victory over the French champions Rouen Huskies. 
HCAW set the standard in the very first inning. With one out and the bases loaded, Quintin de Cuba hit a bases-clearing double to left field. A single by Jair van Borkulo drove in De Cuba for HCAW’s fourth run. In the following innings HCAW kept flexing its muscles. By the time Rouen got on the board in the fourth inning, the team from Bussum had taken a 14-0 lead. The biggest offensive outburst came in the third inning. With the bases loaded, Victor Draijer drew a walk that drove in the first run of the inning. A wild pitch allowed Max Draijer to score the second run. Another walk and wild pitch allowed HCAW to score two more runs as pitcher Mathis Lippert struggled with his control. After Lippert was replaced, Jair van Borkulo singled up the middle to drive in two more runs. Arthur Magnien, who replaced Lippert, eventually also gave up a bases-loaded walk, to allow HCAW to score its seventh run of the inning. 
In the fourth inning, manager Rombley decided to pull starting pitcher Lars Huijer, to save his arm for later in the tournament. He was replaced by Sedley Karel. This wasn’t the luckiest choice as Karel gave up three unearned runs. 
Most of HCAW’s runs were scored on (bases-loaded) walks and wild pitches. The pitching staff of Rouen issued thirteen walks. Despite the blow out score, Rouen wasn’t really outhit (12-8). 
Luis Isla, who lasted only one inning and two batters faced in the second, took the loss as he gave up six runs on five hits and three walks. Arjen Nijkamp earned the win. In one inning, he gave up one run on one hit and two walks, and struck out two.
Average-wise, Victor Draijer was the best hitter for HCAW as he went 1 for 1 with an RBI and three runs scored. The most impact, with three RBI each, had Quintin de Cuba (3 for 4) and Jair van Borkulo (3 for 5). 

Other results of today:

Untouchables Paderborn  0  –  13 (8 innings)
Arrows Ostrava  3  –  1  Bonn Capitals


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