Day One
Game 1
GB U18 Men's Fastpitch open European Championship campaign with narrow defeat to Israel
Great Britain's U18 Men's squad opened their European Championship campaign against Israel, ultimately falling just short in a closely contested game that finished 7-6.
Early innings – GB take the lead
GB made an encouraging start with the bat. Luis got the innings underway with a lead-off single and was brought home by Toby to put GB on the board first. Harrison took the mound and made an immediate impression, striking out the second batter he faced. He was bowled over by an Israeli runner at one point during the game but returned to the circle (and now knows to stay there!) and he continued to pitch with composure.
Inning 3
Joe produced the standout hit of the game in the third, driving the ball deep into right field to score Harrison and keep GB in touch. Toby then followed with a well-placed bunt that turned into a three-base hit, extending the innings and making the score 3-1 in GB's favour.
Middle innings – Israel move ahead
Israel worked their way back into the game and moved into a 7-3 lead before GB began to close the gap. Alex found himself in a rundown before eventually crossing home plate to make it 7-4. Joe added another run shortly after to bring it to 7-5, and Toby then drew a patient walk that allowed Luis to score and reduce the deficit to a single run at 7-6.
Late innings
Ben was brought on to pitch and settled in quickly, striking out the second batter he faced and completing a tidy spell on the mound. GB were unable to find the equalising run in the final innings, and the game ended 7-6 to Israel.
Game 2
GB U18 Men's Fastpitch fall to Lithuania in challenging conditions
Great Britain's second game of the day saw them take on Lithuania in temperatures reaching 37°C, eventually going down 14-4 in a game where Lithuania's powerful hitting proved the decisive factor.
Inning 1
GB opened brightly at the plate, with Luis and Josh both drawing walks to put immediate pressure on the Lithuanian defence. Eddie then caused confusion on the bases with alert baserunning, producing a double RBI before being retired on the force play at first. GB showed good patience throughout the inning, earning a number of tactical walks.
In the field, GB were equally sharp. Fin made the first out with a clean pickup from the ground and accurate throw to first, Luis followed with a smooth fielding play and throw for the second out, and Fin completed a scoreless inning for GB with a well-taken play at third base.
Inning 2
The strong defensive work continued into the second. Curtis collected a routine ground ball for the out at first, and Gigi added a well-taken catch in right field to keep Lithuania off the board.
Inning 3
Zac had a productive inning in left field, taking two catches to halt Lithuania's attack and keep the deficit manageable. Ben was pitching through the heat of the afternoon before Harrison was reintroduced from the bench to relieve him. Harrison found his rhythm immediately, striking out the first batter he faced.
Inning 5
Lithuania's fifth inning proved decisive. They put together a big innings, repeatedly driving hard-hit balls that extended beyond the reach of GB's outfielders. The lead moved well out of reach from that point, and the game ended 14-4.
Despite the scoreline, GB produced a number of solid defensive plays throughout the contest and showed discipline at the plate across the game.
U18 Head Coach Alan Le Marquand said, “We had a day of two halves. The way we played against Israel was so good. I was so pleased and proud of the team. We started so strong and while we had a challenging middle inning we pushed a very good team right to the end. It could have gone either way, but today this one went against us. The second halve of the day was a challenge, not only in the heat, but the delay to our game dues to the prior game going the full 7-innigs. While we started strong, the conditions and exertions of our first game finally told. Everyone in the team was frustrated over the result as we knew we can play better and the desire is not there to show what we can really do in the return game. Our week is not over by any means, and we will learn the lessons from today quickly as we look to take on the 0-2 Danes and then the hosts tomorrow evening.”