The Netherlands immediately faced a big deficit after the first inning.
After the Orange-offense was retired in order, the USA-team rallied for five runs on six basehits.
USA-starter Alissa Humphrey, who had thrown a 4-inning Perfect Game in the team's opening game against the Czech Republic (10-0), retired the first three batters she saw in the first inning.
Moments later, the righthander was supported with five runs, which were all scored with two outs off of Orange-starter Lisa Brink, who faced nine batters.
With one out, Kinsey Fiedler and Errin Coffel both singled.
After a flyout accounted for the second out, the first run was scored on a single by Olivia Johnson.
That basehit came after the previous pitch (on an 0-2 count) was called a ball.
Although that pitch indeed was on the outside of the plate, it appeared to be attractive, but Brazilian Home Plate Umpire Patricia Hamamoto made the correct call.
The basehit by Johnson started a 5-run rally.
Hereafter, Megan Grant delivered a 2-run triple into rightfield.
Next batter Karli Spaid also drilled the ball into rightfield, where Julia Kwakernaak misjudged the ball and was unable to make the catch.
Spaid was credited with an RBI-triple and was able to score herself also when a throwing error followed.
With that, the USA had taken an early 5-0 lead.
...Alissa Humphrey...
...second Perfect Game...
(© Photo: WBSC Game Media) |
After three Orange-batters were retired in order again in the top of the second inning, the USA was also kept scoreless by the Dutch defense.
Lauren Heijnsdijk took over the Dutch pitching and she had a fine inning.
With one out, she walked Kinsey Fiedler and gave up a single to Errin Coffel, but the righthander then struckout the next two batters to end the at bat.
USA-pitcher Alissa Humphrey also retired three batters again in the top of the third inning, doing it all by herself this time.
The righthander struckout two batters and in between, she fielded a comeback-grounder by Sarah Evers to retire her at first base.
The Dutch defense committed two errors in the bottom of the third inning, but nevertheless gave up no runs.
After lead-off hitter Megan Grant reached on an error, two fielder's choice-grounders followed, which eliminated the runners at second base.
Another grounder then followed by Rylee Holtorf, but that ended in a fielding error.
But the two runners were left behind when a flyout ended the American at bat.
The Orange-at bats remained brief and quick.
In the top of the fourth inning, Alissa Humphrey continued her dominance, as she again retired three batters in a row.
However, she needed some extra pitches on last batter Tenley Boersma, who (with an 1-1 count) fouled off four pitches, but then became Humphrey's fourth strikeout-victim.
Boersma checked her swing, but after being asked, Argentinian 3B Umpire Gabriela Elizabeth Jimenez made the strike-call, as the bat went too far into the strike-zone.
Moments later, the USA not only took more distance, it also ended the game via the mercy-rule.
Kinsey Fiedler led off with a single and advanced on a wild pitch.
Three pitches later, she scored, as batter Errin Coffel drilled the ball over the centerfield-fence for a 2-run homerun, which lifted the lead to 7-0.
With one out, the USA got two more baserunners, as Olivia Johnson and Megan Grant both walked.
Nienke Weis then took over the pitching for the Netherlands, but she saw three more American runners score.
First, she was greeted with a line drive over second base by Karli Spaid, which initially was ruled a runscoring single, but was later changed in a catch-error.
On Spaid's hit, Johnson scored and on a throwing error to the plate, Grant and Spaid advanced.
With runners now on second and third base, a strikeout accounted for the second out.
Hereafter, Grant scored when a grounder by Rylee Holtof towards third base ended in an error, which enabled Spaid to advance to third base.
With two outs and an 0-2 count on next batter Keely Williams, the next pitch by Nienke Weis ended in a walk-off, wild pitch, as Spaid was able to score the tenth run.
And with that, Alissa Humphrey had thrown her second 4-inning Perfect Game in two pitching appearances in this tournament.
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Netherlands in fourth World Cup-game no-hit and shutout by USA
LIMA (Peru) -
The Netherlands Under-18 Team also has lost its fourth game of the WBSC Under-18 Women's Softball World Cup.
On Thursday (December 9), the Orange Team suffered a 10-0, mercy-rule loss in four innings to the USA, which remained unbeaten and recorded its fifth victory.
With this win, the USA became the first team to officially qualify for the top-4 Championship Round.
The Netherlands opened the event on Monday with a surprise 3-1 loss against host Peru, then lost 11-5 on Tuesday against Chinese Taipei.
On Wednesday, the Netherlands was nipped 2-1 by the Czech Republic.
Under-18 World Cup Softball Women 2021.