By Gabriel Fidler.
Great Britain pulled off a major upset, while Czech Republic showed why it is one of the favorites on Day 1 of the 2025 Women’s European Baseball Championship, hosted in Hluboká, Czech Republic.
Great Britain – France
In the opening game of the day, two-time defending champion France prepared to start the third-ever Women’s Baseball Euros where it had left off in 2022. Ranked No. 15 in the world, Les Bleus were matched up against Great Britain, tabbed at No. 28 in the WBSC Women’s Baseball Rankings.
Team GB got off to a quick start thanks to a trio of French miscues, as leadoff hitter Laura Hirai reached on an error and stole second. After a hit batter and a sacrifice, Saskia Davies poked a ball through the left side to score Hirai. Claury Scatcliffe then walked to load the bases. After an out, Ella Henson drew a walk to force home a run. Davies then scored on a wild pitch.
Oona Ylinen then held France scoreless in the bottom half of the first, permitting only a single to Diane Simon. Needing to keep the pressure on, Artie Herbert started proceedings in the second with a single, stealing second. Darier Malone sent her home with a RBI-single, before Laura Bailes, Davies, and Scatliffe each collected a base knock in succession. By the time the dust had settled, Britain had score five runs to take a commanding 8-0 lead.
Despite the long layoff after the Lions sent nine hitters to the plate, Ylinen induced another scoreless frame, working around a double by Shirley Patin and an infield single by Océane Prunier.
The British added another run in the third, with another run-scoring hit from Davies making the difference. Ylinen then tossed another scoreless frame before her teammates unleashed another onslaught in the fourth. With one out and two on, a grounder from pinch hitter Gabriella Sassoli scored one, while Herbert followed with a RBI-single. After Hirai was hit, Malone crushed a double to deep center, plating the third and fourth runs of the inning.
France struck back in the fourth against a reliever, turning a leadoff walk to Océane Le Court into a run after a stolen base, balk, and sacrifice bunt. GB then added another three in the game’s final inning, with hits from Davies, Scatliffe, and Herbert leading to runs.
In total, Great Britain collected 12 hits, 12 walks and hit batters, and stole 14 bases. Davies was a clean 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and two stolen bases. Herbert had three hits, two runs, two RBI, and three swipes; Malone was 2-for-2 with two walks, three runs, and three RBI; and Scatliffe had two hits, two runs, and two ribbies. Prunier had the only multi-hit game for France.
Ylinen earned the win with three shutout innings, compiling three Ks, three hits, and two walks. Emma McLean and Jess Vernon, who spun a scoreles fifth, finished off the game on the mound.
Netherlands – Czech Republic
The nightcap was similarly one-sided. The hosts jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, thanks to a base-loaded triple by Silvie Hanzalová, which scored Nika Peerová, who had been plunked, Kateřina Marková, who had singled, and Tereze Stejspalová, who had taken a free pass. The two-way Hanzalová then sent down the Dutch 1-2-3, setting up the Czech offense once more.
An error got the Czech baseballers going, with a walk and stolen base setting up Peerová for the RBI-bouncer to second. Stejspalová then laced a ball through the left side to score Peerová, and the Czechs were up 5-0.
After Hanzalová worked around a single in the third, she started her own rally to begin the third, taking a hit by pitch. An error put another runner on, and Miluše Šprdlíková singled home Hanzalová, a second runner coming round on the third error of the inning.
With the score now 7-0, France put two runners in scoring position on a Nathalie Schindeler double and a Kika Wessels single and stolen base, but Hanzalová bore down for a crucial strikeout and the threat was over.
A walk, a single by Tereza Šustrová, and an error led to a single run in the fourth for the home team. The Netherlands finally broke through in the fifth after Ge Tingzhu walked and stole second and third. After a walk, Tingzhu then swiped home for the honkbalsters’ first run. Another free pass and a hit batter loaded the bases, but Izabela Tomši, the third pitcher of the day for the Czechs, quickly got the final out.
Tomši then helped Czech Republic walk off the game, singling through the left side after walks to Šprdlíková and Anna Pavlíková. Marková then played Pavlíková, and Stejspalová lifted a fly ball to left that allowed Tomši to scamper home and seal an 11-1 victory.
Hanzalová earned the win with four shutout frames, striking out an eye-popping nine. She did not walk a batter and allowed only four hits. Four pitchers toed the rubber for the Netherlands. Marková was 2-for-4, while Hanzalová had a hit, scored twice, and drove in three.
Standings
Czech Republic: 1-0
Great Britain: 1-0
France: 0-1
Netherlands: 0-1
Box scores and schedule are available here [link].