   Dutch BB Women also end up short vs. Hong Kong
Nederlands
 MIYAZAKI (Japan) -
The Netherlands Women Baseball Team closed the Second Round of the Women's Baseball World Cup in Japan today (Saturday, September 6) with a 19-11 loss against Hong Kong.
Before today's game, Hong Kong also had lost all of its games, including a 19-0 shutout vs. Japan and 29-1 loss vs. Australia in the First Round, but also a narrow 5-4 defeat vs. Venezuela.
In the Second Round, Hong Kong lost 19-4 to Chinese Taipei before facing the Dutch today.
And so, today's game was a win possibility for the Dutch Women.
However, the game was decided in the first inning, as Hong Kong rallied for seven runs.
The Asian squad increased the lead to 9-0 in the third, before the Dutch could do something back.
After scoring a run in the bottom of the third, the Orange rallied for five runs in the fourth, but then Hong Kong reacted with three runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to make it a 17-6 lead.
Again, the Dutch scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth, but couldn't turn the game around anymore.
Hong Kong then added two more runs in the seventh to bring the final score to 19-11.
The Dutch Team meets Hong Kong again on Sunday-morning in the game for 7th and 8th place.
Japan and USA will the all-deciding final.
Japan reached the final by winning 12-2 vs. Canada to increase its World Cup winning streak to eleven games.
Canada will meet Australia in the bronze medal game.
Australian player Leigh Godfrey, who last season played in the Dutch big league for Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem, has the opportunity of becoming the first player in history to earn a medal in both the Womens's Baseball and Softball World Championship.
Last month, she won the bronze medal during the World Championship Softball in Haarlem (Netherlands).
In the first inning, Hong Kong scored its seven runs on only two basehits.
Hong Kong was able to score its first four runs very easy, as Dutch starter Jessica Kroeskop walked the first seven (!) batters she faced.
With the bases loaded, she was relieved by Anouk Vergunst, who was greeted with an RBI-single by Wing Ki Mui.
After a fly ball behind the infield (no infield fly) then accounted for the first out, Tsz Ching Lau added a 2-run single that made it a 7-0 score.
A force out and groundout then finally ended the long inning.
But it was too late, as the deficit proofed to be too much.
Trailing 9-0, the Dutch Team scored its first run in the bottom of the third inning when pinch-runner Kelly Zuurendonk scored on a force play-grounder.
The deficit was then narrow to 9-6 when a 5-run rally followed in the fourth at bat on only one basehit.
This time, it was Hong Kong-pitcher Hei Ting Lau, who had problems finding the strike-zone.
With one out, she walked two batters, then with two outs uncorked a wild pitch and walked the next two batters to bring in a run.
A pitching change followed, then the Dutch added a run when Kyra van Genderen reached on an error.
A wild pitch and a basesloaded hit batter for Esther Maliepaard brought in two more runs.
The bases were reloaded when Famke Gildemacher walked and then Marije Filius hit the lone basehit in the inning to make it 9-6.
After another pitching change, three runners were left behind, as a flyout ended the inning.
Hong Kong took more distance by scoring three runs in the fifth and five in the sixth to make it a 17-6 score.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Orange had another 5-run rally to make it 17-11.
Pinch-hitter Thari Diefenbach led off with a double.
She later scored on a single by Loes Asmus, then more runs were added on a basesloaded walk for Annemiek Koehorst and hit batter for Paulieke Breukers.
An error gave the Dutch two more runs, but that was it for the Orange squad.
(September 6)
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