 Alcmaria Victrix surprises and eliminates Olympia Haarlem
Nederlands
 HAARLEM (Neth.) -
Reigning champion Alcmaria Victrix, which has to do without several of its regular players, surprised on Sunday by winning twice with a 3-1 score vs. FysioExpert Olympia Haarlem.
With this, Olympia Haarlem was eliminated, while Alcmaria Victrix now meets Terrasvogels coming weekend in the next round of the Play-Offs.
The winner of that best-of-three series will become the second finalist for the Holland Series.
The series opens on Saturday in Santpoort with a double-header.
When a third game is needed, that will be played on Sunday at Alkmaar.
Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem became the first team to qualify for the Holland Series after winning twice vs. Hotel Ambassador Haarlem Terrasvogels.
Sparks Haarlem nipped Terrasvogels 1-0 in the opener, scoring the lone run in the first inning, then won Game 2, 10-0 in a Perfect Game by Rebecca Soumeru, highlighted by a grand slam homerun by Karin Tuk.
Alcmaria Victrix missed several of its regular players, including Leonella Elizabeth, Shareday Christina, Maxime van Dalen, Kimberly Jones and Britt Vonk, but has added Femke van Dusschoten and Anne Blaauwgeers to its Play-Off roster.
Both played in the Italian Softball League this season for La Loggia, but rejoined Alcmaria Victrix after completion of the season in Italy.
Also back with the team today were Kim Buizer, Annemarie van de Kamer and Desiree Adriaansz, who play for lower teams and already played for the squad during the regular season.
Olympia Haarlem collected only eight basehits in the double-header, while Alcmaria Victrix registered 17 hits today.
In the opener, Femke van Dusschoten threw for Alcmaria Victrix and struckout nine batters, walked three and gave up seven hits.
Pitching for Olympia Haarlem was Lindsey Meadows, who struckout eight, walked none and gave up ten hits.
Alcmaria Victrix opened the score right away in the first inning.
Anne Blaauwgeers led off with a bunt-single, then advanced on a sac-bunt from her twin-sister Maaike Blaauwgeers.
Moments later, she scored the first run on a single by Jessie van Aalst.
In the second inning, Sophie Bugter led off with a single, but was left behind.
Alcmaria then added another run in the third at bat.
After Meadows had struckout the Blaauwgeers-sisters, she gave up a triple to Van Aalst, who then scored on a following double by Laura Treurniet.
An error on a grounder by Suzanne Meiring led to runners on first and third base, but they were left behind.
In the fifth at bat, the Blaauwgeers-sisters led off with bunt-singles, but no runs were added.
In the seventh, Alcmaria did add an insurance run.
Maaike Blaauwgeers led off with a bunt-single, then Jessie van Aalst singled.
After an infield-fly, a run was scored when a throwing error was made to third base on a force play-grounder by Suzanne Meiring.
Alcmaria left two runners, but had increased the lead to 3-0.
Olympia Haarlem reached base off of Femke van Dusschoten in each inning, but only was able to score a run in the seventh inning.
In the first inning, Courtney Bures singled with one out and moved on a sac-bunt by Lindsey Meadows, but stranded on second base.
In the second through sixth inning, Olympia got a runner on base each time, but neither of them went beyond first base.
In the seventh at bat, Olympia scored a run, but also left three runners.
Lisanne van den Berg led off with a single, then Marit Molenaar singled with one out.
Next, Merel Oosterveld doubled to bring in a run and put runners on second and third base.
The bases were then loaded when Courtney Bures walked, but Van Dusschoten then struckout Meadows and ended the game when Dinet Oosting hit a force play-grounder, which left the bases loaded.
In Game 2, Olympia Haarlem took an 1-0 lead in the first inning, but that would be their lone run, while Alcmaria Victrix again scored three runs.
Alcmaria-pitcher Jessie van Aalst began with a strikeout, then gave up a single to Courtney Bures and hit Lindsey Meadows with a pitch.
After Dinet Oosting flied out, Dominique Sprengers singled to make it 1-0, but a groundout ended the inning.
Olympia hit two basehits in this inning and that would be the only ones Van Aalst gave up, as she threw six hitless innings hereafter.
Of the next 21 batters, only four would reach base.
In the third, she walked a batter with two outs, who was then forced out on a fielder's choice-grounder.
She hit a batter with a pitch with two outs in the fourth at bat and walked a batter with one out in the sixth.
With a 3-1 lead, Van Aalst retired the side in the seventh to seal the win.
Trailing 1-0, Alcmaria scored twice in the top of the second inning off of Rosanne de Vries.
The lefthander was a surprise starter, as it was expected that Lindsey Meadows also would start Game 2.
In the second, Laura Treurniet led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Desiree Adriaansz, who advanced on a sac-bunt by Suzanne Meiring.
The bases then got loaded when Sophie Bugter singled and Brenda Beers walked.
A single by Annemarie van de Kamer then brought in two runs and gave Alcmaria the lead.
Alcmaria added another run in the fourth inning.
Suzanne Meiring led off with a triple and scored on a following single by Sophie Bugter.
After the next batter struckout, Lindsey Meadows took over the pitching and gave up no additional runs in the game.
But Alcmaria had taken a decisive 3-1 lead and pitcher Jessie van Aalst dominated.
(September 15)
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