Day 4
GB U16 Men’s Fastpitch fall to Croatia in hard-fought contest
Great Britain’s U16 Men’s side faced Croatia for the second time in the tournament, ultimately going down 11-4 in a game where Croatia’s powerful hitting to right field proved the decisive factor throughout.
Inning 1 – Croatia 3, GB 1
Magnus Thornton-Smith took the mound with Jack Leslie behind the plate. A base hit to left and a wild pitch put the first runner in scoring position, and when Jack’s attempted pick-off struck the runner he advanced to third. A walk followed, and a single to right field brought both runners home. The next batter struck out but advanced to second when Jack couldn’t hold the ball, before a further base hit to short right added another run. Magnus struck out the next batter, but then walked two more with a passed ball advancing the runners, before striking out the final batter to strand three.
Jack got GB going with a drive to left to open their half of the inning. Oscar drove one up the middle but Jack was too quick to second and Oscar was caught at first by the shortstop. Jack moved to third on a passed ball and Magnus drove him home with a hit to right. Ethan Hull’s hit up the middle saw the shortstop get Magnus at second, and Olly Birkman’s bunt attempt was fielded by the pitcher for the final out. Croatia led 3-1 after one.
Inning 2 – Croatia 6, GB 1
Ethan moved to the mound in the second with Owen Harbord at short and Barney coming in to right field. Two hits to right field put runners in scoring position before Jay Barwell took a catch at first on a ball hit straight up. Ethan hit the next batter to load the bases. A missed tag and a delayed throw at second left both runners safe, before a dropping ball in short right and a wild pitch added further runs. Two strikeouts closed the inning.
Stanley O’Leary walked to lead off GB’s half but inexplicably attempted to take second and was tagged by the shortstop. Theo Dormer struck out looking at a high pitch, and Solly Burton ground out to third. Croatia led 6-1 after two.
Innings 3 to 5 – Croatia 11, GB 4
Croatia continued to find the gaps in the third, with two three-base hits and another triple doing significant damage. A sharp piece of thinking from Ethan on the mound saw him throw home for Jack to tag a runner attempting to score, but further hits kept Croatia adding to their lead. GB responded with some spirit: Owen drew a walk, Oscar reached on a bunt when the pitcher slipped fielding, and Barney advanced the runners before Ethan’s hard drive that second couldn’t hold brought a run home. Croatia led 9-2 after three.
GB held Croatia to a quiet fourth inning, with Owen taking an out at short and two strikeouts doing the rest. GB couldn’t capitalise in their half either, with Stanley and Theo going out before Solly singled to left, only for the catcher to recover from a mishandle to throw him out at second. Croatia added two more in the fifth through a triple and a double despite GB’s best efforts, before Ethan closed things down with two further outs.
With time expiring, the fifth innings was GB’s last. Owen was put out at first, Jack was hit by a pitch and moved to third, and Oscar’s wild bunt attempts walked him. After another wild pitch scored Jack and Barney walked, Ethan smashed a triple down the right field line to score two more before Olly grounded to the pitcher to end the game.
Final score: Croatia 11 – GB 4.
GB U16 Men’s Fastpitch end group play with a tough defeat to Denmark
Great Britain’s final group game of the European Championship saw them come up against a strong Danish side, going down 23-6 in a game that Denmark controlled throughout. GB showed plenty of fight with the bat in the middle innings, putting together a spirited second inning, but errors in the field proved costly.
Inning 1 – Denmark 5, GB 0
Stanley O’Leary began on the mound with Owen Harbord catching. A ball through Ethan Hull’s legs at short and an illegal pitch call put the first runner on second before the inning had found its feet. A low throw from Leo to Noah Norton at first and a hit to centre brought the first run home, before Leo took an out at third only for the runner to score on a passed ball. A hit up the middle Stanley couldn’t hold, a stolen base and a further centre field hit added to the damage, though another ground ball error kept Denmark’s momentum going before Noah Norton took an out at first to close a costly inning.
