2018 Super6

The 2018 Super6 was the first Super6 and was held from September 18 to September 23, 2018 in Hoofddorp, Noord-Holland. Baseball nations competing were  Belgium,  Czech Republic,  Germany,  Italy,  Netherlands and  Spain while Italy, Great Britain, Greece, the Netherlands, Russia and Czechia competed in softball.

Games

September 18

•  Italy 11,  Germany 1. The first game is a romp as Italy has more homers (5, all from different players) than Germany has hits (4). 1B Chris Colabello drives in 5, 3B Alex Liddi scores 3 and LF Nicola Garbella also scores 3. Luis Lugo and Filippo Crepaldi shut down Germany's hitters in the 7-inning mercy rule rout. Daniel Thieben takes the loss, while C Vincent Ahrens is a bright spot for Germany, with two of their four hits and their lone run. German 2B Lukas Jahn got the first walk in the event's history, Ahrens the first hit, Colabello the first run, 2B Alessandro Vaglio the first RBI and RF Leonardo Zileri the first homer.
•  Spain 13,  Belgium 1. In another seven-inning mercy rule game, Lowuin Sacramento gets the win and LF Daniel Martínez has 3 hits and drives in 3 to lead a balance offense. Kenny Vandenbranden was roughed up in the loss, while LF Benjamin Goffaux was 2 for 3 with a run for Belgium. 1B Jesús Ustariz hits the first triple in Super6 annals.
•  Netherlands 7,  Czech Republic 6. In the only close game in the baseball portion on day 1, the hosts survive a late scare. The Netherlands score 4 in the 3rd off Radim Chroust, capped by a two-run homer from 1B Curt Smith. Thanks to a strong start by Orlando Yntema, they lead 7-1 going into the 8th. The Czechs then start a powerful comeback, scoring five times off Berry van Driel, Jim Ploeger and Kevin Kelly and nearly tying it, but CF Arnošt Dubový was thrown out at home to end the inning. Kelly went 1-2-3 in the 9th for the save. 3B Dwayne Kemp and LF Ademar Rifaela each have 3 hits and 2 runs for the Dutch, while Smith drives in 3. LF Matěj Hejma scores twice for the Czechs, while DH Přemek Chroust drives in two.

September 19

•  Italy 7,  Belgium 4. Belgium does much better than in their opener and trails only 5-4 before Italy tacks on two in the 9th. Angelo Palumbo gets the win and Alex Bassani the save, while Artuur Driessens takes the defeat in a solid outing. DH Robel Garcia completes a cycle with a 9th-inning single and drives in 4 for Italy, while 1B Jamie Verheyleweghen drives in a pair for Belgium.
•  Spain 12,  Czech Republic 7. Spain scores 5 in the first off former Orioles farmhand Jan Novák en route to another easy win. C Blake Ochoa hits a grand slam in the first and both 1B Jesús Ustariz and DH Richard Montiel score 3. Ricardo Hernández gets the win. 1B Tomáš Juněc smacks a three-run blast for the Czechs.
•  Netherlands 13,  Germany 1. The Netherlands has an easier time in their second game, while Germany again loses in a mercy rule rout. Every Dutch starter scores, with 3 hits and 3 RBI from LF Gilmer Lampe and 3 hits, 2 runs and 2 RBI from SS Dudley Leonora to back a complete game from Diegomar Markwell. 43-year-old veteran Enorbel Márquez takes the loss, while Germany's lone run comes when C Vincent Ahrens drives in DH Simon Gühring.

