U23 EC: Czechs keep hope for 5th place after beating Belgium
Czechs entered the first game of the placement group knowing they only needed one win no to be relegated. And since they were to play Italy on Saturday, the game against Belgium was crucial.
The team started Lukáš Pacal on the mound. He started well, when he kept the opponent scoreless for three innings. His teammates started better in the offense and thanks to Belgium errors and good baserunning of Marek Krajčiřík they took 1-0 lead. They increased it in the third inning with a double steal.
The fourth inning, however, didn’t start well for Czechs, as the first two Belgium batters recorded a hit. Pacal helped himself with two strikeouts and in the end, Belgium only scored one run. Czech team had even better opportunity, when they loaded bases without an out. Unfortunately, they were unable to score from it.
Pacal was pressured in the sixth inning, when Belgium got two runners on bases without an out. Coaches sent Jan Kozel on the mound and he, along with the defense, was able to deal with the situation. The bottom inning saw Jan Pospíšil give Czechs a cushion with another run.
Since Kozel didn’t allow any more runs in the seventh inning, Czechs could celebrate an important 3-1 win. The game against Italy might turn into a direct battle for the 5th spot, but it’s also worth noting Czechs only had 4 hits in the game against Belgium. Both pitchers, however, managed to strike out combined 10 batters.
