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Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2007 |
Netherlands vs. Croatia
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| Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2007 by Marco Stoovelaar |
While thunderclouds were building in the background and it startened darkening an hour before game-time, luckily rain stayed out and the clouds never came close the field. The game against Croatia was another strong outing by the Dutch team, which hit the ball hard. ,,We swung the bats very well'', concluded Dutch Manager Liz Kelly afterwards. ,,We were prepared to play well and wanted to win to take that second place. Yes, we were agressive. And Judith was firing some strikes. She was fresh and came out great, throwing strong.''
The Dutch team took possession of the game right away in the first at bat by scoring six runs. Petra Cizmic, the Croatian starter, was replaced before the ever finished the first batter she faced. Cizmic got to a 3-2 count on Sandra Gouverneur and was then replaced by centerfielder Iva Pandzic, while Cizmic took over at third base. While Cizmic threw, an illegal pitch was called twice. The first was called by 1B Umpire Gianluca Magnani, which resulted in a (too long) discussion between Dutch Croation Coach Ronald Berk and the Italian umpire. By the way, Magnani also called some illegal pitches the night before when he was behind the plate in the Netherlands vs. South Africa-game. The second was called by HP Umpire Axel Vogel. Petra Cizmic must have known what she did wrong, as she herself is an international umpire. Two years ago, she participated as an umpire in the European Championships Men Softball in Nijmegen (Netherlands). One of her colleagues then was German Umpire Axel Vogel, who today was behind the plate. After taking over for Cizmic, Iva Pandzic completed the at bat of Sandra Gouverneur, who then walked, with the walk being credited to Cizmic. Next, Kim Kluijskens reached on a bunt-single, which was followed by a throwing error, enabling Gouverneur to reach third base. After Kluijskens stole second, as bunt-single by Saskia Kosterink triggered a lot of action. Gouverneur scored, the ball was thrown back and forth, Kluijskens also scored and Kosterink ended up on third base. Debby Connor then walked and Jolanda Kroesen followed with a sac-fly on which Kosterink scored. And then Noémi Boekel connected well on a delivery and hit a 2-run homerun into the stands behind the centerfield-fence. ,,I first thought I was under the ball'', Noémi said after the game. ,,But when I saw the ball climb and the centerfielder run backwards I thought it might be a homerun and it was.'' With a brought smile, Noémi really enjoyed her walk round the bases, bringing the lead to 5-0. But it wasn't over yet, as Nina van Huissteden followed with a double, stole third base and went on to score on a sac-fly by Petra van Heijst.
Convincing Dutch victory vs. Croatia
Nederlands | Box Score & Play-by-Play
...Threatening thunderclouds before the game...
(Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)
RONCHI DEI LEGIONARI (Italy) - The Dutch Softball Team on wednesday-evening closed the preliminary round of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament with a convincing 12-1 victory against Croatia to finish in second place in Pool A behind Italy, which remained unbeaten. The Dutch now will meet Greece, the winner of Pool B, in the cross-final on Thursday. A victory then means the team will move closer to Saturday's final and might set-up another contest against Italy on Friday. The winner of that game will clinch the final. A loss means the long way en route to the final with three extra games with the first against the winner of the confrontation between South Africa and Great Britain. Italy meets the Czech Republic in its cross-final. The fourth cross-final is going between Croatia and Russia. Slovakia and Bulgaria completed their tournament and both finished in ninth place.
...Winning Pitcher Judith van Kampen...
(Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)
Judith van Kampen started her first game of the tournament and threw hard. In the three innings she threw, she struckout five batters and gave up only two basehits. Both hits came in the second inning. Jelena Cusak then reached on an infield-hit with one out and Iva Pandzic followed with a single through the left side of the infield. But hereafter, Judith struckout the next batter and the inning ended with a grounder to 3B Noémi Boekel. It were the only two batters to reach base off Van Kampen. Kristi DeVries took over in the fourth, started with two strikeouts and retired the side. In the fifth, she hit lead-off hitter Iva Pandzic with a pitch, who then moved up on a sac-bunt by Vedrana Muharec. A single by Iva Bosilijevac then brought Pandzic to third, who moments later scored on a wild pitch. It was Croatia's first run ever against the Dutch team in four games between the two countries. On the other side, the 12 runs today by the Dutch brought their total to 99 in four games against Croatia.
...Iva Pandzic scores first-ever...
...Croatian run vs. Dutch...
(Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)
 ...Noémi Boekel enjoys her HR-walk... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
 ...and is greeted by her teammates... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In the second inning, three runs were added. Sandra Gouverneur led off with a double, then scored when next batter Kim Kluijskens singled, as did Saskia Kosterink. After a flyout and strikeout and with runners on second and third base, Noémi Boekel again connected well. This time, the ball was just out of reach for leftfielder Tea Pejnovic and resulted in a triple. Kim Kluijskens and Saskia Kosterink scored, but Kim's run was special, as it was the 1900th run ever scored in an international game by the Dutch team since it played its first game on May 29, 1960 against Italy. The inning ended in pain, as Noémi Boekel was hit on her right underarm by a foul ball by next batter Nina van Huissteden and had to leave the game. Initially, it appeared Noémi was hit on her back, but it was her right arm. As she was in pain, she was attended by Dutch Manager Liz Kelly and Physical Therapist Rob Oskam. While she left the field with her familiar brought smile again on her face, she didn't return into the game. By hitting a homerun and a triple, Noémi had accomplished the harder of the four basehits to hit-for-the-cycle and could have had a chance. ,,I seriously was thinking of putting her back into the game to give her the opportunity to hit for-the-cycle as that is something very unique'', Liz Kelly said. ,,But eventually, I wanted to take no risk and kept her out.'' On her being hit, Noémi said: ,,I didn't know what I did, I saw the ball coming and just duck. Luckily, I was in foul territory, otherwise I would have been out.'' Daisy de Peinder was brought in as pinch-runner and took over at third base. The inning ended when Nina van Huissteden struckout.
 ...Noémi Boekel triples in 2nd inning... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
 ...Kim Kluijskens scores 1900th run... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
 ...Noémi Boekel is being treated... ...after being hit by a foul ball... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Three runs were then also scored in the third inning on two back-to-back doubles. Petra van Heijst reached on an error, then moved to third base when a sac-bunt by Dana Horeman ended in a throwing error. Both then scored on a double by Sandra Gouverneur, who herself scored when next batter Kim Kluijskens also doubled.
Sandra Gouverneur (2-for-2), Kim Kluijskens (3-for-3) and Saskia Kosterink (3-for-3), the top-three hitters in the Dutch batting order, combined on eight basehits (going 8-for-8), scored eight runs and had five RBI's. Noémi Boekel went 2-for-2 and had four RBI's. Her seven total bases in this game are the most by any player in a single game in this tournament. Today's victory was a real team effort, as each of the players, who were batting in the spots 4 through 9 also contributed with either a basehit, run scored or RBI.
On Thursday, the Dutch team meets Greece. ,,A good team'', Coach Kelly knows. ,,But we can beat them. We have to keep the intensity of the bats swinging as we did today, to keep our confidence and momentum going.''
(June 13)
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Last Update: June 13, 2007
Copyright © 1997-2007 Marco Stoovelaar.