Stuttgart pitcher Ryan Santana bellows in celebration after an inning-ending strikeout during a back-and-forth 6-5 victory during the knockout rounds of the 2024 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2024, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – The Stuttgart Panthers weathered a spirited upset bid by the Kaiserslautern Raiders to advance to the final of the 2024 DODEA European baseball championships.
The hard-fought 6-5 victory during the tournament’s knockout round on Thursday allowed the first-seeded Panthers to advance to the Division I championship on Friday.
Stuttgart will face Ramstein, which defeated Lakenheath 16-1 and Vilseck 6-2 in games at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Powerhouse Naples will compete for the Divisions II/III championship on Friday.
The Wildcats will face Spangdahlem, which upset two highly touted teams on its way to a finals berth.
The Sentinels, a low-seeded team in the knockout rounds due to blowout losses to Vicenza (11-1) and to Naples (14-0) on Wednesday, turned the tables Thursday. Spangdahlem defeated Aviano 6-4 and avenged its earlier loss by beating Vicenza 11-6
Vilseck’s Jake Boyle tags out SHAPE’s Connor Mahan on a steal attempt during a 2024 DODEA European baseball championship game on May 23, 2024, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)
SHAPE’s Will Bush throws out Vilseck’s Carlos Alamon during a 2024 DODEA European baseball championship game on May 23, 2024, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden’s Sergio Egland makes contact with a pitch, leading to a foul ball, during a 2024 DODEA European baseball championship game against Kaiserslautern on May 23, 2024, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern’s Rueben Todman slaps teammate James Leonard’s hand after crossing the plate late in a 2024 DODEA European baseball championship game against Wiesbaden on May 23, 2024, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern seemed on the verge of an upset for much of Thursday’s game.
The Raiders built a three-run lead in the early innings off defensive misplays by the Panthers.
Stuttgart coach Drake Marbury sent in senior pitcher and utility player Ryan Santana early in relief.
Santana stemmed the bleeding, bellowing toward his dugout after multiple inning-ending strikeouts and during one inning flipping his bat and thrusting his pelvis after a double.
Kaiserslautern pitcher Rueben Todman also rallied his team vocally amid his six strikeouts.
But Stuttgart chipped away at the deficit, scoring two runs in the third and another in the fourth. After a double by Santana, Stuttgart regained the lead in the fifth off a single by Lukas Scudder.
Then the Raiders rallied, with Kaiserslautern’s John Leonard and Jonathon Brown scoring in the sixth to retake the advantage.
The next inning, Stuttgart’s David Scudder hit a single with the bases loaded to bring in two runs, including the game winner.
Kaiserslautern coach Justin Bates consoled Todman, the team’s pitcher, after the close loss.
“At the end of the game, I just told him that he was an absolute warrior today,” Bates said. “He pitched one heck of a game and played one heck of a game.”
Panthers players said they will have to put Thursday’s game aside to prepare for Friday’s final.
“Job’s not finished,” Santana said. “You have to have that ‘Mamba mentality’ for tomorrow. We have to come in, think we’re the best on the field. That’s all that matters.”
Lakenheath’s Tyler Chiappetta stretches out for the out in a 16-1 loss to Ramstein during the knockout rounds of the 2024 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2024, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern’s John Leonard celebrates after scoring the tying run against Stuttgart in what would almost be an upset during the knockout rounds of the 2024 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2024, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern pitcher Rueben Todman and teammate Braydon Lokey look at each other with neither covering first base as Stuttgart’s Tyler Blalock races to first on a grounder that loaded the bases in what would be a close 6-5 loss during the knockout rounds of the 2024 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2024, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart’s David Scudder hits a single to bring in the game-winning runs in a back-and-forth 6-5 victory over Kaiserslautern during the knockout rounds of the 2024 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2024, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern’s coach Justin Bates consoles pitcher Rueben Todman after coming close to upsetting powerhouse Stuttgart during the knockout rounds of the 2024 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2024, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)
