May 30 Day 1 – European Cup in Rotterdam

Technika Brno 2, Regensburg Legionaere 9

The Buchbinder Legionaere came off their win in the Buchbinder Cup to take the first game in Rotterdam against Technika Brno 9-2. Regensburg jumped out strong with a 4-run 2nd inning and put it away with 4 more runs in the 4th.

Chris Howard (2-for-4) hit a 2-run home run for Regensburg.  Ludwig Glaser (1-for-4) and Maik Ehmcke (2-for-4) both drove in a pair of runs.

Jakub Toufar took the loss going 4 innings giving up 8 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits and 3 walks. Mike Bolsenbroek picked up the win pitching 6 innings allowing just 1 unearned run on 2 hits while striking out 7.

CB Barcelona 11, Danesi Nettuno 2

Spanish power Barcelona took down Danesi Nettuno in their first match up of the tournament. Barcelona scored in 5 different innings including a 5-run 9th inning. Oscar Angulo led the way offensively going 3-for-5 driving in 3 runs with a double and a triple. Abel Jimenez collected 3 hits in 3 at bats while walking twice. Barcelona pounded out 16 hits.

Massimiliano Masin took the loss pitching 4.1 innings giving up 6 hits and 2 walks while allowing 5 runs (4 earned). Jose Hernandez pitched a gem going 8 innings allowing 10 hits and 4 walks allowing only 2 runs (1 earned).

Rouen Huskies 6, DOOR Neptunus 3

French powerhouse Rouen had upset on the mind heading into their match with DOOR Neptunus, and that’s just what happened. Trailing 1-0 in the 3rd inning, Rouen exploded for 4 runs to take the lead. An inning later they added 2 more runs to take a 5 run lead. DOOR Neptunus battled back scoring a couple runs in the 8th, but Roeun held on in the end.

David Gauthier (1-for-5) drove in 3 runs with a bases clearing double in the 3rd inning to put Rouen on the board. Chris Mezger pitched a great game for Rouen throwing 144 pitches in 7.2 innings. Mezger allowed 3 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits, 4 walks, while striking out 9 along the way to pick up the win.

Kevin van Veen started for Rotterdam only going 2 innings. He only allowed 1 hit but walked 3 allowing 3 runs taking the loss. Dushan Ruzic pitched the last 7 innings.

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May 30 Day 1 – European Cup in San Marino

Draci Brno 4, Paderborn Untouchables 7

The Paderborn Untouchables defeated Draci Brno in the opening game in San Marino. The Untouchables used a 4-run 7th inning to pull out on top 7-2 and held on in the 9th to get the win.

Bjoern Schonlau led the way offensively going 2-for-4 with a big 3-run home run in the 7th inning off of Draci reliever Radim Chroust. Jendrick Speer went 0-for-1 with 3 walks and scored 3 times for Paderborn.

Brian Fields picked up the win going 8 innings allowing only 6 hits but got tired late. Tristan Heilmann came in to finish off the game in the 9th to pick up the save. Petr Minarik took the loss going 6 innings giving up 4 runs on 4 hits and 5 walks.

L&D Amsterdam 3, Unipol Bologna 4 (10)

It took 10 innings and a throwing error by Amsterdam reliever Jurrian Koks for Unipol Bologna to pick up the win. The game was a pitching duel between starters Rob Cordemans of Amsterdam (7.1 innings, 5 hits, 8 strikeouts, 2 earned runs) and Jesus Matos of Bologna (5.2 innings, 5 hits, 6 strikeouts, 2 earned runs).

Unipol Bologna picked up 2 runs in the 8th to tie the game and send it to extra innings. Then scored a run in the 10th to end it.

Sidney de Jong (2-for-5) hit a 2-run homerun for the Pirates in the loss.

T&A San Marino 13, Hoboken Pioneers 2 (8)

Host T&A San Marino made easy work of the Hoboken Pioneers in the nightcap. San Marino pounded Pioneers pitching for 15 hits. Daniel Bittar went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI, and Pablo Leone went 2-for-4 with 4 RBI to pace the offensive attack.

Alessandro Ercolani picked up the win pitching 3 scoreless innings of relief. Jordy Van Den Heuvel took the loss going 6 innings giving up 9 runs (7 earned) on 10 hits and 4 walks.

Image: Ferrini/FIBS

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THE NETHERLANDS – A wide open field of some of Europe’s best baseball teams will battle for bragging rights when the 2012 European Cup at Rotterdam begins on Wednesday at Family Stadium. The Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) tournament will take place from May 30 to June 3.

The top two squads will earn a ticket to this year’s European Champions Cup Final Four slated next month at an undetermined site.

PRE-TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS:

1. DOOR Neptunus (Netherlands)
2. Danesi Nettuno (Italy)
3. CB Barcelona (Spain)
4. Buchbinder Legionaere (Germany)
5. Rouen Huskies (France)
6. Technika Brno (Czech Republic)

The tourney favorites, Dutch heavyweight DOOR Neptunus (18-6) and last year’s Italian Series runner-up Danesi Nettuno (17-10), will look to fend off a quartet of reigning national champions.

Defending Spanish champion Barcelona (19-2) will join the French title-holder Rouen Huskies (16-2), German powerhouse Buchbinder Legionaere (13-3), and last year’s Czech champion Technika Brno (15-7) as spoilers looking to buck the odds and reach the Final Four event.

2012 EUROPEAN CUP SCHEDULE/RESULTS:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30
Technika Brno vs Buchbinder Legionaere
C.B. Barcelona vs Danesi Nettuno
Rouen Huskies vs DOOR Neptunus

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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ITALY – A pair of Italian Baseball League heavyweights along with the reigning Dutch champion will butt heads at the 2012 European Cup at San Marino. The Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) tournament will take place from May 30 to June 3.

The top two teams will earn a ticket to this year’s European Champions Cup Final Four slated next month at an undetermined site.

Current IBL front-runner Unipol Bologna (20-7) and 2011 Italian Series champion T&A San Marino (18-9) will join Dutch League leader L&D Amsterdam as the tourney favorites.

