Down 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Marek Maly hit a 2-run walk off homer that sent Czech Republic to their third playoffs appearance in history. In an unforgettable night at Hippos Park in Havlickuv Brod, host Czech Republic beat Cuba, 5-4, and clinched the last spot in the quarter-finals of the Men’s Softball World Championship, starting tomorrow.

Cuba jumped ahead in the score with a 2-out RBI single by Reinier Vera to plate Yuri Rodriguez from second. Rodriguez had reached with a walk.

However, in the bottom of the first Vaclav Svoboda sent the third pitch of the game over the right field fence to tie the game at 1. It was the first of three hits in the game for the Czech lead-off hitter.

In the bottom of the fifth, the host team took the lead in the game for the first time. Svoboda singled, and David Mertl bunted; third baseman Yurisamdre Ramos tried to retire the runner on second, but Luis Dominguez couldn’t catch the ball, leaving two runners on base. They advanced on a wild pitch, and head coach Leonardo Cardenas decided to load the bases with an intentional walk. With two outs on the scoreboard, Michal Koluch singled through the left side to put the score 3-1.

In the top of the sixth Roger Rosete belted a solo home run to the left field to make it a one-run ballgame.

And Cuba retook the lead again in the top of the seventh. Hector Castillo drew a walk, Juan Carlos Rodriguez reached on an infield hit and Yuri Rodriguez walked, to load the bases, with no outs. Yesander Rodriguez hit a high fly ball short to center field for the first out but Vera singled in two runs up the middle to make it 4-3.

But in the bottom of the seventh Czech Republic came back and grabbed the win. Mertl walked to open the inning, and the Maly found a 0-2 pitch on the inside part of the plate and launched a no-doubter to right field that made explode Hippos Arena.

Tomorrow Czech Republic will play Canada in the last game of the day (19:39), for a spot in the semi-finals on Saturday.

BOXSCORE