...Sergio Pellissier throws the...
...ceremonial first pitch...
(© Ph: K73-Oldmanagency/FIBS) |
The first game was played at Stadio Gavagnin in Verona.
It marked the first time that the Netherlands played in this wellknown beautiful city since September 2, 1988.
On that day, the Netherlands was shutout 9-0 by the USA during the World Championship.
During the pre-game activities, the ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Italian soccer-player Sergio Pellissier, who is the team-captain of Chievo Verona.
After having played one season for Torino (Serie A, 1997-1998), he played for Varese 1910 (Serie C1, 1998-2000) and SPAL 1907 (Serie C1, 2000-2002).
Since 2002, Pellissier plays for Verona, where he has played in more than 400 games in Serie A and Serie B and became a club-icon.
In 2009, he played in one game for the Italian National Team in a friendly match against Northern Ireland.
Also before the game, Andrea Marcon and Fabrizio De Robbio, respectively President and Vice-President of the Italian Baseball and Softball Federation, handed out commemorative medals to the members of the Italian Juvenile Baseball Team that captured the title this year at the Under-12 European Championship in July in Vleuten (Netherlands).
The Netherlands Team faced 32-year old righthander Alessandro Maestri, who has traveled around the world, playing in several professional leagues since 2006.
After having played for San Marino in the Italian Baseball League in 2005, Maestri was signed by the Chicago Cubs.
From 2006, Maestri played five seasons in the Minor Leagues for the Cubs, reaching Double-A in 2008-2010, before being released in April 2011.
He then played for Lincoln Saltdogs (independent) in 2011, which was followed by a season in the Australian Baseball League, where he played for Brisbane Bandits.
Maestri briefly returned to Italy in 2012 when he played for Rimini, but in the same year, he also played for Kagawa Olive Guyners in the Japanese Shikoku Island League (independent).
2012 also was his first of four seasons with Orix Buffaloes in the Japanese Major League (Nippon Professional Baseball).
Hereafter, Maestri played in the Korean Major League (Korean Baseball Organization) for Hanwha Eagles in 2016, but he was released in June of that year.
Maestri then returned to Japan, where he finished the 2016 season with Gunma Diamond Pegasus in the independent Baseball Challenge League.
In April of this year, Maestri signed with Rojos de Águila de Veracruz in the Mexican League.
There, he pitched in 19 games (all starts) and was 3-8 with a 4.06 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 95 1/3 inning.
Oh, he also pitched for Italy in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic.
The experienced veteran retired the Orange-side in the first inning, but got his first baserunner in the second at bat when Dudley Leonora doubled with one out.
Hereafter, Linoy Croes had a strong 8-pitch at bat.
Croes, who made his National Team-debut, fouled off three pitches, but then flied out to leftfield.
A strikeout ended the inning.
Maestri also retired the side in the third inning.
But in the fourth inning, the Netherlands opened the score when Kalian Sams led off with a homerun.
Maestri recovered immediately and retired the next three batters, which included his fifth strikeout.
Kevin Heijstek started for the Netherlands and was supported with some nice defensive plays.
In the first inning, the righthander gave up a lead-off bad-hop single to Sebastiano Poma, as the ball jumped over second baseman Nick Urbanus.
With one out, he was eliminated when Urbanus started a double play.
In the second inning, Robel García Rodríguez led off for Italy with a single, but he also was eliminated in a double play that was started by third baseman Dwayne Kemp.
Next hitter Alberto Mineo then singled, but the inning ended when Urbanus caught a line drive from Mattia Reginatto.
The third Italian at bat began with a great diving catch by short stop Stijn van der Meer on a line drive from Paolino Ambrosino.
Heijstek followed with a strikeout and a walk, but a flyout ended the inning.
...Kalian Sams homered doubled and...
...scored both runs for the Netherlands...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Trailing 1-0, Italy came alongside in its fourth at bat when Nicola Garbella also led off with a homerun.
Like Maestri, Heijstek recovered immediately and retired the next three hitters, one of them with a strikeout.
Maestri retired the side in the top of the fifth and added his sixth strikeout in what was the last inning he pitched.
In the bottom of the fifth, Maickel Rietel took over the Dutch pitching and made his National Team-debut.
After a groudout, he recorded his first strikeout.
Rietel then hit Mattia Mercuri with a pitch, but a flyout closed his first inning in an Orange uniform.
In the top of the sixth, Italy also went to the bullpen, as Dominican-born Yomel Rivera became the new pitcher.
He gave up an one-out double down the leftfield-line to Stijn van der Meer, who advanced on a grounder by Kalian Sams, but then was left behind.
Moments later, Italy took the lead by scoring two runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth off of Maickel Rietel.
With one out, Nicola Garbella singled.
The American-born Garbella then stole second base and was able to advance to third base on a throwing error by catcher Rodney Daal, another player who made his Orange-debut.
Rietel followed with a strkeout, but hereafter, Alex Sambucci singled to bring in Garbella and put Italy ahead, 2-1.
Sambucci moved to third base when Alberto Mineo singled and scored on a following single by Mattia Reginatto.
Rietel closed with another strikeout, but the Netherlands trailed 3-1.
The Dutch offense was retired in order again in the seventh by Rivera and the eighth by new pitcher Ludovico Coveri.
Mike Bolsenbroek took over the Orange-pitching in the bottom of the seventh and also retired the side.
In the eighth, he gave up an one-out single to Dominican-born Robel García Rodríguez, but hereafter, the Dutch defense turned its third double play of the evening.
The Dutch offense was limited to only three hits in eight innings, but then added two more in the ninth at bat, resulting in a run.
With one out, Kalian Sams doubled and advanced on a grounder by Dwayne Kemp.
Another Orange hitter reached base when Nick Urbanus walked and hereafter, Dudley Leonora delivered a runscoring single that made it a 3-2 score.
With the tying run on third base, the game ended when Linoy Croes popped out.
The following players played for the Netherlands:
Stijn van der Meer (SS, 1-for-4, double, strikeout), Kalian Sams (CF, 2-for-4, double, homerun, 2 runs, RBI), Dwayne Kemp (3B-LF, 0-for-4, RBI), Nick Urbanus (2B, 0-for-3, walk, strikeout), Dudley Leonora (1B, 2-for-4, strikeout), Linoy Croes (DH, 0-for-4), Daniel Fernandes (LF, 0-for-2, 2 strikeouts), Max Draijer (PH-3B, 0-for-1, strikeout), Rodney Daal (C, 0-for-3), Remco Draijer (RF, 0-for-3, 2 strikeouts).
Kevin Heijstek, Maickel Rietel and Mike Bolsenbroek were the Orange pitchers.
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Netherlands opens European Baseball Series with small loss
VERONA (Italy) -
Italy won with a small 3-2 score against the Netherlands in the opening game of the third edition of the European Baseball Series on Friday-evening (October 20) in the Italian city of Verona.
In this years Series, three games will be played between the two European baseball-powerhouses.
The next game will be played on Saturday in Godo (5 PM), the third one on Sunday in Codogno (3 PM).
129th international game in history of the Netherlands against Italy.