PRE-TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS:

1. T&A San Marino (Italy)
2. L&D Amsterdam (Netherlands)
3. Unipol Bologna (Italy)
4. Paderborn Untouchables (Germany)
5. AVG Draci Brno (Czech Republic)
6. Hoboken Pioneers (Belgium)

Other teams participating at this year’s competition includes the German club Paderborn Untouchables (15-3), Czech powerhouse AVG Draci Brno (15-7), and the two-time defending Belgian champion Hoboken Pioneers (11-3).

2012 EUROPEAN CUP SCHEDULE/RESULTS:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30
Draci Brno vs Paderborn Untouchables
L&D Amsterdam vs Fortitudo Bologna
T&A San Marino vs Hoboken Pioneers

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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The Pecos League kicked off its second season earlier this month. The league consists of six teams playing in New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado.

So far the league has proven to be fairly evenly matched with 5 of the 6 teams at or over .500. The one exception so far has been newcomer Santa Fe Fuego who sit at the bottom with a 3-11 record.

The defending champion Roswell Invaders are sitting in second place at 8-6 trailing the league leading Las Cruces Vaqueros (9-4).

Positions three through five have the Alpine Cowboys sitting at 6-5, with the White Sands Pupfish, led by last season’s manager of the year Chris Paterson, at 8-8. In fifth place is the Trinidad Triggers, the lone Colorado team, sitting at .500 with a  7-7 record.

The hottest team in the league has to be the White Sands Pupfish. The Pupfish started the season 1-8. They were not losing close games either. In their first 9 games, the Pupfish offense averaged over 7 runs a game (67 total runs). However, the pitching staff gave up a total of 99 runs including 26 in one game to the Las Cruces Vaqueros.

It’s hard to win giving up 11 runs a game.

The have definitely turned the page. In their current 7 game winning streak, they have given up only 47 runs. Now that’s still not ideal for a team to give up almost 7 runs a game. However, if your offense is putting up almost 14 runs a game it’s easier to live with. The offense in the winning streak has put up game totals of 11, 13, 21, 18, and 16 in consecutive games. That’s an incredible total no matter what league you are in.

As the homepage of the league says, “ The league’s high power offenses are fueled by high altitudes and smaller ballparks.” I guess they mean it.

So far there have been some incredible offensive numbers put up.

Trevor Whyte (Las Cruces) leads the league in home runs (tied with 1 other at 5), batting average (.578), RBI (25), and is second in hits (26) and doubles (6). All of this coming in only 13 games.

Jordan Stouffer (White Sands) is having a quite the start as well hitting .453 (2nd), with 4 home runs (2nd), 20 RBI (2nd), and stealing 6 bases (3rd).

This would definitely be a fun league to watch, so if you are near a team head on over and check out the offensive explosion that is happening in the Pecos League.

For more information check out PecosLeague.com

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GERMANY – The Regensburg Legionaere disposed of the Bonn Capitals 7-2 Monday to win the 2012 Buchbinder Cup invitational baseball tournament at the Armin-Wolf Arena at Regensburg.

Regensburg (3-0) tagged Bonn starter Bronson Olson for a run in the opening frame to grab a quick lead. The score remained unchanged until the sixth when the visiting Capitals took a surprising 2-1 lead.

Bonn slugger Daniel Lamb-Hunt knotted the score at 1-all before Texas native Jonathan Marshall motored home on a wild pitch to silence a partisan crowd of 900-plus mostly Legionaere supporters.

Skipper Martin Helmig’s talented squad answered back in grand fashion an inning later. Ludwig Glaser and Chris Howard delivered back-breaking hits off Bonn reliever Yannis Theissen to spark a six-run frame and clinch the tournament title for the host team for the second straight year.

2012 BUCHBINDER CUP STANDINGS/RESULTS:

1st – Regensburg Legionaere (Germany)
2nd – Bonn Capitals (Germany)
3rd – Kotlarka Prague (Czech Republic)
4th – Stuttgart Reds (Germany)

SATURDAY, MAY 26
Kotlarka Prague 5 – Stuttgart Reds 3
Buchbinder Legionaere 11 – Bonn Capitals 3

SUNDAY, MAY 27
Bonn Capitals 11 – Stuttgart Reds 4
Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg 11 – Kotlarka Prague 0

MONDAY, MAY 28
Bonn Capitals 5 – Kotlarka Prague 4
Buchbinder Legionaere 7 – Bonn Capitals 2

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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AUSTRIA – The German Baseball League club Bad Homburg Hornets defeated the GEI Attnang-Puchheim Athletics 6-2 Monday to win the Finkstonball XV international baseball tournament.

The Hornets, currently residing in seventh-place in the South Division with a 1-13 record, went undefeated in four tourney outings with wins over the Belfast Northstars (3-0), Hluboka Cardinals (5-3), Janossomorja Rascals (13-2) and Attnang-Puchheim.

Bad Homburg slugger Jeremy Jenkins, who won the Home Run Derby, was also named the tournament MVP. Other awards were given to Ty Eriksen (Best Batter) and David Statsny (Best Pitcher).

2012 FINKSTONBALL TOURNAMENT RESULTS:

SATURDAY, MAY 26TH:
Attnang Athletics 8 – Erbach Grashoppers 0
Janossomorja Rascals 4 – Tempo Titans 3
Domazlice Wolfs 2 – BK Vindija 1
Bad Homburg Hornets 3 – Belfast Northstars 0
Attnang Athletics 1 – Athletic Sofia 0
Sissach Frogs 4 – Tempo Titans 3
Bad Homburg Hornets 5 – Hluboka Cardinals 3
Athletic Sofia 8 – Erbach Grashoppers 0
Janossomorja Rascals 3 – Sissach Frogs 1
Swiss National Team 14 – Domazlice Wolfs 7