Jack led off GB’s half with a double down the left field line. Connor bunted straight to the pitcher who caught it, Jay was caught at first on a chip, and Ethan was put out at second. Denmark led 5-0 after one.
Inning 2 – Denmark 12, GB 5
Denmark continued to add runs in the second, with dropped catches, missed tags, passed balls and walks all contributing to a difficult inning in the field for GB. The damage was compounded by errors on throws and a high fly ball dropped by Connor, with Noah throwing it away from second to leave a runner on third. Jack’s catch in centre finally ended it, with Denmark leading 12-0.
GB’s half was their best innings of the game. Leo Chapman hit to right and moved to second on a passed ball. Stanley walked, and with both runners advancing on a passed ball, Olly’s hit to second scored Leo. Owen drove a base hit up the middle to score Stanley, then advanced to second on a passed ball. Theo walked, and Jack drove a base hit to centre to score Owen, with both Jack and Theo moving up on an overthrow and Theo eventually scoring on a passed ball. After Connor’s strike out was dropped, Jack scored from a walk, before Jay and Ethan both struck out. Denmark led 12-5 after two.
Inning 3 – Denmark 23, GB 6
Denmark put the game well beyond reach in the third. After a routine fly ball to Jack in centre for the first out, balls through the infield, passed balls, missed stops and a grand slam over the centre field fence did the bulk of the damage. A sharp piece of play from Theo and Connor cut down a runner at home when he was caught being greedy after a triple, but errors with the ball continued to allow further runs to cross before the innings eventually ended with runners intentionally left early on base.
Leo led off GB’s third with a ground ball for an out, before Stanley hit a double to left and moved to third on a passed ball. Olly hit an RBI single up the middle. Owen walked and Theo hit one to the pitcher before Jack’s high fly to left was caught to end both the innings and the game.
Final score: Denmark 23 – GB 6, ending GB’s European Championship group stage. The squad will return tomorrow for the bronze medal game.
U16M Head Coach Natalie said “As we head toward the end of the week the muscle fatigue is clear to see across the squad but they are battling in every game and continue to strive for success. Every player has had their game time and we are now so excited to have reached a medal play off. I know that every player will give 110% today whether out on the field of play or supporting in the dugout. Day 5, game 9, Let the Lion roar!”
Days Two and Three
GB U16 Men's Fastpitch fall to Croatia despite fighting back to 6-5
Great Britain's U16 Men's side showed plenty of character against Croatia, battling back from 8-2 down to make it a contest, but were ultimately beaten 14-7 after five innings.
Inning 1 – GB 2, Croatia 1
Captain Jack Leslie led GB off with a short hit over third base, and a shortstop error allowed him to come all the way around to score. Oscar Ladd bunted firmly and legged it out for a base hit. With Magnus Thornton-Smith at the plate, a hard hit off first base was fielded out at first, with Magnus advancing to third. Ethan Hull then drove a deep fly ball to left field, deep enough for Magnus to tag up and score. Oliver Birkman attempted a bunt that was fielded by the pitcher for the final out.
Magnus took the mound with Jack behind the plate. The first Croatian batter drove a base hit to centre and advanced on a wild pitch, but a ground ball to Oscar Ladd at second was thrown out at first by Theo Dormer with a fine scoop. A further ground ball to Ethan at shortstop put out the next batter, though Croatia got on the board. A well-tracked high fly ball was taken by Stanley O'Leary to close the inning. GB led 2-1 after one.
Inning 2 – Croatia 8, GB 2
GB went down in order in the second, with Stanley striking out, Leo Chapman jammed up for a ground ball put out, and Owen Harboard grounding to the pitcher.
Croatia's half proved damaging. A leadoff walk advanced on a wild pitch before a well-placed bunt and late throw encouraged the runner to go home, beating the return throw. A base hit loaded the bases, and a wild pitch and short double added further runs. A walk loaded the bases again before a fly ball to Olly Birkman in centre scored one and left runners at first and third. Head coach Natalie Hull made a change, bringing Ethan to the mound with Magnus moving to second and Oscar to short. The next batter drove one to the fence and, despite a good relay, three runs scored as the tag at home came out of the glove. A sharp two-base hit down the third base line followed, before Leo Chapman took the second out at first on a ground ball and Solly Burton comfortably caught a line drive to right to end the inning. Croatia led 8-2.
