Electricity was in the air during Championship day four at the SUMA PONY European Zone Championships in Prague, Czech Republic. With two teams in the Championship Games in the Pony 14U and Colt 16U baseball division, first-year PONY affiliate Holland looked to make its mark against a former PONY European Zone Champion and an underdog who advanced to the title matchup thanks to heroics on day three. In the Colt 16U girls softball division, three undefeated teams had their eyes on the ultimate prize of winning their first PONY European Zone Championship in the tournament’s five-year history.

Pony 14U:

Recap:

Following two highly competitive games in which Kaunas (LTU) and Holandsko B (NED) completed their respective tournament runs with wins and third and fifth-place finishes, the Pony 14U Championship Game featured the undefeated Czech Academy (CZE) against undefeated Holandsko A (NED). Behind starting pitcher Gio de-Graauw who pitched three solid innings of two-hit ball without allowing a run, Holandsko A built an 11-run lead, which included a five-run second inning. Guy van-Son replaced de-Graauw in the bottom of the fourth. Despite allowing two Czech runners to reach base, van-Son got Kralik Ondrej to ground out to third base, which clinched the Holandsko A 11-0 victory. As Pony 14U European Zone Champions, Holandsko A receives the PONY European Zone’s automatic bid to the Pony World Series this August in Washington, Pennsylvania. Despite the loss in the Championship Game, the Czech Academy proved it had sensational offensive firepower, led by Petr Vojta, who went 12-for-16 with two doubles, six home runs, 13 runs scored, 23 RBI, four walks and four stolen bases. His teammate Filip Ondrej was named the tournament’s Best Hitter, as he finished with a tournament-high 0.875 batting average. For his efforts on the mound in the Championship Game, Holandsko A’s Gio de-Grauuw was named the tournament’s Best Pitcher. Holandsko A’s Raydley Legito was named the tournament’s MVP, after he finished the tournament 9-for-12 at the plate with a double, triple, nine runs scored, seven clutch RBI and six stolen bases.

Scores: 

8 a.m. Holandsko B (NED) 3 Polsko A (POL) 2
8 a.m. Austrian Academy (AUT) 8 Draci Brno (CZE) 6
10 a.m. Polsko B (POL) 18 Ukraine (UKR) 17
12 p.m. Holandsko C (NED) 7 Moskvich (RUS) 5
12 p.m. London Mets (GBR) 12 Brest Zubrs (BLR) 10
2 p.m. Kaunas (LTU) 4 Prague (CZE) 1
2 p.m. Draci Brno (CZE) 16 Polsko A (POL) 4
4 p.m. Holandsko B (NED) 11 Austrian Academy (AUT) 7
4 p.m. (Championship Game) Holandsko A (NED) 11 Czech Academy (CZE) 0 

Tournament award winners:

Best Hitter: Filip Ondrej (Czech Academy, CZE) 7-for-8, 0.875 BA, 2B, HR, 11 runs scored, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 5 SB
Best Pitcher: Gio de-Graauw (Holandsko A, NED) 2 W, 3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0 hits allowed, 7 K
MVP: Raydley Legito (Holandsko A, NED) 9-for-12, 0.750 BA, 2B, 3B, 9 runs scored, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 6 SB

Final standings:

1. Holandsko A (NED)
2. Czech Academy (CZE)
3. Kaunas (LTU)
4. Prague (CZE)
5. Holandsko B (NED)
6. Austrian Academy (AUT)
7. Draci Brno (CZE)
8. Polsko A (POL)
9. Holandsko C (NED)
10. Moskvich (RUS)
11. London Mets (GBR)
12. Brest Zubrs (BLR)
13. Polsko B (POL)
14. Ukraine (UKR)


Colt 16U:

Recap:

To begin Championship day four action, fans witnessed three competitive early games, as Brest Zubrs (LTU), the London Mets (GBR) and Holandsko B (NED) capped off their respective tournaments with close wins. But all eyes were on the Championship matchup, as undefeated Holandsko A was pitted against the Bordeaux Academy (FRA), who advanced to the title game after knocking off then-undefeated Austrian Academy (AUT) and Holandsko C (NED) on day three. The game was scoreless heading into the bottom of the third inning, before Thomas Kwakernaak led off the inning with a single that would eventually lead to a six-run inning for the Dutch that included a Ruendrick Piternella two-run home run. After allowing one run in the top of the fourth to the French, Holandsko A recorded five runs in the bottom of the inning. Shuruengelo Mingeli’s RBI single clinched the final score of 11-1. As Colt European Zone Champions, Holandsko A advances to the Colt World Series this August in Lafayette, Indiana, as the representatives from PONY’s European Zone. The Czech Academy’s Martin Zelenka was named the tournament’s Best Hitter after recording the best batting average (0.833) among the qualifying hitters. Scott Prins of Holandsko A (NED) was named the tournament’s Best Pitcher. In four innings pitched, Prins won a game and recorded a 0.00 ERA, while not allowing a hit, striking out six and hitting two batters. Holandsko A’s Denzel Bryson was named the tournament MVP. Bryson went 9-for-12 at the plate. In five games, he recorded three doubles, a triple, eight runs scored, seven RBI and a walk. He also caught a runner stealing in the field.

