(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Marco Stoovelaar & Ben Goorts)
 France wins Indoor Cup
Nederlands
 SCHIEDAM (Neth.) -
France has won the 15th edition of the annual international Indoor Cup Tournament in Schiedam.
In the final on Sunday-afternoon, the French squad won 3-1 against the Dutch Junior Team to win the event.
It was the first time that a French team participated in the event.
That the Dutch Juniors reached the Final was more or less a surprise, as the players didn't practiced yet as a team.
As the financial support by the Netherlands Olympic Committee was stopped, it was not possible (yet) to organize indoor practice sessions.
In previous years, the Netherlands National Teams started indoor practice in October/November and played indoor games in January/February/March in indoor halls, mainly in Amsterdam.
As a result of the current situation, all national softball teams currently are without a coaching and support staff, while rosters have not yet been made.
This year, the National Team will defend its European title at the European Championship in Rosmalen (Netherlands).
The Dutch remained unbeaten in the previous three events since 2009.
The Juniors (Dutch Junior Red Team) are scheduled to participate in the World Junior Championship in Oklahoma City (USA), while the Cadets (Dutch Junior White Team) will participate in the European Cadets Championship in Nuoro (Sardinia, Italy).
During the Indoor Cup-tournament, National Team Head Coach Craig Montvidas led the Junior-team and was assisted by Nathalie Franssen and Sandra Catoen.
Last year, Nathalie was a member of the coaching staff of the Junior Red-team, while Sandra led the Junior White-squad.
...Terrasvogels was dethroned as Indoor Cup-champion...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
The 3-day Indoor Cup-tournament began on Friday-evening with the participation of 16 teams from five different countries.
Besides the French team, Italy returned to the tournament for the first time since 2008.
Saronno, which also participated in 2007 and 2008, also accounted for the Italian flavor this year.
The Czech Republic also was represented again and participated with two teams, the Czech Under 19 Team and Joudrs Praha.
Six teams again represented the USA.
For the first time in years, the team-names were changed of the American squads and were named Arsenal United, Avengers United, Chaos United, Destroyers United, Impact United and Velocity United.
Six teams also represented the organizing country, being the Dutch Junior Team, Euro Stars, Gryphons, Roef!, Terrasvogels and Twins.
Last year, Hotel Ambassador Haarlem Terrasvogels won the event after winning the final against the Czech U19 Team, 1-0.
This year, the team missed four players during the event, including National Team-player Marisèla de Wind and National Junior-player Gabi Obia.
On Saturday, Terrasvogels was dethroned as title-defender in the first round.
After losing its opening game in Pool D against the Dutch Junior Team 2-0, Terrasvogels won its next two games.
The team, which is led by new Head Coach Rob Walgien, won 1-0 against the Czech Under-19 Team, then shutout Impact United 4-0 to conclude the first round.
Against the Czechs, the lone run was scored in the fourth inning when Anouk van den Heuvel after an error was made on a grounder by Myrthe Smid.
Against the Americans, Terrasvogels opened the score with three runs in the first inning, thanks to a single by Lisa Waasdorp and a 2-run double by Jeske Meewisse.
...Ella Krommendijk had a 6-game hitting streak...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
With this, Terrasvogels ended up in a 3-way tie with the Dutch Juniors and the Czechs.
While no tie-breaker was listed in the official tournament rules for a 3-way tie, it was decided to use the run-difference of all games played by the three teams to come to a ranking.
That resulted in the Czechs taking first place, while the Dutch Juniors and Terrasvogels ended up in a new tie, as their run-difference was three.
But as the Juniors had won the head-to-head game, they were awarded second place.
With that, Terrasvogels finished third and this was eliminated for the top-8 and thus dethroned as tournament-champion.
The two best teams of the four pools created two new groups that would produce the finalists.
In the second round, Terrasvogels remained unbeaten.
On Saturday-afternoon, it shutout Saronno 4-0.
Myrthe Smid doubled in two runs in the first inning.
Two runs were added in the second at bat.
Terrasvogels then won 2-0 vs. Avengers United.
The score was opened in the third inning on a double by Ella Krommendijk, then Anna-Bé Bartels scored the second run in the fourth inning on a wild pitch.
On Sunday, Terrasvogels won 2-1 vs. Gryphons to end up in tenth place.
Trailing 1-0, Terrasvogels scored twice in the third inning.
Kimberly Jones walked and scored on a passed ball, then Ella Krommendijk scored the winning run on a single by Jessie van Aalst.
