Netherlands beats Italy for '14 European Championship

In European Baseball, The Netherlands won the 21st European Baseball Championship, beating running champion Italy 6-3 in the Gold Medal Game in Brno, Czech Republic on Sunday.  The Dutch team started strong, with Randolph Oduber hitting a home run in the bottom of the first to give the Dutch a 1-0 lead. Later in the game, Kalian Sams and Curt Smith also hit solo home runs. Smith was also voted MVP for the Championships. In the sixth inning, Hainley Statia widened the score gap 5-0. Italy fought back with doubles by Mario Chiarini and Lorenzo Avagnina, but in the eight, Smith earned his MVP case with another home run. For a more detailed run-down of the game, as well as a list of award winners and the final standings, go to Baseball Europe's website.