(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
             
Netherlands Juveniles too strong for Belgium
Nederlands
 BUDAPEST (Hungary) -
After being left empty-handed on Wednesday, the Netherlands Juveniles Team added another big victory on Thursday (July 5) on Day 6 of the 13th European Championship Juveniles in Hungarian capital Budapest.
On Wednesday, the Orange-squad suffered a big 18-1 loss against reigning champion Italy.
On Thursday, the team recovered and won with an 18-4 score against Belgium.
In its first three games, the Netherlands won big against Austria (19-4), Croatia (20-0) and Slovakia (26-2).
Following the match-up between the Netherlands and Belgium was the crucial game between Italy and Germany in Pool A.
Both teams were unbeaten, having won four games in the previous days.
Italy again recorded a comfortable victory, defeating Germany with a 13-3 score.
On Friday, the Netherlands and Germany close the preliminary round against each other in another crucial game.
The winner of this game will advance to the Sem-Final, while the losing team will play for fifth and sixth place on Sunday-morning.
The two Semi-Finals will be played on Saturday-afternoon, with the two winners qualifying for the Final on Sunday.
In its game against Belgium, the Netherlands briefly trailed 2-1 after the first inning, but the team then rallied for seven runs in the second at bat.
Belgium narrowed the deficit to 8-4 by scoring twice in the third ining.
The Orange-squad then decided the game by scoring five runs in both the fourth and fifth inning.
The Netherlands Team collected 12 basehits, including two by Amarensio Franka, Otis Ward, Jamie Beerman and Kimi Verkruijssen.
Franka and Beerman both batted in three runs.
Franka also scored three runs, as did Jayden Fraay and Leandro Salazar Mata.
Franka led off the game with an inside-the-park-homerun in the top of the first inning.
That lead was shortlived, as Belgium answered with two runs in its first at bat off of starter Salazar.
Noah Dassy then led off with a double and scored when Nando Mostaert homered with one out.
The Netherlands then rallied for seven runs in the second inning on three basehits and six walks.
In the fourth, three runs were added on singles by Verkruijssen and Franka, a 2-run double by Beerman and a wild pitch.
In the fifth inning, Verkruijssen added a runscoring single, while Salazar, Ward and Beerman connected for an RBI-double.
(July 5)
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