SUNDAY, MAY 27TH:
Swiss National Team 9 – BK Vindija 3
Hluboka Cardinals 8 – Belfast Northstars 0
Sissach Frogs 13 – Domazlice Wolfs 0
Hluboka Cardinals 19 – Domazlice Wolfs 1
Bad Homburg Hornets 13 – Janossomorja Rascals 2
Attnang Athletics 4 – Swiss National Team 2
Athletic Sofia 8 – Sissach Frogs 2
Tempo Titans 23 – Erbach Grashoppers 2
Belfast Northstars 10 – BK Vindija 9
Tempo Titans 5 – Belfast Northstars 4
BK Vindija 18 – Erbach Grashoppers 7

MONDAY, MAY 28TH:
Athletic Sofia 4 – Hluboka Cardinals 0
Swiss National Team 6 – Janossomorja Rascals 5
Bad Homburg Hornets 6 – Attnang Athletics 2

RECENT FINKSTONBALL CHAMPIONS:

2007 – Weert Indians (Netherlands)
2008 – Dinamo Bukarest (Romania)
2009 – Bad Homburg Hornets (Germany)
2010 – Attnang Athletics (Austria)
2011 – Swiss National Team (Switzerland)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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GERMANY – The Paderborn Untouchables captured a pair of North Division wins over the Cologne Cardinals in the only matchup slated last weekend in the German Baseball League.

Paderborn (15-3) overcame a sluggish start to pound Cologne 14-4 in the first game. Daniel Hinz smacked two home runs and drove in four runs as the Untouchables erased a 4-1 deficit en route to the win. Matt Martin also went deep and tallied three RBIs for the reigning division champion.

Reliever Daniel Rahn worked 5 2/3 scoreless frames allowing just one hit and striking out six to earn the decision.

The Untouchables completed its second twinbill sweep against the Cardinals in seven days with an 8-0 victory in the second contest. Brain Fields (7-1) and Rene Franke combined on a three-hitter with five walks and 14 strikeouts.

Hinz remained hot at the plate with a 3-for-5 effort that included a double, triple and four RBIs.

2012 GERMAN NORTH DIVISION:

1.Paderborn Untouchables (15-3)
2.Solingen Alligators (14-4)
3.Bonn Capitals (12-6)
4.Dortmund Wanderers (8-8)
5.Hamburg Stealers (7-8)
6.Dohren Wild Farmers (6-12)
7.Cologne Cardinals (5-12)
8.Berlin Sluggers (2-16)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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“Tiger! Tiger! Burning bright/ In the forests of the night”… _ William Blake

Ciego de Avila managed to hold Industriales while having the home-field advantage and conquered the Baseball National Title for the first time in the history of Cuban baseball. A walk-off double by weak-hitting Ricardo Bordon with a runner on second base in the eleventh inning was the last play of the season.

Yander Guevara pitched 10 1/3 innings in which he allowed three runs, seven hits and struck out six batters. It was a pitching  duel between himself and Industriales’ Antonio Armando Romero (8 innings, three runs, seven hits, five punch outs), but none of them had a decision in the game. It was the responsibility of relievers Lazaro Santana and Julio Reisan Montesinos how the game ended.

Yoelvis Fiss had driven in the first three Ciego de Avila’s runs with two doubles and Yoandry Urgelles had a two-run homer in the second, which ended the dinger-drought of Industriales in the final playoff.

It seemed that Industriales would take the series back to Havana, when they tied the game in the seventh, and Rusney Castillo lined out with the bases loaded and the winning run on third base in the ninth inning. However, Yorbis Borroto was walked leading off the eleventh, moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Lisdey Diaz, and Bordon hit a line drive to right field that opened the gates for Ciego de Avila’s first national title in history.

The crowd engulfed the team in mass euphoria: it was the end of a long road, which started when now skipper Roger Machado was the star catcher of the team. Ciego de Avila is a province that lives by its ball team, and which supports them at all costs.

For the first time, they win it all, and they do it big time: beating one of Cuba’s most (if not THE most) traditional teams. After having a slow regular season, in which they reached their playoff berth in the last game, they managed one of the most spectacular come-from-behind victories over Las Tunas and won the last three games while being against the wall. Granma fell, victims of the Tigers for the second consecutive year in semifinals, and they got two important victories over Industriales in the first two games played in Havana’s Estadio Latinoamericano.

It would have been unfair for veterans like Mario Vega, Yorelvis Charles, Isaac Martinez and Lisdey Diaz to retire without savoring the glory of a title, mainly because they are part of the generation that brought this team to the playoffs for the first time. It is the prize for a group of ballplayers who have staged the most steady level of play for the past eight seasons, and the only team that has been in the semifinals in the last four years.

The new king of the jungle is a tiger that chews pineapple and roared in the opponent’s lair, but that managed to bring the joy to its
people while playing at home.

Stadium Jose Ramon Cepero
Score                             R  H E LOB
IND  020 000 100 00  3  7 1  4
CAV  102 000 000 01  4  8 1 10
WP: Lazaro Santana
LP: Julio R. Montesionos
HR: Yoandry Urgelles
One out when winning run scored

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FRANCE – Rouen reliever Maxime Lefevre walked Pierrick Lemestre in the 10th to force in the go-ahead run, and the Savigny Lions upset the Huskies 12-11 Sunday in the French Baseball League.

Savigny (7-8), which lost the front end of the twinbill 7-1, fell behind by four runs before plating scores in each of the final six frames to salvage an improbable split with the seven-time reigning league title-holder.

Trailing 11-6 with just three outs remaining, the Lions used a five-run ninth aided by both a run-scoring wild pitch and a run-scoring passed ball.

Christopher Morel went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and reliever Enrique Trinidad (1-0) collected the final three outs to get the win.

Paris University Club knocked off the Pessac Panthers twice. Frederic Mouchet (1-0) scattered a run and six hits with five strikeouts in a complete game effort to lead PUC to a 12-1 win in the first contest.

PUC (13-5) finished off the sweep with a 3-0 win in the second encounter behind a three-hit shutout by James Murrey (7-1) that included 11 strikeouts.

The Beaucaire Chevaliers and Toulousain Baseball split a doubleheader. The Chevaliers (3-14) took the first game, 6-3, as Alexandre Ingram (1-5) struck out eight in a complete game win.

