 Dutch champion opens with two shutouts
Nederlands
   HAARLEM / ROSMALEN / OOSTERHOUT (Neth.) -
Dutch champion Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem opened the new softball-season on Saturday with a 10-0 and 5-0 shutout-win vs. Tex Town Tigers with Karin Tuk and Debby Connor hitting homeruns.
Vice-champion Hotel Ambassador c.c. Terrasvogels also opened with a big 14-3 win vs. Olympia Haarlem, but then was left empty-handed in the second game of the double-header, 5-1.
UVV celebrated its return to the big league with an 8-4 win vs. Gryphons, but then the opponent, which also made its comeback on the highest level, won 5-0 in Game 2.
Alcmaria Victrix began the season with two wins at Twins, 2-0 and 8-3.
Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem vs. Tex Town Tigers
At Haarlem, Dutch champion Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem opened the new season with two shutout-wins vs. Tex Town Tigers, 10-0 and 5-0.
In the double-header, the Haarlem-squad collected 20 basehits, including two homeruns.
Karin Tuk and Debby Connor, who hit the homeruns, both hit five basehits today.
In the opener, Sparks Haarlem initially scored only one run in the first three innings.
Chantal Versluis led off with a single, stole second base and went on to score on a 2-out single by Debby Connor.
But that was it off starter Amanda Webster, who gave up a lead-off double to Virginie Anneveld in the second, but she stranded at third base.
Sparks Haarlem then struck with a 9-run rally in the fourth inning to decide the game and end it via the mercy-rule.
In the at bat, Michelle van Driel, Areke Spel (2-run) and Debby Connor had RBI-singles, while a basesloaded walk for Chantal Versluis, hit by pitch for Nathalie Gosewehr and a wild pitch led to three other runs.
With Debby Connor on base, Karin Tuk ended the game with a walk-off, 2-run homerun against her former club.
Winning pitcher Rebecca Soumeru gave up only one basehit, which was hit by Merel Oosterveld to lead off the fourth after nine batters were retired in order.
She would be the lone baserunner for the Enschede-squad.
In Game 2, Sparks Haarlem opened the score in the second inning when Virginie Anneveld singled and scored on a 2-out single by Silea Bos.
In the next at bat, the lead was doubled.
Nathalie Gosewehr led off with a walk and went on to score on a single by Debby Connor.
Virginie Anneveld added a 2-out double, but two runners would be left in scoring position.
The third run followed in the fifth when Debby Connor led off with a single and her pinch-runner Beau van Gelder scored on a sac-fly by Anneveld.
In the sixth, with two outs, Areke Spel walked and then Connor homered to make it 5-0.
Dagmar Bloeming gave up only two hits and struckout 10 batters for her first win of the season.
For Tex Town Tigers, it was the second season in a row that it starts with two losses after it had done so for the last time in 2006.
Standings & Scores
Line Scores, Box Scores & Play-by-Play
Olympia Haarlem vs. Hotel Ambassador c.c. Terrasvogels
At Haarlem, Hotel Ambassador c.c. Terrasvogels also won big in its season-opener, beating Olympia Haarlem 14-3, but then lost the next game, 5-1.
In the opener, Terrasvogels collected 12 basehits off pitcher Ying-Yi Chen, the first-ever Chinese pitcher in Dutch big league-history.
Terrasvogels set the tone with a 7-run rally in the second inning.
Dana Horeman led off with a walk and Anouk van den Heuvel singled, then both scored on a triple by Floor Roest.
A single by Mariëlle Vleugels and sac-fly by Marisèla de Wind then accounted for the next two runs.
With Lotte Holvast and Meike Witteveen on base, Solange Starrenburg belted a 2-run triple, her second triple in two at bats.
She later scored the seventh run in this at bat on a sac-fly by Dana Horeman in her second at bat in this inning.
Last season, Starrenburg also started with two triples in one game, but then also became the first player to hit two homeruns on an Opening Day in the season's opening double-header vs. Tex Town Tigers.
Terrasvogels added four runs in the third, one on an error, two on a single by Ashli Holland and the fourth on a single by Dana Horeman.
The lead was increased more in the fourth by scoring three more runs.
This time, a force play-grounder by Meike Witteveen and singles by Solange Starrenburg (who was 3-for-4) and Ashli Holland produced the runs.
Winning pitcher Ginger de Weert gave up six hits, three of which led to three runs in the fourth.
In the opening at bat, the Terrasvogels-defense made some fine outs when Olympia hit two basehits to avoid runs.
In the fourth. with two outs and Lisanne van den Berg (walk) and Marit Molenaar (single) on base, Courtney Bures tripled in two runs, then scored herself on a single by Lotte Zijlstra.
In Game 2, the roles were reversed.
Terrasvogels produced only three basehits off lefthander Rosanne de Vries, who went the distance and struckout six.
