The Netherlands Team faced 33-year old former Major Leaguer Josh Collmenter, who played professionally since 2007, but is currently a Free Agent.
After having played for Central Michigan University, Collmenter was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007.
The righthander played at several Single-A levels in 2007-2009, then promoted to Double-A and Triple-A in 2010.
On April 17, 2011, Collmenter made his debut in the Major League, pitching two innings for Arizona Diamondbacks against San Francisco Giants.
He threw the final two innings (two strikeouts) of a 12-inning game and became the winning pitcher, as Arizona won 6-5.
From 2011 through 2015, Collmenter was a regular member of the pitching-staff of the Diamondbacks and was used as both starter and reliever.
During the 2016 season, on August 7, the righthander was released by Arizona.
Three days later, he was signed with Chicago Cubs where he was assigned to it Triple-A team.
On September 14, his contract was purchased by Atlanta Braves for whom he pitched in three Major League-games.
In 2017, Collmenter pitched in 11 games as reliever for Atlanta, but also pitched in Triple-A (5 games) and Rookie League (2 games).
After the season, he became a Free Agent.
In seven Major League-seasons, Collmenter pitched in 214 games (78 starts) and was 38-35 with a 3.64 ERA.
In 695 1/3 inning, he struckout 494 batters and gave up 665 basehits.
Last winter, Collmenter played in the Australian Baseball League, where he was a pitcher for Auckland Tuatara, the first professional team from New Zealand.
In the professional Australian League, Collmenter was 3-4 with a 3.25 ERA in ten games for Auckland.
In the five innings he pitched against the Netherlands, Josh Collmenter accounted not much problems.
After having retired the side in the first inning, the righthander gave up an one-out single to Denzel Richardson, but then was supported with a double play.
In the third inning, Dutch lead-off hitter Jason Halman reached on an error.
With one out, Halman moved to second base on a grounder by Stijn van der Meer.
But he stranded on second base, as Collmenter closed by striking out Dwayne Kemp.
After having retired the side again in the fourth, Collmenter got his next baserunner in the fifth.
With two outs, Jason Halman again reached on an error.
This time, the inning ended when Dudley Leonora flied out.
In the meantime, Collmenter was supported with four runs.
The game began with an injury for the Netherlands Team.
In the top of the first inning, off of starter Orlando Yntema, American lead-off hitter CJ Epperson hit the ball hard towards third baseman Dwayne Kemp where it jumped up in front of him.
Kemp was able to field the ball and threw it on the inside to first baseman Yurendell De Caster.
The approaching Epperson (who reached on an infield-hit) then collided with De Caster, who sustained an arm or shoulder-injury and had to leave the game.
Veteran Bryan Engelhardt took over at first base.
Yntema struckout the next three batters and Epperson (who had stolen second base) was left behind.
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...Denzel Richardson (left) and Dudley Leonora accounted for the...
...two basehits of the Netherlands Team...
(© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) |
In the second inning, the American squad opened the score.
With one out, Canadian Simon Pond walked and scored on a following double by Nick DiBenedetto.
With two outs, Belgian player Sam Buelens singled.
That brought DiBenedetto to third base, but a force out ended the at bat.
The 23-year old Sam Buelens played two professional seasons in the Rookie League for Toronto Blue Jays in 2015-2016.
The 42-year old Simon Pond played in 16 Major League-games for Toronto in 2004.
In that year, he also participated with the National Team of Canada in the Olympic Games in Athens (Greece).
The USA got two more baserunners in the third inning when first baseman Bryan Engelhardt and short stop Stijn van der Meer both committed an error with two outs.
But the two runners were left behind.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Americans rallied for three runs on five basehits to take more distance.
American Nick DiBenedetto (Rookie League Baltimore Orioles 2017) and Canadian Gianfranco Morello opened with singles to put runners at the corners.
With one out, CJ Epperson delivered an RBI-single, which also resulted in runners on second and third base.
The next run was scored when Anthony Buonaiuto struckout, but reached on a passed ball.
Hereafter, Darryl George connected for the next runscoring single to lift the lead to 4-0.
Moments later, Zane Chavez also singled to load the bases.
That led to a pitching change, as Juan Carlos Sulbaran took over from Yntema.
With the bases loaded, Sulbaran struckout Liam Scafariello, then got an inning-ending grounder from Simon Pond.
In the following innings, Team USA was held scoreless.
In the fifth, Sulbaran gave up a 2-out single to Sam Buelens in front of home plate.
Buelens advanced on a wild pitch, but the inning ended when third baseman Dwayne Kemp caught a line drive from CJ Epperson.
Sulbaran retired the side in the sixth, as did lefthander Jim Ploeger in the seventh.
USA-starter Josh Collmenter was relieved by Cole DeVries in the sixth inning.
He also retired the side in the sixth and seventh inning.
After three scoreless innings, the USA-mix scored its next run off of new pitcher Kaj Timmermans in the top of the eighth.
Canadian Gianfranco Morello led off with a single, moved on a sacrifice bunt by Sam Buelens, advanced on a passed ball and scored on a grounder by Anthony Buonaiuto.
This season, Canadian Buonaiuto plays in the Italian Serie B for Catalana.
Last season, the rightfielder played in Germany for Bad Homburg Hornets in the 2.Bundesliga.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Netherlands reached base for only the fourth time.
After the lead-off hitter got on base on an error in the third inning, only one of the next 16 batters reached base.
After nine consecutive batters had been retired in order, Dudley Leonora singled with two outs in the eighth.
This was only the second Dutch basehit and the first since the second inning.
Leonora stole second base, but stranded there.
USA got another runner in scoring position in the top of the ninth.
Zane Chavez led off with a single and he moved to third base on two passed balls.
He stranded there, as Kaj Timmermans struckout two of the next three batters.
Bo Schultz closed the game for USA.
He also retired the side.
With that, the Netherlands Team had recorded only two basehits in this game and also got into scoring position only twice.
Playing for the Netherlands were:
Dwayne Kemp (3B, 0-for-4), Sharlon Schoop (2B, 0-for-4), Gianison Boekhoudt (DH, 0-for-4), Yurendell De Caster (1B, 0-for-0), Bryan Engelhardt (1B, 0-for-3), Denzel Richardson (RF, 1-for-3), Gilmer Lampe (CF, 0-for-3), Jason Halman (C, 0-for-3), Dudley Leonora (LF, 1-for-3), Stijn van der Meer (SS, 0-for-3) and pitchers Orlando Yntema, Juan Carlos Sulbaran, Jim Ploeger and Kaj Timmermans.
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Netherlands shutout by USA in second game of World Port Tournament
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
The Netherlands Baseball Team was shutout 5-0 by the USA in its second game of the 17th World Port Tournament Baseball in Rotterdam on Saturday-evening (July 13).
In the afternoon, Curaçao led 2-0 after four innings against Japan, which came alongside in the sixth.
Curaçao re-took the lead in the eighth, but lost 4-3 when Japan scored twice in the top of the ninth inning.
World Port Tournament 2019.