 Two more wins for Sparks Haarlem
Nederlands
    HAARLEM / ENSCHEDE / ALKMAAR / VLEUTEN (Neth.) -
League-leader Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem added two more victories on Thursday-afternoon, winning 7-0 and 8-3 vs. Twins, but in Game 2, the lead was only 4-3 at one moment.
Karin Tuk hit her fourth homerun for Sparks Haarlem.
Hotel Ambassador c.c. Terrasvogels split with Tex Town Tigers.
After winning the opener 10-3, Terrasvogels lost Game 2 5-1 to TTT, which used Lindsey Meadows as pitcher, throwing to an Italian catcher.
Ashli Holland homered twice for Terrasvogels to move into first place with five.
Gryphons handed Alcmaria Victrix a surprise 3-2 loss in its opener, but Alcmaria then came back with a 7-0 win.
UVV and Olympia Haarlem also split.
Olympia took the opener 4-2, UVV won Game 2 8-6 to end a 9-game losing streak.
Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem vs. Twins
At Haarlem, Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem won 7-0 and 8-3 vs. Twins to improve their record to 15-1, having lost only to Hotel Ambassador c.c. Terrasvogels.
Since that loss on April 22, Sparks Haarlem now has won eight games in a row again.
In the opener, Kirsten Scheele pitched a 2-hitter, while Sparks Haarlem collected seven hits off starter Megan Brown, who last weekend became the foreign pitcher of Twins after completion of Game 1 of its double-header vs. Tex Town Tigers, which had protested the use of two different foreign pitchers in one double-header on the same day.
After two scoreless innings, Sparks Haarlem scored the first run in the third inning when Michelle van Driel led off with a single and went on to score on a grounder by Chantal Versluis.
The home team added three runs in the fourth inning.
Debby Connor led off with a walk and Virginie Anneveld singled, then Karin Tuk followed with a line drive 3-run homerun to make it 4-0.
Two runs were added in the fifth inning.
Chantal Versluis led off with a double, then Nathalie Gosewehr reached on an infield-hit.
Beau van Gelder then ran for Versluis, but was forced out at third base on a grounder by Areke Spel, but Debby Connor then doubled to bring in both runs and lift the lead to 6-0.
The 7-run difference was reached in the sixth inning off Kimberly van der Lee, who faced only three batters.
Michelle van Driel and Silea Bos led off with singles, then Chantal Versluis followed with another single to end the game, as Van Driel scored the seventh run.
Lieke Duffhues hit the first basehit for Twins with two outs in the fourth inning.
In the sixth, Megan Brown accounted for the second basehit for Twins, whose 1B Coach Frank Zaal was ejected in the third inning for arguing.
In Game 2, Sparks Haarlem opened the score with three runs in the second inning.
With two outs, Celine van Roon tripled and scored on a single by Chantal Versluis.
Next, Virginie Anneveld doubled down the leftfield line, with 3B Sophie Bugter injuring herself while diving to the ball, but she was able to continue playing.
Versluis and Anneveld then scored wen Areke Spel followed with a triple.
Twins narrowed the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth inning off Rebecca Soumeru.
Michelle Haen led off with a walk, then Megan Brown singled.
An error on a fly by Sophie Bugter then loaded then bases and a walk for Lieke Duffhues led to the first run for Twins.
A sac-fly by Sandy Lauwers then made it 3-2, but then two outs followed.
Sparks Haarlem made it a 2-run difference in the fifth inning when Karin Tuk led off with a walk and scored on a throwing error.
But again Twins was able to get a run back, this time off Dagmar Bloeming in the sixth inning.
Sophie Bugter led off with a single, then the bases got loaded when Lieke Duffhues walked and Sandy Lauwers singled.
An error then enabled Bugter to score and make it a 4-3 score, but then Bloeming struckout the next two batters and the inning ended with a groundout.
Sparks Haarlem then took more distance by scoring four runs in the home of the sixth inning.
Lead-off hitter Virginie Anneveld reached on an error, then Debby Connor singled with one out and the bases were loaded when Karin Tuk was walked intentionally.
But then Nathalie Gosewehr singled in two runs.
A single by Silea Bos and an error then made it 8-4.
