REGENSBURG, Germany—
Enorbel Marquez threw a two-hitter and Matt Weaver and Aaron Altherr each homered to propel Germany to a 16-1 victory over Great Britain on Sunday in a World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament.The win earned Germany a rematch against Canada in Monday night's title game, with the winner qualifying for the 2013 WBC in March. Canada pounded five home runs while defeating Germany, 16-7, on Saturday night.
Marquez held Great Britain hitless through six innings, with the only baserunner over that span coming in the fourth when German first baseman Donald Lutz misplayed a grounder by Steve Bumbry and then lost a race to the base. Marquez then struck out Bradley Roper-Hubbert to end the inning. Marquez finished with eight Ks and no walks.
Britain generated all of its offense in the bottom of the seventh. Albert Cartwright grounded a single through the left side to open the inning, and he later scored from first on a single by Roper-Hubbert that center-fielder Max Kepler couldn't field cleanly.
But by then, Germany had scored against each of Great Britain's six pitchers, including a six-run outburst in the top of the seventh to make it 16-0. The game was halted after seven due to the mercy rule.
Germany opened the game with two walks and a bunt single off British righthander Kyle Wilson, who was then replaced by lefty Greg Hendrix. Lutz hit a soft liner to left that went off the glove of shortstop Cartwright that scored Eric Suttle with the game's first run. Two more runs came in on sacrifice flies in the inning.
Germany added two more in the second, both scoring on a single to center by Kepler, and four in the fifth to make it 9-0. Altherr hit a towering two-run homer to left, and Toby Gardenhire followed with a two-run single.
In the seventh, Britain right-hander Estephenson Encarnacion hit three batters to load the bases, with two of them scoring on a pinch-hit single by Mike Larson. Weaver (3-for-4, 4 RBI) capped Germany's scoring with a three-run line drive over the left-field fence.
