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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by World Baseball Softball Confederation) Netherlands eliminated via mercy-rule shutout vs. Venezuela in final game Premier12 Nederlands ZAPOPAN/GUADALAJARA, Jalisco / TEPIC, Nayarit (Mexico) / TAIPEI (Taiwan) - The Netherlands Baseball Team was eliminated for the Super Round on Thursday-afternoon (November 14) after it was handed a big 11-0 shutout, mercy-rule loss by Venezuela, which qualified for the final round with this win. For the Netherlands, this was the team's fifth and final game of the third edition of the Premier12. The Orange-team won two of these games. The Netherlands Kingdom Team opened the global event on Saturday with a spectacular come-from-behind 9-8 victory in a 10-inning thriller against Panama. The next day, the Orange-team was handed a big 8-inning, 12-2 mercy-rule loss by the USA. On Tuesday, the Netherlands recorded a huge 20-8 victory in a record-setting, 7-inning game against Puerto Rico. On Wednesday, the team appeared to be en route to a victory against Mexico, but ended up empty-handed. The Orange-team initially trailed early, but came back strongly and led 6-4 after seven innings, but suffered a very costly 8-6 loss, thanks to a Mexican grand slam homerun in the eighth inning. Due to the loss on Wednesday, the Netherlands was in a much-win situation today. But even with a win, the team depend on the results of the final two games that were played in the evening. Only in the right combination, the Netherlands could have qualified for the Super Round. A three-way tie also would have been a possibility with an Orange-win and in that case, the final score of the Netherlands vs. Venezuela game will be of importance for the tie-break to determine the final ranking. But it didn't come that far, as the Netherlands played an unproductive game against Venezuela and managed to collect only three basehits, while remaining scoreless in Zapopan. As a result, it was handed a convincing, mercy-rule loss. And so, Venezuela qualified for the Super Round, while the Netherlands was eliminated. In the evening, the final two games in Group A were played, which would be decisive to determine the second finalist. Mexico, Panama and the USA were all still in the race to qualify. Although being played in two different time-zones, these games went underway at the same time. In Zapopan, the USA recorded a comfortable 12-2 win in seven innings against Mexico and with that everything was decided. With the win, the USA became the second finalist, while Mexico and Panama were eliminated. Panama also needed to win against Puerto Rico, which it did with a 4-3 score in Tepic. However, in order to advance, Panama needed a loss from the USA. In that scenario, Panama would end up in a tie with Mexico and would advance based on the head-to-head result. But seven minutes before Panama's game ended, the USA concluded its game. And so, Panama was eliminated despite recording the necessary win themselves. ...Venezuela celebrates qualifying for the Super Round... (© Photo: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)) Venezuela and the USA now will travel to Japan for the Super Round, which begins on November 21 and will be played in the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. There, they will be joined by the two best teams of Group B, which opened yesterday. Today, in Taipei (Taiwan), two games were played in Group B. In the afternoon, in Tianmu Stadium, South Korea won 8-4 against Cuba, which also had lost its first game. Third baseman Do-Yeong Kim homered twice for South Korea. In the evening, host Chinese Taipei nipped the Dominican Republic, 2-1, in the Taipei Dome, to win its second game. Dutch umpire Edwin Louisa had no assignment today. Jan Kuipers was one of the two Technical Commissioners for the afternoon-game. It marks the second time in a row that the Netherlands was eliminated for the Super Round. In 2019, during the second edition of the Premier12, there was another format, as there were three 4-team Pools. The two best teams (six in total) advanced to the Super Round. The Netherlands then also played in the Mexican city of Zapopan in the Group-stage. Back then, the Netherlands was eliminated after losing all three games played. The first edition of the global event in 2015 also had a different format. There were two 6-team Pools that were both played in Taiwan, except for the opening-game (in Pool B) that was played in Japan. The four best teams of each Group advanced to the Quarter Finals. The Netherlands then finished third in Group A, but then was eliminated