Inning 3 – Croatia 13, GB 5
GB fought back. Solly led off hit on the thigh to take first and stole second, before Jack legged out a slow infield hit to short to send Solly to third. Oscar hit to third for an out but scored Solly, with Jack moving to second. Magnus bunted, the catcher overthrew first, Jack scored and Magnus reached third before scoring on a passed ball. Ethan drove a base hit through to the outfield, but Olly and Stanley both struck out to end the innings.
Croatia responded heavily in their half. A lead-off base hit was followed by a ball Leo at third couldn't hold, putting runners at first and second. A short hit over the infield and a ground ball Oscar couldn't hold brought another run across. A double up the middle scored two more, and though Solly took a good catch in right field, tagging runners advanced. A further catch by Stanley in centre also allowed a runner to score from third before a ground ball to Oscar saw Magnus take the out at second. Croatia led 13-5 after three.
Innings 4 & 5 – Croatia 14, GB 7
Leo went down swinging to open the fourth before Owen Harboard drew a full count walk. Solly was put out at first, but Jack Leslie drove a three-base hit to right field to score Owen. GB were then penalised for an incorrect catcher substitution which Croatia spotted, creating a third out.
Croatia were held to just one run in their fourth as Ethan took two ground ball outs and Oscar produced a fine spinning play at short to get the out at first through a stretching Theo Dormer.
Oscar opened the fifth with a good catch at third and Magnus smashed an in-the-park home run to right. Ethan was put out at third and Olly struck out to bring Croatia back to the plate.
Ethan hit the first batter, and the next ball couldn't be held on the mound. A bunt was picked up by Jack but with no cover at first. The next batter drove to Oscar who took the out at second, but the run crossed to seal the game. Croatia won 14-7 after five innings.
GB U16 Men's Fastpitch defeated by Denmark in one-sided contest
Denmark proved too powerful for GB's U16 Men's side on day two, running out 13-0 winners after three innings in a game where GB were unable to generate any offence against the Danish pitcher.
Inning 1 – Denmark 1, GB 0
Jack Leslie opened with a four-pitch walk and moved to second on a passed ball. Magnus went down swinging, Stanley flew out to the pitcher narrowly avoiding being doubled off, and Ethan grounded out to first.
Magnus took the mound with Barney Reynolds catching and Connor Satchwell making his tournament debut at second. The first Danish batter walked and stole second and third in quick succession on a passed ball. The second walked and also stole second first pitch. A third walk loaded the bases, before a high fly to right field by Owen Harboard saw the runner tag and score from third. The next batter hit a catch to Olly Birkman at third, who took the ball and tagged the runner from second for a clean double play. Denmark led 1-0 after one.
Inning 2 – Denmark 8, GB 0
GB were retired in order, with Connor, Solly and Barney all striking out.
Denmark put together a damaging second inning. A leadoff walk and stolen base was followed by a base hit to short right. Another stolen base and a ground ball to Ethan produced an out at first, but the runner from third scored. A further short hit to right brought another run home. A steal, a two-RBI single to Jack in centre, a passed ball and a hit batter loaded the bases before a runner scored on a wild pitch. Ethan came on to pitch with Oscar moving to short, and struck out the final batter. Denmark led 8-0 after two.
Inning 3 – Denmark 13, GB 0
Olly's bunt attempt was caught by the catcher, Owen drew a walk, and Jack's bunt back to the pitcher sent Owen to second, but Oscar struck out to end GB's half.
Denmark continued to add runs freely in their third, with singles, a wild pitch and a hard hit down the right field line doing most of the damage. Ethan struck out two batters in between, but the runs continued to cross before the inning closed.
