Pitcher Michal Holobrádek, chosen by coach Jaroslav Korčák, led the way for the victory, recording 10 strikeouts and allowing only eight hits on opponents. In the Czech team, however, George Harris and Tomáš Klein hit home runs.
“We emphasized to the players that this is a tournament where there is no time for regrets, that you need to pull yourself together and put your heart into it today. And that’s what we did. I’m very proud of the team, how they managed to come back “, coach Korčák said on the championship website. “Both batting and pitching, we were able to use the opportunities we had early in the game and take the lead. Michal pitched a really great game and helped us win,” he added.
In the coming days the Czech team will play against Argentina and the Philippines. Three teams from the six-member group will advance to the elite round, with the rest playing from 7th to 12th place.
Czech softball players dream of historic medal. They are eleven-time European champions, but their best World Cup finish was sixth in 2000.
