The Game
Before the game, the ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Nina van Huissteden, who is a 25-year member of hosting club UVV.
She played in the Dutch big league with UVV, HCAW and Terrasvogels and also has played for the Netherlands National Softball Team.
In the game, Team Red took an early 3-0 in the first inning.
After Team Blue got two runs back in the second inning, Team Red added two more in the fourth to win 5-2.
Team Red was led by Peter van Dalen, the Head Coach of Oolders Omacom Sparks Haarlem.
He was assisted by Norman Ames (Head Coach DSS).
Team Blue was led by Stanley Doney, who is the Head Coach of FysioExpert Olympia Haarlem.
He was assisted by Mary-Ann Hatt (Head Coach Talent Team Holland).
Team Red was compiled from players from Alcmaria Victrix, DSS and Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem, while Team Blue got players from FysioExpert Olympia Haarlem, Terrasvogels and Tex Town Tigers.
Team Red was dominated by players of Sparks Haarlem, as eleven of them were selected for the squad.
DSS and Alcmaria Victrix were represented by only three and two players respectively.
Team Blue was more balanced, as it had seven players from Olympia Haarlem and five from Terrasvogels, but also only three of Tex Town Tigers.
Team Red-starter Rebecca Soumeru retired the side in the top of the first inning.
The veteran righthander got two flyouts and a grounder.
...Nathalie Gosewehr scores the second run...
...for Team Red in the first inning...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
Team Red then opened the score with three runs in the bottom of the first inning off of Team Blue-starter Eva Voortman when two errors were made.
With one out, Anne Blaauwgeers singled, then the bases got loaded when Nathalie Gosewehr and Alyssa Dronenburg both walked.
Next, an error was made on a grounder by Maxime van Dalen, which kept the bases loaded and gave Team Red its first run.
Another error followed on a force play at the plate on a grounder by Cindy van der Zanden, resulting in the next run.
A sacrifice fly by Damishah Charles then made it 3-0.
With a 3-0 lead, Quincey Catsburg took over the pitching for Team Red in the top of the second inning.
She saw Team Blue get two runs back on three basehits and an error.
Mariëlle Vleugels led off with a double.
Lizzie Clarijs then singled and that was followed by an error, resulting in the first run.
After the next two batters grounded out, Nadine Marinus doubled to bring in Clarijs and narrow the deficit to 3-2.
She advanced moments later on wild pitch, but stranded on third base.
Eva Voortman also pitched the second and third inning for Team Blue and then retired the side both times.
In the top of the third, Kirsten Scheele became the third pitcher for Team Red and she then also got three outs in a row.
She returned in the fourth, then saw Team Blue get the bases loaded.
With one out, Lizzie Clarijs bunted, which ended in an error.
A single by Brenda Beers and hit batter for Nadine Marinus loaded the bases.
However, three runners stranded when pinch-hitter Stephanie Ruiter lined out to 1B Maxime van Dalen.
In the bottom of the fourth, off of new pitcher Mariëlle Vleugels, Team Red added two insurance runs.
Cindy van der Zanden led off with a double and scored on a following single by Damishah Charles.
With one out, Morgan Sampson also doubled to bring in Charles and lift the lead to 5-2.
In the top of the fifth, Nienke Verhofstad took over the pitching for Kirsten Scheele.
She got two quick outs, then walked Jessie van Aalst, but she was left at first base.
In the bottom of the fifth, Ginger de Weert became the new pitcher for Team Blue and she retired the first five baters she faced, including two strikeouts.
With two outs in the sixth, she gave up back-to-back singles to Denice van Dijk and Morgan Sampson, but both stranded, as De Weert added another strikeout.
Sampson, who was added to the squad later, was the lone player in this game to collect two basehits and also had a run batted in.
In the top of the sixth, Dagmar Bloeming had taken over the pitching for Team Red.
Bloeming and 3B Virginie Anneveld this season played professionally for Pennsylvania Rebellion in the American National Pro Fastpitch (NPF).
Starting in the sixth, Bloeming also retired five batters in a row.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, the righthander got two baserunners.
Bloeming then gave up a single to Stephanie Tofft.
She was added to the squad, replacing Marisèla de Wind, who unfortunately was not available to play due to other commitments.
Canadian pitcher Alana Westerhof also was not with the squad, as she had returned home.
She was not replaced on the roster.
After the single by Tofft, Laura Wissink struckout, but reached on a passed ball.
With runners on first and second base, Bloeming struckout the next batter to end the game.
While Team Red-starter Rebecca Soumeru was relieved after one inning with a 3-0 lead, reliever Kirsten Scheele was credited with the win.
She threw the third and fourth inning for Team Red.
Nadine Marinus, who was 1-for-2 (double) with one run batted for Team Blue, was named Most Valuable Player of the game.
...TEAM RED...
...Back row: Norman Ames (Coach), Nienke Verhofstad, Kirsten Scheele, Dagmar Bloeming, Maxime van Dalen,...
...Rebecca Soumeru, Anne Blaauwgeers, Karin Tuk, Denice van Dijk and Peter van Dalen (Head Coach)...
...Front row: Virginie Anneveld, Chantal Versluis, Nathalie Gosewehr, Morgan Sampson,...
...Alyssa Dronenburg, Cindy van der Zanden, Damishah Charles and Quincey Catsburg... |
...TEAM BLUE...
...Back row: Mary-Ann Hatt (Coach), Laura Wissink, Ginger de Weert, Lizzie Clarijs, Jessie van Aalst,...
...Kimberly Jones, Nadine Marinus, Rachel van Veen, Stephanie Ruiter and Stanley Doney (Head Coach)...
...Front row: Mariëlle Vleugels, Eva Voortman, Dinet Oosting, Ella Krommendijk,...
...Brenda Beers, Annemiek Jansen and Stephanie Tofft...
(© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) |
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Team Red wins first Softball All Star Game in 26 years
VLEUTEN (Neth.) -
Twenty-six years after the last Softball All Star Game was played, the event was back on the schedule.
On Sunday (September 6), two teams met in an All Star Game at the site of UVV in Vleuten.
