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Updated: May 2, 2017
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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Fred Versluis)

Sparks Haarlem avoids double loss against Tex Town Tigers
Nederlands

HAARLEM (Neth.) - Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem avoided a double-loss on Sunday (April 30) against Tex Town Tigers, but nevertheless split its fourth of five double-headers played this season.

In the opener, Sparks Haarlem trailed 2-0 when the bottom of the seventh inning began. The team then rallied for three runs to win 3-2.

In the second game, Tex Town Tigers hold onto a 3-1 lead and won 4-3. With the win, the Enschede-team moved into the top-4 of the Golden League. It now shares third place with Roef!, which today won twice against the Talent Team Holland.

Making her comeback in the team of Sparks Haarlem today was pitcher Kirsten Scheele, who had retired after completion of last season. The veteran righthander came out of retirement to add some additional pitching, as both Ginger de Weert and Leonella Elizabeth were unable to pitch this weekend. On Saturday, American righthander Monica Perry pitched in two games, while veteran Rebecca Soumeru pitched in both games today after already having thrown on Saturday. Monica Perry now has returned to Italy to resume her season there. A week ago, due to some other injuries (or recovering from it) to some position-players, utility player Kiki Draaijer was added for the double-header against Terrasvogels, but it wasn't needed for her to get into action. She also had retired after last season.

Today's double-header was moved up forward in the schedule, due to Sparks Haarlem's participation in the European Premiere Cup later in the year.

(April 30)

Complete Schedule




Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem vs. Tex Town Tigers (game one)
The opener was a pitching-duel between Rebecca Soumeru (Sparks Haarlem) and Lindsey Meadows (Tex Town Tigers). And it appeared to go the way of Tex Town Tigers, which led 2-0 when the bottom of the seventh inning began.

Soumeru retired the side in the first inning, but then gave up two runs in the second at bat. Laura Wissink led off with her second homerun in two days to open the score. Hereafter, Lindsey Meadows walked, advanced on a grounder and scored on a double by Aafje van Baal to put TTT ahead, 2-0.

In the next two innings, TTT left a runner behind at first base, then got into scoring position again in the fifth and sixth. In the top of the fifth inning, Sparks Haarlem Head Coach Peter van Dalen made six defensive position-changes. The lone players who stayed at their positions were pitcher Rebecca Soumeru, catcher Karin Tuk and rightfielder Desiree Adriaansz. In the fifth, with two outs, Annemiek Jansen walked and Nadine Marinus singled, but they stranded at first and third base. In the sixth, Lindsey Meadows led off with a walk and Jasmine Peters singled. Meadows' pinch-runner Cheyenne Scheffer and Peters moved to second and third base on a sacrifice bunt. The inning then ended with a double play. While hitter Danielle ten Donkelaar struck out, Scheffer took off towards the plate, but tagged out by catcher Karin Tuk.

Trailing 2-0, Sparks Haarlem got into scoring position for the first time in the second inning. With one out, Virginie Anneveld singled and with two outs, Karin Tuk walked, but were left behind. In the fourth, the home team stranded another runner in scoring position. Maxime van Dalen then led off with a walk and moved on a sacrifice bunt with one out, but the inning then ended with a strikeout. Sparks Haarlem got close to its first run in the sixth. Kehli Washington led off with a single, advanced on a grounder and a flyout, but was left behind on third base when Lindsey Meadows closed with another strikeout.

After Tex Town Tigers was retired in order in the top of the seventh, the Enschede-team was still leading 2-0. Moments later, Sparks Haarlem struck with four hard basehits, resulting in three runs and the win. Kingsley Avery led off with a triple and scored when Karin Tuk followed with a double. Pinch-hitter Maaike Blaauwgeers then singled to put runners at the corners. Blaauwgeers then stole second base and with one out, her twin-sister Anne Blaauwgeers delivered a walk-off, 2-run single to end the game!


...Left: Rebecca Soumeru went the distance for Sparks Haarlem in the opener...
...Right: Kendra van Vliet made her big league-debut in this game playing leftfield for Sparks Haarlem...

...Anne Blaauwgeers connects for Sparks Haarlem...

...Left: Catcher Karin Tuk tags out Cheyenne Scheffer in the 6th inning to complete a double play...
...Danielle ten Donkelaar runs towards 1st base, while Rebecca Soumeru covers the plate...
...Right: Kingsley Avery opens the 7th inning with a triple; Laura Wissink is the catcher, Arjan de Wever the umpire...

...Maaike Blaauwgeers is about to score the winning run for Sparks Haarlem, as watched by...
...umpire Arjan de Wever, Head Coach Peter van Dalen, catcher Laura Wissink and...
...Tex Town Tigers-Head Coach Jaap Braakman in the dug-out...

...Maaike Blaauwgeers scores the winning run for Sparks Haarlem in the seventh inning...
(© All Photos: Fred Versluis)



Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem - Tex Town Tigers 3-2 (game 1)
RHE
Tex Town Tigers0200000-260
Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem0000003-370
(one out when winning run was scored in seventh inning)
pitcher Tex Town Tigersinn.SOBBHRER
Lindsey Meadows, L (3-3)6.163733

pitcher Sparks Haarleminn.SOBBHRER
Rebecca Soumeru, W (3-1)743622

Homerun: Tex Town Tigers: Laura Wissink (2)(2nd,solo,off Soumeru).
Box Score
Play-by-Play
Standings
Scores
Schedule
Team Rosters
Umpires: HP-Arjan de Wever, 1B-Rob Veldkamp.
Official Scorer-Feiko Drost.
Play-by-Play Scorer-Alex van den Berg.
Public Address Announcer-Wouter Hoos.
Scoreboard Operator-.
Starting Time-2:00 PM.
Time Played-1:54 hrs.
Site-Noordersportpark, Haarlem.

