  Dutch shutout Czechs in rainy Ostrava
Nederlands
 OSTRAVA (Czech Republic) -
The Netherlands Baseball Team shutout the Czech Republic 7-0 tonight in a game that was halted after five complete innings due to rain and thunder.
The Dutch Team had to settle some things with the Czechs.
A little over two years ago, on September 9, 2012, when the Championship was held in the Netherlands, the Orange squad lost 3-2 in 10 innings in Rotterdam.
With that, the Czechs wrote history, as it was their first victory ever against the Dutch after having lost the seven previous games between the two countries.
Four players who were in today's starting line-up for the Dutch also played played two years ago, being Hainley Statia, Curt Smith, Kalian Sams and Nick Urbanus.
Starting today for the Czechs was Marek Minařík, who two years ago took over the pitching in the ninth inning and went on to become the winning pitcher.
Tonight, the righthander gave up five runs and six hits, including a homerun, in the first two innings and was relieved in the fourh at bat.
After starter Diegomar Markwell retired the side in the top of the first inning, the Dutch Team got on base immediately.
Randolph Oduber led off the bottom of the first with a single in his first Orange at bat since having played for the team during last years World Baseball Classic.
Oduber then stole second base and scored the first run when an error followed after an infield-hit by Curt Smith, who himself stranded on third base.
Later in the at bat, Kalian Sams walked with two outs and was left on second base.
Oduber had joined the team on Friday-afternoon, arriving from the States, where he had completed his minor league-season last Wednesday-evening, celebrating the championship in the Carolina League with the Potomac Nationals (Single-A).
With the addition of Oduber, Manager Steve Janssen tonight fielded a team that had active professionals on every fielding position.
The lone exceptions in the line-up were Gianison Boekhoudt, who was the designated hitter and starting pitcher Diegomar Markwell.
Four runs were added with two outs in the second inning to raise the lead to a comfortable 5-0.
Yurendell de Caster and Sharlon Schoop began the inning with singles, then moved on a sacrifice bunt by Nick Urbanus.
With two outs, they scored on a single by Hainley Statia, then Curt Smith followed with a 2-run homerun.
...Curt Smith is greeted by 3B Coach Ben Thijssen...
...after hitting a 2-run homerun in the second inning...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the third inning, Shawn Zarraga and Yurendell de Caster singled with one out.
The latter was then forced out on second base on a grounder by Sharlon Schoop, which ended in a double play.
Trying to complete a double play at first base, Zarraga raced home trying to score, but was eliminated at the plate, meaning the Czechs turned a double play after all.
The Dutch then added only one run in the fourth inning, despite having the bases loaded with one out, as the inning ended with another double play.
With one out, the bases got loaded when Randolph Oduber doubled, Hainley Statia walked and Curt Smith was hit by a pitch.
That marked the end for Marek Minařík, who was replaced by Tomáš Duffek.
He faced Gianison Boekhoudt, who delivered a sacrifice fly, scoring Oduber, but that also resulted in a double play.
Besides Oduber, Statia and Smith also tried to advance, but Statia was eliminated at third base for the third out, however, that happened after Oduber scored.
In the meantime, Dutch starter Diegomar Markwell held the Czech offense hitless for four innings.
He allowed two batters to reach base via a walk and hit batter and was supported with a double play in the second inning.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Czechs broke the No-Hitter and threatened to score.
Jakub Malík led off with a double, then the bases got loaded with two outs when Michal Ondráček walked and Jakub Hajtmar singled.
But a flyout then avoided a run.
The seventh Dutch run was scored in the fifth inning.
Kalian Sams led off with a double, moved on a single by Shawn Zarraga, then scored when the Czech defense turned its third double play in three innings on a grounder by Yurendell de Caster.
After completion of the fifth inning, the game was interrupted by rain and thunder.
After a delay of some 30 minutes, the game was stopped definitively, ending in a 5-inning, 7-0 win for the Orange squad.
The Dutch line-up was as follows:
Randolph Oduber (LF, 2-for-3), Hainley Statia (2B, 1-for-2), Curt Smith (1B, 2-for-2), Gianison Boekhoudt (DH, 0-for-2), Kalian Sams (CF, 1-for-2), Shawn Zarraga (C, 2-for-3), Yurendell de Caster (RF, 2-for-3), Sharlon Schoop (SS, 1-for-3), Nick Urbanus (3B, 0-for-1).
...Manager Steve Janssen greets his players...
...during the introductions before the game... |
...Yurendell de Caster, Kalian Sams and Gianison Boekhoudt...