Toulouse (7-11) rebounded to claim a 5-4 win in the twinbill finale. Jossue Mendoza singled home the eventual game-winning score in the top of the ninth with two outs.

2012 FRENCH LEAGUE:

Rouen Huskies (16-2)
Senart Templiers (14-4)
Paris University Club (13-5)
Savigny Lions (7-8)
Toulousain Baseball (7-11)
Montpellier Barracudas (5-13)
Pessac Panthers (4-12)
Beaucaire Chevaliers (3-14)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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SPAIN – The brooms were out in full force this past weekend in the Spanish Baseball League as all five matchups ended in sweeps.

League front-runner and reigning champion Barcelona picked up a pair of blowout wins over the Vigo Falcons. Oscar Jimenez (1-0) tossed a seven-inning no-hitter and Jesus Golindano drove in three runs in a 11-1 victory in the first game.

Barcelona (19-2) blanked winless Vigo (0-22) in their second matchup, 12-0. Jonathan Garcia (3-1) fanned eighth over five one-hit frames to claim the win.

The Valencia Astros trounced El Llano 17-0 in the first part of a doubleheader as four different players swatted home runs. Pedro Belmonte (9-3) threw 6 2/3 scoreless relief frames and the Astros (18-4) completed the sweep with a 6-3 victory in the second contest.

Victor Velazquez delivered a walk-off double to help the Tenerife Marlins edge San Inazio, 7-6, in the back end of a twinbill. The Marlins (16-6) took the first game, 7-1, as Leslie Nacar (6-3) went the distance with 12 strikeouts.

Sant Boi outscored Pamplona 20-3 to capture a pair of victories. Rafael Llames connected for two doubles and Lionel Hernandez (2-1) worked five one-run frames in a 10-2 win in the opening contest. Sant Boi (12-10) coasted to a 10-1 victory in the second game as Ruben Fente (7-3) earned the decision.

In the final matchup on last weekend’s slate, Viladecans turned back Baseball Navarra twice, 9-1 and 13-3.

2012 SPANISH BASEBALL LEAGUE:

Barcelona (19-2)
Valencia Astros (18-4)
Tenerife Marlins (16-6)
Sant Boi (12-10)
Viladecans (12-10)
Baseball Navarra (9-12)
San Inazio Bilbao (9-13)
Pamplona (9-13)
El Llano (5-17)
Vigo Falcons (0-22)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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THE NETHERLANDS – American Ben Grover tossed a complete game five-hit shutout and the L&D Amsterdam Pirates used one big inning to turn back UVV 8-0 Saturday in a Dutch Baseball League rubber match at Vleuten.

Grover (5-0) struck out eight and hit one batter in another sterling outing to lower his ERA to an eye-catching 0.66.

Amsterdam (20-5-1) broke open a scoreless contest in the eighth with an eight-run frame. Sidney de Jong highlighted the marathon inning with a two-run triple.

The two squads battled to a 2-2 draw in Thursday’s series opener before UVV (13-10-1) knocked off the reigning Holland Series champion 4-2 a day later. Orlando Yntema (4-4) worked seven innings of two-run ball and Stijn vanden Meer raised his batting average to .340 (34-for-100) with three hits and an RBI.

DOOR Neptunus (18-6) allowed just a lone score en route to a three-game sweep over last-place Sparta/Feyenoord. Rafael Jozefa drove in six scores with a pair of three-baggers in a 12-0 win in the first meeting, and Diegomar Markwell (7-0) and three relievers combined on a five-hit shutout to take the second contest, 9-0.

The European baseball heavyweight cruised to a 13-1 triumph in the series finale. Former Cubs prospect Dwayne Kemp reached base five times and drove in four scores.

The Vaessen Pioniers (14-8-1) notched two wins against a struggling Corendon Kinheim (15-9) squad that is 1-5 in its last six games. Kevin Miner (4-1) scattered a run and four hits over six solid innings to help the Pioniers claim a 5-3 victory in the rubber match.

The ADO Lakers (6-18) took two out of three games against Mr. Cocker HCAW (6-16-1). Thomas Macy (2-4) fanned eight over five frames and Anthony Hooi homered and drove in three runs in a 6-3 win in the series finale.

2012 DUTCH BASEBALL LEAGUE:

1. L&D Amsterdam Pirates (20-5-1)
2. DOOR Neptunus (18-6)
3. Corendon Kinheim (15-9)
4. Vaessen Pioniers (14-8-1)
5. UVV (13-10-1)
6. Mr. Cocker HCAW (6-16-1)
7. ADO Lakers (6-18)
8. Sparta/Feyenoord (1-21)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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ITALY – Anderson Machado capped a pivotal five-run ninth with a bases clearing double and Cariparma Parma beat Novara United 11-10 Saturday to complete a three-game sweep in the Italian Baseball League.

Parma (14-13) raced out to an early 4-0 lead off Novara starter Pedro Orta. Leonardo Zileri and Alex Sambucci delivered RBI hits in the opening frame, and catcher Osman Marval added a two-run single an inning later.

Cellar-dwelling Novara (3-24) chased Parma starter Andrea Pizziconi in the fourth before tallying six singles in a five-run sixth to grab a 9-6 advantage.

Marval went 4-for-5 with four RBIs to pace a 15-hit attack, while Machado drove in three scores.

Reliever Yomel Rivera (2-0) worked two frames of one-run ball to earn the win.

Unipol Bologna stopped Danesi Nettuno 3-1 in the rubber match of a low-scoring three-game set. Japanese slugger Takahiko Sato and Alessandro Vaglio broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth with run-scoring base hits.

League-leading Bologna (20-7) holds a two-game lead over both Telemarket Rimini and T&A San Marino, while Nettuno is three games back with a 17-10 record.

Rimini (18-10) regrouped from a series-opening 7-3 loss Friday evening to the Godo Knights (10-17) with a twinbill sweep the next day. Riccardo Suardi’s grand slam in the second stretched the Pirates lead to 9-0 and Luis Maza, who stole home during a five-run opening frame, capped the scoring in the third with a two-run double.

San Marino (18-9) avoided an embarrassing sweep to seventh-place Grosseto (8-18) with a lopsided 13-3 win in the series finale.

