The Italian squad celebrates its gold medal at the U-18 Baseball European Championship. GETTY IMAGES

Italy defeated Germany 3-1 in the final match of the U-18 European Baseball Championship, while the Netherlands secured the bronze medal by beating Great Britain.

Seriousness was the main factor that defined the transalpine team in this competition. From the beginning, they maintained their pace and advantage, finishing the group stage unbeaten, with outstanding pitching performances from prospects Taschin and Gergolet.

Germany, on the other hand, also had a tough but notable journey to the final and tried to get back into the game. They reacted in the seventh inning, attempting a comeback, but fell short of surprising the Italians.



This is how the third run for the Azzurri came about, with promising hitter Sabatini scoring in the fifth inning. He hit a double, stole third base, and scored on a single to right field by De Cristan.

Germany ignited the local crowd in the seventh inning. It was their last chance, and Stockhaus, one of the German stars, hit a single, forcing the champions to change pitchers.

Starter Taschin was replaced by Gergolet, who rose to the occasion: he struck out the first two German batters, then faced Siegert-Bomhrd. With two outs, Richards finally hit a double, driving in Germany's first run scored by Stockhaus.

In this gathering of future stars, Giacomo Taschin was named the tournament MVP, securing the title for Italy, while Paul Hoff took the loss for Germany despite having a great tournament both individually and collectively.



In the battle for the bronze medal, the Netherlands overcame one of the favorites, Great Britain, with a hard-fought 5-3 victory. The matchup saw both teams competing for a podium spot after losing their respective semifinals to Germany and Italy, the two strongest teams in the U-18 category.

The Dutch scoring began in the second inning when Patist scored on a sacrifice fly by Mercado Reyes and Louisa scored on a single by Franka. Shortly after, with much at stake, Louis Dean and William John Kraemer drove in runs for the British team, tying the game.

In the top of the fifth inning, Jack Warrington of Great Britain, 1-1 on the day with 2 RBIs and a walk, hit a single to left field, driving in Louis Dean and William John Kraemer, tying the game for Great Britain.

After a period of great equality, Mercado Reyes, a name to remember in European baseball, secured the win for the Netherlands.