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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Desiree van Alebeek, Rein Merkx & Marco Stoovelaar)
 Twins takes 2-0 lead in Promotion Series vs. Alcmaria
Nederlands
 ROSMALEN (Neth.) -
Twins took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Promotion/Relegation Series vs. Alcmaria Victrix by winning 9-2 and 11-4 on Saturday (September 19).
Today's double-header, which were two home games for Alcmaria Victrix, was played at the site of Gryphons in Rosmalen, as part of the new format which is used this year to conclude the season.
The series continues next Saturday at the site of Hoofddorp Pioniers in Hoofddorp.
The teams that finished in second, third and fourth place of the Golden League, and with that secured their spots in the Play-Offs, met in the Play-Off Weekend, which took place at the site of Almere '90 in Almere.
The final ranking in this round determines the filling in of the games for the Holland Series Weekend, which follows coming weekend at the complex of Hoofddorp Pioniers in Hoofddorp.
As winner of the regular season, Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem automatically qualified for this final weekend.
Also in the new format, all these postseason-games will be played at a neutral site.
Besides the Play-Off Weekend in Almere and the Holland Series Weekend in Hoofddorp, there also were two Promotion/Relegation Series today in Rosmalen.
Alcmaria Victrix, which finished in last place in the Golden League, meets Silver League-champion Twins in the series to decide who of these two teams will play in the big league next season.
Are all Play-Off games, as well as the Holland Series limited to a best-of-one during the Holland Series Weekend, the series between Alcmaria and Twins is a best-of-five.
The other series today is Rosmalen was the Promotion/Relegation Series that will decide two spots in the 2016 Silver League.
Ban-Topa Future Stars and Almere '90, which finished in the last two spots of the Silver League Relegation Pool, meet Hoofddorp Pioniers and Birds, the top-2 teams from the First Division.
The conclusion of both Promotion/Relegation Series also will take place next weekend in Hoofddorp.
On Saturday, starting at 1 PM, Alcmaria Victrix and Twins will meet in Game 3 to be followed by an eventual fourth game.
Game 5, if needed, will be played on Sunday.
The Silver League/First Division Series will be concluded with three games on Sunday.
Schedule
(September 19)
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Game One
...Manon van Alebeek...
...2 runs, 2 hits, 2 RBI's...
(© Ph: Desiree van Alebeek) |
Twins had a good start of the game, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning off of starter Nienke Verhofstad.
With one out, Minke Blok homered.
Hereafter, Sandy Lauwers and Sophie Bugter both walked.
Lauwers was then caught stealing at third base, but next batter Manon van Alebeek reached on an error to put runners on first and third base.
In a following double steal-situation, Van Alebeek moved to second base, while Bugter was able to score.
Another one-three situation was formed when Noor Godefroy also reached on an error.
That set the scene for another double steal-situation.
Godefroy took off from first base, but was eliminated in a rundown, however that enable Van Alebeek to score before the third out was made.
Twins added three more runs in the third at bat.
With one out, Minke Blok and Sandy Lauwers walked and advanced on a wild pitch.
To set up a force play, an intentional walk was issued to Sophie Bugter to load the bases.
But hereafter, Manon van Alebeek singled in two runs and later Noor Godefroy added a sacrifice fly to lift the lead to 6-0.
Twins increased its lead to 8-0 in the fifth inning.
With one out, Manon van Alebeek singled and scored on a following triple by Noor Godefroy.
Hereafter, Lisa Meyering took over the pitching, but, with two outs, she gave up a runscoring single to Tammie Lijbers that made it 8-0.
...Alyssa Dronenburg...
...2 hits, double...
(© Ph: Marco Stoovelaar) |
American righthander Kaitlyn Medlam, who pitched four seasons for Georgia State University, went the distance for Twins.
She struckout six batters and gave up only five basehits.
After having retired the first seven batters in a row, Medlam walked Teddy van Beijsterveld in the third inning, but she was forced out.
In the fourth inning, Medlam's No-Hitter ended when Alyssa Dronenburg doubled with two outs, but she was left behind.
The shutout ended in the next at bat when Alcmaria Victrix scored twice.
Lead-off hitter Carolien Veenstra reached on an error, then the bases got loaded when Quita Borst and Teddy van Beijsterveld both singled.
The runs were then scored on following grounders by Robin van Beijsterveld and Lisanne Spoor.
In the sixth inning, Twins scored its final run.
Femke Duffhues led off with a walk and later scored on a grounder by Sandy Lauwers to make it 9-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Alyssa Dronenburg and Arwen Ravenhorst singled with one out for Alcmaria.
But a strikeout and force out followed, leaving two runners behind.
And with that, the game ended through the 7-run difference mercy-rule.