Lorenzo Avagnina, Marco Yepez and Carlos Duran all went deep for the reigning Italian Series champion.

2012 ITALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE:

1. Unipol Bologna (20-7)
2. Telemarket Rimini (18-9)
3. T&A San Marino (18-9)
3. Danesi Nettuno (17-10)
5. Cariparma Parma (14-13)
6. Godo Knights (10-17)
7. Grosseto Baseball (8-18)
8. Novara United (3-24)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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Press Release Collegiate Baseball Newspaper

LOUISIANA ST. NO. 1 IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWSPAPER POLL

TUCSON, Ariz. — Louisiana St. (43-16) has been ranked No. 1 in the latest Collegiate Baseball newspaper NCAA Division I baseball poll.

In one of the craziest weeks in poll history, none of the top six teams from last week escaped with a winning record as each team posted at least two losses.

Oregon, previously ranked No. 1 after winning 14 of its previous 15 games, was swept in a 3-game series at Oregon St. and slipped to 10th this week. The Ducks finished third in the Pac-12 Conference with a 19-11 record after entering last week at the top of the league with a one game lead.

LSU moved up to No. 1 despite posting a 1-2 record in the Southeastern Conference tournament. The Tigers won the regular season SEC title with a 19-11 record.

Poll Notes: Several teams have been red-hot. Kent St. has won 17 in a row, New Mexico nine straight while Oregon St. has captured seven of its last eight. Four teams fell out of the top 30 this week in Texas (0-2 last week), Louisville (1-2), Texas Christian (1-2) and Utah Valley (4-0).

New to the poll this week is New Mexico (captured the Mountain West Tournament with a 4-0 record), Vanderbilt (one of the hottest teams in the nation with nine wins in its last 10 games), St. John’s (won the Big East Tournament with four straight wins) and Georgia Tech. (36-24, won ACC Tournament as the eighth seed).

Three teams barely missed being ranked in Utah Valley (47-12, won 40 of last 41 games), Stony Brook (46-11, won 22 of its last 23), and Pepperdine (34-21, won West Coast Conference title after beating San Diego two of three at home).

The Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.

(Top 30 Agate Follows)

“LOUISVILLE SLUGGER‘S“ NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

1B/LHP Jake Davies, Georgia Tech.: Davies had a monster 4-game stretch at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament as he went 7-for-16 with 4 homers, one double, 7 runs scored, 11 RBI (2 shy of the ACC Tournament record), 1.250 slugging percentage and walked four times. In addition to his offensive numbers, he also pitched a career-long six innings as he allowed two hits and one run during a 5-1 win over Clemson that clinched a spot in the ACC Tournament championship game.

RHP Taylor Sewitt, Manhattan: Sewitt pitched 22 scoreless innings over three straight days at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament to guide the Jaspers to the league title. He struck out 20 batters, allowed 10 hits and won three games as he threw 296 total pitches. He began with a nine inning complete game, 1-0 victory over Fairfield on Friday with 12 strikeouts. The next day, he came out of the bullpen and held Canisius scoreless in the final two innings of a 5-4, 10-inning walk-off win. Then on Sunday, he pitched 11 scoreless innings to lead Manhattan to a 3-2 win.

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The L&D Amsterdam Pirates finished off an impressive three-game sweep over Corendon Kinheim to remain the top squad in this week’s 2012 European Baseball Power Rankings.

The reigning Holland Series champion, sporting a 19-5-1 card, held previous No. 2 Kinheim to a meager six scores in three outings to stay atop the Dutch Major League.

2011 Spanish champion C.B. Barcelona (17-2) moved up one spot to second and is followed by seven-time French champion Rouen (15-1). The No. 3 Huskies are fresh off winning the 2012 Challenge de France tournament.

The Italian Baseball League front-runner Unipol Bologna (19-7) is ranked fourth, while No. 5 Regensburg (13-3), sixth-ranked DOOR Neptunus (17-6), T&A San Marino (19-7), Kinheim (14-8), Telemarket Rimini (16-9) and the Vaessen Pioniers round out the 10 best teams on the old continent.

Below are this week’s picks for the top baseball teams in Europe.

2012 EUROPEAN BASEBALL POWER RANKINGS:

1. L&D Amsterdam Pirates, Netherlands (19-5-1;Last Week-1)
2. C.B. Barcelona,Spain (17-2;Last Week-3)
3. Rouen Huskies, France (15-1;Last Week-5)
4. Unipol Bologna, Italy (19-7;Last Week-4)
5. Regensburg Legionaere, Germany (13-3;Last Week-7)
6. DOOR Neptunus, Netherlands (17-6;Last Week-8)
7. T&A San Marino, Italy (19-7;Last Week-9)
8. Corendon Kinheim, Netherlands (14-8;Last Week-2)
9. Telemarket Rimini, Italy (16-9;Last Week-6)
10.Vaessen Pioniers, Netherlands (13-7-1;Last Week-12)
11.Heidenheim Heidekoepfe, Germany (11-3;Last Week-11)
12.Valencia Astros, Spain (16-4;Last Week-14)
13.Paderborn Untouchables, Germany (13-3;Last Week-15)
14.Danesi Nettuno, Italy (17-9;Last Week-19)
15.Stockholm, Sweden (7-1;Last Week-17)
16.Bern Cardinals, Switzerland (8-0;Last Week-16)
17.Tenerife Marlins PC, Spain (14-6;Last Week-10)
18.Solingen Alligators, Germany (14-4;Last Week-13)
19.Technika Brno, Czech Republic (14-6;Last Week-23)
20.Hoboken Pioneers, Belgium (10-3;Last Week-22)
21.Senart Templiers, France (12-4;Last Week-20)
22.AVG Draci Brno, Czech Republic (14-6;Last Week-21)
23.Paris University Club, France (11-5;Last Week-18)
24.Herts Falcons, Great Britain (8-2;Last Week-UR)
25.Attnang-Puchheim A’s, Austria (9-3;Last Week-UR)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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Tenerife Marlins staff ace Leslie Nacar continued his recent dominance last weekend against Sant Boi with a complete game six-hit gem that featured 12 strikeouts. The right-hander currently leads the Spanish Baseball League with 90 strikeouts in just 63 2/3 innings.

