World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Regensburg
Friday, September 21, 2012
Regensburg, Germany. The German national team beat the Czech Republic 16-1 in their first game at the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Regensburg on Friday evening. Three runs in the first, eight in the fifth and five in the sixth turned the score into a lopsided result. Third baseman Matt Weaver had the big plays on defense and at the plate to lead the German team. Local hero Mike Bolsenbroek pitched 5 1/3 strong innings for the win.
Germany didn’t waste any time to make a statement in front of 3,019 people in attendance at the Armin-Wolf-Arena. After Bolsenbroek pitched around a one-out single in the top of the first, The first three batters of the WBCQ came around to score thanks to Max Kepler’s two-run triple and the following groundout by Donald Lutz. Following three scoreless frames, Germany blew the game wide open with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The rally started with a sac bunt by Matt Vance, which brought Toby Gardenhire over the plate. A fielding error at first base on a groundball by Max Kepler, a RBI single by Aaron Altherr and Kai Gronauer’s bases loaded walk followed to make it 7-1. After a short visit on the mound by Czech manager Andy Berglund, Matt Weaver stepped to the plate and crushed the first pitch over the left field wall on to the street for a grand slam homerun and an 11-1 lead.
The Czech Republic only managed one run in the game. Shortly before the outburst of the German offense, former Regensburg player Jakub Sladek got the lone run in the top of the fifth thanks to botched pickoff by Bolsenbroek and first baseman Donald Lutz. In the end Germany replaced a couple of players in the lineup. But it didn’t stop the scoring. Five more runs crossed the plate in the sixth, as substitutes Jendrick Speer, Ludwig Glaser and Max Boldt scored alongside Kepler and Simon Guehring to end the game due to 15-run mercy rule.
Weaver also had the defensive play of the night in the third inning. The third baseman, who excelled on numerous occasions throughout the course of the game, faked the throw to first on a short groundball by Mike Cervenak, caught Martin Drong sleeping at third base and the covering shortstop Matt Vance tagged him out to end the inning.
Regensburg’s own Bolsenbroek didn’t have much trouble with the Czech bats, allowing just five hits, an unearned run and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six for the win and threw 56 of his 88 pitches for strikes. Martin Dewald got the remaining two outs. Michal Sobotka, who had stopped IBAF Baseball World Champion Netherlands at the European Championship ten days ago, allowed four hits, seven runs (6 ER) and two walks in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss.
Germany is now facing Canada on Saturday evening, trying to get straight to the final on Monday, while the Czech Republic is facing elimination in their duel against Great Britain in the afternoon.
The full game as video and all information about the World Baseball Classic is available at www.worldbaseballclassic.com
Complete Results:
Thursday, September 20:
Canada 11 – Great Britain 1
Friday, September 21:
Germany 16 – Czech Republic 1
Photo by Gregor Eisenhuth
