(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Alfred Cop)
   Dutch U21 Team opens WC with big loss
Nederlands
 TAICHUNG (Taiwan) -
The Netherlands U21 Baseball Team opened the first-ever World Baseball U21 Championship today with a big 10-1 loss against Australia.
Yesterday, on the first day of action, the Orange squad had no games scheduled.
Australia then lost 9-7 to Japan.
Dutch Umpire Winfried Berkvens did get into action on the first day.
He was at second base in the game of Nicaragua vs. Venezuela, which was the first game to be played in the event.
Nicaragua won 18-5.
Both are also will meet the Dutch Team later in Group B, which is compiled of five teams.
In Group A, there are six teams.
Today, Berkvens was behind the plate in the match-up between Czech Republic and Taiwan.
During the Official Opening Ceremony yesterday, Berkvens had a special assignment, as he had the honor to take the oath on behalf of all officials.
Besides the Netherlands, Europe is also represented by Italy and the Czech Republic.
Both have played their first two games.
Italy opened with a win vs. New Zealand (7-1) and today lost to South Korea (12-6).
The Czechs were beaten by South Korea (15-5) and Taiwan (16-1).
At Dou-Liu Baseball Stadium, Dutch starter Maickel Rietel did a fine job and held Australia scoreless in four innings.
The righthander, who pitched in the Dutch big league for Mr. Cocker HCAW this season, struckout four batters, walked two and gave up only two basehits.
But hereafter, from the fifth inning on, the Dutch bullpen was unable to stop Australia from scoring.
In the last five innings, the Aussies not only scored 10 runs, but also registered nine baseshits off of five different pitchers.
Entwin Reigina took over the pitching from Rietel in the fifth inning, but immediately ran into problems.
He walked the first two batters he faced and was replaced by Kaj Timmermans.
He saw the runners advance on a sacrifice bunt, then gave up a 2-run single to Aaron Sayers.
After another single and a sacrifice fly, Timmermans uncorked a wild pitch, then gave up an RBI-triple to Zachary Shepherd, who then scored on a throwing error to make it 5-0.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Dutch Team got one run back.
Kirvin Moesquit led off with a walk, moved on a passed ball and a flyout, then scored on a grounder by Daniel Fernandes.
But this was to be the lone Dutch run in this game.
In the top of the sixth inning, with one out and a runner on first base, Reggie Bomberg was brought in to relief Timmermans.
He gave up a 2-out double, but with runners at second and third base, a grounder ended the Australian at bat.
In the seventh, Bomberg gave up a lead-off double, but was later supported with an inning-ending double play.
Australia then added three runs in the eighth inning off of new pitcher Tom de Blok.
He walked lead-off hitter Robbie Perkins, who then advanced on a wild pitch and a grounder and went on to score on a single by Adam Silva.
The latter then scored the next run when Ben Leslie followed with a double.
A wild pitch brought Leslie to third base and he scored the third run in the inning on a force play-grounder.
Australia scored its final two runs in the ninth inning off of Bayron Cornelisse, the sixth Dutch pitcher.
He hit lead-off batter Shepherd with a pitch, then gave up a double to Guy Edmonds.
A wild pitch and a grounder then produced the two Australian runs and lifted the lead to 10-1.
The Dutch Team collected only four basehits off of four pitchers.
With one out in the first inning, Dudley Leonora singled.
The Dutch Team was then held hitless in the second and third inning, before connecting for two more hits in the fourth at bat.
With one out, Cezan Rafaela and Urving Kemp both singled.
The two advanced on a wild pitch, but then were left behind when a strikeout and groundout followed.
In the seventh inning, Dennis Gustina led off with a single, the fourth and last Dutch hit in this game.
The Dutch Team stranded nine runners.
The last of them was left behind in the ninth inning.
Facing new pitcher Joshua Silvi, pinch-hitter Kevin Moesquit led off with a walk, but then three strikeouts followed to end the game.
| Pitchers |
| Pitcher | INN | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Maickel Rietel | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | - | - |
| Entwin Reigina, L (0-1) | - (*) | - | 2 | - | 2 | 2 |
| Kaj Timmermans | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Reggie Bomberg | 1.2 | - | 1 | 2 | - | - |
| Tom de Blok | 1 | - | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Bayron Cornelisse | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| (*) - Reigina pitched to two batters in the fifth inning |
Today's starting line-up was as follows:
Kirvin Moesquit (2B, 0-for-3), Dudley Leonora (SS, 1-for-3), Daniel Fernandes (RF, 0-for-4), Aldair Adamus (C, 0-for-4), Kevin Weijgertse (1B, 0-for-2), Cezan Rafaela (3B, 1-for-3), Urving Kemp (LF, 1-for-3), Steven Wharwood (DH, 0-for-3), Dennis Gustina (CF, 1-for-3).
In the top of the 6th inning, Jorin van Amstel (0-for-1) came in for Weijgertse and went on to play at 3B, while Rafaela moved to 2B, Moesquit to SS and Leonora to 1B.
In the bottom of the 9th inning, Kevin Moesquit (0-for-0) pinch-hit for Kemp, Jules Peters (0-for-1) pinch-hit for Wharwood and Milton Croes (0-for-1) pinch-hit for Gustina.
Other scores:
Friday, November 7
Group B - Venezuela vs. Nicaragua, 5-18
Group B - Australia vs. Japan, 7-9
Group A - Italy vs. New Zealand, 7-1
Group A - Czech Republic vs. South Korea, 5-15
Group A - Taiwan vs. Mexico, 15-0 (6 inn.)
Saturday, November 8
Group A - Mexico vs. New Zealand, 5-9
Group A - Czech Republic vs. Taiwan, 1-16
Group B - Netherlands vs. Australia, 1-10
Group A - South Korea vs. Italy, 12-6
Group B - Venezuela vs. Japan, 1-11 (7 inn.)
(November 8)
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