Stanley lined a drive in the final half inning that was caught at full stretch by the Danish first baseman, and Ethan and Connor also went down without troubling the scoreboard. Denmark won 13-0 after three innings.
History made: GB U16 Men's Fastpitch claim second win of the tournament against Israel
Great Britain's U16 Men's squad turned in a dominant and at times spectacular performance to beat Israel for the second time in the tournament, winning 17-6 in a game full of individual brilliance and outstanding team defence.
Inning 1 – GB 3, Israel 0
Israel served as home team, and Jack Leslie made his intentions clear from the very first pitch, smashing the ball over the left fielder's head and sprinting all the way home for a lead-off inside-the-park home run. Magnus Thornton-Smith was called out on a bunt attempt at first, but Oscar Ladd was hit by a pitch and stole second. Ethan Hull drove him home with a hard base hit and advanced to second and third on passed balls. Oliver Birkman drew a walk but was tagged out trying to steal second. Stanley O'Leary drew a walk and took second as Ethan scored on a wild pitch. Solly Burton grounded out to first to end the inning.
Ethan took the mound with Jack catching. Theo Dormer at third took a ground ball and threw to Magnus for the first out, before another ground ball to Theo produced a second out at first. Ethan closed the inning with a catch on a ball hit up in the air. GB led 3-0 after one.
Inning 2 – GB 7, Israel 0
Theo Dormer opened with a ground ball that the fielder couldn't convert in time, reaching first and taking second and third on a passed ball. Owen Harboard drew a walk and drew a throw to second that let Theo score, with the Israelis also missing the tag at second to keep Owen alive. Jack hit to third; Owen drew the defence across allowing Jack to reach first. Magnus hit to third and Jack scored. Oscar hit to short who took the out at second, but Oscar stole second. Ethan hit hard to centre for out number two. Olly Birkman then lined a base hit to centre to score the runner, before Stanley flew out to short to end the inning.
Israel came to the plate in their half, and a dropped third strike put their first batter on, followed by two walks to load the bases. Ethan then struck out the next batter, before Oscar at second produced a quick flip to Magnus at first for a double play. From bases loaded, Israel went three and out with no runs scored.
Inning 3 – GB 9, Israel 6
Solly hit to third, drew an error and reached second. He stole third and scored on a wild pitch. Theo drove a hard base hit to right field. Owen came to the plate but Theo was caught stealing at second, and Owen struck out looking. Jack hit a two-base hit to left field, and Jay Barwell walked in for Magnus. Jay walked and Jack stole third. Oscar hit to third, forced an error and scored the run, though in the resulting chaos Jay was tagged out at third.
Israel fought back with a big inning of their own. A bunt for a hit was followed by a stolen base and a walk before Theo took an infield fly. A base hit to right, despite Solly's diving effort, brought a run home. Jack then grabbed the rebound from a passed ball and dived at the runner to get the second out. A sharp double down the third base line scored two more, and a base hit to right and another wild pitch brought further runs across before a high ball caught by Stanley at short closed the inning. GB still led, 9-6 after three.
Inning 4 – GB 17, Israel 6
GB put the game beyond doubt with an extraordinary fourth inning. Ethan opened with a base hit and stole second. Olly walked but they tagged Ethan going to third. Stanley walked and Olly moved to third on a passed ball. Solly's fly ball to centre scored Olly. Theo then hit a fly ball that the first baseman dropped, bringing Solly home and sending Theo to second. Owen hit to second but beat the throw, and both runners scored. Jack walked, Jay drove a base hit to score another, and a bad bounce on Oscar's hit got him on and added another run. Ethan then smashed a triple for two more before Olly grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
Israel's first two batters walked in the top of the fifth but Ethan struck out the next two batters in succession. A hard hit to Stanley and a wild throw saw two runs score, but time had expired and GB needed just one more out. The next batter squeezed a hit to right, and the following batter walked before the final batter hit one to Ethan, who gloved it before Theo bare-handed it for the final out at first.
