   Dutch Team also beats Japan
Nederlands
 PANAMA CITY (Panama) -
The Dutch Baseball Team on Tuesday-afternoon, October 4, also won its third game of the World Championship in Panama.
This time, the squad defeated Japan 5-2.
With this win, the Dutch Team became the second to remain unbeaten with three victories, as Canada won its third game earlier in the afternoon by beating Greece, 12-2.
The win also means that the Dutch Team is closing in on clinching a spot in the Play-Offs.
The Dutch victory against Japan was only the seventh in history in 37 official games played between the two countries.
The last win was registered on November 18, 2006 when the Dutch shutout Japan 3-0 in the semi-final of the Intercontinental Cup in Taiwan.
That game was started by David Bergman, who today closed the game and earned a save.
Today's catcher Sidney de Jong and rightfielder Danny Rombley are the only two position players to also play in the game five years ago.
Last year, the Dutch also were leading against Japan during the Intercontinental Cup (which also was staged in Taiwan), but then it was only 1-0.
In the top of the ninth inning, reliever Dennis Neuman then gave up a 2-out, 2-run double which gave Japan a 2-1 lead.
Today's starter Rob Cordemans also started that game, but today, he was the winning pitcher.
Besides Bergman, Cordemans, De Jong and Rombley, five other players on the current roster were present during the victory in 2006, being pitchers Leon Boyd, Diegomar Markwell and Tom Stuifbergen and outfielders Bryan Engelhardt and Kalian Sams.
Current Manager Brian Farley then was the Bench/Pitching Coach, while Ben Thijssen and Wim Martinus also were part of the coaching staff in 2006 of then-Manager Robert Eenhoorn.
Dave Draijer, who was one of the closers five years ago, now is with the team as a scout.
Italy also moved a step towards the Play-Offs by winning its second game on Tuesday-afternoon.
The reigning European champion won 6-3 vs. Nicaragua to hand that team its second loss.
The Dutch Team hit only six basehits in this game, but four of them were extra-basehits, three doubles and a triple.
Japan registered eight basehits.
...Shaldimar Daantji - 3-run double...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Both teams left a runner in scoring position in the first two at bats.
In the first Japanese inning, Dutch starter Rob Cordemans walked lead-off hitter Mitsugu Kitamichi, who then advanced on a sac-bunt, but stranded on second base.
The Dutch Team, which was retired in order in the first inning by Japanese starter Masamitsu Hamano, got on base with two outs in the second at bat.
Bryan Engelhardt then tripled and Vince Rooi walked, but this scoring opportunity ended when Danny Rombley struckout.
In the third inning, the Dutch squad left another runner in scoring position.
Shaldimar Daantji led off with a walk and was able to advance to second base when a bunt-attempt by Dwayne Kemp was caught, but then two flyouts followed.
Japan then opened the score in the home of the third inning.
Cordemans got two quick outs, but then gave up back-to-back doubles to Yoshinobu Kotegawa and Yuichi Tabata, leading to an 1-0 lead for the Asian squad.
But in the top of the fourth inning, the Dutch Team struck with four runs.
With one out, Sharlon Schoop doubled, then scored the tying run when a throwing error followed on a single by Bryan Engelhardt, which brought the batter to second base.
After the latter advanced to third on a failed pick-off, Vince Rooi walked, which led to a pitching change.
But new pitcher Koichi Kotaka got the bases loaded when everyone was safe on a fielder's choice-grounder by Danny Rombley.
Hereafter, Shaldimar Daantji cleared the bases when he drove a delivery into the outfield for a 3-run double that gave the Dutch a 4-1 lead.
Kotaka was replaced by Tomoyuki Kaida, who then got out of the inning by striking out Dwayne Kemp and getting a flyout from Mariekson Gregorius.
After retiring the side in the fourth, Cordemans gave up a lead-off single in the fifth, but forced out the runner himself on a comeback grounder.
With two outs, the veteran gave up another basehit, but again the runner was forced out.
...Rob Cordemans - winning pitcher...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
The Dutch Team threatened to score again in the sixth inning.
After Engelhardt lined out, Vince Rooi walked and Danny Rombley singled.
Rooi, who got injured running towards second base, was then replaced by pinch-runner Jonathan Schoop, while Japan brought in its fourth pitcher.
But after the two runners advanced on a double-steal, new pitcher Ken Togame struckout Shaldimar Daantji and Dwayne Kemp (his third time) to end the inning.
With a 4-1 lead, Diegomar Markwell took over the pitching for Cordemans in the seventh inning.
After two groundouts, the lefthander gave up a double to pinch-hitter Ryoichi Adachi, who then scored when Mitsugu Kitamichi singled.
But Markwell then ended the inning by picking off the runner from first base.
In the eighth inning, the Dutch Team got the bases loaded with two outs, but failed to add another run.
With one out, Bryan Engelhardt reached on an error.
After Jonathan Schoop struckout, Danny Rombley was hit by a pitch and was replaced by pinch-runner Kalian Sams.
The two runners then moved on a wild pitch and the bases got loaded when Shaldimar Daantji walked.
Another pitching change then followed and the inning ended when Dwayne Kemp hit a force play-grounder.
The Dutch Team then added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning.
Mariekson Gregorius led off with a walk and Sidney de Jong was hit by a pitch, which brought in the sixth Japanese pitcher.
But he was greeted with a double off the bat of Curt Smith that made it 5-2.
Then two outs followed and yet another pitcher entered the game, who then closed the inning with a groundout.
In the bottom of the ninth, Bergman gave up a lead-off single to Keiji Ikebe, then walked Yohei Kawato with one out.
But a flyout and force out then sealed the win and earned Bergman a save.
Today's starting line-up was as follows:
Dwayne Kemp (LF, 0-for-5), Mariekson Gregorius (SS, 0-for-3, two walks), Sidney de Jong (C, 0-for-4, HP), Curt Smith (1B, 1-for-5), Sharlon Schoop (2B, 1-for-5), Bryan Engelhardt (DH, 2-for-5), Vince Rooi (3B, 0-for-0, 3 walks), Danny Rombley (RF, 1-for-3, HP) and Shaldimar Daantji (CF, 1-for-2, 2 walks).
The following changes took place:
Jonathan Schoop (0-for-2) entered the game as pinch-runner for Rooi in the sixth inning and took over at third base and Kalian Sams (no at bat) pinch-ran for Rombley in the eighth inning and became the new rightfielder.
Also on Tuesday-afternoon:
Besides Canada beating Greece and Italy winning vs. Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic won big vs. Germany, 13-2 in seven innings.
On the first two days, the Germans registered two one-run losses vs. Nicaragua (5-4) and South Korea (6-5).
(October 4)
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