 Dutch champion opens with two victories
Nederlands
    DE BILT / HAARLEM / SANTPOORT / ENSCHEDE (Neth.) - Dutch champion Computer SOS Tex Town Tigers opened the new season on Saturday, April 10, with a double victory vs. Euro Stars, winning 4-0 and 4-2.
Vice-champion Iber Lengua Terrasvogels split its double-header vs. Sparks Haarlem on Opening Day, winning the opener 1-0, then losing the next game 8-6 in eight innings.
DSS and Olympia Haarlem accounted for the biggest surprises on the first day of the new season.
DSS, which last season promoted to the big league, opened with a 2-0 win vs. Centrals, which then won the next game, 3-1.
Olympia Haarlem, which also promoted, also started with a victory, beating Twins 5-1, but then was beaten 5-3 in Game Two.
On Opening Day 2010, live play-by-play was introduced for all baseball and softball games in the highest Dutch divisions.
Centrals vs. DSS, 0-2, 3-1
...Sonja Pannen...
...one-hitter...
(© Photo: MS) |
DE BILT (Neth.) - DSS celebrated its comeback in the Dutch big league on Saturday with a surprise 2-0 shutout win vs. Centrals.
Veteran pitcher Sonja Pannen threw an one-hitter in her first big league-game in six years, after she last threw on the highest level for Amsterdam Pirates in 2004.
Pannen, who made her big league-debut 21 years ago in 1989 while playing for Wassenaar, struckout eight batters and only gave up an single to speedy Anne Blaauwgeers in the sixth inning, who became the lone Centrals-player to reach third base.
For DSS, this was its first game on the highest level since 1985, having not played in the big league for 24 years after it had relegated after having played 20 consecutive seasons in the Majors!
The game also marked the return in the big league for Head Coach Berend Mannessen, who last was Head Coach on the highest level in 1994 while with DSC '74.
Last year, he guided DSS to the First Division-title after having coached for 13 seasons at Hoofddorp Pioniers.
After completion of the season, Mannessen was named Softball Coach of the Year.
Molly Yetman, the Canadian pitcher of Centrals (who struckout eleven), retired the first eight batters she saw, but then gave up a single to Kelly Zuurendonk with two outs in the third inning.
Next, she scored the first run when American Julie Owen followed with a double.
Moments later, the latter scored herself on a single by Amanda Hess, the other American player on the DSS-roster.
In the remaining innings, DSS reached base frequently, but was unable to add more runs.
In the end, that wasn't necessary.
In this opening game, six players in the starting line-up of DSS (and two more who later entered the game) made their debut in the Dutch big league.
...Eva Voortman...
...5-hitter...
(© Photo: MS) |
In Game Two, Centrals struck first in the first inning off starter Amanda Hess.
Anne Blaauwgeers led off with a single, stole second base, advanced to third on a single by newcomer Lotte Holvast and scored on a sacrifice fly by Maaike van Aarle.
In the third inning, DSS came close to the tying run when it got the bases loaded with two outs.
Jacqueline Wesselink and Kim Scholtes then both singled and Kelly Roest reached on an error, but the inning ended with a groundout.
Centrals doubled its lead in the fifth inning.
With one out, Maaike Blaauwgeers walked and went on to score on a passed ball.
DSS narrowed the deficit to 2-1 in the sixth inning when Kim Scholtes led off with a single and her pinch-runner Noa Brand later scored on a single by Tessa Bekker.
Centrals got the run back immediately in its sixth at bat.
With one out, Moniek Coorn-Baaij walked, advanced on a passed ball and a single by Nikki Harte and scored on a single by Silea Bos.
Rookie pitcher Eva Voortman went the distance for Centrals.
The 17-year old lefthander struckout six batters and gave up five hits in her first win of the new season.
Line Scores, Box Scores & Play-by-Plays
Olympia Haarlem vs. Twins, 5-1, 3-5
...Courtney Lyons...
...winning pitcher...
...2-run single...
