Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2007
	Netherlands vs. Italy June 11, 2007

Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2007 by Marco Stoovelaar

Dutch scoreless against Italy

...The Dutch team lines up before the game... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Nederlands | Box Score & Play-by-Play
RONCHI DEI LEGIONARI (Italy) - The Dutch National Softball Team on Monday only got one basehit and was held scoreless by host Italy during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, losing 3-0 to their European archrival.

The Dutch team immediately ran into problems in the first inning. Starting pitcher Kristi DeVries had control problems and saw the first five Italian batters reach base. Despite that, Italy managed to score only one run. DeVries started with a walk for lead-off hitter Candice Molinari, who came over from the States to make her debut in the Italian national team during this event. However, moments later she was caught stealing.

...Starting Pitcher Kristi DeVries... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

...Talks between Liz Kelly... ...and Kristi DeVries (24)... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

But hereafter, DeVries also walked next batter Veronica Fontana. Shanel Garofalo then followed with a double into deep left-centerfield, enabling Fontana to score all the way from first base. While the ball came back from centerfield, Garofalo went on running towards third base and reached that safely as the incoming ball from centerfield was thrown passed third, as no one was there to receive it. Garofalo tried to score on the play, but Kristi DeVries, who covered the action behind third base, threw the ball to catcher Ellen Venker, who tagged out Garofalo just before home plate. However, the problems weren't over yet, as DeVries also walked Eva Trevisan. When DeVries reached a 2-0 count on next batter Ilaria Pino, Dutch Manager Liz Kelly decided to bring in Rebecca Soumeru. She completed the at bat of Pino, but she also walked, before the inning finally ended when Kaitlyn Gentile flied out to rightfielder Jolanda Kroesen. Kristi DeVries threw 20 pitches, 14 of which were a ball. ,,What went wrong? A good question, I really don't know''', DeVries stated afterwards. ,,I just didn't got into my rhythm. The reason? I wouldn't know.''

In their own first at bat, the Dutch team appeared to come back right away. Saskia Kosterink led off with a walk and after Kim Kluijskens was retired on a grounder towards second, Sandra Gouverneur also walked. Leslie Malerich, the starting pitcher for Italy, needed 24 pitches in her first inning, but didn't allow a run. Kosterink was able to advance when Debby Conner flied out, but a strikeout ended the inning.

...Kim Kluijskens tries to get on base... ...The catcher is Kaitlyn Gentile... ...Home Plate Umpire is Traci Stoelting (USA)... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

After taking over the pitching in the first inning, Rebecca Soumeru did fine and retired seven batters in order. In the fourth inning, she saw Eva Trevisan reach base on a single. She advanced on a sac-bunt by Ilaria Pino, after which the Dutch defense turned a nice double play on a grounder by Kaitlyn Gentile. 3B Noémi Boekel retired Gentile at first, then Trevisan was thrown out at third base on a throw by 1B Kim Kluijskens to short stop Sandra Gouverneur. It was one of some fine defensive plays by the Dutch, as 2B Petra van Heijst had a good backhand-reaction on a hard grounder by Candice Molinari, while the three outfielders also made some good plays, including a shoestring catch by centerfielder Saskia Kosterink on a line drive by Rebecca Iaccino. Did the defense had some good plays, offensively it remained quiet.

...Winning pitcher Leslie Malerich... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

In the third inning, Saskia Kosterink accounted for the lone Dutch basehit in this game. That came with one out, but Kosterink stranded on first base. 3B Eva Trevisan made a great catch on a short hit by next batter Kim Kluijskens, then Sandra Gouverneur was eliminated after a grounder towards second base. Pitcher Leslie Malerich kept the Dutch batting order under control (from the first through second inning, she struckout four in a row), but in the fourth inning she encountered some problems for the first time. And the only time. She first hit lead-off hitter Debby Conner, then an error was made on a grounder towards second by Noémi Boekel. It initially appeared that the ball hit Conner, but 2B Shanel Garofalo just missed the ball and German 2B Umpire Axel Vogel also clearly signaled to Italian Manager Marina Centrone that nothing wrongly had happened. Jolanda Kroesen followed with a comeback grounder to pitcher Malerich, who forced out Conner on third base. It was a close play, but 3B Eva Trevisan never gave way for the big Conner and tagged her out just before she reached base. For Manager Liz Kelly it was no option to put in a pinch-runner in this situation. ,,Debby is a fast baserunner and I wanted to keep her in the game. In case I would have used another pinch-runner in a later situation, I would not be able to bring Debby back in'', Coach Kelly explained. A starting player may be replaced, but can only re-enter once through the re-entry rule. With runners on first and second base, Lynn Geertman was brought in as a pinch-hitter, but this wasn't an inning for the Dutch, as she became the victim of a rare rule, which happened on a crucial moment. With two strikes on her, Geertman swung at the ball, which rolled into the infield after toughing her hand. On a moment like that, it's a 'dead ball', a strike is called (in this case, strike three) and runners have to return to their bases. So, instead of having the bases loaded with one out, there were now runners on two bases and two outs. The inning ended when pinch-hitter Nina van Huissteden, who today was the bullpen-catcher, also struckout.