The 28-year-old Venezuelan hurler, who has punched out 44 batters in his last three starting assignments, fell behind early against Sant Boi. However, Nacar limited the 2010 Spanish champion to just four hits over the final eight scoreless frames to improve to 6-0 in 2012.

A former prospect in the San Francisco Giants farm system, Nacar posted a 2-5 record with a 2.41 ERA over 74 2/3 minor league frames at the Rookie League level.

HURLERS HONOR ROLL:

Lukas Croton, Therwil Flyers (Switzerland)
Posted six scoreless innings with three hits and a trio of K’s in roat over Wil.

Tiago Da Silva, T&A San Marino (Italy)
Went the distance in 2-1 win over Novara with three hits and eight K’s.

Orlando Yntema, UVV (Netherlands)
Went five shutout frames with two hits and two K’s in win over Sparta/Feyenoord.

Martin Amparo, Bonn Capitals (Germany)
Threw seven shutout frames with five hits and four K’s in win over Dohren.

Tim Jones, Embrach Mustangs (Switzerland)
Texan tossed seven shutout frames with two hits and 13 K’s in rout over Zurich.

Juan Figueroa, Danesi Nettuno (Italy)
Scattered three hits and five K’s over seven scoreless frames in win over Rimini.

Trevor Caughey, Valencia Astros (Spain)
Scattered one run and seven hits with 10 K’s in a complete game win over Viladecans.

Rodney Rodriguez, T&A San Marino (Italy)
Allowed one run and four hits over six innings with 13 K’s in win over Novara.

Jose Romero, San Inazio (Spain)
Struck out six and issued just three hits and no walks over six frames of one-run ball.

Charlie Olson, Bonn Capitals (Germany)
Pitched complete game two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts in 1-0 win against Dohren.

Riccardo Hernandez, Danesi Nettuno (Italy)
Allowed a run and three hits with six K’s in seven frames in win over Rimini.

Jose Hernandez, Barcelona (Spain)
Worked seven frames of one-run ball with five hits and 11 K’s in win over Navarra.

Duko Jansen, UVV (Netherlands)
Worked seven scoreless innings with just two hits in win over Sparta/Feyenoord.

Darwin Cubilan, T&A San Marino (Italy)
Fanned six and issued just one hit in three relief innings to get win over Novara.

Enorbel Marquez, Telemarket Rimini (Italy)
Threw six shutout frames with three hits and two walks in 4-0 win over Nettuno.

SLUGGERS HONOR ROLL:

Wesley Connor, L&D Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Went 4-for-5 with home run, four RBIs and three runs scored in win over Kinheim.

Alexis Fumero, Pamplona (Spain)
Went 3-for-4 with a walk, triple and six RBIs in a win over Vigo.

Magnus Pilegard, Stockholm (Sweden)
Went 1-for-2 with triple, four walks, RBI, three steals and four runs scored.

Harry Wischnewski, Embrach Mustangs (Switzerland)
Reached base six times, scored five runs and stole four bases in win over Zurich.

Asier Izaguirre, San Inazio (Spain)
Turned in a 4-for-5 effort with a triple and four RBIs in win against El Llano.

Reto Siegel, Therwil Flyers (Switzerland)
Went 4-for-6 with a homer, three RBIs and four runs scored in win over Wil.

Casey Auerbach, Embrach Mustangs (Switzerland)
Canadian was 5-for-5 with triple, two doubles and seven RBIs in victory over Zurich.

Timor Kombarov, Alby Stars (Sweden)
Collected four hits, one walk, two RBIs and one run scored in loss to Stockholm.

Send stats of Top Pitchers/Hitters every Monday or Tuesday to: hurlersnsluggers@gmail.com

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Press Release

OREGON NO. 1 IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWSPAPER POLL

TUCSON, Ariz. — Oregon (41-14) has been ranked No. 1 for the second straight week in the latest Collegiate Baseball newspaper NCAA Division I baseball poll.

The Ducks, winners of eight straight and 14 of their last 15 games, sit on top of the Pac-12 Conference with a 19-8 record. Last week, Oregon beat Southern California one game and then swept a 3-game series against Seattle. The 41 wins is the most in school history.

Poll Notes: In key top 30 games over the past week, Mississippi St. swept a 3-game series against Kentucky. The Wildcats have now lost four straight and slipped from second last week to 13th this week. Louisiana St. took two of three at South Carolina, Florida St. won two of three at home against N.C. State, Baylor won two of three against Texas, Rice took two of three against Central Florida and Texas A&M swept a 3-game series against Oklahoma St. Several teams have been hot. North Carolina has won 13 in a row as has Kent St. Stanford has captured seven straight along with Texas A&M while UCLA has won seven of its last eight. Three teams fell out of the top 30 this week in Oklahoma St. (0-4 last week), St. John’s (1-2) and Mississippi (0-4). New to the poll is Mississippi St., Miami (Fla.), and Kent St.

The Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.

(Top 30 Agate Follows)

“LOUISVILLE SLUGGER‘S“ NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

RHP Tyler Duffey, Rice: Duffey struck out 13 of the 17 batters he faced in three relief appearances last week. He threw a combined 5 1/3 innings and did not allow a run or a hit. Duffey fanned three batters in 1 2/3 innings against Sam Houston St. Then he turned in a pair of brilliant performances at Central Florida. In his first outing against UCF in game two of the series, he stuck out all five batters he faced. The next day, he struck out the side in the eighth and fanned the first batter in the ninth to give him nine straight strikeouts over a 2-game span.

RF/DH Ryan Mathews, N.C. State: Mathews hit four home runs over four games and went 6-for-14 at the plate with 5 runs scored and 9 RBI. He also upped his hitting streak to 21 games as he had at least one hit in each of the four games.

RHP Mark Appel, Stanford: Appel fired a 9-inning complete game against Utah with 13 strikeouts and one walk during a 6-0 win. He allowed four hits and retired 12 straight batters at one point.

