Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic -- It has been so near and yet so far for the GB Men's Fastpitch Team at the 2014 European Championships. Another agonising one-run loss on Friday afternoon, this time by 3-2 to the Netherlands in the 3v4 Page Playoff game, means that GB will finish fourth in this tournament and miss out on next year's World Championships in Canada.
The GB Team has now played four games against the three teams that will finish above them: the Czech Republic, Denmark and Holland. Three of those games have been lost by a single run, and the other went to extra innings before GB eventually lost by four. Bad luck? Carelessness? Something lacking in GB's performance? We may have to wait for the post-tournament post-mortem to figure that out.
But the net result is that the GB Men, who have played in the last three ISF Men's World Championships, finishing ninth, eighth and ninth respectively, and who felt they had a decent chance to win these European Championships, will be at home next summer when the pinnacle tournament in men's fastpitch softball reconvenes in Saskatoon.
Sudden end
Today, the denouement came in the bottom of the seventh inning in a game in which GB took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, only for the Netherlands to tie the score with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out two-run triple by Dutch right fielder Randy Reiph off GB starter Kyle Linton. James Darby, playing left field to get his bat into the line-up, just failed to get to the ball. Kyle got out of the inning without further damage, but the Dutch outburst persuaded Coach Norman Ames to replace him with James Darby when the Dutch came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. Kyle had given up three hits, five walks and struck out eight over five innings of work.
James Darby pitched a scoreless sixth inning and there was one out in the bottom of the seventh when Dutch third baseman Emeron Lourens drove a ball to the outfield fence. And Lourens just kept going, beating the throw to home for an inside-the-park home run. Suddenly, GB's tournament was over.
GB chances
GB was certainly not outplayed in the game, and had a string of chances to score more runs, but couldn't get that key hit with runners in scoring position. The GB offense mounted a threat in every inning and left 12 men on base to just five for the Dutch. GB had more hits than the Netherlands (two each from Ryan Martin and Luke Peters and one each by Kenny Pregnell and Michael Lee, to just four hits for the Dutch). GB had fewer strikeouts and played errorless ball (the Dutch committed one error that didn't figure in the scoring).
In short, GB could certainly have won the game, just as they could have won all of the four close games they lost in this tournament. But they didn't win any of them.
GB's two runs in the third inning came when Dutch starter Jeffrey Visser suddenly hit a wild streak and the game took on an emotional edge. Walks to Ryan Martin, Kenny Pregnell and Kyle Linton and an intentional walk to Luke Peters, combined with a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch, added up to two runs scored without the benefit of a hit. When Kenny Pregnell was called safe on a close play at third base during the inning, there was a hot-headed reaction by Dutch third baseman Emeron Lourens, and when Kenny collided with the Dutch catcher while scoring on Darrin Newson's sacrifice fly, both benches emptied. The umpires had a lot of work to cool the situation, but the run was given and GB scored a second run moments later when Kyle Linton walked with the bases loaded.
After the Dutch had tied the score in the bottom of the fifth, GB had a great chance in the top of the sixth inning when Ryan Martin led off with a shot into the gap in right centre field. It was a sure double, but Coach Norman Ames waved Ryan on to third and he was out on a perfect relay from centre field to short to third. The old adage about never making the first or third out at third base was rubbed in when the next batter, Kenny Pregnell, singled -- but Kenny was stranded at first base.
In the top of the seventh, GB failed to convert another chance after Luke Peters doubled to right centre field with one out. Kyle Linton grounded out to first, with Luke advancing to third, and then Morgan Ottridge, pinch-hitting for Michael Lee, drove a shot up the middle that deflected off the Dutch pitcher. But the Dutch shortstop made a great play to come up with the ball and throw Morgan out at first.
GB Manager Steve Fullan said later, "There was a big gasp and everyone could almost sense that the British luck had run out and that the Dutch would score."
And so they did in the bottom of the seventh, when Emeron Lourens, the #9 batter in the order, somehow pulled a two-strike pitch on the outside corner down the left field line and came all the way around to score. It was the only hit off James Darby in his 1.1 innings of relief, and the end of the line for GB.
Results
Full results from the round-robin and playoff phases of the European Men's Championship through Friday are:
Friday Playoff Results
Belgium 9, Croatia 2 (placing round-robin game)
Netherlands 3, GB 2 (3v4 Page Playoff game)
Czech Republic 9, Denmark 4 (1v2 Page Playoff game)
GB finishes fourth and the Czech Republic advances to the final on Saturday. The Netherlands and Denmark will play at 12.30 pm Czech time on Saturday to see who will meet the Czechs in the final, with the loser finishing third. Also on Saturday, Israel will play both Belgium and Croatia to complete the placing round-robin games to determine who finishes fifth, sixth and seventh.
MONDAY
Denmark 5, Israel 3
Czech Republic 17, Croatia 0
Denmark 9, Belgium 0
GB 8, Croatia 3
Netherlands 13, Israel 1
Czech Republic 10, Belgium 0
TUESDAY
Netherlands 16, Croatia 2
Czech Republic 22, Israel 1
GB 5, Belgium 0
Israel 3, Croatia 2
Denmark 5, GB 4
Czech Republic 10, Netherlands 0
WEDNESDAY
Belgium 7, Croatia 5
Netherlands 8, GB 4 (8 innings)
Belgium 6, Israel 4
Czech Republic 9, Denmark 5
THURSDAY
Netherlands 10, Belgium 3
Denmark 17, Croatia 0
GB 7, Israel 0
Denmark 10, Netherlands 3
Czech Republic 5, GB 4
Final Round-Robin Standings
Czech Republic (6-0)
Denmark (5-1)
Netherlands (3-3)
Great Britain (3-3)
Belgium (2-4)
Israel (1-5)
Croatia (0-6)