in the Quarter Finals. (November 14) Related articles: Game 1 Kingdom Series: Netherlands Baseball Team opens Kingdom Series with win. (November 1) Game 2 Kingdom Series: Netherlands Team also wins second game of Kingdom Series. (November 2) Game 3 Kingdom Series: Netherlands Team closes Kingdom Series with convincing win. (November 3) Exhibition Game: Netherlands Team wins final exhibition-game. (November 7) Game 1 Premier12: Netherlands Team comes from behind to win thrilling opener Premier12. (November 9) Game 2 Premier12: Netherlands Team suffers big mercy-rule loss vs. USA in Game 2 Premier12. (November 10) Game 3 Premier12: Netherlands Team wins big in slugfest against Puerto Rico in third game Premier12. (November 12) Game 4 Premier12: Netherlands Team suffers costly loss (after lead) vs. Mexico in fourth game Premier12. (November 13)

Netherlands vs. Venezuela ...Netherlands-coaches Evert-Jan 't Hoen (Manager),... ...Michael Duursma (Asst. Coach), Sidney de Jong (Bench... ...Coach), Randolph Oduber (1B Coach) and Ben Thijssen... ...(3B Coach) line up during pre-game introductions... (© Photo: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)) In what was to be its final game during this edition of the Premier12, the Netherlands suffered a big 11-0, mercy-rule shutout-loss in a game that ended after 6½ inning. It was a lopsided game, as the Orange-squad managed to collect only three basehits. Venezuela produced fourteen basehits, including four homeruns. In the game, the Netherlands got only three baserunners, but none of them got into scoring position. In four of the seven innings, the Orange-offense was retired in order. The Netherlands started well, as Didi Gregorius led off the game with a single, but he was eliminated when next batter Jonathan Schoop grounded into a double play. The first at bat ended when Hendrik Clementina popped out. Venezuela then set the tone in the bottom of the first inning by scoring four runs off of Orange-starter Shairon Martis. The righthander gave up a lead-off ground-rule double to Alexi Amarista Azocar, which was followed by a bunt-single by Hernán Pérez Bolivar. With one out, Martis got the bases loaded when he hit Carlos Pérez Alvarez with a pitch. Venezuela then scored its first run when next batter Jermaine Palacios Leon walked. With the bases still loaded, a sacrifice fly by Diego Castillo Rodriguez resulted in the second run. Now with two outs, the scoring continued when Ehire Adrianza Palma delivered a 2-run double to raise the lead to 4-0. After the Netherlands was retired in order in the second inning, Venezuela got into scoring position again in its second at bat, but this time only briefly. With two outs, Hernán Pérez Bolivar doubled. Three pitches later, he tried to steal third base. Initially, Pérez was ruled safe. A challenge followed and after a video review, the call was reversed and Pérez was out, which ended the inning. The Orange-team got its second baserunner in the third inning when Delano Selassa reached on an infield-hit with two outs. He stranded on first base, as the at bat ended when Didi Gregorius lined out. In the bottom of the third, Venezuela again rallied for four runs to take a commanding lead. Herlis Rodriguez Ramirez led offf with a homerun. Carlos Pérez Alvarez followed with a double and next batter Jermaine Palacios Leon walked. A grounder to third base by Diego Castillo Rodriguez then led to a double play, but Venezuela would add three more runs. With two outs, Ehire Adrianza Palma hit a 2-run homerun. When Angel Reyes Quereigua doubled hereafter, a pitching change followed. Juan Carlos Sulbaran took over, but he was greeted with a runscoring single by Francisco Arcia Solano, which lifted the lead to 8-0. ...Hernán Pérez Bolivar is about to be tagged out by... ...3B Sharlon Schoop in 2nd inning... ...At left is Puerto Rican Umpire Kelvin Bultron... (© Photo: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)) In the top of the fourth, the Netherlands got another baserunner with two outs when Sharlon Schoop singled. He also was left behind on first base. Schoop was only the third Orange-baserunner. Furthermore, he also was the last baserunner for the Netherlands in this game! On the other hand, Venezuela kept on adding runs to reach a mercy-rule run-difference. In the bottom of the fourth, Hernán Pérez Bolivar led off with a homerun. In the fifth, it was Ehire Adrianza Palma, who led off with his second homerun in the game. And that lifted the lead to 10-0. Adrianza was 3-for-3 and batted in five runs. In the bottom of the sixth, Scott Prins became the third Orange-pitcher and he also was greeted with an