Israel qualifies for Baseball European Championship

Israel needed only two games to sweep Lithuania and earn a spot in the Baseball European Championship 2019. Israel moved one step closer to the Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifier. The top five finishers of the European Championship will advance to the tournament to be played in Bologna and Parma, Italy, in September.

Israel outscored Lithuania, 12-2, in the first match of the three-game series.
Lithuania scored first, thanks to three hits against starter Joey Wagman, a 28-year old Independent League pitcher in the USA, in the top of the first.
Israel took the lead in the top of the third on a two-run homer by left fielder Robb Paller, a Columbia University alumn, off Lithuania’s starter Eimantas Zickus.
The Israeli National Team didn’t need to look back. The line up combined for 15 hits, including 5 more home runs: by Paller, second baseman Mitch Glasser, center fielder Blake Gaillen, first baseman Simon Rosenbaum, right fielder Jeremy Wolf.

In the second game starter Gabe Cramer, a hard-throwing righthander who plays at the A+ level for the MLB Kansas City Royals, gave no chance to Lithuania. He allowed only one hit in 5 innings of work.
Israel wasted no time in getting to opposing starter Marius Balandis, thriving on six hits and one error in a six-run first inning.
Rosenbaum, designated hitter Jake Rosenberg and Wolf hit home runs and Israel went on to win 15-0 in 5 innings.

The Baseball European Championship is scheduled from 7 to 15 September in Bonn and Solingen, Germany.

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