(© Photo: MS) |
HAARLEM (Neth.) - Olympia Haarlem returned in the big league with a big 5-1 victory vs. Twins.
In the 2008 season, Olympia relegated from the big league after having played in it for 19 consecutive years, but promoted back to the highest level last season.
The team finished in second place in the First Division to qualify for a promotion/relegation Play-Off vs. Gryphons, the seventh placed team of the big league.
Olympia won the series 3-2.
Under new American coach Caroline Powell, Olympia celebrated its return with a victory after trailing 1-0 in the first inning.
Twins opened the score in the first at bat when Fabienne van Uden singled with one out and went on to score on a single by Sarah Van Der Meiren off Courtney Lyons, who went the distance for Olympia and gave up five hits in her big league-debut.
Last season, the American already played for the Haarlem-club, but then was a member of its second team and wasn't allowed to pitch for the first division-team, as fellow-American Christie Hill was the foreign pitcher in that squad.
Hill will return again this season, not as a pitcher, but as an infielder/batter, clearing the way for Lyons to pitch in the big league.
After Twins scored in the first inning, that was be all for the team, which who had runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning, but failed to add more runs, stranding a total of seven runners.
Olympia came alongside in the second inning.
With two outs, Lisanne van den Berg doubled and scored when Laura Burggraaf followed with a single.
After stranding two runners in the third inning, Olympia rallied for three runs with two outs in the fourth inning.
Laura Burggraaf then singled and scored the go-ahead run on a following triple by rookie Gwen Brinkman.
After next batter Rosanne de Vries walked, Courtney Lyons hit a 2-run single to make it 4-1.
In the fifth inning, Olympia added a run when Maranca Ham doubled with one out and British national team-player Karlene Headley-Cooper followed with a triple.
In Game Two, the roles were reversed.
This time, Olympia Haarlem opened the score, but then Twins rallied for four runs in the third at bat to take charge of the game.
Winning pitcher Andee Lindgren gave up nine basehits to Olympia, which again got the most scoring opportunities, but stranded ten runners, including the bases loaded in the first and third inning.
...Daisy de Peinder...
...2-run triple...
...2 hits, run...
(© Photo: Twins) |
In the first inning, Olympia scored once.
With one out, Rebecca Duindam and Marisèla de Wind (who both are members of the preliminary roster of the Dutch National Junior Team) singled, then the bases got loaded when Maranca Ham walked.
A single by Karlene Headley-Cooper then made it 1-0, but three runners were left behind as Andee Lindgren struckout the next two batters.
Twins then answered with a 4-run rally with two outs in the third inning.
With one out, Micky Jansen walked and stole second base.
With two outs, Sarah Van Der Meiren also walked.
The two then scored when Daisy de Peinder tripled.
The veteran short stop, who started her 17th season in the big league (all with Twins, interrupted by one season when she played in Italy), then scored herself on a double by Sandra Catoen, another veteran, who made her big league-debut back in 1995, while playing for Robur '58.
A single by Andee Lindgren resulted in another run and increased the lead to 4-1.
In the fourth inning, Twins added another run with two outs.
Fabienne van Uden then singled, stole second base and scored on a single by Sarah Van Der Meiren.
Olympia, which left the bases loaded again in the third inning, got more scoring opportunities in the fourth, but scored only once.
Gwen Brinkman and Rosanne de Vries both reached on an error, then the bases got loaded (again) when Courtney Lyons singled.
But then, the first was forced out at home on a grounder by pinch-hitter Eliza Rikkelman, then a run was scored on a grounder by Marisèla de Wind, but two more runners were left behind.
Trailing 5-2, Olympia cut it back to 5-3 by scoring a run in the fifth at bat.
Karlene Headley-Cooper led off with a single and went on to score on a fielder's choice.
Line Scores, Box Scores & Play-by-Plays
Iber Lengua Terrasvogels vs. Sparks Haarlem, 1-0, 6-8 (8)
...Christina Rolla...