extra-basehit. Hernán Pérez Bolivar, who was 4-for-4, led off with a double. With two outs, Prins walked Jermaine Palacios Leon and then gave up a single to Dixon Machado Moreno, which enabled Pérez to score his third and Venezuela's eleventh in the game. The Netherlands was silenced throughout the game, but especially in the final three at bats. From the top of the fourth inning, the final ten batters were retired in order by four pitchers. Venezuelan starter Ricardo Pinto Valera threw five solid innings and gave up the three Orange-basehits. This year, the righthander appeared in six Major League-games for Philadelphia Phillies as reliever and was 0-0 with one save. Since early May, Pinto played for the Triple-A team of Philadelphia and then was released in August. In October, he joined Tiburones de La Guaira in the professional Venezuealan league. In 2017, Pinto pitched in 25 games for Philadelphia, also as reliever. He then was 1-2 with no saves. The 30-year old Pinto also pitched in the Major League in 2019 when he threw in two games for Tampa Bay Rays. After Pinto had retired the side in the fifth inning, Pedro García Paredes took over the pitching in the sixth. García also retired all three batters he faced. In the top of the seventh, two pitchers took the mound for Venezuala. Ricardo Rodríguez Ramirez began and started with a strikeout. After a grounder accounted for the second out, Yohander Méndez Ortega was inserted as new pitcher. He got a flyout from Denzel Richardson, which ended the game. García pitched in the Minor Leagues for Cincinnati Reds since 2019, but he was released in April. From May on, he played in Mexico and since October, Grarcía is active in Venezuela. Rodríguez pitched in the Major League in 2017 and 2018 for Texas Rangers (20 games, 0-1, one save). Méndez also played for Texas in 2016-2019 (20 games, 3-3, no saves). Last year and this year, Méndez played in Japan. In 2023, he mostly played for the big league-team of Yomiuri Giants and was 5-5 in 16 games. This year, he mostly played in the Minor League-team (22 games) of this wellknown club and appeared in only two games for the main-squad. Since the end of the season, Méndez is a Free Agent. ...Left: Herlis Rodriguez Ramirez circles the bases after hitting a homerun for Venezuela in 3rd inning... ...Standing in the back is Orange-short stop Didi Gregorius... ...The visible umpires are Shane Cannon (HP, left) and Kelvin Bultron (3B, right)... ...Right: Ehire Adrianza Palma homered twice and was 3-for-3 with five RBI's... (© Both Photos: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)) Playing for the Netherlands in this game were: Didi Gregorius (SS, 1-for-2), Eugene Helder (PH/1B, 0-for-1), Jonathan Schoop (2B, 0-for-3), Hendrik Clementina (C, 0-for-3, 2 strikeouts), Sharlon Schoop (3B/SS, 1-for-3), Dayson Croes (DH, 0-for-1), Denzel Richardson (PH/DH, 0-for-2), Juremi Proffar (1B/3B, 0-for-2), Ray-Patrick Didder (CF, 0-for-2, strikeout), Dwayne Kemp (LF, 0-for-2), Delano Selassa (RF, 1-for-2) and pitchers Shairon Martis, Juan Carlos Sulbaran and Scott Prins.

Venezuela - Netherlands 0-11 (6½ inn.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E NETHERLANDS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 3 0 VENEZUELA 4 0 4 1 1 1 X - 11 14 0 pitchers Netherlands inn. SO BB H R ER Shairon Martis, L (0-1) 2.2 1 2 8 8 8 Juan Carlos Sulbaran 2.1 - - 4 2 2 Scott Prins 1 - 2 2 1 1 pitchers Venezuela inn. SO BB H R ER Ricardo Pinto Valera, W (2-0) 5 2 - 3 - - Pedro García Paredes 1 - - - - - Ricardo Rodríguez Ramirez 0.2 1 - - - - Yohander Méndez Ortega 0.1 - - - - - Homeruns: Venezuela: Herlis Rodriguez Ramirez (1)(3rd,solo,0 outs,off Martis), Ehire Adrianza Palma 2 (2)(3rd,2-run,2 outs,off Martis; 5th,solo,0 outs,off Sulbaran), Hernán Pérez Bolivar (2)(4th,solo,0 outs,off Sulbaran). Umpires: HP-Shane Cannon (USA), 1B-Ramiro Alfaro Pacheco (Colombia), 2B-Omar Peralta Cardenas (Cuba), 3B-Kelvin Bultron (Puerto Rico). Official Scorers: Luis Matsuo (Mexico), Stephanie Winkler (Germany), Carlos Del Pino Muñoz (Cuba). Technical Commissioners: Jürgen Elsishans (Germany), Pedro Medina Ayón (Cuba). Starting Time-1:00 PM. Time Played-1:59 hrs. Site-Estadio Panamericano de Béisbol, Zapopan/Guadalajara, Jalisco (Mexico) (stadium Charros de Jalisco). Game Notes: Game 5 - Premier12 2024. 20th international game in history of the Netherlands Team against Venezuela. 14th loss in history of the Netherlands Team against Venezuela. Weather conditions at game time: Sunny, 24° C (75,2° F); wind direction east; wind speed 10 kmh (6,2 mph); wind force 3 Bft; humidity 28%.

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