Champions… Čukarica!

Posted on 21 June, 2011 by kcorona

The first ever Belgrade School Baseball Tournament was one to be remembered. Over 40 children from four schools showed up to compete in the tournament, which was held on a shortened field on the main baseball field at Ada Ciganlija in Belgrade. The first pitch was thrown out at 12:30 p.m. to kick-off the round-robin section of the tournament, which gave the kids the opportunity to show off the skills they have learned over the past few weeks.

After the first round-robin section of the tournament, a four game schedule was set where each winner of the first two games would automatically advance to the final game. In the first qualifier games, Čukarica played New Belgrade and Vraćar played Palilula. The winners of those games, Čukarica and Palilula, advanced to the final, and New Belgrade played Vraćar for third place. The third place game and the championship game were played in a 2 inning fashion where each team hit through their lineup once before switching to defense. Čukarica came out on top, beating Palilula in the championship game by a difference of 8 runs. Both teams played very well, especially the kids from Palilula who just started playing baseball at the beginning of the week. In the third place game, New Belgrade beat out Vraćar. Although there was one winner at the end of the day, each team was impressive, and the players demonstrated just how far they’ve come since being introduced to the sport two months ago.

The tournament is planned to become an annual event, hopefully growing in popularity each year. We are excited that baseball is becoming more familiar among kids in Serbia, and we hope to extend the league to at least 6 teams in the fall. We must continue to help them hone their skills and grow in the sport over the years. The SBDA will play a very important role by providing these kids with the necessary equipment and knowledge needed to play the game. Please contact us for information on how to help out or click on our “donate” link at the top of this page.

 

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