Cover photo by Renata Jansen
The fourth day of the Women's Softball European Championship 2024 began with Spain securing a dominant 7-0 victory over Austria, followed by the Netherlands' strong 8-3 win against France in the game stopped by rain last night.
Israel delivered a solid 2-0 shutout over Ukraine, while Germany edged out Austria in a tight 1-0 game in the first extra inning to secure their first win in the tournament.
Finland displayed their offensive power with a historic 12-6 victory over Hungary, and Great Britain topped Belgium 9-1. Croatia continued their winning ways with a 9-2 victory over Malta, and Switzerland defeated Slovakia 9-1.
In the evening games, Sweden overcame Poland with a 7-3 win, and Spain continued their winning streak with a 3-1 victory against France.
Czechia blanked Austria 7-0, while Denmark edged out Finland in a close 8-7 game st the eighth inning.
Ukraine narrowly defeated Greece 7-6 in a thrilling matchup.
In the game between Ukraine and Greece, Ukraine took a strong lead in the second inning by scoring five runs. Greece responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning. Ukraine added another run in the third inning to extend their lead, while Greece managed to score two more runs in the fifth inning, tying the game. Ukraine secured their victory with a final run in the seventh inning, bringing the game to a close with a 7-6 win over Greece.
In the game between Malta and Bulgaria, Malta scored two runs in the third and fourth innings. Bulgaria was unable to score, resulting in a 2-0 win for Malta, the first of the tournament.
Italy demonstrated their dominance with a commanding 16-0 victory over Belgium. The game featured an impressive display of power hitting, with Italy's Filler contributing two home runs, while Dayton and Barbara each added one of their own.
The Netherlands closed out the day with a decisive 7-0 victory over Germany, solidifying their position as the top team in Group X.
After four days of competition, the top six teams of the Women's Softball European Championship 2024 have been determined. The teams advancing to the Super Round are Italy, Netherlands, Czechia, Great Britain, Spain, and Greece.
The teams in Group E—Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Israel, and Ukraine—will now compete for the 7th to 12th place in the Women's Softball European Championship 2024.
Sweden, Poland, Switzerland, and Slovakia will compete for the 13th to 16th places. Denmark, Croatia, Bulgaria, Finland, Malta, and Hungary will compete for the 17th to 22nd places.
Games of the Women's Softball European Championship 2024 can be watched live on softballeurope.tv. The tournament pass is available at €29.99, while a single game is €7.99. Live play-by-play is available through the WBSC Europe website.
