by GB Men's Team Manager Steve Fullan

Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic: July 29 -- With the 3 v 4 playoff match Friday afternoon as the main focus for GB at the European Men's Fastpitch Championships, GB Coach Barry Doney wasn’t going to let any upsets ruin the week.

So he put ace pitcher James Darby in to start today's game against Israel, who have unexpectedly recorded three wins to date.

And the result was a historic performance that put the Israelis firmly in their place and put GB on the brink of the playoffs.

That's because James Darby gave up one hit -- but struck out 21 Israelis in seven innings.

GB Take the Lead

GB were the home team, so the Israelis came up in the top of the first and apart from a batter reaching first on a hit-by-pitch, promptly went down on three strikeouts, which is pretty much what happened in every inning except the fourth, when the Israelis got their solitary hit.

Darby's fastest pitch of the game was 81 mph but he was averaging about 74 mph.

In the GB half of the first inning, Curt Taylor doubled with one out and scored on a throwing error to give GB a 1-0 lead.

GB got another run in the second inning when Morgan Ottridge led off with a solo home run.

After two quick outs to begin the GB third inning, Curt Taylor got his second hit of the game with a single to left, followed by a single from James Chalmers that moved Curt to third with James taking second on the overthrow. James Darby was intentionally walked to bring Morgan Ottridge to the plate and after a passed ball scored Curt Taylor, Ottridge was also intentionally walked.

Mark Elson then proceeded to hit a single, scoring Chalmers and re-loading the bases and when Darryl Herrmann  walked to drive in Darby, GB were 5-0 up after three innings.

Something Different

In the top of the fourth inning, Israel managed their one hit, but James Darby then struck out three more batters as normal service resumed.

In the fifth inning, GB were looking for one more run that would end the game on the mercy rule, but it didn't come. The bright side of this was GB batters were getting more swings.

In the GB sixth inning. Steve Fullan came on for Neil Davies and led off the inning with a double to the left field fence. JP Mauger then reached base on an error by the Israeli second baseman and Fullan scored to make the game 6-0.

So it was on to the top of the seventh to see if James Darby could strike out the side one more time. And James, who was in command of his pitching all day, didn't disappoint.

Twenty-three Israeli batters, one hit, one hit-by-pitch, 21 strikeouts and an important GB win. Only Belgium stands between GB and a playoff place.

Reports from the European Men's Fastpitch Championships will appear for a day or so in the Softball section of this website but will be retained until August 15 in the Fastpitch and National Team sections, where they can be read cumulatively.