(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
             
Netherlands Juveniles fourth; Italy Champion; Umpire Loock Home Plate in Final
Nederlands
 BUDAPEST (Hungary) -
The Netherlands Juveniles Team closed the 13th European Championship Juveniles on Sunday (July 8) with a 10-3 loss against Russia to finish in fourth place.
Italy shutout the Czech Republic 11-0 in the Final to win its second consecutive European Championship-title.
Dutch Umpire Antoine Loock was behind the plate in the Final.
For Loock, this was his first international event.
In the Final, he was joined by Georg Veit (Austria) at first base and Gabor Erdos (Great Britain) at third base.
Italy rallied for six runs in the third inning, then added five runs in the fifth at bat.
The Italians collected eight basehits, while the Czechs recorded only one.
For Italy, this was its second European title.
And also its second in a row, as the team also captured the title last year in Vleuten (Netherlands).
A year ago, Italy also recorded a big win in the Final, winning 12-1 against France.
During that event, the Netherlands finished in fifth place after winning 9-5 against Russia.
However, today, it was Russia that won with a 10-3 score to capture the bronze medal.
The Netherlands faced a quick deficit and already trailed 7-0 after three innings.
Russia opened the score with one run in the first at bat, then added two in the second inning.
A 4-run rally followed in the third.
In the top of the seventh inning, Russia increased its lead to 10-0 when Maxim Poezhaev hit a 3-run inside-the-park-homerun.
The Netherlands was held scoreless in six innings, but then scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
But of course, that was too late and not enough.
Trailing 1-0, the Orange-squad left runners behind on second and third base in the bottom of the first inning when a strikeout closed the at bat.
In the second inning, now trailing 3-0, the Netherlands again left runners behind on second and third base.
In the next four innings, only one more Dutch runner got into scoring position.
Trailing 10-0, three Dutch runs were scored in the bottom of the seventh.
With one out, pinch-hitter Kimi Verkruijssen singled and Leandro Salazar Mata walked.
Both scored when next hitter Amarensio Franka followed with a triple.
Otis Ward then reached on an infield-hit, which kept Franka on third base, but he then scored on a grounder by Jamie Beerman.
Another batter then reached base when Mats van het Land walked, but they stranded when a grounder ended the inning and the game.
(July 8)
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