Game Notes:
Nicky Uytendaal (Tex Town Tigers) and Kendra van Vliet (Sparks Haarlem) made their debut in the highest Dutch league.
Weather conditions at game time: Sunny, 16,9° C (62,4° F); wind direction southeast;
wind speed 32 kmh (19,2); wind force 5 Bft; humidity 37%.




Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem vs. Tex Town Tigers (game two)
After completion of last season, Kirsten Scheele retired after having played 16 years at the highest level. Today, she was back in uniform and started the second game for Sparks Haarlem. The righthander struckout four batters, but also walked five and gave up seven basehits.

Scheele gave up two singles with two outs in the first nning. Annemiek Jansen and Laura Wissink then singled, but were left behind. In the second inning, Jasmine Peters singled with one out and Myrthe Smid walked with two outs, then also stranded. In both innings, a comeback-grounder to Scheele ended the at bat.

In the meantime, she was supported with a run in the first inning. With one out, Kehli Washington was hit by a pitch, stole second base and scored on a 2-out double by Jenny Kinburn.

In the top of the third inning, TTT struck with three runs. With one out, the bases got loaded when Annemiek Jansen and Laura Wissink singled and Nadine Marinus walked. Hereafter, Lindsey Meadows also walked to bring in the tying run. A single by Jasmine Peters and a sacrifice fly by Aafje van Baal then made it a 3-1 score.

In the bottom of the third, Sparks Haarlem got runners at first and third base with two outs, but left them behind.

In the fourth inning, both teams stranded a runner in scoring position. For Tex Town Tigers, rookie Nicky Uytendaal (who made her debut in the first game) hit her first big league-basehit with one out and moved when Annemiek Jansen walked. After an infield-fly, the inning ended when a line drive by Nadine Marinus was caught. For Sparks Haarlem, Karin Tuk led off with a single and moved on a passed ball, but also stranded.

After TTT left another runner in scoring position in the fifth, the team added an insurance run in the sixth off of Rebecca Soumeru, who had come in during the previous inning. With two outs, Annemiek Jansen singled and scored on a double by Laura Wissink. A single by Nadine Marinus led to runners on second and third base, but they also were left behind. However, TTT now led 4-1.

Sparks Haarlem appeared to stage another comeback-victory in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Jenny Kinburn singled and Karin Tuk doubled, followed by a runscoring single by Kingsley Avery that made it a 4-2 score. Hereafter, Lindsey Meadows took over the pitching from starter Anna-Bè Bartels. While facing pinch-hitter Virginie Anneveld, Avery stole second base, which was followed by a throwing error, enabling Tuk to score and narrow the deficit to 4-3. Avery was unable to advance when Anneveld grounded out, then a flyout ended the at bat.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, pinch-hitter Rebecca Soumeru reached on an infield-hit. This time, TTT hold onto the minimal lead, as the game ended when a line drive by Kehli Washington to short stop Myrthe Smid resulted in a game-ending double play.


...Left: Kirsten Scheele returned in uniform and started the second game for Sparks Haarlem...
...Right: Umpires Arjan de Wever and Rob Veldkamp...

...Onaisha Franka steals second base for Sparks Haarlem in the third inning...

...Jenny Kinburn singles and scores for Sparks Haarlem in the 6th inning; Aafje van Baal is the cather, Rob Veldkamp the umpire...

...Left: Kingsley Avery steals 2nd base in the 6th inning, sliding past short stop Myrthe Smid...
...Right: On the throwing error in the situation left, Karin Tuk scores, as seen by catcher Aafje van Baal,...
...on-deck hitter Virginie Anneveld and umpire Rob Veldkamp...
(© All Photos: Fred Versluis)



Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem - Tex Town Tigers 3-4 (game 2)
RHE
Tex Town Tigers0030010-4101
Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem1000020-360
pitchers Tex Town Tigersinn.SOBBHRER
Anna-Bè Bartels, W (1-0)5.152532

Lindsey Meadows, SV (1)1.2--1--

pitchers Sparks Haarleminn.SOBBHRER
Kirsten Scheele, L (0-1)4 (*)45733

Rebecca Soumeru32-311
(*) - Scheele pitched to one batter in the fifth inning
Box Score
Play-by-Play
Standings
Scores
Schedule
Team Rosters
Umpires: HP-Rob Veldkamp, 1B-Arjan de Wever.
Official Scorer-Feiko Drost.
Play-by-Play Scorer-Alex van den Berg.
Public Address Announcer-Wouter Hoos.
Scoreboard Operator-.
Starting Time-4:10 PM.
Time Played-2:02 hrs.
Site-Noordersportpark, Haarlem.

Game Notes:
Weather conditions at game time: Sunny, 16,1° C (61° F); wind direction southeast;
wind speed 32 kmh (19,2); wind force 5 Bft; humidity 35%.




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