By the way, Ella Krommendijk was one of only two players this event, who had a 6-game hitting streak.
The only other player to have a basehit in all games she played was Tori Ward of Chaos United.
In Pool A, Arsenal United remained unbeaten, winning its three games, to qualify for the Championship Round.
They were joined by Chaos United, which finished in second place.
In Pool B, Roef!, Euro Stars and Destroyers United also ended up in a 3-way tie.
The tie-break ruling was in favor of Roef!, which ended up in first place and qualified for the final-8 with Euro Stars.
In Pool C, group-winner France was joined by Twins.
In Pool C, France remained unbeaten.
The French squad opened with a 4-3 win against Avengers United on Friday-evening.
Trailing 3-0, France scored twice in the third inning.
In the next at bat, France won, thanks to an one-out, walk-off, 2-run single by Pauline Prade.
France then won 7-2 vs. Velocity United on Saturday.
This time, France trailed 2-1, then scored six runs in the fourth on six hits.
France had 11 basehits, including three by Mélissa Mayeux.
France followed by a 7-0 shutout-win against Twins to claim first place in this pool.
France then opened the second round with a 4-1 win vs. Chaos United, before losing on Sunday 3-1 to Euro Stars.
In this last game, France trailed 3-1, but came alongside in the fourth, however, these two runs were subtracted again, as they were score in an incomplete inning.
According to the tournament-rules, only runs in completed innings count for the final score, unless the home team takes the lead in a non-completed bottom half of an at bat.
France followed with an 1-0 win against the Czech Under 19.
The lone run was scored in the third inning on a double by Mélissa Mayeux.
Winning pitcher Laurence Cornaille gave up only one hit.
With this last win, France clinched a spot in the final, while the Czechs became the second of last years finalists to be eliminated.
In the final game of Pool C, Velocity United and Avengers United played a scoreless tie.
This was the lone scoreless game this year.
Last year, four games ended in 0-0, while three had a scoreless tie in 2013.
...The Dutch Juniors reached this years final...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
As mentioned, the Dutch Juniors opened Pool D with a win against Terrasvogels.
The Juniors scored twice in the first inning and that would be decisive.
With Wies Ligtvoet and Brenda Beers on base, a double-steal led to the first run, then a grounder by Laura Wissink made it 2-0.
In the fifth, the Junior-squad rallied for four runs, highligted by an RBI-single by Isa Los, a 2-run double by Lizzie Clarijs and another runscoring single by Rachel van Veen.
However, these runs didn't count in the final score, as they were scored in an incomplete inning.
In the bottom of the 5th, there were two outs, but then Jessie van Aalst walked and that ended the game.
Winning pitcher Lisa Hop gave up only one basehit, a single by Ella Krommendijk, who this season will be a rookie in the Dutch big league.
After opening with this win on Saturday-morning, the Junior Team won 7-3 vs. Impact United.
The team decided the game with a 6-run rally in the second inning on only two hits, as six batters walked in this at bat.
Next, the Juniors ended up empty-handed against the Czech U19, losing 4-1.
After being awarded second place via the tie-breaker decision, the Dutch squad played a 4-4 tie against Roef! in the opener of the second round on Saturday-afternoon, failing to hold a 4-2 lead in the last inning.
The Juniors then shutout Arsenal United 10-0 on Sunday-morning, collecting eight basehists, including three by Lizzie Clarijs.
Lisa Hop again gave up only one basehit in this game.
The Junior team then finished with an 8-1 win against Twins.
In this game, the team had a 6-run rally in the fourth inning and registered 11 basehits.
Lizzie Clarijs and Damishah Charles contributed with three runs batted in.
Roos-Marijn Kramer gave up only three hits.
With the win, the Juniors finished in a tie for first place with Roef!
As the head-to-head game was a tie, the run-difference of all games played in this pool again had to deliver the final decision.
And just like in the first round, the Juniors had scored enough runs, as their run-difference was 17 (22 scored, 5 against), opposed to Roef!'s nine (14-5).
And that meant that the Juniors became the second finalist.
...Lisa Hop threw two one-hitters... | 
...An overview of the Juniors vs. Roef! game... |
...Eva van Knegsel hitting for Roef!... | 
...Wies Ligtvoet at bat for the Dutch Juniors... |
| (© Photos: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In the attractive final, the score remained scoreless for four innings.
In the top of the fifth inning, French pitcher Sarah Benchali walked lead-off hitter Rachel van Veen, who then moved on a sacrifice bunt by Laura Wissink, but then was caught stealing at third base.
