Apollo Bratislava won Federations Cup qualification
Slovak champion Apollo Bratislava was able to beat Vojvodina in the finals of Federations Cup qualifications and get Slovakia a spot in the tournament for the upcoming year.
Both teams were supposed to play each other in the last group game on Friday. However, the duel was cancelled due to rain. In the end, it wasn’t even necessary as the result wouldn’t change anything and Apollo would either way face Vojvodina in the finals.
The day off seemed to have do the wonders for pitchers on both sides as both of them played excellently in the finals. Venezuelan Anderson Vera, who was part of Miami Marlins organization, and Slovak Adam Zacko both threw a complete game. They were both able to keep their opponents scoreless for nine innings. In the end, Vera striked out 16 batters and threw 166 pitches. Zacko needed 134 pitched for 10 innings.
The game got into the extra innings at 0-0, with two runners on the bases due to extra inning rules. Adam Zacko was more successful in the situation, as he didn’t allow any of the runners to advance. Apollo had the bottom half of the inning and the top of their lineup. In the end, they were able to make use of it. First Vojvodina made an error and Apollo loaded the bases without an out. Alexander Václavík became the hero of the game after his hit ensured the walk off run.
The win means Slovakia earned their spot in 2023 Federations Cup. It was 2018 when the Slovak champions played in this third best European tournament previously.
| 26.6.22 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E | LOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vojvodina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 13 |
| Apollo Bratislava | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
