European Softball Championships 2007
	Netherlands vs. Greece May 28, 2007

Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2007 by Marco Stoovelaar

Dutch also win second game on EC
Nederlands | Box Score & More information
AMSTERDAM (Neth.) - The Dutch National Softball Team on Monday-evening also won its second game of the preliminary round of the 15th European Softball Championship in Amsterdam. In the game against Greece, the Dutch were dominating and offensively strong to win convincingly, 15-0. The squad of Manager Liz Kelly only needed less than four innings to accomplish the big shutout.

For Dutch pitcher Dagmar Bloeming, this was her EC-debut. A few days ago, the pitcher of A4 Terrasvogels pleyd in her first game for the national squad in the exhibition series against Australia, but this was her first real appearance in the national colors. In the first at bat, she opened with a walk for the Greek lead-off batter, but then nicely retired the next two batters with a strikeout. A grounder towards second baseman Lynn Geertman then ended the Greek opening at bat.

Offensively, the Dutch team immediately struck in their first at bat. Saskia Kosterink drove the ball passed third base into leftfield for triple and then scored moment later on a sac-fly by Kim Kluijskens. The scoring just went on hereafter, as the Dutch team was leading 5-0 after completion of the inning. After Kluijskens' hit, a walk followed for Marloes Fellinger and Sandra Gouverneur hit a double. Both then scored on a single by Jolanda Kroesen, who moments later also crossed home plate herself, while it appeared she had missed tagging third base on her way to the plate. But, no appeal play followed and Jolanda scored on a basehit by Lynn Geertman with two outs. And she also would score. That happened after all bases became occupied by Dutch runners after two walks. A third free pass in a row, this time for Saskia Kosterink, enabled Lynn to score and thus gave the Dutch a run.

It didn't end there, as the Dutch team just increased its hitting a bit more in the second inning and scored seven runs. With one out, eight consecutive basehits were registered. The 'rally' started with an one-out single by Sandra Gouverneur, who advanced on a wild pitch. And then, the offensive firework started. First, a runscoring basehit by Jolanda Kroesen and then two back-to-back RBI-doubles by Daisy de Peinder and Lynn Geertman, hits where the ball real good connected with the bat. Or is it the otherway round? When the bat connects well with the ball? Well, that choice is yours. Anyhow, they produced two more runs for the Dutch team and resulted in a pitching change for Greece. Starter Joanna Bouziou was replaced by Alexandra Papageorgaki, bu she also couldn't stop the Dutch offense. A basehit by Ellen Venker resulted in runners on second and third base, after which both runners scored on a single by Marjan Smit, who on her turn scored on a double by Saskia Kosterink. And she scored on a single by Kim Kluijskens. Then, finally, the inning ended when two putouts followed, but the Dutch had taken a 12-0 lead. The 15-run mercy-rule came into sight.

After a scoreless third inning, the 15-run difference was indeed reached and the game was ended in the fourth inning. In this fourth at bat, pinch-hitter Chantal Versluis hit an one-out single and Kim Kluijskens reached on an error. A basehit by Marloes Fellinger then produced the thirteenth run. After a walk for Sandra Gouverneur, it was Dana Horeman who also hit the ball well. On her basehit, two more runs were scored and resulted in the final score of 15-0.

Offensively, the Dutch team had 16 basehits. All eleven players, who stepped into the batter's box for the Dutch team, hit at least one basehit and scored at least one run. Five players each had two basehits, while four players scored two runs.

And pitcher Dagmar Bloeming? She threw well in her EC-debut. In the four innings she pitched, only two Greek batters reached base. The first on the mentioned walk in the first inning and in the second inning, it was Evangelia Stefanov who hit the lone Greek basehit. And that was all for the Greek squad.
(May 28)