Day 4
Great Britain finish strong with 9–2 victory over Denmark
Day 3
Great Britain Show
Fighting Spirit Against Lithuania
Lithuania 18–11 Great Britain
Great Britain opened the second round robin stage of the WBSC Europe U18 Men’s European Softball Championship with an 18-11 defeat to Lithuania but once again demonstrated their resilience by battling back throughout a high-scoring contest.
Looking to build on the positives from the opening round despite four narrow defeats, GB made a bright start, taking the lead in the first inning after Luis Arrevillagas walked, advanced aggressively around the bases and crossed the plate on a passed ball. However, Lithuania responded emphatically in the second, capitalising on timely hitting, walks and defensive miscues to score eight runs and seize control of the contest.
Despite the early setback, GB refused to let the game slip away. Arrevillagas sparked the second-inning response with a triple before Josh Walker was hit by a pitch, Freddie Ladd worked a walk and Toby Tredgett reached on a fielder’s choice, allowing two runs to score and reduce the deficit.
Lithuania added three more runs in the third to extend their advantage, but GB’s offence came alive in the fourth inning. William Wall reached on an error before Arrevillagas doubled home the first run. Curtis Pritchard followed with an RBI single, Ladd drove in another with a triple, and Tredgett added an RBI groundout. With runners continuing to pressure the Lithuanian defence, Harrison Woodham walked before Joseph Partridge was hit by a pitch, Alex Hawes-Nunn reached on an error and GB manufactured another run through aggressive baserunning to complete a five-run inning, closing the gap to 11-8.
Any hopes of a dramatic comeback were halted in the top of the fifth as Lithuania produced another explosive offensive inning. Seven runs crossed the plate.
GB showed impressive determination in their final at-bat, refusing to surrender. Luis Arrevillagas opened the inning with a single before Curtis Pritchard reached on a fielder’s choice. Toby Tredgett reached on an error to score one, Eddie Carrillo then blasted a triple to right field to drive in another before crossing the plate himself on an error. Harrison Woodham added a single, but Lithuania eventually recorded the final out to secure an 18-11 victory.
Offensively, GB continued to show the potential that has been evident throughout the tournament. Luis Arrevillagas enjoyed an outstanding performance, collecting multiple extra-base hits while scoring and driving in runs. Freddie Ladd contributed a triple and an RBI, Curtis Pritchard drove in a run with a key single, Eddie Carrillo produced a two-run swing with his fifth-inning triple, and Harrison Woodham reached base several times while causing constant problems on the bases.
Although the result leaves Great Britain searching for their first victory of the championship, the team’s determination never wavered. Scoring 11 runs against a strong Lithuanian side and continuing to compete until the final out provides plenty of encouragement as GB prepare for the remaining games of the second round robin.
Great Britain Earn First Tournament Victory in Thrilling Win Over Israel
Great Britain 11–10 Israel
Great Britain claimed their first victory of the WBSC Europe U18 Men’s European Softball Championship in dramatic fashion, edging Israel 11-10 in a thrilling contest during the second round.
Having shown plenty of promise despite defeats in the opening phase of the tournament, GB finally got the result their performances deserved with a determined comeback and a composed defensive finish.
GB struck first in the opening inning. Luis Arrevillagas reached one on an error before Freddie Ladd worked a walk, and aggressive baserunning combined with Israeli defensive miscues allowed two runs to cross the plate for an early advantage.
Israel responded in the second with a five-run inning, capitalising on walks, passed balls and a throwing error to turn the game around and take a 5-2 lead. They extended that advantage in the third, adding four more runs to move 9-2 ahead and leave GB with a mountain to climb.
The response from Great Britain was immediate. In the bottom of the third, Luis Arrevillagas singled before Freddie Ladd drew another walk. Eddie Carrillo delivered an RBI single to bring home Ladd and begin the fightback.
GB continued to chip away in the fourth. Zac Howells walked before William Wall drove him home with a well-struck double to centre field. Wall later crossed the plate on a passed ball, cutting the deficit to five runs and keeping the momentum firmly with Great Britain.
The comeback gathered further pace in the fifth. Toby Tredgett led off with a double before Carrillo singled him home. Josh Walker followed with a base hit, and another Israeli error allowed Carrillo to score, reducing the deficit to just two runs heading into the final innings.
With the pressure mounting, GB completed a remarkable turnaround in the sixth. Arrevillagas again started the rally with a walk before Tredgett’s RBI single brought home the first run of the inning. Carrillo was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, and a series of passed balls allowed Tredgett, Carrillo and Walker to score, giving Great Britain an 11-10 lead for the first time since the opening inning.
The defence still had work to do. Israel threatened in the top of the sixth by loading the bases, but GB held firm to escape without conceding. Harrison Woodham then closed out the game in the seventh, retiring two of the final three hitters before inducing a fly ball to right field for the final out, sealing a memorable one-run victory.
Several players made significant contributions throughout the contest. Luis Arrevillagas reached base consistently and ignited multiple scoring rallies, while Toby Tredgett collected key hits, including a double and a crucial RBI single during the comeback. Eddie Carrillo produced another excellent offensive display with multiple hits and two RBIs, William Wall drove in an important run with his fourth-inning double, and Zac Howells reached base repeatedly with great plate discipline with 4/4 walks to help keep the pressure on the Israeli defence.
