(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by FIBS)
  Netherlands wins European Under-18 Championship-title
Nederlands
  MACERATA / MONTEGRANARO (Italy) -
The Netherlands Under-18 Baseball Team has captured the title of the 31st European Under-18 Championship by winning 6-2 in the Final against host Italy on Sunday (July 11).
On Saturday, the Orange Team reached the Final by winning 4-2 against Germany in the Semi-Final.
Italy then won its Semi-Final against Spain with a 7-5 score.
Earlier on Saturday, Germany shutout Spain 10-0 to win the Bronze Medal.
The Semi-Finals and Finals were played in Macerata at the site of Macerata Angels.
During the event, games were also played in nearby Montegranaro.
It marks the third time in a row and 17th time overall that the Netherlands won the European title in what began as the European Championship Juniors in 1974.
The name changed to European Championship Under-18 in 2013.
The last time that the Netherlands won was in 2018 when the Championship also was held in Italy, but then in Grosseto.
The 31st Championship was initially scheduled to be played last year, but was postponed to this year due to the measures against the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Netherlands, led by Manager Eric de Bruin (who also led the team to the title in 2016 and 2018), opened the European Championship in Monday with what appeared to be a big and convincing 18-0 score against Israel.
It was indeed big and convincing, but the Orange Team led only 5-0 after six innings.
The team then rallied for 13 runs in the seventh (and final) inning.
On Wednesday, the Netherlands faced Italy in the preliminary round in Group A and lost 7-5.
The following day, the team won 11-7 against France, then closed with a 6-2 win against Lithuania on Friday.
With that the Netherlands finished in second place in Group A, meaning the team would meet Germany in the Semi-Final on Saturday.
Germany stayed unbeaten in Group B, winning three games.
In the Final on Sunday, the Netherlands opened the score with one run in the first inning, but Italy came alongside in the third.
After five scoreless innings, the Orange-squad then rallied for five runs in the seventh to take a decisive lead.
With one out in the top of the first inning, Mees Robberse tripled, then scored on a following grounder by Emilson Haswell.
Italy came close to tying the score in the bottom of the first inning off of Orange-starter Rick Rizvić.
He gave up a lead-off double to Federico Ricci, who moved to third base with one out on a wild pitch, but was left behind.
...The Netherlands Team celebrates winning...
...the European title...
(© Photo: FIBS) |
The Italian Team then did score the tying run in the bottom of the third inning.
Tommaso Adorni led off with a walk and scored on a 2-out double by Samuele Gamberini.
In the next three at bats, both teams got runners in scoring position, but failed to break the 1-1 tie.
The Netherlands got a runner on second base in the fourth and fifth inning.
Italy got runners on second and third base with one out in the fourth, but a double play then ended the at bat.
In the fifth and sixth inning, the home-team got runners on first and second base.
The Netherlands then struck with a 5-run rally in the seventh inning with three runs being scored with two outs.
Raydley Legito led off with a triple and with one out, Emilson Haswell was walked intentionally.
That might have been be a costly decision, as Jesse Velders followed with a 2-run double.
Next batter Luca Pastor singled, which led to runners on first and third base.
With two outs, the Orange Team got the bases loaded when Matis Crouwel walked.
All three runners then scored when Sem Kuijpers connected for a baseclearing, 3-run double that lifted the lead to 6-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Italy got one run back off of Stijn van der Schaaf, but got a chance to do some more scoring.
Van der Schaaf had taken over the pitching from Rick Rizvić in the third inning after the tying run was scored.
With one out in the seventh, Van der Schaaf gave up two singles, then got the bases loaded when he hit a batter.
He followed with a strikeout, but hit another batter which brought in a run.
With the bases still loaded, a flyout ended the game.
Stijn van der Schaaf was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Marten Blijleven was the Best Hitter with a .700 batting average and Paul Schmitz (Germany) won the award for Best Pitcher.
The roster of the Netherlands was as follows:
Pitchers: Cody Hendriks (+IF), Brandon Herbold, Koen van 't Klooster, Dorian Lippens, Mathijs Oosterbeek, Connor Prins, Rick Rizvić, Stijn van der Schaaf.
Catchers: Matis Crouwel (+1B), Sem Kuijper (+OF), Luca Pastor (+OF), Mees Robberse (+OF).
Infielders: Emilson Haswell, Sebastian van der Horst, Raydley Legito, Raphael Smeenk.
Outfielders: Paris Aguilera Zayas, Rodmar Angela, Marten Blijleven, Jesse Velders.
Coaching Staff: Eric de Bruin (Manager), Brian Larmonie (Coach), Danny Rombley (Coach), Nick Stuifbergen (Pitching Coach).
Supporting Staff: Pepijn van Ingen (Physical Therapist), Tjerk Smeets (Head of Delegation).
The Netherlands was also represented by Umpires Peter de Haan and Efrem Silvania, while Paul Bokern headed the Technical Commission.
(July 11)
Final Standings:
1. Netherlands, 2. Italy, 3. Germany, 4. Spain, 5. France, 6. Czech Republic, 7. Israel, 8. Austria, 9. Lithuania.
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