 Sparks wins twice; Dutch vs. FAST games cancelled
Nederlands
 ALKMAAR (Neth.) -
On Saturday, the day started with the first game of a double-header between Iber Lengua Terrasvogels and Centrals, but that was interrupted by rain.
After a delay, the game was cancelled, meaning Game 2 also was cancelled.
But the weather then improved and the two scheduled double-headers to be played in Alkmaar in the afternoon were completed.
League-leader Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem defeated Tex Town Tigers 2-1 (winning run in home of seventh) and 6-0 (two homeruns by Debby Connor).
Alcmaria Victrix won 3-2 vs. Twins, but then failed to hold onto an early 4-0 lead and lost Game 2, 6-4 in eight innings.
The double-header between Terrasvogels and Centrals was re-scheduled for Sunday, starting at 1:00 PM and also to be played in Alkmaar, as all regular season games are being played on the site of Alcmaria Victrix this weekend.
Last year, all games during then Whitsuntide Weekend were played at the site of Olympia Haarlem during the first Softball Gala.
Because of the re-scheduling of the games to Sunday, the scheduled games in the Holland Tour for the Dutch National Softball Team against the Foreign All Star Team were scrubbed to make room for the regular season games.
The games of the Dutch Team will not be re-scheduled.
The national squad now plays its next games in the Holland Tour on June 26 at Utrecht, meeting the Dutch Men Softball Team.
Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem vs. Tex Town Tigers
In the first game, Sparks Haarlem was outhit 8-7, but won 2-1.
The Haarlem-squad opened the score in the fourth inning off Jenna DeLong.
Areke Spel then led off with a single, moved on a sac-bunt by Debby Connor and scored on a double by Julie Owen.
Tex Town Tigers came alongside in the fifth at bat.
Martina Lackner led off with a single and advanced on an one-out single by Merel Oosterveld, then scored when an error was made on a sac-bunt by Kirsten Holshof.
In the fifth and sixth inning, Sparks Haarlem left two runners, as did TTT in the sixth and seventh.
In the home of the seventh, Sparks Haarlem decided the game.
With one out, Shannah van der Kaaij entered the game as pinch-hitter for her first appearance of the season and first game in a Sparks-uniform.
Shortly before the start of the season, Shannah broke her toe and was sidelined since then.
In her first at bat, Shannah (who had come over from Terrasvogels) singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Beau van Gelder at first base.
The latter then advanced on a single by Chantal Versluis and scored the winning run on a 2-out single by Areke Spel.
Playing in her first game of the season for Tex Town Tigers was Petra van Heijst, who was back at second base.
Petra was recovering from an illness and following surgery, but in her first game back today, she hit 2-for-3.
In her first at bat of the season in the third inning, she led off with a single off Dagmar Bloeming.
In Game 2, Sparks Haarlem won 6-0.
After TTT had left two runners in the top of the first, Sparks scored twice in their part of the first at bat.
Chantal Versluis led off with a walk and stole second.
She then advanced on a sac-bunt by Virginie Anneveld and scored when Debby Connor followed with a 2-out, 2-run homerun.
Sparks Haarlem added two runs in the third inning.
With one out, Virginie Anneveld tripled and then Debby Connor again hit a 2-out, 2-run homerun to make it 4-0.
The fifth run was added in the fourth.
Nathalie Timmermans led off with a single and moved to third on a 2-out single by Celine van Roon
After a pitching change, she scored on a wild pitch.
In the fifth, Sparks made it 6-0 when Julie Owen walked with two outs, stole second base and scored on a single by Nathalie Timmermans.
Tex Town Tigers had only two basehits, both off starter Kirsten Scheele, who struckout eight batters in five innings.
Dagmar Bloeming then added three more strikeouts in the remaining two innings.
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Alcmaria Victrix vs. Twins
In the first game, Alcmaria Victrix needed one inning to decide it and win 3-2.
The team scored all three runs in the third at bat on five hits.
Noëmie Brandjes led off with a single, then advanced on a sac-bunt by Maaike Blaauwgeers.
She then could advanced only one base on a double down the leftfield-line by Kimberly Jones.
The latter was then eliminated at third trying to advance on an infield-hit by Anne Blaauwgeers, but that also led to the first run.
Next, the bases got loaded when Anne Vlietstra reached on a bunt-single and Kym Turnell walked.
A single by Jessie van Aalst then made it 2-0.
Hereafter, Andee Lindgren took over the pitching for Kimberly Petrovich, but she walked Nadia Bron to bring in the third run.
A strikeout then ended the at bat.
In the remainder of the game, Maaike Blaauwgeers and Jessie van Aalst added a single, but Alcmaria didn't score anymore.
In the top of the seventh inning, Twins suddenly came back.
In the previous at bats, Twins threatened in the fourth inning when two batters singled.
Then again in the fifth when it got the bases loaded on two walks and a throwing error, but then a flyout followed and pitcher Femke van Dusschoten ended with a strikeout.
But in the seventh, Twins did come to score.
With one out, Fabienne van Uden singled and Sarah Van Der Meiren reached on an error.
A groundout by Andee Lindgren and an error on a grounder by Sandy Lauwers then accounted for two runs.
A flyout then ended the game.
In Game 2, Alcmaria again scored all its runs in one inning, but this time failed to hold onto the lead.
The team scored four runs in the first at bat with two outs, but lost 6-4.
In the first inning, Anne Blaauwgeers walked with one out, then Anne Vlietstra reached on an error.
After the two advanced on a wild pitch, the bases got loaded when Kym Turnell walked.
After a strikeout, the bases were cleared when Maiken Rooker hit a 3-run double, then scored herself when next hitter Maxime van Dalen also doubled.
This marked the end for starting pitcher Andee Lindgren.
Hereafter, Kimberly Petrovich took over and wound up becoming the winning pitcher.
Twins narrowed the deficit to 4-3 in the third inning, scoring three runs with two outs off starter Malou van Dusschoten.
Sarah Van Der Meiren and Fabienne van Uden began with singles.
Then, with two outs, the two runners scored on a single by Sandy Lauwers.
She then advanced on a single by Evelien Vonk and scored while the latter was caught stealing.
Twins tied the score in the sixth when EVelien Vonk scored on a grounder by Femke Duffhues.
As both teams didn't score in the seventh, the game went into extra innings and it was Twins that then scored the winning runs.
A single by Sandy Lauwers and a throwing error then gave Twins a 6-4 lead, which also became the final score.
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(June 11)
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