After several competitive performances earlier in the tournament, Great Britain were finally rewarded with a hard-fought victory. Showing resilience to overturn a seven-run deficit and composure to protect a narrow lead late in the game, GB recorded a deserved first win of the championship and carried valuable momentum into the remaining games of the second round.
Coach Alan’s comments:
Today was by far our best day of the week so far. In both games we were the better complete team and but for a lapse late on in the Lithuania we would have had two wins. We showed in that game what we can do when we play at a high intensity for 7 innings. In the Israel game we did that. From 9-2 down the team put in a performance to be proud of. Throughout the tournament we have seen teams not afraid to be behind by larger margins, when teams get their offence going the scoreboard does not worry them, we fully embraced that against Israel, we also knew form the first game we had the ability to beat them. The team throughly deserves all the praise they get. I also want to thank the supporters. They travelled in large numbers and have backed us all week. We have the largest travelling contingent here and and I am so pleased we put that display in for them.
Day 2
Day 2 saw GB take on Denmark in a closely contested game that showcased some excellent defensive play, aggressive baserunning, and a determined fightback.
The game got off to a strong start in the field. Eddie set the tone with the first fly-ball catch in centre field before immediately adding a second fly out. Denmark threatened to score after Harrison came agonisingly close to applying the tag at home for the third out, but the defence recovered brilliantly as Will and Toby combined on a slick 3–1 play to end the inning.
The second inning followed a similar pattern. Freddie produced an excellent catch in deep second-base territory before another close tag at home just escaped GB. Once again, the defence responded superbly, with Luis making a comfortable catch at shortstop before Eddie secured another towering fly ball in centre field.
GB’s offence came alive in the bottom of the second. Toby sparked things into life by reaching first base before putting on a textbook display of baserunning, stealing his way around the bases. Eddie played his part perfectly with a sacrifice that allowed Toby to keep the pressure on the Danish defence.
Back in the field, Freddie decided it was his turn to take centre stage, recording two near-identical defensive plays at second base, calmly fielding the ball before flipping to first to secure the outs.
Alex then treated everyone to a repeat performance of Toby’s baserunning clinic. After stealing his way around the bases, he finished in style with a spectacular belly slide into home to score. Remarkably, despite the dramatic finish, he somehow emerged with the cleanest kit on the field.
Not to be left out, Josh made it three, joining Toby and Alex in the base-stealing masterclass as he also worked his way home with smart, aggressive running.
While the offence kept the pressure on, Harrison was putting together a pitching masterclass, keeping Denmark under control and giving GB every opportunity to stay in the contest.
Trailing 6–4 in the bottom of the fifth, Luis reignited GB’s hopes with a patient at-bat that eventually put him in scoring position. Josh followed with another disciplined plate appearance, moving Luis around the bases before bringing him home to cut the deficit to 6–5.
Ben took over pitching duties late in the game and finished strongly. Tempting the Danish batter to swing for the fences, he induced a routine fly ball that Eddie safely gathered in centre field.
After five tightly fought innings, GB remained right in the contest. Unfortunately, a difficult sixth inning ultimately proved decisive, bringing an end to a hard-fought game. Although the result didn’t go GB’s way, the team showed outstanding defensive teamwork, fearless baserunning, and tremendous resilience throughout the match.
Match Report – Game 4 vs Czechia
Game 4 saw GB face a talented Czech side in some of the team’s first-ever meeting with a Czech national team. Despite the result, the boys continued to grow into the tournament, producing some excellent defensive moments and showing the resilience that has become a hallmark of this squad.
Toby got proceedings underway on the mound, delivering a quality opening pitch that was unfortunately driven into left field to start the game.
Play was then interrupted by a rain and lightning delay, but the break certainly wasn’t wasted. The British supporters gave the rest of Europe a lesson in how to keep spirits high, creating a fantastic atmosphere despite the weather. Meanwhile, from the safety of the dugouts, an intense game of noughts and crosses broke out between the teams—although there were more than a few accusations that the Czechs were bending the rules!
Following the delay, a tactical reshuffle saw Ben take over pitching duties, with Toby moving across to first base and Joe slotting into second.
The defensive highlights soon followed. Zac made an excellent catch in centre field to record the first out before Will calmly gathered the ball and made the straightforward play to third for the second out. Joe then produced one of the defensive plays of the game, reacting brilliantly to snatch a scorching line drive at second base and bring the inning to a close.
Later in the game, Alex moved across to second base and immediately made his presence felt with two smart defensive plays. Showing great awareness in two identical plays, he cleanly fielded the ball before quickly flicking it across to second to secure both outs.
GB saved some of their best defence for the final fielding inning. Freddie produced a superb double play, applying the tag before flipping the ball to second base to complete outs two and three. It was a momentum-shifting piece of fielding that gave GB one final opportunity at the plate.
Leading by example, Freddie then backed up his defensive display with an excellent at-bat to earn his way onto the bases before adding another trademark stolen base, sneaking into second with confidence.
While the result didn’t fall GB’s way, the performance showed just how far the team had come. Facing a Czech national side for the first time was always going to be a tough challenge, but the boys competed brilliantly, learned valuable lessons, and continued to improve with every inning. With the first round of games behind them, the squad now looks ahead to the second round robin, determined to show Europe exactly what Great Britain is capable of.
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.”