...listen to the Dutch National Anthem... |
...Winning pitcher Diegomar Markwell... |
...Randolph Oduber steals 2nd base in the 1st inning... |
...Kalian Sams also steals 2nd base in the 1st at bat... |
...Shawn Zarraga is eliminated at home in the 3rd inning... |
| (© All Photos: Henk Seppen) |
In other games today:
Group A
 REGENSBURG (Germany)
The day began early for Sweden and Great Britain, who had to make up their rained out game of yesterday.
And so, they started at 9:30 AM with their game, which ended in a 7-1 win for the British squad.
Starting pitcher Spencer Kreisberg gave up only two hits in eight innings, then David Rees completed the game.
The British Team collected 11 basehits, including three by Zachary Wiley, who also scored three runs and hit a 3-run homerun in the ninth inning to decide the game.
Sweden trailed only 2-1 when the eighth inning began, then the British added a run and scored four more in the ninth.
Mitch Evans homered in the first inning.
After completing its game against the British, Sweden had to play its next game immediately thereafter against Italy and this time lost 12-3.
Italy registered 14 basehits, including three by Alberto Mineo and veteran Mario Chiarini, who both hit two doubles.
Alex Sambucci contributed with a 3-run homerun that highlighted a 6-run rally in the third inning.
In its second game today, Great Britain initially took a 3-0 lead in the second inning vs. France, but ended up empty-handed.
France tied the score in the third inning and the score was still tied (4-4) after nine innings, leading to extra innings.
France then rallied for five runs in the top of the tenth inning and went on to win 9-5.
France outhit the Britisch Team 11-5.
Jacques Boucheron had three basehits, while Frederic Hanvy homered twice.
In the evening, Day 2 of the Championship ended with a 6-2 victory for Germany vs. Beglium.
After opening the event on Friday with a 3-2 loss vs. France, the Germans almost were left empty-handed again tonight.
The score remained scoreless for five innings.
After leaving seven runners in the first five innings, including the bases loaded in the second, the Germans scored its first run in the bottom of the sixth off of Belgian starter Kenny Van Den Branden, who this season made his debut in the Dutch big league, playing for UVV.
With one out, Ludwig Glaser walked and went on to score on a double by Maik Ehmcke, but two more runners stranded as two strikeouts followed.
German pitcher Harry Glynne retired the first 12 batters he faced.
His Perfect Game ended when he hit lead-off hitter Thomas De Wolf in the fifth inning, but he held his No-Hitter intact, then retired the side again in the sixth.
In the top of the seventh inning, Belgium broke both the No-Hitter and the ShutOut of Glynne.
With one out, Benjamin Dille singled to break the No-Hitter, then scored when Thomas De Wolf followed with a homerun to give Belgium a 2-1 lead!
Unfortunately for the Belgians, the game turned the way of the Germans in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Ben Van Nuffel took over the pitching and gave up a lead-off single.
After walking a batter with one out, he was relieved by Kevin Desmedt and then Germany struck.
A pinch-hit single by Max Boldt tied the score, then Moritz Buttgereit followed with a 2-run single to give Germany a 4-2 lead.
A double steal then led to the fifth German run moments later.
After an error led to another runner, Yannick Gontier became the third Belgian pitcher in this inning, but he was greeted with an RBI-single by Ludwig Glaser that made it 6-2.
Harry Glynne, who had given up only three hits, was relieved by Enorbel Márquez Ramírez in the ninth inning, who completed the game for Germany.
He gave up an out-single to Benjamin Dille, but also struckout two batters.
The 39-year old lefthander, who was born in Cuba, but lives in Germany since 2004 then walked Dennis De Quint.
The game then ended when Vincent King lined out.
Group B
OSTRAVA (Czech Republic)
Spain won its second game by handing Croatia its second loss.
After losing 19-2 to the Netherlands on Friday, Croatia today was beaten 18-2 by Spain.
The Spaniards collected 17 basehits, including three by Oscar Angulo and Fernando Martinez.
Spain hit five homeruns, including two by Jesus Golindano, who had five runs batted in.
Angulo, Jesus Ustariz and Leonardo Hernandez accounted for the other homeruns.
Angulo and Ustariz also homered on Friday in the opener against Greece, which saw John Paul Koulotouros homer.
Leslie Nacar went the distance for Spain in the 6-inning game and gave up six hits.
Russia won big with a 14-1 vs. Greece in a 6½ inning game.
Russia, which rallied for seven runs in the sixth inning, had 14 basehits, including three by Ivan Korneev, who also had four RBI's.
Nikita Monakhov and Viacheslav vasilyev homered for Russia.
(September 13)
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