Intercontinental Cup
	Netherlands vs. Japan Semi-Final - November 18, 2006

Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2006 by Marco Stoovelaar

Dutch in Final!
Nederlands | Box Score | Play-by-Play
TAICHUNG (Taiwan) - The Dutch National Team has reached the Final of the Intercontinental Cup after a 3-0 shutout-win on Saturday-afternoon against Japan. The Dutch will meet Cuba in the Final, which will be played on Sunday. Cuba qualified after winning only 5-4 vs. Taiwan.

This was only the sixth Ducth victory vs. Japan in 32 meetings. Before 2000, the Dutch only won one game in 1978, but lost 20 other games. Since 2000, the two teams met eleven times with the Dutch team winning five, including today's. But before today, the Dutch team never had won against Japan on big global events, such as the Olympic Games, World Cup and Intercontinental Cup, losing all 17 games played against the Asians on these tournaments.

...David Bergman... ...six scoreless innings... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Japan theatened to score right away in the first inning when Takayuki Terauchi reached third base with one out after Dutch starter David Bergman threw the ball away towards first base into rightfield. However, Terauchi stranded on third base as two pop-flies followed. Terauchi would be the only Japanese runner in this game to go beyond first base! In the second inning, Kei Nomoto reached base with one out after short stop Raily Legito committed an error, but moments later he was caught stealing, then another pop-fly followed. In the third, Naoto Watanabe was the first player to single off Bergman with one out, but this time the inning ended when the Dutch defense turned a double play.

Japan started with Takayoshi Masuda, who also started last Sunday against the Dutch team. Back then, he threw eight scoreless innings and gave up only four hits in a 3-0 shutout-victory. Today, he also gave up four hits, but was relieved after four innings.
After the first six batters were retired in order, the Dutch team took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Percy Isenia led off with a single and moved on a sac-bunt by Danny Rombley, then scored when Michael Duursma followed with a single. But while Isenia scored, Duursma was thrown out, trying to advance to second base. With two outs, Eugene Kingsale reached second base on an error by short stop Naoto Watanabe, then scored on a single by Dirk van 't Klooster, who himself was eliminated moments later in a rundown.

The Dutch team increased the lead to 3-0 in the sixth inning when Eugene Kingsale scored again. The Dutch centerfielder led off with a single and was brought into scoring position on a sac-bunt by Dirk van 't Klooster. After Sharnol Adriana flied out, Kingsale scored on a single by Ivanon Coffie.

David Bergman started today for the Dutch team and did an outstanding job. The righthander, who won 12 games in the regular season and lost only one, allowed only two basehits in the first five innings. He then gave up his third hit in the sixth with two outs, but again the Japanese runner stranded, as Bergman ended the at bat with a strikeout. He already had done the same in the fourth inning when he gave up a single with two outs.
In the seventh inning, Michiel van Kampen took over the pitching. Van Kampen also pitched strongly, throwing three solid innings. In the seventh, he gave up a single with one out, but the runner was then caught stealing. In the eighth, another 2-out single followed, but was followed by a groundout. In the ninth, centerfielder Eugene Kingsale made an outstanding catch on a lead-off hit by pinch-hitter Yosuke Shimokubo, but then the next batter reached on an error by second baseman Michael Duursma. But a flyout followed and then Van Kampen ended the game with a strikeout. For the first time in history, the Dutch team reached the Intercontinental-final!

Complete Play-by-Play Netherlands vs. Japan (Game Eight)
Box Score Netherlands vs. Japan (Game Eight)

Also on Saturday...
In the evening, Cuba reached the final by winning only 5-4 vs. Taiwan. Leading 5-1, the Cubans gave up three runs in the eighth, but held onto the lead. Taiwan now will meet Japan in the bronze medal game. Jan Esselman was one of the Technical Commissioners in the Cuba-Taiwan game.
In the morning, there was another European success, as Italy trailed 3-2 in the ninth inning, but then rallied for six runs to win 8-3 vs. Korea. Dutch Umpire Edwin van den Berk was behind the plate in this game.
In the next game, Australia shutout the Phillipines, 17-0 and will meet Italy in the game for fifth place, while the Koreans will play against the Philippines for seventh place. Dutchman Feiko Drost was the Official Scorer.
(November 18)