Scores:

9 a.m. Swiss NT (CHE) 11 Prague (CZE) 4
11 a.m. Serbia (SRB) 16 Alligators (SRB) 0
11 a.m. Brest Zubrs (BLR) 5 El Llano (ESP) 4
1 p.m. London Mets (GBR) 9 Belgium Academy (BEL) 8
1 p.m. Czech Academy (CZE) 11 Holandsko C (NED) 0
3 p.m. Holandsko B (NED) 10 Austrian Academy (AUT) 7
3 p.m. (Championship Game) Holandsko A (NED) 11 Bordeaux Academy (FRA) 1

Tournament award winners:

Best Hitter: Martin Zelenka (Czech Academy, CZE) 10-for-12, 0.833 BA, 4 2B, 3B, 7 runs scored, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 7 SB
Best Pitcher: Scott Prins (Holandsko A, NED) W, 4 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0 hits allowed, 6 K, 2 HB
Tournament MVP: Denzel Bryson (Holandsko A, NED) 9-for-12, 0.750 BA, 3 2B, 3B, 8 runs scored, 7 RBI, BB

Final standings:

1. Holandsko A (NED)
2. Bordeaux Academy (FRA)
3. Czech Academy (CZE)
4. Holandsko C (NED)
5. Holandsko B (NED)
6. Austrian Academy (AUT)
7. London Mets (GBR)
8. Belgium Academy (BEL)
9. Brest Zubrs (BLR)
10. El Llano (ESP)
11. Serbia (SRB)
12. Alligators (SRB)
13. Swiss NT (CHE)
14. Prague (CZE)
15. GUFK Minsk (BLR)


Colt 16 U girls softball:

Recap:

Heading into Championship day three play in the Colt 16U girls softball division, three undefeated teams had their eyes of advancing to the afternoon’s Championship Game. Third-place finishers from a year ago, the Czech Red cats secured one of those two positions in the title matchup after securing a 10-3 win over SK HSM (CZK). Unfortunately for another high finisher from 2016, undefeated Ukraine (UKR) fell 4-3 to Calita (RUS), which advanced the Russians to the Championship Game. The Red cats continued to play dominantly and won 10-0. Finishing as the tournament as the PONY European Zone Champions, the Red cats will receive a bid to the PONY East Zone Girls Softball World Series in Sterling, Virginia this July. Natalie Tvrnikova (Eagles White, CZE) won the tournament’s Best Hitter award, Anna Zoulova (Red cats, CZE) won the tournament’s Best Pitcher award and Eliska Slaninova (SK HSM, CZE) was named the tournament’s MVP.

Scores: 

8 a.m. Polsko (POL) 9 Serbia (SRB) 4
8 a.m. London Mets (GBR) 18 Joudrs STK (CZE) 3
8 a.m. Eagles Green (CZE) 7 Flames (LTU) 0
10 a.m. Slovensko (SVK) 9 Eagles White (CZE) 6
10 a.m. Arrows Ostrava (CZE) 12 Joudrs STK (CZE) 3
10 a.m. Sabat Praha (CZK) 4 Storms (CZK) 2
12 p.m. Calita (RUS) 4 Ukraine (UKR) 3
12 p.m. Red cats (CZE) 10 SK HSM (CZK) 3
12 p.m. Serbia (SRB) 8 Joudrs MLK (CZE) 7
2 p.m. Arrows Ostrava (CZE) 8 Slovensko (SVK) 1
2 p.m. Eagles White (CZE) 11 Joudrs STK (CZE) 1
2 p.m. London Mets (GBR) 7 Polsko (POL) 0
4 p.m. SK HSM (CZK) 9 Ukraine (UKR) 0
4 p.m. (Championship Game) Red cats (CZE) 10 Calita (RUS) 0

Tournament award winners:

Best Hitter: Natalie Tvrnikova (Eagles White, CZE)
Best Pitcher: Anna Zoulova (Red cats, CZE)
MVP: Eliska Slaninova (SK HSM, CZE)

Final standings:

1. Red cats (CZE)
2. Calita (RUS)
3. SK HSM (CZE)
4. Ukraine (UKR)
5. Arrows Ostrava (CZE)
6. Slovensko (SVK)
7. Eagles White (CZE)
8. Joudrs STK (CZE)
9. Sabat Praha (CZE)
10. Storms (CZE)
11. Eagles Green (CZE)
12. Flames (LTU)
13. London Mets (GBR)
14. Polsko (POL)
15. Serbia (SRB)
16. Joudrs MLK (CZE)

Photos courtesy of PONY European Zone Director Jan Bagin: