   Small win Dutch BB Team in France
Nederlands
 LIEUSAINT (Seine-et-Marne), SÉNART VILLE NOUVELLE (France) -
The Netherlands Baseball Team started the Yoshida Challenge, the international tournament in France, tonight (Saturday, September 6) with a small 2-0 victory against Seino Unyu, the representative of Japan in the event.
Last Thursday, the Japanese squad surprisingly lost 8-7 to organisor France in an exhibition game.
Earlier today, France won 6-3 vs. Belgium.
The Dutch Team reached base only four times in the first six innings off of veteran pitcher Shoji Saeki.
The 31-year old pitcher went the distance, struckout seven batters and gave up nine basehits, five of which came in the seventh and eighth inning.
Saeki is an old acquaintance of the Dutch Team, as he also faced the squad during the Haarlem Baseball Week in 2006.
Back then, the Orange won only 6-5.
The Japanese team reached base seven times in its first five innings off of starter Diegomar Markwell.
The team was more productive, as it got a runner on second base with one out in the first inning and had runners on first and second base in the second at bat.
The runner in the first at bat was eliminated on a grounder, followed by an inning-ending strikeout.
In the second, a line drive led to an inning-ending double play.
The Dutch defense turned another double play in the fourth.
The fourth inning was the lone productive at bat for the Dutch, before reaching base again in the seventh.
Saeki had retired the first seven batters he faced, then gave up an one-out single to Kevin Moesquit, but he was caught stealing with two outs to end the inning.
In the fourth, with two outs, Yurendell de Caster and Gianison Boekhoudt singled, then Kalian Sams added another single to give the Dutch a minimal lead.
After giving up the single to Sams, Saeki retired eight batters in a row again.
With one out in the seventh, Sams then reached base again on a single and Dashenko Ricardo singled with two outs, but the two stranded.
In the eighth inning, the Dutch Team added an insurance run.
With two outs, Nick Urbanus singled, then moved to third base on a single by Yurendell de Caster and scored on a single by Gianison Boekhoudt to make it 2-0.
In the top of the sixth inning, Kevin Heijstek took over for Markwell and he had a strong outing.
The righthander retired nine batters in a row, then gave up a lead-off triple in the ninth inning to Shingo Tomyo.
But hereafter, two grounders and a strikeout followed to end the game.
The Dutch line-up was as follows:
Gilmer Lampe (LF, 0-for-4), Nick Urbanus (3B, 1-for-4), Yurendell de Caster (1B, 2-for-4), Gianison Boekhoudt (DH, 2-for-4), Kalian Sams (CF, 2-for-4), Danny Rombley (RF, 0-for-3), Dashenko Ricardo (C, 1-for-3), Kevin Moesquit (2B, 1-for-3), Michael Duursma (SS, 0-for-3).
(September 6)
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