...gamewinning RBI...
(© Photo: MS) |
SANTPOORT (Neth.) - Vice-champion Iber Lengua Terrasvogels opened the new season with an 1-0 shutout-win against regional rival Sparks Haarlem, but then failed to hold onto a 3-1 lead in Game Two and lost 8-6 in eight innings.
Last year, Terrasvogels won the European Cup Winners Cup and reached the Holland Series, which it lost to Computer SOS Tex Town Tigers.
For their accomplisments in 2009, the team was named Sports Team of the year 2009 in the Municipality of Velsen on the evening before the start of the new season.
Under direction of debuting Head Coach Jeroen Deken, Terrasvogels opened the 2010 campaign with an 1-0 shutout.
In the second inning, Kaitlyn Gentile and Solange Starrenburg led off with singles, but then two pop-ups and a force play-grounder followed.
The lone run was then scored in the third inning when Femke Haage led off with a walk, advanced on grounders by Linda Hoenderdos and Marije Schoenmaker and scored on a single by Christina Rolla.
Italian National Team-catcher Kaitlyn Gentile made her debut in the Dutch league with a 2-for-3 performance.
Sparks Haarlem stranded seven runners off Australian pitcher Aimee Murch, who struckout four batters.
In the first inning, Chantal Versluis reached on a bunt-single with one out and went on to become the lone Sparks-player to reach third base in this game.
In the fourth, Sparks got two runners on base, but then the inning ended when Judith Diepeveen lined out to 3B Iris Kolman.
In Game Two, Sparks Haarlem took an 1-0 lead in the first inning when Chantal Versluis walked with one out, advanced on a passed ball and scored on a double by Kim Kluijskens.
Sparks got the bases loaded when Debby Connor and Noémi Boekel (the latter with two outs) walked, but a foul-fly stranded three runners.
...Noémi Boekel...
...I-T-P-homerun...
(© Photo: MS) |
Terrasvogels took a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning.
With one out, Christina Rolla reached on an error, moved on a wild pitch and scored the tying run on a single by Kaitlyn Gentile, who then scored herself when Solange Starrenburg followed with a double.
A single by newcomer Mariëlle Vleugels enabled Starrenburg to reach third base, who then scored on a passed ball.
Sparks Haarlem came alongside in the sixth inning.
Kim Kluijskens led off with a single and scored when Noémi Boekel hit an inside-the-park-homerun with two outs.
As both teams didn't score in the seventh at bat, the game went into extra innings.
A total of eight runs were then scored in the eighth inning, which saw some sloppy defensive plays.
Sparks rallied for five runs in its eighth at bat.
With Debby Connor being the tie-break runner, the bases got loaded on an error and an intentional walk.
Next, a single by Judith Diepeveen was followed by a 2-run throwing error, clearing the bases and giving Sparks a 6-3 lead.
A bunt-single by Rebecca Soumeru, who started the game playing in leftfield and finished as pitcher, produced another run.
...The games were well-visited...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Soumeru then advanced on a perfect sacrifice bunt by pitcher Dagmar Bloeming, who entered the batting order in the seventh inning.
Back then, designated player Lyanne Horeman was hit on her wrist and had to leave the game.
As Sparks had ran out of players, Bloeming was put in as a pinch-runner, which was the only option, as she only was allowed to enter the game for the DP, meaning that when the injury would have been happened to another player, Sparks would have to forfeit the game.
Soumeru then accounted for the fifth run in the inning scoring all the way from second base on an outfield-fly by Nathalie Gosewehr, who played for Terrasvogels the last five seasons, before opting to go to Sparks Haarlem.
Trailing 8-3, Terrasvogels got three runs back in its eighth at bat.
Tie-break runner Femke Haage advanced on a passed ball, then the bases got loaded when Linda Hoenderdos and Marije Schoenmaker both walked.
Another walk followed, this time for Christina Rolla, meaning a run was scored.
Hereafter, Rebecca Soumeru took over the pitching.
