by Steve Fullan
Amstelveen, Netherlands: July 24 – A pair of Opening Day wins at the 
2012 European Men's Championships today in Amstelveen, including a huge 5-3 victory over the defending European Champions Denmark, has got the GB Men's Team off to a great start in their quest to qualify for the 2013 ISF Men's World Championships scheduled for next March in New Zealand.
The second win was a 10-3 drubbing of Croatia, and one of the most pleasing aspects of the day was the output the GB Team received from its young Brirish-based players.
GB 5, Denmark 3
The GB Men could not have had a
tougher start to their European Championship campaign as they faced defending champions Denmark.
GB had James Darby in the pitcher's circle, with veteran Kim Hansen starting for the Danes. The first inning was a straightforward three-up, three-down for both teams as the game looked to be a pitching battle.
But GB bats came alive in the second inning as they exploded for four runs from four hits. James Darby led off with a single and Josh Peat went in to pinch-run. Morgan Ottridge and Luke Peters both hit singles to load the bases, bringing sweet-swinging Mark Elson to the plate, and he promptly hit a triple in the gap to score three runs, reminiscent of his triple in the 2010 Europeans when GB beat the Dutch.
From the third to the sixth innings, GB failed to register any more runs and Denmark began to chip away. The Danes scored one run in the third inning off two walks, a hit batter and a passed ball and two more in the fifth from two hits, but James Darby managed to stem the flow with a couple of strikeouts.
Ryan Martin led off the GB seventh inning with a double and eventually scored on a single from Kevin Stockford. So with a two-run cushion, GB looked to close out the game in the bottom of the seventh and managed to get a couple of groundouts from two of Denmark's big hitters, Freddy Terkelson and Daniel Julenon.
So GB had a huge win that sets up the rest of the week. Great Britain had five runs and eight hits versus Denmark's three runs on three hits.
James Darby ended up with 14 strikeouts, while on offense, Ryan Martin and Kevin Stockford led the way with two hits each.
GB 10, Croatia 3
Coming off the exhilarating win 
against Denmark, GB couldn't afford any let-ups when they played Croatia later in the day.
However, the coaching staff of Russ Snow and Stan and Barry Doney wanted to give everyone a chance to play, as those chances may diminish later in the week during the important games. Earlier in the day, Croatia had surprised the Danes by only losing 5-1, so Team GB could not afford to take them lightly.
GB debutant Robbie Robison led off the first inning with a home run over the left field to give GB an early lead and Croatia, despite a leadoff double in their half of the inning, failed to score as Mark Elson shut them down after the initial hit.
Robbie Robison led off the third inning with a walk and scored on a Steve Hazard single as GB stretched the lead to 2-0, and the scoreline stayed that way until the fifth inning, when GB scored five runs on four hits.
Robbie Robison got his second hit of the game and then scored on single by Luke Peters, pinch-hitting for Kevin Stockford. Steve Hazard followed with a single to score Luke and then Ryan Martin reached base on an error. With runners on first and third, Steve Fullan laid down a safety squeeze but managed to beat the play to first, scoring Steve Hazard.
So after the top of the fifth GB led by 7-0, but Croatia came back in the bottom of the inning to score three runs of their own with a three-run home run from Sasha Dokmanovi.
Neither team could score in the sixth inning and GB went into the top of the seventh hoping to pull away. Geoff Clayton came into hit for Ryan Martin and singled and this was followed by singles from Carl Sharpe and Curt Taylor. Michael Willams singled later in the inning to score a final run as GB ended the frame with three runs to lead 10-3.
Mark Elson then set Croatia down in the bottom of the seventh as GB closed out the game to finish Day One at 2-0 and on top of the standings along with the Czechs.
Robbie Robison, Steve Hazard, Kevin Stockford and Steve Fullan had two hits each against Croatia, and GB Team morale could not be higher as they look forward to the rest of the week.
If the team can finish at least second in pool play, which the win against Denmark could set them up to do, then World Championship qualification would be assured before the playoffs even begin.