Host Stuttgart, Germany rolled to victory over the defending European Zone Champion Paris University Club in the tournament’s first game 20-0. The Reds broke open the game in the top of the first inning, when they scored eight runs. They would later do the same in the top of the fourth. The top-three hitters in the Reds’ order, Fabian Beck, Fridolin Fink and Moritz van Bergen all recorded multi-hit, mutli-RBI games, as both Fink and van Bergen knocked two doubles each on the day. Stuttgart split the pitching duties between four players, who worked five innings, led by Yannick Witt, who got the win.
The staff pitched a shutout on just two hits with seven walks, while striking out six. For Paris, Phillip Bird collected the team’s two hits. The French will look to get off to a better start in the tournament tomorrow against the Poland National Team at 11:30 a.m. Meanwhile, the Germans will battle the Belgium National Team tomorrow evening at 5:30 p.m. local time Stuttgart.