Grand Slam
	Netherlands vs. China November 4, 2006

Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2006 by Marco Stoovelaar

China beats Dutch team
Nederlands | Box Score | Play-by-Play
GUANGZHOU (China) - On Saturday, the Dutch National Team lost the second of two exhibition games against the national team of China, 8-6. This marks the first time that China won an international game against the Netherlands after losing the first five games between the two countries.
The Dutch team now will practice on Sunday and Monday, then on Tuesday will fly to Taipei in Taiwan. A busride then follows to Taichung, where the Intercontinental Cup-tournament opens on November 9.

A day after collecting 17 basehits in the opener of the 2-game series against China, the Dutch offense produced eight basehits off six different pitchers and trailed the entire game. China had ten basehits off six pitchers. Both teams homered once.
The Dutch team failed to open the score in the first inning when it got the bases loaded with two outs. After lead-off hitter Michael Duursma struckout, Eugene Kingsale doubled and stole third base. Next, Sharnol Adriana also struckout, but then Bryan Engelhardt and Ivanon Coffie both walked. The inning ended and three runners stranded when Tjerk Smeets also struckout.

Dutch starter Tom Stuifbergen pitched three solid innings in which he gave up two singles, but both runners were eliminated in a double play, as the young righthander faced only nine batters.
David Bergman took over in the fourth inning and then gave up the first Chinese run. With one out, Guangbiao Liu doubled and went on to score on a 2-out error in rightfield by Kalian Sams. China added two runs in the next at bat, when Fei Feng hit a 2-run homerun with one out.

The Dutch offense was unable to produce in the first five innings, in which it had only three hits. In the third inning, Michael Duursma led off with a double, but stranded at third base when Eugene Kingsale grounded out and both Sharnol Adriana and Bryan Engelhardt struckout. In the fourth, Dirk van 't Klooster singled with two outs, but was forced out on a grounder to end the inning.

In the sixth inning, the Dutch team scored its first run. Sharnol Adriana led off with a double off the fourth Chinese pitcher in this game, moved on a flyout and scored on a sac-fly by Ivanon Coffie. However, the Chinese team answered with two runs in their half of the sixth off new pitcher Leon Boyd, who made his national team-debut. Coincidentally, his battery-mate Mark Duursma also entered the game and also made his national team-debut. After two flyouts, Boyd walked Wei Wang, then hit next batter Yufeng Zhang with a pitch. The two scored when Lei Li followed with a triple.

The Dutch team narrowed the deficit to 5-4 by scoring three runs with two outs in the seventh inning. With one out, Danny Rombley reached second base when an error was made on his fly to leftfield. After Michael Duursma grounded out, Eugene Kingsale walked. Percy Isenia, who had taken over at first base the inning before, then hit a 3-run homerun to make it 5-4.
But China again reacted with two runs in the home of the seventh off rookie Jurjen van Zijl. With one out, he gave up a triple to Fu Liu, who then scored on a single by Fenglian Hou. He later scored on a single by Guangbiao Liu, who was 3-for-5.

Now trailing 7-4, the Dutch team was productive again in the eighth inning by scoring twice, again with two outs. With one out, Mark Duursma singled. He moved on an one-out single by Roel Koolen, then scored on a single by Danny Rombley. Koolen would score in the same situation, as an error in centerfield enabled him to reach home plate.
In the home eighth, China added another run off Nick Stuifbergen, who gave up a lead-off double to Wei Wang. He would score later on a force play-grounder to make it 8-6.
In the ninth, Eugene Kingsale reached base on an error, but then three outs followed. Despite having the lead, China also batted in their ninth inning, but were retired in order by closer Dave Draijer.
(November 4)

Complete Play-by-Play China vs. Netherlands (Game Two)
Box Score China vs. Netherlands (Game Two)