The all-European challenge of day four at the XXV IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship between Italy and the Czech Republic was decided early. The Azzurri scored once in the first inning with Gasparini out of a hit by Mercuri (3-for-4, four RBI in the game), followed by a real big eigh-run second inning that led to an early ending in the seventh with a score of 12-1.

With one out, Benetti hit a single to right, Boniardi was walked, then out on fielder’s choice on Trinci’s grounder that pushed Benetti to third; Calasso touched on Dedek who lost the ball and let the first run in. Gasparini singled to pitcher Smidt to load the bases and Pulzetti, hit by pitch, forced in the second run. Mercuri laced a double to center that emptied the bases for a 6-0 score. Garbella copied him and was brought home by a single of Alberto Mineo (3-for-4, with three RBI), and the score went up 8-0.

Gabriele Quattrini continued his performance on the mound, being in complete control of the situation. Also the Italian lineup didn’t do much against Jakub Podzimek until the fifth when, with a single by Boniardi and a double by Mineo, captured the ninth run.

In the sixth arrived the only run for the Czech Republic, against Lorenzo Fabbri, reliever of Quattrini (2 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO). Sazavsky got a basehit to left, Matko was walked and Ondra hit to Fabbri, who threw to second, but there came an error that allowed Sazavsky to cross home plate. In the bottom half of the inning, Italy closed it out with a sequence of hits: Fabbri singled, Mercuri doubled and Garbella singled for the 10-1, then came the two-run double by Mineo, finalizing the score at 12 -1, enough to send the race to the books in the seventh.