Templiers Senart with new Ballpark, which meets international standards

Another new international baseball stadium was inaugurated in Europe on Wednesday. After new ballparks were built in Brest (Belarus), Mainz (Germany), Sundbyberg (Sweden) and Parma (Italy) in recent years, a new field was inaugurated in Senart (France) a couple of kilometers south of Paris, raising the prospects for more elite level baseball events in France and Europe.

Construction of the field began last July and was completed just in time for the start of the 2012 baseball season.

“This facility just outside Paris will add some very interesting hosting possibilities and development projects for European Baseball,” said International Baseball Federation president, Riccardo Fraccari, via telephone from Havana, Cuba.

“We are very encouraged by the momentum of baseball in France and Europe in general, as more and more countries are competing on baseball’s world stage and facilities like this will help continue elevating the skill level and standards of players in Europe.” Fraccari continued.

The new baseball stadium, which fulfills all international standards, features a state of the art clubhouse with a bar, a synthetic playing surface, a modern lightning system, bullpens and covered batting cages. There are also plans to incorporate a regional training center in the area to further strengthen the development of baseball in France and Europe on the whole.

“Our hats  go off to our colleagues at the French Baseball and Softball Federation for this world-class venue and their commitment to the development of the game in their country and beyond,” Fraccari noted.

Didier Seminet and Jean-Christophe Tiné of the French Baseball and Softball Federation attended the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday among numerous local dignitaries. With this new venue, France is expected to host European and International tournaments in Senart in the future.

Courtesy IBAF.org

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AUSTRIA – The GEI Attnang-Puchheim Athletics swept past the Schwaz Tigers on Saturday to take over sole possession of first place in the Austrian Baseball League.

Attnang-Puchheim (9-3) captured a 12-4 win in the opening game as Jon Kashuba, Martin Rabengruber and Dave Burns all homered for the host squad. Rabengruber and Burns continued the power display in the second match as the A’s finished off the twinbill sweep with a high-scoring 16-11 victory.

The Vienna-Neustadt Diving Ducks (6-4) stunned the Stock City Cubs (7-3) twice to move into third place, while the Dornbirn Indians (5-5) and Union Kufstein Vikings (2-8) split a doubleheader.

The lone matchup on Sunday featured a pair of nailbiters between the Vienna Metrostars (5-5) and the Vienna Wanderers (4-6). The Metrostars claimed a 6-5 win in the first encounter before the Wanderers salvaged a split with a 7-5 decision in the second game.

SATURDAY, MAY 19:
Union Kufstein Vikings 12,1 – Dornbirn Indians 7,2
GEI Attnang-Puchheim Athletics 12,16 – Schwaz Tigers 4,11
Vienna-Neustadt Diving Ducks 4,5 – Stock City Cubs 2,1

SUNDAY, MAY 20:
Vienna Metrostars 6,5 – Vienna Wanderers 5,7

2012 AUSTRIAN LEAGUE:

1.GEI Attnang-Puchheim Athletics (9-3)
2.Stock City Cubs (7-3)
3.Vienna-Neustadt Diving Ducks (6-4)
4.Dornbirn Indians (5-5)
4.Vienna Metrostars (5-5)
6.Vienna Wanderers (4-6)
7.Schwaz Tigers (2-6)
8.Union Kufstein Vikings (2-8)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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BELGIUM – The Hoboken Pioneers regained the top spot in the Belgian Baseball League with a two-game sweep against the Brasschaat Braves this past weekend.

The two-time reigning league champion captured a hard-fought 7-5 win on Saturday before completing the sweep the following day with a 14-4 victory.

The Deurne Spartans (3-8) knocked the Namur Angels out of first place with a 1-0 victory on Sunday. The Angels (8-4) bagged a 6-3 win a day earlier.

The Borgerhout Squirrels (7-5) and the Royal Greys (7-6) split a pair of 2-1 decisions, while the Mortsel Stars (5-6) and Antwerp Eagles (2-10) also split a pair of one-run games.

SATURDAY, MAY 19:
Hoboken Pioneers 7 – Brasschaat Braves 5
Borgerhout Squirrels 2 – Royal Greys 1
Namur Angels 6 – Deurne Spartans 3
Mortsel Stars 10 – Antwerp Eagles 9

SUNDAY, MAY 20:
Hoboken Pioneers 14 – Brasschaat Braves 4
Royal Greys 2 – Borgerhout Squirrels 1
Deurne Spartans 1 – Namur Angels 0
Antwerp Eagles 4 – Mortsel Stars 3

2012 BELGIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE:

1.Hoboken Pioneers (9-3)
2.Namur Angels (8-4)
3.Borgerhout Squirrels (7-5)
4.Royal Greys (7-6)
5.Brasschaat Braves (6-6)
6.Mortsel Stars (5-6)
7.Deurne Spartans (3-8)
8.Antwerp Eagles (2-10)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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CZECH REPUBLIC – Technika Brno moved into sole possession of the top spot in the Czech Baseball League with a pair of victories against cellar-dwelling Olympia Blansko. With the wins, Technika improved to 13-5 on the season.

The reigning league champion rolled to a 21-4 blowout win in the first part of a doubleheader, and then foiled the upset-minded winless Olympia squad with a 12-11 triumph in the second contest.

Second-place Draci Brno (12-6) and third-place Arrows Ostrava (11-7) split two games. The Arrows knocked off the 16-time Czech champion 9-7 in the first encounter before falling in the second matchup, 12-9.

Eagles Prague (9-7) and Hrosi Brno (9-7) also split a twinbill, while Kotlarka Prague (8-10) earned two wins over Skokani Olomouc (6-10).

