Baseball
	European Championships 2005

Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2005 by Marco Stoovelaar

Dutch clinch spot in top-four
Nederlands | Box Score | Play-by-Play
PRAGUE (Czech Republic) - The Dutch team defeated France big on Friday, 17-1 in seven innings, to officially secure a spot in the top-four and therefore qualifying for the World Cup Baseball 2007 in Taiwan.
The Dutch team collected 12 basehits off of five pitchers, including the fifth homerun in the tournament by Ivanon Coffie.
The Dutch team used four pitchers, who gave up only six hits combined.
In the first Dutch at bat, which lasted 23 minutes, the team scored seven runs to set the tone and decide the game.

While the Dutch remain unbeaten, a place in the final on Sunday is not secured yet, but might be decided as soon as this afternoon when Spain (which is also unbeaten) meets Italy. When Spain wins, we will have a final between Spain and the Netherlands. When Italy wins, this might result in a 3-way tie in case Spain should win against the Dutch on Saturday. Italy won 7-1. In the evening, Germany surprised with an 11-2 win vs. host Czech Republic, that now might miss the top-four.
Netherlands, Italy and Spain qualified for the top-four and therefore also will participate in the World Cup of 2007 in Chinese Taipei.

The game was decided before the first French player even had entered the batter's box. In a 23-minute at bat, the Dutch team rallied for seven runs on six hits to take a dominating lead and went on to add ten more runs in the next six innings.
Michael Duursma led off the game with a double, moved on a single by Raily Legito and scored when the leftfielder added an error. Percy Isenia and Johnny Balentina hit RBI-doubles and Danny Rombley a 2-run triple to highlight the inning. The other runs were scored on a groundout and a wild pitch. Thomas Langloys started for the French team, but didn't finish the inning, as he was relieved by Nicolas Dubaut after having faced eleven batters. Langloys gave up all six hits and seven runs in the inning. Two years ago, Langloys went the distance against the Dutch in Amsterdam during the European Championships in the Netherlands. The Dutch team then only won 1-0.

In the second inning, two runs were added. With one out, Percy Isenia walked and scored on a triple by Harvey Monte, who then scored himself on a 2-out double by Johnny Balentina.
After a scoreless third inning, Ivanon Coffie led off the fourth inning with a homerun, his fifth in the tournament, to lift the score to 10-0.
In the fifth inning, the Dutch loaded the bases when French pitcher Nicolas Dubaut walked three batters in a row with one out. A sacrifice fly by Ivanon Coffie then enabled the lead runner, Michael Duursma to score a run.

Trailing 11-0, the French team got on the board in the home fifth. With one out, Nick Stuifbergen, who took over for starter Patrick Beljaards in the third inning, gave up a homerun to Scott Romain Martinez, who had entered the game in the top half of the inning as the French new second baseman. Stuifbergen then also gave up a single to Sebastien Hervé and 2-out single to Gaspard Fessy, but saw the inning being ended on a force play-grounder by Jamel Boutagra.

The Dutch team had another productive at bat in the sixth inning, rallying for six runs to increase the lead to 17-1. Ten batters produced only three hits, as five others were walked. Danny Rombley started the rally with an RBI-single, then a run was scored on a basesloaded walk and an error. With the bases loaded, Ivanon Coffie singled to rightfield, where an error also was made, with all three runners being able to score.

Forstin Coenraad and Jan Naterop pitched the sixth and seventh inning, respectively and didn't gave up a basehit or a run to the French. The French team still has a change of reaching the top-four, but then has to win against Germany tomorrow.
(July 15)