September 20

•  Czech Republic 15,  Belgium 10. Czechia gets its third straight high-scoring game, this time winding up on top of a slugfest. RF/LF Martin Mužík drives in six and 1B/C Petr Čech draws 4 walks and scores 3 times. Martin Schneider gets the win with two shutout innings of relief while his teammates tally the last 8 runs of the high-scoring affair. Yannick Gontier takes the defeat, while Belgium's balanced offense includes fine days from RF Thomas De Wolf, 1B Jamie Verheyleweghen and C Tim Veraghtert (3 RBI apiece) and 3B Robin Roevens and CF Stephen De Lannoy (3 hits each).
•  Spain 9,  Germany 1. Germany musters one run for the third day in a row in another rough loss. CF Engel Beltre and 1B Richard Montiel each have 3 hits for Spain, Montiel driving in 3, while Daniel Álvarez gets the win. Markus Solbach has a tough outing in a loss, while 3B Eric Brenk has 2 hits for Germany as well as their lone run.
•  Netherlands 9,  Italy 8. In a match-up of Europe's traditional top two powers, Lars Huijer gets roughed up by Italy for 7 hits and 4 runs in 2 1/3 IP while Alessandro Maestri fares better, if not great (5 R in 7 IP). Italy enters the bottom of the 9th with a 7-5 lead but that changes quickly. CF Kalian Sams hits his 2nd homer of the day, off Filippo Crepaldi, and one out later, C Sicnarf Loopstok also goes deep. Alex Bassani relieved and struck out PH Gianison Boekhoudt and LF Gilmer Lampe to force extra innings. In the 10th, facing 7' 1" Loek van Mil, Italy started with the two men aboard due to the Schiller Rule. With one out, RF Leonardo Zileri singled, as did SS Drew Maggi to make it 8-7. Van Mil retired LF Nicola Garbella and 3B Alex Liddi. In the bottom of the 10th, SS Dudley Leonora bunted the starting runners over. 3B Dwayne Kemp and RF Randolph Oduber followed with back-to-back singles, each scoring one run, to give the Netherlands a dramatic win.

September 21

•  Belgium 7,  Germany 6. Belgium nails their best chance for a win, while Germany finally scores more than one run but falls again. Cédric De Smedt and Kevin De Smedt get the win and save, respectively, while Sascha Koch gets the loss. SS Dennis De Quint has 4 hits and falls a triple shy of a cycle for Belgium, while Germany gets a two-run homer from RF Maik Ehmcke.
•  Italy 25,  Czech Republic 10. The prolific scoring in the Czechia games goes even higher than in the prior 3 contests. Italy hammers 9 homers, 5 from their former major leaguers, 1B Chris Colabello (5 for 5, 4 R, 5 RBI, 3 HR) and 3B Alex Liddi (4 for 5, 4 R, 5 RBI, 3 HR) and 11 players score for them. Carlos Teran gets the win in the slugfest, while Boris Bokaj takes the loss. DH Jakub Malík drives in 5 for Czechia.
•  Spain vs.  Netherlands suspended due to rain

September 22

•  Italy 8,  Spain 5. Spain finally takes a loss, as Italy's offense remains hot. SS Drew Maggi drives in 3 and homers twice, 3B Alex Liddi has 3 hits, 1B Chris Colabello goes 3 for 3 with a homer and CF Robel Garcia has 3 hits and a home run as well. Luis Lugo gets the win and Andrea Pizziconi the save. Richard Castillo takes the loss, while CF Engel Beltre finishes a triple shy of the cycle for Spain.
•  Germany 5,  Czech Republic 4. Germany gets their only win, beating the Czechs to take 5th place. Sven Schüller pitches 4 hitless innings and Niklas Rimmel gets the win, while C Vincent Ahrens scores twice to again pace Germany's attack. Jan Novák takes the loss, while CF Matěj Hejma scores a pair and C Petr Čech drives in two.
•  Netherlands 12,  Spain 10. In a continuation of yesterday's suspended game, the hosts knock out Spain. DH Yurendell de Caster drives in 3 for the Dutch, while 2B Kirvin Moesquit scores 3 and collects 3 hits. A six-run 8th against Andrés Pérez and Fernando Baez is the big inning, though Spain comes back for 3 of their own in the bottom of the inning. Tom Stuifbergen gets the win in another game belonging to the hitters. For Spain, SS Luis Guillorme scored 3, 2B Daniel Sánchez had 3 hits and Lesther Galván hit a pinch-hit three-run bomb.
•  Netherlands vs.  Belgium originally scheduled, canceled due to rain

September 23

• Championship Game:  Netherlands vs.  Italy canceled due to rain. The Netherlands was named the champions due to their unbeaten record in the preliminary round.

MVP

• Sicnarf Loopstok of the Netherlands won the MVP, hitting .455/.538/1.273 with 3 home runs, 5 runs and 6 RBI in 3 games. He also threw out the only runner who tried to steal against him.

Final Standings

1.  Netherlands, 4-0
2.  Italy, 4-1
3.  Spain, 3-2
4.  Belgium, 1-3
5.  Germany, 1-4
6.  Czech Republic, 1-4

Rosters

• See 2018 Super6 (Rosters)