Kaitlyn Gentile then was called out on an infield-fly, which was followed by a throwing error, resulting in a run.
A 2-out single by Mariëlle Vleugels then brought in another run and reduced the deficit to 8-6, but a flyout ended the game.
While there were some defensive errors in this game, there were also some nice plays, like the one by Sparks' 2B Judith Diepeveen on a grounder in the fifth inning, a fine catch by Terrasvogels' 3B Iris Kolman in the fourth that led to a double play and a great diving catch by leftfielder and rookie Marije Schoenmaker that ended that at bat.
Line Scores, Box Scores & Play-by-Plays
Computer SOS Tex Town Tigers vs. Euro Stars, 4-0, 4-2
ENSCHEDE (Neth.) - Dutch champion Computer SOS Tex Town Tigers was the lone team on Opening Day to win both games, beating Euro Stars, 4-0 and 4-2.
Tex Town Tigers started the season without its regular short stop Britt Vonk, who suffered a broken cheek bone a week ago, just before the start of the annual Mastenbroek Tournament and will be out for at least six weeks.
Euro Stars was led by Ton van Koeverden, who a few days ago took over the coaching of Leo Buiteman.
The latter resigned for personal reasons after completion of the annual Jan de Wit Tournament in Haarlem.
...Lindsey Meadows...
...2-hitter...
...10 StrikeOuts...
...2-run single...
(© Photo: MS) |
In the opening game, Lindsey Meadows, the league's Best Pitcher and MVP of 2007 and 2008, struckout 10 batters and gave up only two basehits, which were both registered in the fourth inning.
In that at bat, she gave up an one-out single to Kim Donkers, which was followed by double by Anouk van den Heuvel, but then a comeback-grounder and a strikeout ended the at bat.
In the seventh inning, Anouk van den Heuvel led off with a walk and Davinia de Kwant reached on an error.
Again, no runs were scored, as the next batter struckout and a double play ended the game.
Tex Town Tigers left the bases loaded in the first inning off American starter Laura Benardinelli, but then scored twice in the second inning.
Nadine Marinus led off with a single and advanced on a sac-bunt by Marije ten Thij and an error on a grounder by Petra van Heijst.
A run was then scored on a passed ball, followed by a sacrifice fly by Meike Witteveen to make it 2-0.
Two runs were added in the third at bat.
Merel Oosterveld singled and Lindsey Meadows walked, then two wild pitches led to a run. A single by Virginie Anneveld then increased the lead to 4-0.
Karin Tuk added a single, but then a strikeout and double play followed.
In Game Two, Tex Town Tigers trailed 1-0 after five innings, but then rallied for four runs in the sixth inning.
Euro Stars had opened the score in the third inning.
Kirsten Vierdag led off with a single, moved on a wild pitch and went on to score on a grounder.
Euro Stars-starter Daisy Verstappen retired the first nine batters in a row and 13 of the first 14 she faced.
With two outs in the fifth inning, her No-Hitter was broken when Karin Tuk and Nadine Marinus both singled, but also stranded.
Tex Town Tigers then struck in the sixth at bat.
Petra van Heijst led off with a single, followed by a bunt-single by Meike Witteveen and a walk for Kirsten Holshof that loaded the bases.
An error on a grounder by Merel Oosterveld then not only tied the score, but also gave TTT the lead.
A single by Lindsey Meadows increased the lead to 4-1, as two runs were added.
Euro Stars managed to add only one more run in the seventh inning off Martina Lackner, who had taken over the pitching in the fifth inning from starter Marit van Vulpen, who made her pitching debut in the Dutch big league.
With one out, Kirsten Vierdag reached on an error, then her pinch-runner Cheryl Hiele advanced and scored when three consecutive singles followed, hit by Mickey Ras, Ellen Venker and Michelle van Driel.
But no more runs were added, as a flyout and force play-grounder ended the game.
Line Scores, Box Scores & Play-by-Plays
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