ME: Czechs beat Israel and finished in the fifth place
After an unsuccessful quarterfinals, Czech team wanted to at least reach the fifth place at the European Championship they hosted. They got the chance when they faced Israel.
However, Czechs didn’t start well, and the first batter reached the base after an error throw from Jakub Hajtmar. Tomáš Ondra also had a bit of difficulties from the beginning and Israel loaded the bases with one out. Fortunately, they only scored one run after a hit by Zev Moore.
But Czechs took the lead in the following half inning. Coaches shuffled the lineup before the game and it turned out to be a good move as the new leadoff Willie Escala got base on balls. He then showed a rather aggressive base running with Eric Sogard on the mound, which led to an error from Israel and Escala reached the home base to tie the game. Vojtěch Menšík then batted in Sogard for the second run.
Eric Sogard was once again the man to bat in the runs in the following inning, when he increased Czech lead to 3-1. Furthermore, Israel changed their pitcher, when Shlo Lipetz came in for Spinoza. He, too, saw why Sogard played in MLB as Czech batted in a run against him.
The team then gave a reason for celebration to their fans in the seventh inning, when Vojtěch Menšík and Arnošt Dubový hit back-yo-back triples and increased Czech lead to 5-1.
Tomáš Ondra pitched well as he only allowed 1 run in five innings and striked out 7 batters. Jan Tomek (3 IP) and Jake Rabinowitz (1 IP) then finished the game without allowing any run scored.
„We got an early lead and we didn’t let go for the rest of the game. We stayed focused till end and it showed. We were more relaxed then in the previous games. I think this is one of the things we should take to the upcoming tournaments. It is what we used to do, in Tokyo and in the qualification. Stay relaxed and play great baseball,“ said pitcher Jan Tomek after the game.
„The team with better pitching and offense won. I’m satisfied. We played a good game. It doesn’t matter whether you finish the fifth or the sixth, but of course we wanted to win. But Czechs deserved it. They went after their goal. We disappointed a bit in the offense, so that’s what it was about,“ Richard Kania, Israel manager, summed up the game.
But we also got to see a goodbye after the game. A long-term national team core player Jakub Hajtmar, who played for the country in all three of the tournaments Czechs hosted, said goodbye to his international career.
After winning 5-1 Czechs finished 5th in the tournament they hosted. This is the same place they finished with two years ago in Italy.
