MALTA SURPRISES EUROPE AT THE EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS

Malta has just returned from the Baseball European Qualifiers where the tiny island’s representatives surprised Europe during their first international appearance ever. Fourth place is not unusual for a newcomer, but Malta progressed steadily during the Qualifiers held in Antwerp, Belgium. Team Malta faced favorites Belgium, Austria and Switzerland, in a rainy qualifier, forcing some games to be rescheduled. Malta’s handicap was that only twelve ballplayers could make the trip to Belgium, limiting manager Ray Bartolo’s depth in the line-up and pitching staff. Still, Malta played very enthusiastically and was impressive during the last two games. Malta’s best performance was during the 3rd place decider against the Swiss, having young Michael Bartolo on the mound. Malta collapsed only during the 8th inning, allowing the Swiss to score four runs to make it 12 – 6. During the Awards Ceremony held after the Qualifying Decider between Belgium and Austria, Malta was awarded the Sportsmanship Award, for its enthusiasm and perseverance. Team Malta was lead by veteran catcher Keith Bartolo, whose 6-for-12 performance was the second best of the tournament. He was also among the tournament’s leaders in many other offensive categories. Outfielder Clint Grima also took home a well-deserved trophy, after leading the tournament in stolen bases. Malta’s young talent should definitely blossom after this experience, as three-fourths of the team is still young and under the age of 25. The team’s performance was the perfect way of how showing MABS’ recent development.