,,Yeah, everything goes very well at the moment'', Rob Walgien, one of coaches on the staff of Manager Liz Kelly, said after Tuesday's game. Walgien: ,,We're playing very good softball. Yes, we have a big chance of reaching the Play-Offs. It looks great, but let's not get to excited, we still have to win an extra game to clinch''. Walgien underscored the wonderful conditions under which the team is playing in Canada. Walgien: ,,It is great here. Great weather, beautiful fields and a lot of spectators. There were about 4000 people watching when we played against Canada''.

Dutch pitcher Rebecca Soumeru played a major part in today's victory. The righthander stuckout seven batters and threw a No-Hitter. She missed a Perfect Game, as one American batter was able to reach base, which happened with one out in the sixth inning. Soumeru was responsible herself for that. After retiring 16 batters in a row, Soumeru fielded a grounder by Michelle Johnston, but then made a throwing error towards first base, enabling the batter to become a runner. Soumeru then struckout the bext batter and a flyout ended the inning and the game, as the Dutch had taken a 7-run difference lead in the top of the at bat.

The Dutch team opened the score in the second inning. With one out, Debbie Connor hammered the ball over the fence of Field 6 on the Cloverdale Athletic Park-complex for a homerun and an 1-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, the Dutch team doubled its lead. With one out, Sandra Gouverneur singled, then scored when Noémi Boekel followed with a triple. Boekel tried to score herself also, but was throw out at the plate.

In the sixth inning, the Dutch team rallied for five runs to take a 7-0 lead and reached a 7-run difference, which would end the game prematurely if their opponent didn't score in their sixth at bat. Daisy de Peinder, who today was de Designated Player, led off with a double and was replace by pinch-runnner Chantal Versluis, who made her first appearance in the tournament. Versluis moved on a grounder by Sandra Gouverneur, who herself reached first base on a fielder's choice. Noémi Boekel followed with a force play-grounder that eliminated Gouverneur, but Versluis was able to score. Two basehits followed. First, Noémi Boekel advanced to second base when Debbie Connor singled, then she scored on a single by Marjan Smit. On that basehit, Connor reached third base, while Smit advanced on the throw to home. A grounder by Ellen Venker then resulted in two throwing errors. Venker grounded the ball back to pitcher Jessica Strickland, who made a throwing error towards first base, enabling Connor to score. Marjan Smit advanced to third base, but was able to score when Strickland made another throwing error. In the meantime, Ellen Venker moved to second base. Jessica Strickland was replaced by Christie Zinanti, who then retired next batter Nathalie Gosewehr on a comeback-grounder. Ellen Venker advanced to third base and was awarded home moments later, which lifted the lead to 7-0.
(July 4)

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