Dutch loss in spectacular game
Nederlands | Box Score & Play-by-Play
...Dutch team sings along with national anthem...
(Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
RONCHI DEI LEGIONARI (Italy) - The Dutch Softball Team was two outs away from clinching a spot in the final of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, but ended up with a 7-4 loss in eight innings against Italy, which therefore did qualify. The Dutch team now will get a second chance on Saturday-morning against the Czech Republic, which defeated Greece, 5-2. This game started around 11 o'clock and ended in the middle of the night, as it started to rain and thunder heavily after completion of the Dutch vs. Italy game. The Greece vs. Czech game was postponed and eventually started almost three hours later than scheduled.
What can you tell about the semi-final between the Netherlands and Italy? It was spectacular, it was astonishing, it was a real semi-final. It was a game in which the Dutch team was the better team, but in which Italy did the damage. The Dutch team dominated for five innings and held a 3-0 lead after that. It also was a game which started beforehand with two strange things. On the complex in Ronchi Dei Legionari, the home team prepares before the game on the big baseball-field, while the visiting team prepares on the neighbouring youth field. Today, the signs were suddenly switched with the visiting team (Italy) preparing on the baseball-field and the home team on the youth field. And then there suddenly was a rumor that the game would start half an hour later than scheduled. It all didn't bother the Dutch, which played a wonderful game.
...Starting Pitcher Judith van Kampen...
(Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Starting pitcher Judith van Kampen had a great outing and threw five strong innings. In this period, the righthander gave up only two basehits. The first was a 2-out infield-hit by speedy Candice Molinari in the third inning, as she just beat the throw from 3B Noémi Boekel. The second was a bloop-double on the leftfield-foulline by Cristina Rolla with one out in the fifth at bat.
After five innings, the Dutch team was leading 3-0. A lead which at that moment appeared to be comfortable, as the Dutch also made some great defensive plays and made good contact on three Italian pitchers. The first inning ended with a great over-the-shoulder catcher by 2B Petra van Heijst, who also made a great play on a grounder by Eva Trevisan in the fifth. But more were to come. After retiring the first eight batters she saw, Judith van Kampen gave up the infield-hit, but then the inning ended with a great catch by rightfielder Jolanda Kroesen. After the infield-hit, five batters were retired again, before the double down the line followed, but this was followed by the play of Petra van Heijst, then Van Kampen struckout catcher Kaitlyn Gentile. It showed the strength of the Dutch team in these five innings, while Italy on the other hand was losing it. Besides trailing 3-0, it also had some close calls against them and reactions to umpires followed.
...Italian Manager Marina Centrone 'begs'...
...Czech Umpire Jan Hora to reverse his call...
(Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
The Dutch opened the score with two runs in the third inning. Marjan Smit led off with a single, then found 2B Shanel Garofalo on her way when she advanced on an infield-hit by Ellen Venker. Garofalo also missed the ball and Smit moved to third. At the moment Smit passed Garofalo, Czech 2B Umpire Jan Hora made the extended signal with his left arm that obstruction had been made by Garofalo. But as no putout was made, the action stand with runners on first and third base. Italian Manager Marina Centrone saw it otherwise and wanted runner interference. But while begging for another decision, the Czech umpire remained firm and stated that Garofalo had touched Smit with her elbow on her way to second base. Hereafter, the inning did go the Dutch way. Venker moved up on a grounder by Sandra Gouverneur, then Smit beat the throw to home on a fielder's choice grounder by Kim Kluijskens to score the first run. It marked the end for starter Leslie Malerich, who was relieved by Jennifer Spediacci, who came from the States for this tournament, but hadn't thrown only a few innings. Spediacci walked Saskia Kosterink to load the bases, then gave up an RBI-single to Debby Connor, which made it 2-0 and was quickly relieved by Breana De Santa. Next, Jolanda Kroesen lined out to short and Noémi Boekel ground out to end the inning and leaving the bases loaded.
...Sandra Gouverneur checks the signals...
...given by Dutch Manager Liz Kelly...
(Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In the fifth inning, Sandra Gouverneur led off with a double and moved on a sac-bunt by Kim Kluijskens. After Saskia Kosterink walked, Debby Connor struckout, but Jolanda Kroesen followed with an RBI-single that made it 3-0. Next, Noémi Boekel reached on an infield-hit, but the bases were left behind loaded again as pinch-hitter Daisy de Peinder grounded out.
In the sixth inning, the Italian started to come back and they did that strongly. Pinch-hitter Daniela Castellani led off with a single, then Carlotta Zauli, also a pinch-hitter, hit a 2-run homerun. But nothing was wrong yet, as three outs followed.
In the seventh, Ilaria Pino flied to center for the first out, then Cristina Rolla hit the ball into centerfield, where Saskia Kosterink appeared to have a chance of catching it, but the ball just went over the fence into the scoreboard for a homerun which tied the score at 3. A flyout and a single followed, the Dagmar Bloeming was brought in to relief Judith van Kampen. She got some great defensive assistance from 3B Noémi Boekel, who made a great diving catch on a foul pop-up by Candice Molinari.
But in the eighth inning, the Italians struck. Tie-break runner Candice Molinari scored the goa-ahhead run on an one-out single by Rebecca Iaccino, then an error by short stop Sandra Gouverneur followed on a grounder by Sabrina Del Mastio. Next, the Dutch short stop made a great play on a grounder by Marta Gambella and force out Iaccino at third. But hereafter, Ilaria Pino hammered the ball into left-centerfield for a 3-run homerun that lifted the Italian lead to 7-3.
The Dutch team managed to add only one more run in its eighth at bat. Tie-break runner Noémi Boekel moved on a single by pinch-hitter Kristi DeVries, then scored on a grounder by pinch-hitter Lynn Geertman. The Dutch team left ten runners, including seven in scoring position and maybe that's the story of this game. The Dutch team, which, as said, again looked very good, now has two games to play on Saturday in its pursuit of a ticket to Beijing. And anything can happen. ,,It ain't over 'till it's over'', famous New York Yankee-catcher Yogi Berra always said. And he was mostly right. The victory that counts in the end is the one in the final.
(June 15)
