By Mary Murray
Monday 27 July – In the team’s first competitive game since 2018, the Great Britain Under-22 Women started off strongly against the host Czech Republic in Brno but ultimately suffered an 11-4 loss in five innings in what will arguably be their toughest game in group play.
Things were looking good for the British squad in the top of the first inning, facing Czech starter Adela Linkova: a one-out double from Lauren King, an infield single from Imogen Gie, and a walk drawn by Jessica Chan loaded the bases. But a groundout to first base left GB scoreless.
A walk and two singles allowed the Czechs to get on the board first in the bottom of the inning, taking a 2-0 lead before shortstop Morgan Salmon came up with a crucial double play to end the inning, snagging a line drive off the bat of Karolina Dvorakova and doubling up Klara Hudikova at first base.
In the top of the second inning, Cameron McGinnis picked up where British bats had left off with an opening double off the wall in center field against a new Czech pitcher, Anna Štenglová, who pitched the rest of the game for the home team. Molly Blackwood was hit by a pitch, Carys Lynch reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Cameron, and Molly then scored on the front end of a double steal, with Carys advancing to second base. After two unproductive outs, Morgan Salmon stepped up and doubled to left field, scoring Carys to put GB 3-2 ahead.
But the Czechs scored in all four innings in which they batted against GB starter Jessica Chan, who pitched the first three frames, and Georgia Wilson, who pitched the fourth, and they took the lead right back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning on three hits and an error.
After Anna Štenglová settled in and kept British bats silent in the top of the third inning, the Czech Republic added two more runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-3 advantage.
GB pulled a run back in the top of the fourth inning: Molly Blackwood led off with a double to right center field and scored on an RBI single up the middle from Katie Burge.
With the score standing at 7-4 to the Czechs heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, Georgia Wilson replaced Jessica Chan in the circle and the Czech offense continued adding runs, plating four more on three hits and two walks to bring the score to 11-4.
GB was unable to bring runs across in the top of the fifth inning, despite working two walks to put runners on first and second with two outs. But Molly Blackwood flew out to right field and the game ended on the mercy rule with the Czechs holding an 11-4 advantage.
Jessica Chan took the loss for GB while Anna Štenglová earned the win for the Czechs.
Tomorrow (Tuesday), the GB Under-22 Women will have an early start with a 9.15 am game against Hungary (8.15 am in GB) and will then have a key game against France at 4.00 pm, which will end round-robin play and will almost certainly decide which team will join the Czech Republic in the Championship playoff rounds that begin on Wednesday.
Scores and standings
Scores from the first full day at the European Under-22 Women’s Championship were:
GROUP A
Sweden 16, Slovakia 3 (4 inns)
Ukraine 8, Croatia 1 (5 inns)
Italy 16, Sweden 0 (3 inns)
Slovakia 14, Croatia 6 (6 inns)
Italy 18, Ukraine 2 (4 inns)
GROUP B
Germany 10, Poland 1 (5 inns)
Israel 11, Poland 0 (6 inns)
Netherlands 8, Germany 0 (5 inns)
GROIP C
Spain 10, Belgium 0 (4 inns)
Ireland 9, Austria 7
GROUP D
Czech Republic 7, France 0 (5 inns – game played on Sunday evening)
France 9, Hungary 0 (5 inns)
Czech Republic 11, GB 4 (5 inns)
Standings after Day 1 (the top two teams in each group will go forward to Championship playoff rounds) are:
GROUP A
Italy (2-0)
Ukraine (1-1)
Sweden (1-1)
Slovakia (1-1)
Croatia (0-2)
GROUP B
Netherlands (1-0)
Israel (1-0)
Germany (1-1)
Poland (0-2)
GROUP C
Spain (1-0)
Ireland (1-0)
Austria (0-1)
Belgium (0-1)
GROUP D
Czech Republic (2-0)
France (1-1)
Great Britain (0-1)
Hungary (0-1)