McGraw goes yard, breaks tie in GB win over Spain

European Championship 2010, Day 4, July 26:
courtesy of Mister Baseball

Great Britain – Spain 5-1

ESP 000 010 000 1 7 1
GBR 010 001 30X 5 7 0

Box score

Great Britain returned to .500 in Group B of the European Championship after defeating Spain 5-1 on Monday in Stuttgart. A solo homerun by Matt McGraw (3-3, BB) broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth. Three more runs in the seventh gave the team of head coach Pat Doyle some insurance. Daniel Sanchez had tied the game for Spain in the top of the fifth with a solo homerun.

Jeff Mottl (GBR) pitched five innings, allowing six hits, a run and two walks. Stephen Spragg (W 1-0) gave up just one hit and four bb in four innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win. Ivan Granados (L 0-1) conceded five hits, two runs and four bb in 5 2/3 innings, taking the loss.

The victory sets up a showdown between Greece and Great Britain on Tuesday evening.  Should GB beat Greece, a 3-2 record in Group B could either see GB advance or be part of a complex three-way tie with Greece, Sweden and/or Spain.

Jeff Mottl was the GB starter, going five innings

Stephen Spragg pitched 4-innings of one-hit relief for the win