Grand Slam * Stats & News
Updated: July 2, 2015
Scores & Statistics
Baseball Scores & Stats
Softball Women Scores & Stats
Softball Men Scores & Stats
Copyright © 1997-2015
Grand Slam/Marco Stoovelaar


www.grand-slam.nl
Men Softball
Headlines
Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2015 by Marco Stoovelaar




(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)

Dutch Team opens World Championship with big loss
Nederlands
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan (Canada) - The Netherlands Men Softball Team opened the 14th ISF Men's World Championship in Canada on Friday (June 26) with a big 11-1 loss vs. Venezuela.

Last year, the Dutch men squad qualified for the World Championship by capturing the bronze medal during the European Championship in the Czech Republic. Playing in Pool B, the Dutch Team meets Australia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, USA and Venezuela.

New Zealand, which captured the world championship-title in front of a home crowd in 2013, will start the event in Pool A. In that group, the reigning champion will meet Argentina, Canada, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Guatemala and the Philippines. Initially, Indonesia also was scheduled to play in this pool, but it withdrew from participation, meaning all of their games will end in a 7-0 forfeit-win for the opponent.

It marks the sixth team that the Dutch Team participates in a World Championship. It made its debut in 1992 when the event was held in Manila and Pasig (The Philippines). Hereafter, the Orange also participated in 1996 (Midland, USA), 2000 (East London, South Africa) and 2004 (Christchurch, New Zealand). The Dutch then didn't qualify for the event in 2009 which then also was held in Saskatoon (Canada). In 2013, the Dutch Team was back and participated in Auckland (New Zealand).

(June 26)




Game 1 - June 26 - Netherlands vs. Venezuela

In its opening game, the Dutch squad collected three basehits, while Venezuela hit eight off of three pitchers.

At the Bob Van Impe Stadium, Venezuela rallied for five runs in the first at bat off of starter Jeroen Mulder. Initially, things went well. Yeider Chirinos led off with a walk, then a strikeout and force out followed. But hereafter, the bases got loaded when Rafael Flores singled and Luiger Pinto was hit by a pitch. The first run was scored when Tulio Linares walked. Next, John Zambrano followed with a grand slam homerun to make it 5-0.

Venezuelan starter Ramon Jones then struckout the side in the bottom of the first inning. This was the lone inning he pitched and despite that, he was credited with the win, which is not according to the scoring rules. In the top of the second inning, the Dutch defense turned an inning-ending double play, but then gave up five more runs in the third. Niek Nieuwenhuizen took over the pitching, but ran into problems quickly. He gave up a lead-off double to Rafael Flores, then a single to Luiger Pinto and loaded the bases with a walk for Tulio Linares. A following walk for John Zambrano led to a run and this time, Rogelio Sequera hit a grand slam homerun. A strikeout and flyout followed, but then the bases got loaded again via a single and two walks. Arjan Baanen then took over the pitching and ended the inning with a flyout.

Trailing 10-0, in the bottom of the third inning, the Dutch Team got on the bases and scored its lone run. Randy Lo-A-Tjong and Merlijn Brink both walked, but then Tim Verbrugge and Angelo Arnold struckout. Randy Reiph followed with a single that accounted for the lone run. Next batter Enrique Javier also singled, but the inning ended when Brink was eliminated at the plate trying to score.

Venezuela regained a 10-run difference in the top of the fourth when John Zambrano homered. In the bottom of the fourth, Eldrick Dijkhoff led off with a double, but he was left behind, ending the game.



Netherlands - Venezuela 1-11 (4 inn.)
RHE
Venezuela5051 -1180
Netherlands0010 -131
pitchers Venezuelainn.SOBBHRER
Ramon Jones13----
Joan Colombo, W (1-0)222211
Eder Pineda, SV (1)12-1--
pitchers Netherlandsinn.SOBBHRER
Jeroen Mulder, L (0-1)223355
Niek Nieuwenhuizen0.214455
Arjan Baanen1.1--111
Homeruns: Venezuela: John Zambrano 2 (2)(1st,grand slam,off Mulder; 4th,solo,off Baanen); Rogelio Sequera (1)(3rd,grand slam,off Nieuwenhuizen).
Umpires: HP-, 1B-, 3B-.
Official Scorers-.
Time-1:28 hr.




Thank you for visiting this site.
Mail your suggestions and questions to stoov@wxs.nl
Copyright © 1997-2015 Marco Stoovelaar / Grand Slam * Stats & News.