(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
  Netherlands captures 22nd European baseball-title
Nederlands
 HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
The Netherlands Kingdom Team captured its 22nd European baseball-title on Sunday (September 18) by winning a thrilling final against Spain with a 3-2 score in ten innings.
It was the third tough game in four days for the Orange squad after having won only 1-0 against Spain on Thursday and 6-5 in ten innings against Italy on Friday.
In the second inning, the Netherlands got the bases loaded with no outs when Gianison Boekhoudt led off with a double, Dwayne Kemp was hit by a pitch and Randolph Oduber's sacrifice bunt ended in an error.
Hereafter, Nick Urbanus delivered a 2-run single to give the Dutch an early lead.
However, the team was unable to take more distance in the following innings.
Urbanus started at second base today, instead of Dwayne Kemp, who was moved to the outfield to fill in for Kalian Sams.
Since the early morning, Sams had been in the hospital to be with his girlfriend, who gave birth to their first child, son Dean, who was born in the afternoon.
In the sixth inning, off of Lars Huijer, Spain left three runners behind.
Huijer had taken over the pitching in the fifth inning for veteran righthander Rob Cordemans, who threw the first four innings.
In the eighth, Shairon Martis became the third Dutch pitcher, but he gave up a 2-run homerun to Jesus Martinez that tied the score.
In the bottom of the eighth, Yurendell De Caster led off with a double for the Orange, then Gianison Boekhoudt was walked intentionally with one out.
Kalian Sams, who had entered the game in the top of the eighth, then delivered a single, which would have loaded the bases.
However, on the throw from the outfield to the plate, the ball came loose for a moment at the catcher and at that moment, Boekhoudt took off towards third base.
There, De Caster was still standing, as he was stopped there by 3B Coach Ben Thijssen.
Boekhoudt of course was eliminated, then a strikeout ended this scoring opportunity.
As both teams were retired in order in the ninth, the game went into extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, Dutch closer Loek van Mil had runners on second and third base with one out, then struckout the next two batters.
In the bottom of the 10th, tie-break runners Dashenko Ricardo (2nd base) and Stijn van der Meer (1st base) advanced when Christopher Garia was hit by a pitch.
Hereafter, Yurendell De Caster (who was the Best Hitter of the event) drilled the ball up the middle for a walk-off, runscoring single that gave the Netherlands a 3-2 win and the European title.
(September 18)
(more later)
(complete recaps and a lookback to the European Championship are coming up)
...Players, coaches and staff-members celebrate the 22nd European Championship-title...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
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