An eight-run bottom of the second inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Tomoya Kakita, ignited the host Stuttgart Reds’ offense to 12 runs in the final game of the Palomino European Zone Championships, as they won 12-5 over the Swiss National Team. The victory gave the Reds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Swiss for the tournament’s third place. The loss gave Paris University Club the title, because of its head-to-head victory over the London Mets Sunday.
The Swiss got off to a hot start in the game’s first inning, scoring runs on a Sven Ambhl ground out, a Luka Ivanisevic RBI single and a Jonah Schaller RBI double (3-0). The bottom of the second is when Stuttgart really took control of the game’s momentum.
A Yannic Witt single and Konrad Klein reaching on an error set up runners in scoring position for Fabio Arnold, who doubled to centerfield, scoring Witt. The Swiss decided to intentionally walk Jonas van Bergen, before Frido Fink reached on another Swiss error to make it 3-2.
With two outs, the Swiss walked in Arnold (3-3) and then Amando Dossow smacked a single up the middle that scored both van Bergen and Fink (5-3). On a 2-0, Kakita received his pitch and drove it over the left field wall for a three-run home run that inspired the Stuttgart crowd (8-3).
The Reds added to their lead in the bottom of the third, when three walks loaded the bases, van Bergen scored from third on a wild pitch and Dossow hit a two-RBI triple. After three complete Stuttgart took a commanding 11-3 lead.
The Swiss got a run back in top of the fourth, when Stuttgart walked a run in, but Arnold scored on a wild pitch for Stuttgart in the bottom of the fourth to make it 12-4. In the top of the fifth, Livio Bundi led off the inning by reaching on an error that allowed him to advance to second. Schaller later reached on another error, allowing Bundi to score from second to make it 12-5, the game’s final score.
Vincent Weber and Fink combined to pitch well for Stuttgart, going five innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on five hits and five walks, while striking out four. At the plate, Stuttgart’s five, six and seven-hitters led the squad. Dossow went 2-for-4 with a team-high four RBI. Kakita had the three-run home run and Witt finished 2-for-3.
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