By Bob Fromer
Prague, Czech Republic: July 8 – Yesterday's 4-2 opening game win for the GB Women's Fastpitch Team against Germany at the European Women's Championship was “the tensest game of softball I've ever played,” according to GB second base player Sarah Jones.
But today, against a poor Denmark team, was a stroll in the park. GB scored four runs in the first inning, 10 in the second, went down in order in the third and racked up six more runs in the fourth. The result was an easy 20-1 win, with two GB pitchers no-hitting Denmark along the way, that will set the team up nicely for tomorrow's doubleheader against Israel and Russia that will end the initial round-robin phase of the tournament.
A win against Israel will guarantee a place in the second round; a win against Russia will give GB a more manageable second round group in the quest to get to the Page Playoffs, which will mean qualification for next year's World Championships in Holland.
GB no-hitter
Carling Hare, the starter and closer against Germany, started again today, but needed to pitch only a single inning, since GB had amassed a 14-run lead by the time the Danes came to bat in the bottom of the second.
Carling struck out two and gave up a walk in her inning of work, but the baserunner, Henriette Gilhoj, was gunned down attempting to steal second by GB catcher Steph Pearce.
Kylie Marshall pitched the final three innings for Britain, giving up a run in the second inning on a walk, a passed ball and an error, but keeping the Danes hitless and striking out three, including the final batter of the game.
Hits and errors
On offense, GB did pretty much what they wanted against Danish starter Maria Simonsen and relief pitcher Betina Lorenzen, who pitched to seven batters in the second inning and failed to get any of them out before Simonsen came back in and finished out the game.
Watching all this, perhaps with mixed emotions, was the Danish Head Coach Kevin Stockford – who is also the catcher for the GB Men's Fastpitch Team!
Altogether, GB had 13 hits, and the two Danish pitchers yielded five walks, hit three GB batters and threw three wild pitches (not to mention a number of passed balls). Danish fielders made five errors (GB had one).
In those circumstances, it's impossible not to score runs, and GB filled their boots.
Left fielder Amy Moore had two singles and a walk and is still batting 1.000 for the tournament.
Laura Thompson, Sarah Craig, Chiya Louie and Karlene Headley-Cooper had two hits each, and Karlene had five RBIs on a two-run single in the first inning that broke the game open early and a bases-loaded triple into the left field corner in the second inning that turned a beating into a rout.
Alicja Wolny had three RBIs on a sacrifice fly and a two-run single and DP Kori Waugh reached base three times on a single and two hit-by-pitches.
Things were pretty routine for GB on defense, but after the Danes had scored their lone run in the second inning, GB second base player Sarah Jones made a diving stop on a ball hit to her left and threw out Alexandra Angelo at first to end that one mild Danish threat.
Jenny Ball took over from Chiya Louie at shortstop for the last two innings of the game – her first official appearance for the GB Women's Team since 2006 – and made a couple of nice plays.
Looking ahead
The GB Women's Team will face similar opponents tomorrow morning when they play Israel, but there will be a big game against Russia in the afternoon to decide who wins the group.
Russia beat Denmark 8-0 yesterday, and GB's 20-1 scoreline against the Danes may give them something to think about. But veteran Russian pitchers Ekaterina Eronina and Darya Shembereva will be a different proposition altogether, along with a number of quick and athletic young players who have graduated from the Russian Under-19 team over the past two or three years.
This afternoon, Russia all but eliminated Germany from playoff contention in a thrilling game that was 0-0 after seven innings, with Mona Horner for Germany matched against Russia's Darya Shembereva. When it came to the eighth inning and the tie-breaker, Germany scored three runs in the top half of the inning, and looked to have the game won, only for Russia to come back to score four in the bottom of the eighth and win the game.
The phrase "sick as parrots" comes to mind to describe how the Germans will be feeling after their first two games at a European Championships for which they had high hopes.
Other scores
Other scores so far from Day 2 are:
Pool A
Switzerland 23, Hungary 5
Czech Republic 11, Belgium 0
Spain 5, Slovakia 2
Pool B
Netherlands 10, Croatia 0
Austria 16, Switzerland 3
Pool C
GB 20, Denmark 1
Russia 4, Germany 3
Denmark 15, Israel 8
Pool D
France 5, Poland 3
Italy 7, Ukraine 0
Italy 15, France 0
Sweden 6, Poland 0