European Cup 2024: Deurne Spartans Wins in Seven Innings

Today, after two tough losses in the previous days, Deurne Spartans was the one to deal a blow to its opponent. In seven innings the Belgian champion brushed aside the Vienna Metrostars.

Vienna Metrostars  3  –  13  Deurne Spartans

After a scoreless first inning, the Vienna Metrostars took a 2-0 lead. With two outs and a runner on first, Jakob Simonsen singled through the left side. Mo Hackl struck out on a wild pitch that allowed Alex Hilliard and Jakob Simonsen to get into scoring position. Felix Dietrich’s single to right field drove in both runners. 

Deurne cut Vienna’s lead in half in the bottom of the second when Frank Alejandro Prieto Burgos scored on a fielding error that was committed by the shortstop after Brian Valdez Lazil connected. 
In the next inning, the score was exactly the opposite: one run for the Metrostars, two for the Spartans. 

Mauro van Mook got into trouble in the top of the fourth inning, when he gave up a double, hit a batter with a pitch, and walked another. But Mauro kept his cool and retired the next two batters to get out of this jam. 

In the bottom of the fourth inning, with a tied score, Deurne Spartans struck hard. Singles by Brian Valdez Lazil, Leonel Reina Viant, and Frank Alejandro Prieto Burgos,  a thowing error, a walk, and a double by Johiner Alfonso Arguinzones Ocanto led to five runs. From there, the Spartans didn’t look back. 

Two extra base hits and a single in the fifth inning added two more runs to Spartans’ score. 
In the seventh, the Belgian champion did what it had to do to finish the game in seven innings. With the bases loaded, Edgardo Jose Nieto Castillo singled up the middle to drive in two runs. With a runner at second, Johiner Alfonso Arguinzones Ocanto also singled up the middle to drive in the game-ending run. 

In a solid outing, Mauro van Mook earned the win. In six innings, he allowed three runs on five hits, walked four and struck out fourteen (!). Jakob Simonsen took the loss. In three innings, he gave up nine runs (six earned) on ten hits, as he walked one and struck out two. 

Edgardo Jose Nieto Castillo was the best hitter for Deurne Spartans. He went 3 for 4, drove in four runs and scored two runs himself. 

With this win, Spartans finishes in the third spot of group A. This means it has to play in the relegation group on Sunday against the the team in fourth place in group B, Diving Ducks Wiener Neustadt. 


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