Final score: GB 17 – Israel 6, a commanding and clinical performance that underlined the squad's growing confidence and teamwork throughout the tournament.
GB U16 Men's Fastpitch beaten by Czechia in final game of tournament
Great Britain's U16 Men's squad couldn't find their footing against a powerful Czech side in their final game of the European Championship, falling 15-0 after three innings.
Inning 1 – Czechia 10, GB 0
Jack Leslie went down the count before striking out looking. Oscar Ladd's bunt drew a wide throw at first but Owain Hughes and Olly Birkman both struck out swinging.
Magnus Thornton-Smith took the mound with Barney Reynolds behind the plate. A high fly ball was well tracked and taken by Oscar Ladd at short, but the next batter's hard hit couldn't be held and he reached base and stole second. Two walks followed, putting runners in scoring position, before Magnus struck out the next batter looking. A passed ball allowed a run to score, and an RBI single to centre added another. A ground ball that Leo Chapman at third couldn't hold kept the inning alive, a further walk loaded the bases, and a two-RBI single was followed immediately by a steal. The next batter then hit a high fly to left field over Stanley's head, clearing the bases. The top of the order returned and drew a walk, advancing on a passed ball, before an RBI double to centre and a ball squeezed through Oscar's legs brought more runs home. A hit to Owain at second with a throw that arrived too late, and Jack's throw home that Barney couldn't convert, added to the damage before a fine catch by Solly Burton in centre, covering a large amount of ground, finally ended the inning. Czechia led 10-0 after one.
Inning 2 – Czechia 14, GB 0
Olly Birkman reached on a bunting error at first, but Stanley struck out swinging, Barney struck out, and Jay Barwell hit hard to second for the final out, despite Olly stealing second during the at-bat.
Czechia continued to score freely. A hard hit to Oscar produced an out despite a bad bounce, and a ground ball to Jack was dealt with cleanly, but a double to centre, a single, and a further single with a missed cut-off, combined with passed balls and a slow roller Oscar couldn't throw home in time, added four more runs to the tally. A sharp ground ball out by Leo Chapman closed the inning, leaving Czechia leading 14-0 after two.
Inning 3 – Czechia 15, GB 0
Leo Chapman bunted his way on after first base couldn't hold the throw, but Jack's slap was caught by the pitcher, Oscar struck out, and Owain eventually went down looking with Olly having taken second on a passed ball.
Czechia needed one run to win by mercy rule in the third. A fly ball to Jay Barwell in right produced the first out, and the second batter's base hit to centre was stretched to second. The third batter hit a high ball to right that Owain unfortunately dropped, the runner from second scoring to end the game.
Final score: Czechia 15 – GB 0 after three innings.
Head Coach Natalie said “We’ve had two days of great Softball in intense heat and the lads have pulled together and worked really hard. Double plays, stolen bases & stand up triple all recorded in the book. As a Coaching Staff we are incredibly proud of them all and excited for today’s challenges. This is after all a “journey”, pitch by pitch, game by game and watching the confidence grow in each player is incredible. We have a huge support team behind Home Plate for every game and we are truly thankful for their voices and cheers game after game.”
Day One
Game One - GB U16 Men's Fastpitch make history with first-ever win over Israel
Great Britain's U16 Men's squad secured a landmark victory in the European Championship, defeating Israel 8-5 in a game played at Kunovice and ultimately called on time after five innings. The result marks GB's first ever win at this age group against Israel.
Inning 1 – GB 2, Israel 1
Magnus Thornton-Smith took the mound for GB but found the first inning a difficult one to settle into. A leadoff walk saw the runner steal second and advance to third on a passed ball, before a second walk and stolen base put another runner in scoring position. A dropped third strike then put a third Israeli batter on the board. The fourth batter found Ethan Hull at shortstop, who showed great composure to turn a sharp double play, tagging the runner heading to third before completing the out at first. A strikeout looking on a changeup brought the inning to a close, with Israel ahead 1-0.