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Tex Town Tigers vs. Hotel Ambassador c.c. Terrasvogels
At Enschede, Tex Town Tigers and Hotel Ambassador c.c. Terrasvogels split their double-header.
Terrasvogels took the opener 10-3, then TTT won Game 2 with a 5-1 score.
In the opener, Terrasvogels took charge of the game with a 6-run rally in the first at bat off Amanda Webster.
Meike Witteveen led off with a single and scored when Marisèla de Wind followed with a triple.
Next, Ashli Holland followed with a 2-run homerun.
With two outs, Anouk van den Heuvel doubled and later scored on an error.
Lotte Holvast reached on another error and scored when Mariëlle Vleugels homered to make it 6-0.
TTT scored a run in the first inning when Merel Oosterveld led off with a triple and scored on an one-out single by Nadine Marinus, but the team also left the bases loaded.
The home team scored its next run in the third at bat when Petra van Heijst walked with one out and scored on a sac-fly by Erin Mollohan, who made her debut in a TTT-uniform.
Terrasvogels added two more runs in both the fifth and sixth inning.
In the fifth, Ashli Holland led off with a homerun, her second in the game and fifth of the season.
Dana Horeman was then hit by a pitch, advanced on a double by Kate Gentile and then scored on a single by Anouk van den Heuvel.
In the sixth, Meike Witteveen singled, Marisèla de Wind walked and Ashli Holland singled to load the bases, then runs were scored on a grounder by Dana Horeman and an error on a grounder by Anouk van den Heuvel.
TTT scored its third run in the fifth on a single by Marije ten Thij, but couldn't avoid a 7-run difference, mercy-rule loss.
Game 2 was a completely different story.
TTT played with a new battery, as it added Lindsey Meadows and Italian catcher Valerie Bartolomai to its roster for today's games.
Both play for Sanotint Bollate in the Italian Softball League, which had no games scheduled.
Terrasvogels filed a protest against the participating of both players, as they both play in a foreign competition.
Tex Town Tigers scored three runs in the opening inning, one on an error, the other two on a homerun by Erin Mollohan, which followed a single by Lindsey Meadows.
The home team added a run in the second and fifth at bat.
In the second, Kirsten Vierdag tripled with one out and scored on a single by Valerie Bartolomai.
And in the fifth, Meadows walked with two outs and scored on a double by Leonie Winters.
Terrasvogels scored its lone run in the second inning when Dana Horeman led off with a double and scored on an one-out double by Anouk van den Heuvel, who became the league's leading hitter after today's games.
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Alcmaria Victrix vs. Gryphons
At Alkmaar, Gryphons handed Alcmaria Victrix a surprise 3-2 loss in its opener, but Alcmaria then came back with a 7-0 win.
In the first game, the home team opened the score in the first inning when Kimberly Jones singled with one out and scored on a 2-out triple by Kym Turnell.
Gryphons came alongside in the next at bat when Claudia Kranendonk led off with a double and scored on an one-out triple by Lucie Marsiková.
The team then took a 2-1 lead in the third inning.
Cindy van der Zanden led off with a walk and moved on a bunt-single by Fabienne van Uden.
A sac-bunt by Kim Donkers moved the two runners, then an error on a grounder by Yonina Sint Jago led to a run.
A hit by pitcher for Claudia Kranendonk then loaded the bases, but a double play ended the at bat.
Alcmaria made it a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning.
With two outs, Suzanne Meiring and Maaike Blaauwgeers singled, then a throwing error followed on a single by Anne Blaauwgeers, which led to a run and runners on second and third base, but the two were left, as pitcher Lucie Marsiková ended the at bat with a strikeout.
Gryphons re-took the lead in the top of the seventh inning.
With two outs, Fabienne van Uden reached on a bunt-single.
Jessie van Aalst then took over the pitching for Femke van Dusschoten.
Van Uden stole second base, advanced on a wild pitch, then scored the go-ahead run on a single by Kim Donkers.
Alcmaria won Game 2 with a 7-run difference, but decided the game in the fourth and fifth inning.
After two scoreless innings, Alcmaria scored its first run in the third inning.