Terrasvogels took an 1-0 lead in the first inning when Meike Witteveen led off with a single and scored on a single by Ashli Holland.
The next scoring opportunity came in the fifth inning, but then Marisèla de Wind lined into a double play.
Olympia came alongside in its first inning off Mariëlle Vleugels when Courtney Bures singled and went on to score on a sac-bunt by Maranca Ham.
After two scoreless innings, the home team took a 3-1 lead.
Maranca Ham singled and Rosanne de Vries reached on a costly error.
After the next two batters struckout, Lisette Untied doubled to bring in the two runners.
In the fifth, Olympia took more distance by adding two runs.
Courtney Bures (walk) and Dinet Oosting (single) then scored on an error and a single by De Vries.
Standings & Scores
Line Scores, Box Scores & Play-by-Play
Gryphons vs. UVV
At Rosmalen, the first match-ups between the two teams that made their comeback in the highest division went undecided, as the teams split their double-header.
UVV took the opener 8-4, then Gryphons won the next game, 5-0.
In the first game, Gryphons opened the score in the first inning when Fabienne van Uden was hit by a pitch and scored on an one-out single by Yonina Sint Jago, but from the third inning on, the game belonged to UVV.
In the third, the visitors scored four runs.
Mirjam Boode (walk) and Laura Arp (single) both scored on errors, then Nikki Harte and Kayleigh Adelina (who both had reached on the errors) scored on a 2-out triple by Kelly Platvoet.
Gryphons answered with two runs, thanks to an error and a flyout on foul territory, but UVV added three more runs in the fourth.
Misja Koops (single), Mirjam Boode (fielder's choice) and Laura Arp (single) then were on base when Kayleigh Adelina hit a 2-out, 3-run triple.
Trying to make it an inside-the-park-grand-slam failed, as Adelina was thrown out the plate to end the inning.
UVV made it 8-4 in the fifth when pinch-runner Floor van Dijk scored on a sac-fly.
Gryphons only scored one more run in the fifth on a double by Claudia Kranendonk.
In Game 2, pitcher Lucie Marsikova gave up seven hits, but held UVV scoreless.
In the second, Natalie van der Wijst tried to score on a wild pitch, but was eliminated.
In the fourth, Kayleigh Adelina led off with a double and was eliminated trying to stretch it into a triple.
Gryphons opened the score in the first inning when Fabienne van Uden, Kim Donkers and Yonina Sint Jago all singled, then Claudia Kranendonk walked to bring in the run.
But the team would leave the bases loaded.
Four runs followed in the second inning.
Cheryl Hiele, Kristel Verbunt and Fabienne van Uden led off with singles, then a run was scored when Kim Donkers was hit by a pitch.
Yonina Sint Jago then followed with a 3-run double to make it 5-0.
In the third and sixth inning, Cheryl Hiele tripled, but both times, she was left at third base.
Standings & Scores
Line Scores, Box Scores & Play-by-Play
Twins vs. Alcmaria Victrix
At Oosterhout, Alcmaria Victrix won twice vs. Twins, 2-0 and 8-3.
In the opener, Maxime van Dalen accounted for both runs.
Maaike Blaauwgeers led off the third with a single, moved on a 2-out single by Kym Turnell, then scored when Van Dalen doubled, but two runners were left behind.
In the sixth, with one out Maxime van Dalen doubled again and this time scored herself when an error was made on a fly by Suzanne Meiring, but again two runners were left in scoring position.
Starter Femke van Dusschoten saw Twins load the bases in the fifth.
Lieke Duffhues led off with a single, Femke Duffhues was safe on a fielder's choice-sac bunt and Kimberly Petrovich reached on an error.
She then struckout the next batter, but was relieved by Canadian Ashley Lanz, who got out of the basesloaded jam when Sandy Lauwers fouled out in a double play.
In Game 2, both team scored twice in the first inning.
Alcmaria thanks to an error and a single by Maxime van Dalen, but they also would leave the bases loaded.
Twins tied the score on a single by Sophie Bugter and a bunt by Lieke Duffhues.
Twins then took a 3-2 lead in the next inning on a basesloaded walk for Michelle Haen, but this time the home team stranded three runners.
Alcmaria tied the score again in the third when Suzanne Meiring scored on a wild pitch.
The team then took the lead in the fourth when Maxime van Dalen singled in a run, but again the Alkmaar-squad left the bases loaded.
The next run was added in the fifth on a grounder by Anne Vlietstra, but for the third time, the bases were left loaded.
Three runs then followed in the seventh.
Anne Blaauwgeers (single) then first scored on a fielder's choice and Kimberly Jones (single) scored on a triple by Kym Turnell, who then scored herself on a grounder by Anne Vlietstra to make it 8-3.
Standings & Scores
Line Scores, Box Scores & Play-by-Play
(April 14)
| 
