GB U15 bats come alive with 15-Hit barrage to reach Euro final after 15-6 win over Lithuania
GB Advanced to the European Qualifying Championship Game with a convincing 15-6 win over the host team, Lithuania.
The bats came alive as GB managed 15 hits over the game, and despite the 9-run victory the game was close and tense for parts of the first 5 innings.
Both teams came in with something to play for, as each could have qualified for the final with a win, with a third team also in contention.
GB’s path was the easiest, they just needed to win. Lithuania needed a 17-run victory to advance.
The Israeli team showed up with trumpets, horns, and chanting, hoping to rattle the GB team since a Lithuania win would have most likely put Israel into the final.
A key factor in 3 of the 4 GB wins this week has been a big first inning and the team came out strongly in the bottom-of-the-first inning.
Euan Gulliver led off with a single to right, and after Jacob Henry walked, Charlie Battista drilled a triple to left center to make it 2-0. Evan Ust followed with a Sacrifice Fly to deep center, scoring Charlie to make it 3-0 after 1 inning.
Big hitting was the key for GB and it helped break open a game that was tight at times, just 3-2 after innings, and 8-5 going into the bottom-of-the-fifth inning.
A big 6-run 5th inning there gave GB – and its fan base – a bit of breathing room as 10 batters came to the plate.
Several players had multi-hit games as the team amassed 15 hits with 4 players having multi-hit games.
Nathan Bartlett led the hit parade with a huge day at the plate, going 4-for-4. Evan Ust went 3-for-3 with his sac fly and 4 RBIs.
Charlie Battista went 2-for-3 with a sac fly and 4 RBIs as well, and with the team’s biggest hits of the day, a triple and double in his first two at-bats, both to left center.
Euan Gulliver went 2-for-3 and got on base five times with a walk, hit-by-pitch, and an error after singling in his first two times up.
Griffin Franklin went 2-for-4 with an RBI out of the 9th spot in the batting order, showing the depth of the lineup today. 7 of the team’s 15 hits came from the 7, 8, and 9 spots in the batting order.
Euan Gulliver got the start for GB, going 4 innings and scattering just 4 hits. Harry Craig came in with a 8-3 lead in the fifth inning and went the distance with 3 innings of relief, retiring the last 5 batters he faced.
Defensive play of the game was a running catch in centerfield by Jacob Henry in the third inning with a Lithuania batter in scoring position.
GB got out of the inning without a run scored, with Jacob’s catch being the difference maker there.
GB has a rematch against Ukraine in Saturday’s final at 12 noon local time (10am UK time) Both teams enter the game with 4-1 records.
GB lost a close game against Ukraine in their opener 11-8 but feels strong going into the game.
There’s a lot at stake as the winner gets promoted to the main European u15 pool in 2025.
The game can be followed on the WBSC Europe site
All photos courtesy of WBSC Europe