With one out, Kimberly Jones and Jessie van Aalst singled, then a sac-bunt by Kym Turnell produced the first run.
Four runs were then added in the fourth at bat.
Anne Vlietstra led off with a single, moved on a sac-bunt by Suzanne Meiring and scored on a single by Manoa Weijgertse.
With two outs, Anne Blaauwgeers tripled to bring in the next run and scored herself when Kimberly Jones followed with a single.
A single by Kym Turnell then made it 5-0.
The 7-run difference was reached in the fifth inning, thanks to an error and a basesloaded walk for Jessie van Aalst.
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UVV vs. Olympia Haarlem
At Vleuten, UVV and Olympia Haarlem also split.
Olympia took the opener 4-2, UVV won Game 2 8-6 to end a 9-game losing streak.
In the first game, Olympia Haarlem decided the game late after trailing 2-0.
After Olympia left two runners in the top of the second inning, UVV opened the score in the home half of the at bat.
Brenna Sandberg led off with a single and moved on a grounder, then scored on a 2-out double by Misja Koops.
In the fourth inning, Olympia appeared to score at least one run.
Dinet Oosting and Maranca Ham singled, then the bases got loaded when Rosanne de Vries walked with one out.
But the three runners stranded as a strikeout and line out followed.
But in the next at bat, Olympia struck with three runs.
Marit Molenaar reached on an error and Courtney Bures followed with a homerun to give Olympia a 2-1 lead.
With one out, Dinet Oosting doubled and went on to score on a wild pitch.
UVV got one run back in the home of the fifth when Sanne Bolhuis led off with a double and her pinch-runner Roxane Bomba scored on a single by Laura Arp.
Olympia then added an insurance run in the seventh inning when Courtney Bures led off with a double and went on to score on a 2-out single by Maranca Ham.
In Game 2, UVV had two 3-run rallies to keep ahead of Olympia Haarlem, but also used the re-entry rule wrongly leading to two ejections.
Initially, Olympia took an 1-0 lead in the first inning when Courtney Bures led off the game with a double and scored on a sac-fly by Dinet Oosting.
UVV immediately came alongside in its first at bat when Kayleigh Adelina singled with two outs and scored on a single by Brenna Sandberg.
The home team then rallied for three runs in the second inning to take a 4-1 lead.
Sanne Bolhuis led off with a walk and advanced on a sac-bunt by Misja Koops, then was replaced by pinch-runner Roxane Bomba after Mirjam Boode walked.
The two runners moved on a sac-bunt by Laura arp and then a single by Nikki Harte, a wild pitch and a single by Kelly Platvoet led to three runs.
Olympia Haarlem got two runs back in the third inning, also scoring with two outs.
Dinet Oosting and Maranca Ham then singled and both scored when a fly by Rosanne de Vries was missed in leftfield.
UVV added a run in the fourth when Mirjam Boode singled and scored on an one-out single by Kayleigh Adelina, but two runnners stranded.
The home team then took more distance by scoring three runs in the fifth.
Floor van Dijk and Sanne Bolhuis (who had re-entered) singled, then Melissa Burger was brought in to run for Bolhuis.
With one out, a run was scored on a bunt-single by Mirjam Boode, then, after a pitching change, the next two runs were scored on a single by Kayleigh Adelina.
Olympia then staged a 3-run rally in the sixth inning to narrow the deficit to 8-6.
Lisanne van den Berg led off with a single and Courtney Bures singled with two outs, which also led to an error and a run.
A single by Lotte Zijlstra and walk for Dinet Oosting then loaded the bases.
Next, Maranca Ham singled to bring in two runs, but a strikeout ended the at bat.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, UVV made an illegal move.
With one out and a runner on first base, Sanne Bolhuis was brought back in to hit for Melissa Burger.
But as she already had re-entered after being replaced by a pinch-runner earlier in the game, Bolhuis could not re-enter again.
And so, after Olympia appealed the change, both Bolhuis and Head Coach Melvin Brown were ejected according to the rules for wrongly using the re-entry rule.
Hereafter, there was some discussion about the entering of pinch-hitter Cintia de Groodt, but went on to reach first base on a single.
In the end, she stranded on second base.
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(May 17)
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