...Lot of spectators at the Netherlands vs. Italy game... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Hereafter, Italy took control over the game definitively. Pinch-hitter Daniela Castellani led off with a double and also wrote some history, as the Italian record international player appeared in her 250th game for the national squad. Hereafter, three short hits followed on which the DUtch defense was unable to do something. Castellani moved a base when there was no play on a bunt by Marta Gambella, who then stole second base. Italy again bunted, this time it was Rebecca Iaccino, who did a good job. While the baserunners were unable to advance, it gave Italy runners on all bases. Another short hit followed. Candice Molinari singled just besides Rebecca Soumeru, enabling Castellani to score and keeping runners on all bases. Soumeru was replaced by Dagmar Bloeming, who had a fine performance (despite needing 21 pitches in this at bat), as she retired all nine batters she faced. She started with a strikeout for Veronica Fontana, then gave up a sacrifice fly to Shanel Garofalo, which gave Italy its third run, but then a flyout ended the inning.

The Dutch team reached base only one more time. That happened in the sixth inning off new pitcher Breana De Santa. With one out, Debby Conner walked, after which pinch-runner Dana Horeman stole second base. De Santa recovered and followed with two strikeouts, then retired the side in the seventh inning.

...Dutch Federation President Ruud van Zetten (center) with his Italian... ...colleague Riccardo Fraccari (right) and ISF-President Don Porter... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Led by the experienced coaching trip Marina Centrone, Paolo Marfoglia and Monica Corvino, all longtime national team-players with an impressive career, Italy grew into a tough opponent, which was successful the last few years. Manager Centrone made her debut in 2005 and the led her team to the European title, just as she did one-and-a-half week ago in Amsterdam. Corvino commonly is recognized as the best Italian pitcher ever, while Marfoglia has played almost one hundred games for the national squad. Cuban Calixto Soca Mijar completes the coachingstaff as Pitching Coach. During the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, he was the Manager of the Cuban national team, which then finished in seventh play.

Fact is that the Dutch team can beat everyone on this tournament, including the physically strong Italian team. The Dutch team has a good offense and defense and fine pitchers, but for some reason, the belief in their own qualities doesn't come out against Italy. That also happened almost two weeks ago during the European Championships in Amsterdam. The Dutch team played a great game in the qualification pool, beating Italy 4-3 (the first win against them in years), but then lost on the deciding moments in the semi-final (8-1) and final (9-3). But Italy isn't undefeatable. On Monday, the team also didn't dominate, but just struck at the right moment. ,,They capitalize when they got the opportunities'', Dutch Manager Liz Kelly confirmed afterwards. ,,We never did that, despite also getting opportunities. To win a game you need to have three elements: pitching, hitting and defense. We maybe had one of these at a time. Yes, Italy was the better team today.'' Seven Italian players were born and grew up in the United States, an eighth in Canada. All players with an Italian heritage and an Italian passport, making them eligible to play for the national team. Most of them also play in the Italian league, but pitcher Jennifer Spediacci (who has played for the Italian team before) and outfielder Candice Morinari came over from the States for this tournament. Also added for this event were Italian back-up player Sara Avanzi and experienced infielder/outfielder Marta Gambella. The latter missed the EC, because she is the mother of a young daughter.

But maybe the roles are just reversed in this tournament and is the Dutch team just waiting for its moment. Italy wins in the preliminary round, then the Dutch win on the deciding moment. And that's the moment that counts: the ticket for Beijing. The webmaster of Grand Slam * Stats & News believes in the Dutch team!
(June 11)