Israel's Junior National squad returned early yesterday morning from a week-long festive international tournament in the Friulia-Venezia-Giulia region in northeastern Italy, after having won two of its seven games.

Owing to the quirks of the playoff round, the team finished in 10th place out of 11 teams, even though it bested ninth-place Lithuania twice. The club's disappointment was palpable and was eased only slightly by its overall solid hitting (.283 team average), two individual awards, and a unique sporting and cultural experience, particularly the warm hospitality of the Trieste Jewish community.

Israel had the somewhat dubious fortune of meeting the tourney's two strongest teams at the outset. Taiwan's championship high school team put on a show never seen before in Europe, steamrolling over its opponents andbeing threatened briefly only once. Hence, Israel's 30-1 loss was almost respectable.

Israeli moundsmen were similarly hit hard by the powerful Czech Republic team in the second game, resulting in a 28-3 drubbing.

However, from there on, expectations were high. In a seesaw battle against a gritty Lithuania, Israel fell behind 3-0, scored five runs in the fifth and then allowed the Lithuanians to tie the score in the sixth. Pitchers Roni Barequet and Rafi Stern shut down the Lithuanian batsmen almost completely, but it took until the ninth inning for Israel to break through, on a double by Daniel Maddy-Weitzman, who then stole third base, and a single by Barequet. Stern then struck out two of the three batters in the bottom of the ninth for the win.

Next on the agenda was Slovenia, Israel's chief rival for a playoff berth in the 5-8 bracket. After jumping ahead 2-0 early, Israel's bats went into hibernation, while its defense, the team's Achilles heel the entire week, made no less than 11 errors. Down 12-3 in the sixth, the team began storming back, and was about to run Slovenia into the ground when an umpire's controversial call at home plate snuffed out a rally. Moishe Lewis pitched almost six scoreless innings in relief to buy time, but Slovenia's four-run ninth sealed a 16-12 loss, the most demoralizing of the tournament.

With its back to the wall, Israel then came up flat against a better hitting Romania squad, losing 9-4, despite Naftali Schwartz's two hits and three RBIs.

A day off touring Venice helped the team recharge its batteries, in preparation for a final Friday double-header against Lithuania and Croatia. Once again the Lithuanians gave Israel a run for its money. Down 3-2 after six, Israel then applied the pressure, tying it in the seventh, and breaking through in the eighth on Ophir Katz's two-RBI double. Rafi Stern closed down the Lithuanians for a complete-game 7-4 win.

In the second game, Israel stormed to a five-run lead before making an out. However, the bats then went back to sleep, the Croatians took the lead with a six-run fourth inning, and Israel went out quietly in the gathering gloom of a drizzly late afternoon, 17-6.

Two players received awards for individual achievement: Rafi Stern, for his 2-0 pitching record, and Daniel Maddy-Weitzman, as the tournament's outstanding centerfielder. Moishe Lewis and Maddy-Weitzman paced the team's hitters with 11 and 10 hits respectively, and Ophir Katz knocked in a team-leading six RBIs.

Daniel Maddy-Weitzman, left, and Rafi Stern showing off their individual achievment awards.