GB responded immediately in their half. Jack Leslie led off with a hard-hit ball that was caught at third, and Oscar Ladd followed by being thrown out at first. Oliver Birkman kept the inning alive with a well placed bunt single, then stole both second and third in quick succession. Ethan Hull walked and stole second himself, before Birkman came home on a passed ball. Hull then showed real sharpness, spotting the opposing pitcher outside the circle and stealing home as a result. GB took the lead, 2-1.
Inning 2 – GB 6, Israel 1
Israel were retired in order to open the second. The first batter grounded out from Ladd to Leslie, the second swung at a changeup that was caught by pitcher Magnus, and the third went down swinging at a wide pitch, with catcher Barney Reynolds completing the strikeout by throwing to first.
GB then put together their best inning of the game. Magnus led off with a walk and moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Stanley O'Leary slapped a short hit to left field to bring him home and reached second himself in the process. Solly Burton put the ball in play, and a hesitant look from the shortstop was followed by an overthrow at first, allowing O'Leary to score and Burton to reach second; he then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jay Barwell struck out, but Jack Leslie kept the rally going with a left-handed slap that the first baseman couldn't convert into an out, scoring a run and reaching base himself. Leslie stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Oscar Ladd then walked and was tagged out at second by the second baseman, though the play allowed Leslie to score. Oliver Birkman walked, and Ethan Hull's fielder's choice to short brought the inning to a close. GB had pulled clear, 6-1.
Inning 3 – GB 6, Israel 1
Israel's first batter walked to open the inning, and the second hit a fielder's choice through Hull to Ladd at second. The third batter was put out 4-3, before a sharp grounder got past Oliver at third for a base hit. An easy fly ball into Hull's glove ended the inning with no further damage done.
GB's half saw Hull open with a hit to left field, though he was caught out trying to stretch it into a double after an overthrow. Leo grounded out to second, and Magnus reached first on a bad bounce single hit the same way, but Stanley O'Leary was put out 5-3 to close the inning. The score remained 6-1 after three.
Inning 4 – GB 6, Israel 3
Israel began to find their footing in the fourth. A leadoff walk was followed by a fielder's choice through Hull that retired the lead runner at second; that runner then advanced to third on a passed ball and a wild pitch. A strikeout followed, then a walk, with the runner moving up to second on another passed ball. An illegal pitch call against Magnus brought a run home, and a passed ball cleared the bases for further damage. Another walk followed before a ground out to Hull caught Ladd at second to end the inning, with Israel now trailing 6-3.
GB were unable to add to their lead in response. Burton was retired at first on a comebacker, Barwell went out 5-3, and although Leslie walked and Ladd's single moved him to third, Birkman’s fly ball was caught at first to end the inning.
Inning 5 – GB 8, Israel 5
Ethan Hull moved to pitch for the final inning, with Magnus shifting to first base, Jack Leslie taking over behind the plate, and Stanley moving to short. Israel's first two batters went down swinging, but a base hit to left field and an illegal pitch call moved a runner into scoring position, and a further base hit brought him home. A stolen base followed, and a dropped fly ball allowed another run to score while putting the batter in scoring position himself. Oliver finally ended the rally with a 5-3 putout, leaving Israel within two at 6-5.
GB responded in their half of the inning. Hull walked to lead off, and Leo Chapman beat out a bunt single. Magnus's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners but he was put out at first; Hull scored on a passed ball during the play. Stanley followed with a hard hit ball to second, out at first himself but driving in another run in the process. Reynolds struck out to close the inning, with GB now ahead 8-5.
Final inning
With Israel batting and time running out, Ethan Hull showed great composure on the mound, coming back from a 3-0 count to strike out the first batter looking with three straight strikes. The second batter also struck out looking, and after a walk, the final Israeli batter struck out to bring the game to a close.
Final score: GB 8 – Israel 5, sealing the U16 Men's squad's first ever victory over Israel at this level.
Game Two - GB U16 Men's Fastpitch fall to Czechia in second game of European Championships
Great Britain's U16 Men's squad came up against a strong Czech side in their second game of the European Championships, ultimately falling 12-0 in a contest called after four innings.