A flyout ended the at bat.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, France scored twice off of starter Lisa Hop.
The righthander had struckout five batters and gave up only one basehit in the previous four innings.
In the fifth, she hit lead-off hitter Margaux Magnée, then walked Pauline Prade.
The two advanced in a fielder's choice-situation, enabling the first to score the first run.
After a groundout and strikeout, Manon Marie was walked intentionally, then the bases got loaded when Aurélie Behr walked.
Daniëlle ten Donkelaar then was brought in as new pitcher, but was greeted with a runscoring single by Laurence Cornaille that made it 2-0 in French favor.
In the sixth inning, France added another run.
Margaux Magnée led off with a single and advanced when Pauline Prade reached on an error.
Raina Hunter (who played in the Dutch big league in 2013 for Alcmaria Victrix), then moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt and following single by Mélissa Mayeux increased the lead to 3-0.
Roos-Marijn Kramer then took over the pitching and gave up no additional runs, closing in the inning with a strikeout.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Dutch Team scored its lone run.
With one out, Damishah Charles singled and stole second base.
After a single by Rachel van Veen, the run was scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Laura Wissink.
 |
...A view of Hall 1 during the final between France and the Dutch Juniors...
(© Photos: Ben Goorts) |
Pitching highlights
In this year's tournament, eight No-Hitters were registered.
Aarron Ward threw a No-Hitter for Arsenal United against Gryphons in a 5-0 shutout on Saturday to close the first round.
Another No-Hitter was pitched in the first round by Merel Cramer of Euro Stars in a 2-1 victory against Saronno.
Femke Duffhues threw a No-Hitter for Twins in the first round in a 4-2 win vs. Avengers United.
For the Czech U19, Veronika Peckova and Tereza Krbcova threw a combinted No-Hitter against Impact United in Pool D of the first round.
In the second round, Emily Johnson threw a No-Hitter for Destroyers United vs. Joudrs Praha, winning 1-0.
Ginger de Weert threw a No-Hitter for Terrasvogels in a 2-0 win against Avengers United in the second round.
In the next game of the Avengers, Kristen Golic threw a No-Hitter for the Americans against Saronno.
She struckout 12 batters in the 7-0 victory.
Kristen Golic then threw another No-Hitter in the next game when the Avengers shutout Gryphons 12-0.
Three pitchers struckout 10 or more batters in a game.
Veronika Peckova struckout 14 batters and walked none in a 2-hitter against Euro Stars in a 2-0 win of the Czech U19 Team in the second round.
Ginger de Weert struckout 13 batters, walked none and gave up only one basehit in the 4-0 win of Terrasvogels against Impact United in its closing game in Pool D.
Laurence Cornaille struckout 12 batters in an 1-0 win of France against Czech U19 in the second round.
| Final Standings |
| # | Team | . | # | Team | . | # | Team | . | # | Team |
| 1 | France | . | 5 | Euro Stars | . | 9 | Destroyers United | . | 13 | Velocity United |
| 2 | Dutch Juniors | . | 6 | Arsenal United | . | 10 | Terrasvogels | . | 14 | Saronno |
| 3 | Roef! | . | 7 | Twins | . | 11 | Avengers United | . | 15 | Impact United |
| 4 | Czech Under 19 | . | 8 | Chaos United | . | 12 | Joudrs Praha | . | 16 | Gryphons |
| Individual Awards |
| Most Valuable Player | . | Best Hitter | . | Best Pitcher |
| Lizzie Clarijs | . | Helena Novotna | . | Veronika Pechkova |
| (Dutch Junior Team) | . | Joudrs Praha | . | Czech U19 Team |
| Previous Winners |
| 2001 | | . | 2006 | Terrasvogels (Neth.) | . | 2011 | Czech Stars (Czech Rep.) |
| 2002 | Red Stars (USA) | . | 2007 | Carrousel (Russia) | . | 2012 | Gryphons (Neth.) |
| 2003 | Terrasvogels (Neth.) | . | 2008 | Gryphons (Neth.) | . | 2013 | Gryphons (Neth.) |
| 2004 | Extreme (USA) | . | 2009 | Czech Stars (Czech Rep.) | . | 2014 | Terrasvogels (Neth.) |
| 2005 | Terrasvogels (Neth.) | . | 2010 | Netherlands 'Blue Team' (Neth.) | . | 2015 | France |
(January 19)
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