By Ian Tomlin
GB Junior Men's Team Manager
Stenlose, Denmark: 13 July – The final test for the GB Junior Men's Fastpitch Team at the European Championships was a game against the hosts Denmark on 12 July, and after their 28-0 defeat to Denmark earlier in the week, there was some trepidation in the GB camp.
But the overall improvement in performance on Thursday, when GB beat Israel and stayed with Croatia for several innings, gave the team some confidence going in to the game.
Great start
GB got off to a great start in the top of the first inning.
A walk issued to Ben Easdown was followed by singles from Carl Sharpe and Ieuan Gale that loaded the bases, and then three consecutive walks brought in three GB runs before a single from Damon Brown gave GB an unexpected 4-0 lead.
Denmark replied with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first, three of them scoring on a long drive to the fence by Jacob Mortenson with the bases loaded. But GB then limited the damage as shortstop Ieuan Gale took a good catch on a pop fly and threw two Danish batters out.
In the top of the second inning, GB added another run on a single by Carl Sharpe to take a 5-4 lead. But that was to be the high point of the game for Great Britain.
Danish outburst
Denmark took command of the game in the bottom of the second inning, scoring an impressive 14 runs, including two home runs.
GB Head Coach Pat Weightman made some line-up changes in the third inning, and singles by Sam Grafton, Matt Tomlin and Damon Brown once again loaded the bases with no one out. But two strikeouts and an infield ground out ended the inning with GB unable to reduce the deficit.
Denmark needed two runs in the bottom of the third to close the game on the mercy rule, and with two runners on base and no outs , GB's chances of extending the game looked slim.
However Damon Brown gave the side hope with a well-taken catch off a long fly ball. This was followed by another good catch in right field by Sam Grafton, but when the Danish runner at third tagged up and scored, it brought in the run that finished the game with the score standing at 20-5.
Standing ovation
Following the game the GB team received a standing ovation from their supporters and from the home crowd, who had taken the side to their hearts. There have been some great comments received from other teams and spectators about how the GB players have conducted themselves throughout a very tough tournament, in which only one game was one and seven were lost.
But the players have improved immensely over the week, especially over the last two days, and their heads should be held high.