SATURDAY, MAY 19:
Technika Brno 21,12 – Olympia Blansko 4,11
Arrows Ostrava 9,9 – Draci Brno 7,12
Eagles Prague 4,0 – Hrosi Brno – 3,7
Kotlarka Prague 7,5 – Skokani Olomouc 1,3

2012 CZECH LEAGUE:

1.Technika Brno (13-5)
2.Draci Brno (12-6)
3.Arrows Ostrava (11-7)
4.Eagles Prague (9-7)
4.Hrosi Brno (9-7)
6.Kotlarka Prague (8-10)
7.Skokani Olomouc (6-10)
8.Olympia Blansko (0-16)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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SWITZERLAND – The Therwil Flyers used a pair of seven-run frames to roll past the Wil Devils 18-3 Saturday in the front end of a Swiss Baseball League doubleheader. The Flyers finished off the sweep with a 16-0 victory in the second game.

The visitors sent 11 batters to the plate in the second and capitalized on four Wil errors to grab an early 7-0 lead in the twinbill opener. First baseman Takanobu Oshima highlighted the big inning with a three-run double.

The second-place Flyers put together another seven-run outburst in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Seppi Zwyer and Adrian Kaufmann both smacked three-run homers to seal the lopsided win.

Stefan Koller (2-0) scattered three runs and four hits with a walk and five strikeouts over six frames to earn the decision.

Therwil (4-1) pounded out 19 hits to rout the Devils in the second game. Oshima and Reto Siegel both homered and tallied four hits apiece for the defending regular season champion.

Lukas Croton (1-1) worked six shutout frames allowing just three hits to pick up the win. Kaufmann tallied the final three outs to notch his second save of the young season.

The Bern Cardinals (8-0) remained perfect with two victories over the last-place Luzern Eagles. The reigning Swiss title-holder cruised to an 18-1 win in the first encounter before foiling an upset bid with a 10-8 triumph in the second game.

The third-place Embrach Mustangs collected a pair of runaway wins against the offensive-challenged Zurich Lions. Roger Savoldelli (4-1) went the distance in a 17-4 victory to open the twinbill before Tim Jones (3-1) tossed a seven-inning two-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in a 12-0 win.

SATURDAY, MAY 19:
Bern Cardinals 18,10 – Luzern Eagles 1,8
Therwil Flyers 18,16 – Wil Devils 3,0

SUNDAY, MAY 20:
Embrach Mustangs 17,12 – Zurich Lions 4,0

2012 SWISS LEAGUE:

1.Bern Cardinals (8-0)
2.Therwil Flyers (4-1)
3.Embrach Mustangs (6-2)
4.Zurich Barracudas (3-2)
5.Wil Devils (2-4)
5.Zurich Challengers (2-4)
7.Luzern Eagles (1-7)
7.Zurich Lions (1-7)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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GERMANY – The Regensburg Legionaere picked up a pair of blowout wins over the Bad Homburg Hornets on Sunday to move back into the top spot in the South Division of the German Baseball League.

Czech slugger Petr Cech homered and drove in four scores to lead Regensburg to a 16-4 victory in the first game. Phillip Hoffschild (2-1) allowed a hit and struck out four in 2 2/3 scoreless relief frames to earn the win.

The reigning German champion completed the sweep with a 15-2 triumph in the second encounter. Matt Vance, Ludwig Glaser and Evan Le Blanc paced a 16-hit attack with three knocks apiece. Justin Kuehn (4-1) fanned seven and issued just two hits in five shutout innings.

Richard Olson (3-2) struck out 12 in a complete game effort and the Stuttgart Reds salavaged a two-game split against the Mainz Athletics with a 3-1 win last Saturday. The A’s used a four-run outburst in the seventh to win Friday’s series opener, 13-9.

Jan-Niclas Stoecklin (3-1) threw a seven-inning no-hitter and the Mannheim Tornados blanked the Haar Disciples, 15-0. Luke Matthews went 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs.

The Disciples earned the split with a 5-4 victory in the twinbill finale. Nick Renault (4-1) went the distance with 10 strikeouts to get the decision.

2012 GERMAN SOUTH DIVISION:

1.Regensburg Legionaere (13-3)
2.Heidenheim Heidekoepfe (11-3)
3.Haar Disciples (9-7)
3.Mainz Athletics (9-7)
5.Mannheim Tornados (6-6)
6.Stuttgart Reds (3-13)
7.Bad Homburg Hornets (1-13)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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GERMANY – American Antonio Peraza turned in another strong outing and the HSV Stealers knocked the Solingen Alligators out of first place with a 4-3 win Saturday in the North Division of the German Baseball League.

The 22-year-old left-hander, who fanned nine in an upset win over Paderborn in his European debut a week ago, struck out 12 in a complete game effort. Peraza (2-0) overcame an early two-run hit by Dominik Wulf to limit Solingen to just one score over the final eight frames.

Michael Fliedner went 2-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs for a rejuvenated Hamburg squad.

Solingen crushed the Stealers 17-3 in the first game. Travis Bass collected four RBIs and Florian Goetze went deep as the Alligators used an eight-run ninth to clinch the blowout win.

Eugen Heilmann (5-1) and Daniel Rahn combined on a two-hit shutout and the Paderborn Untouchables beat the Cologne Cardinals 5-0 in the first part of a twinbill. The U’s finished off the sweep with a 4-1 victory in the second matchup to take over the top spot in the division.

The Dortmund Wanderers bagged two lopsided wins over the last-place Berlin Sluggers. Trevor Howell went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs to lead Dortmund to a 21-6 in the first meeting. Joey Parigi (2-4) scattered a lone run and three hits over seven frames with nine strikeouts to help the Wanderers complete the sweep with a 11-1 victory in the second game.

The Bonn Capitals got back on the winning track with a pair of shutout wins against the Dohren Wild Farmers. Martin Amparo (2-1) and Tim Henkenjohann limited Dohren to just seven hits in a 5-0 win in the opening game before Charlie Olson (7-1) pitched a two-hit gem in a 1-0 win in the twinbill finale.

2012 GERMAN NORTH DIVISION:

1.Paderborn Untouchables (13-3)
2.Solingen Alligators (14-4)
3.Bonn Capitals (12-6)
4.Dortmund Wanderers (8-8)
5.Hamburg Stealers (7-8)
6.Cologne Cardinals (5-10)
7.Dohren Wild Farmers (6-12)
8.Berlin Sluggers (2-16)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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