Inning 1 – Czechia 6, GB 0
Ethan Hull took the mound for GB and got off to a promising start, with the first batter flying out to right field, well taken by Owen Harboard. From there, though, Czechia began to build pressure. A walk and a batter hit by an inside pitch put two runners on, and the next batter found Owain Hughes at second, but a bad bounce took the ball away from him and let the Czechs open the scoring with runners at second and third. A grounder to shortstop Oscar Ladd brought the out at first but allowed another run home.
The Czechs then broke the game open, driving a three-base hit deep into right field to score again. A walk followed, with the runner stealing second on the first pitch, before a further three-base hit brought home two more. A wild pitch that catcher Jack Leslie couldn't hold allowed the runner on third to score as well. The inning finally ended when a grounder found Ethan Hull, who took the out himself with Magnus Thornton-Smith covering first.
GB's reply was brief. Jack Leslie led off attempting a push bunt but was caught by the pitcher, Oscar struck out swinging, and Magnus went down swinging after a lengthy battle at the plate. Czechia led 6-0 after one.
Inning 2 – Czechia 6, GB 0
GB's defence settled in the second, with a catch by Oscar followed by two more in center field from Oliver Birkman, the second a much tougher chance well taken.
At the plate, GB struggled to find an answer. Oliver narrowly failed with a bunt attempt before striking out, Stanley O'Leary also went down swinging, and Ethan Hull drove a ball well but was caught at second base. The score remained 6-0 after two.
Inning 3 – Czechia 6, GB 0
Czechia opened the third with a shallow two-base hit, and the next batter lined the ball hard back at Ethan, who took a sharp catch, though with nobody covering second a double play couldn't be completed. The runner advanced to third on a wild pitch before a ground ball to Ethan saw him hold the runner at third and take the out at first. Ethan then closed out the inning in style with a fastball strikeout.
GB's bottom half offered little in response. Theo Dormer led off and struck out swinging hard, Owain followed with a strikeout looking, and Owen fought off several pitches after swinging hard at the first before eventually going down swinging himself. The score stood at 6-0 after three.
Inning 4 – Czechia 12, GB 0
The fourth inning began with another fine catch in center field from Oliver, but Czechia's bats came alive from there. A single through the infield was followed by stolen bases at second and third, the latter coming after a throw from Jack Leslie at catcher went unstopped at short or second. A walk and a stolen base on the first pitch followed, before a ball driven to the fence narrowly evaded a diving Oliver; despite a strong recovery and throw back in, the runner was able to come all the way around to score. A ground ball back to Ethan just missed Magnus at first, allowing another runner to reach third. The next batter doubled over shortstop, and the one after that found the ground in front of Theo at third with no chance of a play. A further hit down the first base line couldn't be held by Magnus, loading the bases at first and third. An outstanding over-the-shoulder catch by Theo accounted for the next batter, before a drive to left field scored a run, though a strong stop by Stanley kept the remaining runners at first and second. A walk then loaded the bases once more, but a ground ball to Magnus at first saw him beat the runner to the bag for the third out.
GB's bottom of the fourth couldn't produce a response. Jack led off batting left-handed but struck out swinging, Oscar went the same way, and Magnus also struck out to bring the game to a close.
Final score: Czechia 12 – GB 0, the game ending after four innings. GB played well defensively throughout but were ultimately undone by the pace of the Czech pitching.
U16 Head Coach Natalie said:
“Day one finally here, two games to play and a squad of 15 players ready to play. With no preconceptions of the challenge ahead we took to the field with pride and determination.
Defensively we were consistent and effective with aggressive and sharp baserunning. Facing the high speed pitching this afternoon was tough but we made connection & put the ball in play, just couldn’t convert that into runs on the board.
Communication has improved tenfold over the past few months, and the lads have really formed a strong bond supporting each other at every stage.
We are really looking forward to tomorrow, and I know every single one of our 15 players will give 110% in both games”.