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| Alcmaria Victrix - Twins 2-9 (6 inn.) |
| R | H | E |
| Twins | 303 | 021 | | - | 9 | 7 | 1 |
| Alcmaria Victrix | 000 | 020 | | - | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| pitcher Twins | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Kaitlyn Medlam, W (1-0) | 6 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | - |
| pitchers Alcmaria Victrix | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Nienke Verhofstad, L (0-1) | 4.1 | - | 5 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| Lisa Meyering | 1.2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Homerun: Twins: Minke Blok (1)(1st,solo,off Verhofstad). |
Umpires: HP-Peter Vonk, 1B-Bianca Dweelaard.
Official Scorer-Leo van den Brun.
Play-by-Play Scorer-Feiko Drost.
Public Address Announcer-Wout Isbouts.
Time-1:48 hr.
Game Notes:
Game One best-of-five Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Golden League/SilverLeague.
Twins leads Series 1-0.
Game played at the site of Gryphons in Rosmalen.
Game started 30 minutes later due to field maintenance after rain.
Weather conditions at game time: Overcast, 14,9° C (58,8° F), northern wind 9 kmh (5,6 mph), wind speed 2 Bft, humidity 89%. |
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Game Two
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...Lieke Duffhues (left) and Sandy Lauwers both had 3 hits...
(© Photos: Desiree van Alebeek (left) & Rein Merkx) |
Twins hit only three more hits than Alcmaria Victrix in this game and made one more error than the team from Alkmaar, but scored seven more runs to win 11-4 and ending the game again via the mercy-rule.
Lieke Duffhues and Sandy Lauwers both had three basehits for Twins.
Malou Smit, Puck Verbrugge and Alyssa Dronenburg all hit two hits for Alcmaria.
Alcmaria Victrix briefly held a 2-1 lead after the first inning, but then Twins rallied for eight runs in the second to decide the game against the young squad.
Alcmaria got many more scoring opportunities, but left ten runners behind.
Twins took an 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning off of starter Lisa Meyering.
Lieke Duffhues led off the game with a double, then scored on an one-out single by Sandy Lauwers.
In the bottom of the first inning, Alcmaria scored two runs off of Femke Duffhues.
The bases got loaded when Malou Smit, Kim Buizer and Puck Verbrugge all began the at bat with a single.
Hereafter, Alyssa Dronenburg added the fourth consecutive basehit to bring in the tying run.
A force out at home then followed on a comeback-grounder by Arwen Ravenhorst, but kept the bases loaded.
Next, Carolien Veenstra walked, which led to a 2-1 lead for Alcmaria.
With the bases still loaded, Dronenburg was eliminated in a rundown after a pick-off on third base, then a strikeout ended the inning.
 |  |
...Malou Smit (left) and Puck Verbrugge...
...both had 2 hits in this game...
(© Photos: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Trailing 2-1, Twins rallied for eight runs in the top of the second inning on five basehits.
The bases were loaded when Manon van Alebeek, Noor Godefroy and Femke Duffhues all walked.
Two wild pitches already had advanced these runners during these at bats, but with the bases loaded a third wild pitch led to the tying run.
Next, Shauni Thys singled in the go-ahead run, which led to a pitching change.
Nienke Verhofstad took over and walked Tammie Lijbers, which re-loaded the bases.
Lieke Duffhues then followed with a 2-run single.
With two outs and in between a single by Sandy Lauwers, the bases were loaded again when Manon van Alebeek stepped up to the plate for her second at bat in this inning.
She connected for a 2-run single and hereafter, Noor Godefroy added a 2-run triple to lift the lead to 9-1.
After stranding two runners in the third inning, Alcmaria got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth.
Teddy and Robin van Beijsterveld led off the inning with a walk.
With two outs, the two sisters went on to score when a throwing error followed an infield-hit by Puck Verbrugge.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Twins scored two more runs in the sixth.
Lieke Duffhues led off with a walk, then scored when an outfield-error followed a single by Minke Blok.
The latter was able to reach third base on the error then scored moments later on a single by Sandy Lauwers to lift the lead to 11-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Alcmaria appeared to avoid another mercy-rule loss.
With a 7-run difference deficit, the team from Alkmaar got the bases loaded with two outs.
With one out, Malou Smit reached on a bunt-single.
With two outs, Puck Verbrugge walked and Alyssa Dronenburg was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Hereafter, reliever Sheila van der Tang, who had taken over in the previous at bat, ended the inning and the game with a strikeout.
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| Alcmaria Victrix - Twins 4-11 (6 inn.) |
| R | H | E |
| Twins | 180 | 002 | | - | 11 | 11 | 2 |
| Alcmaria Victrix | 200 | 200 | | - | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| pitchers Twins | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Femke Duffhues, W (1-0) | 4.1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Sheila van der Tang | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| pitchers Alcmaria Victrix | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Lisa Meyering, L (0-1) | 1 (*) | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Nienke Verhofstad | 5 | - | 2 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| (*) - Meyering pitched to four batters in the second inning |
Umpires: HP-Bianca Dweelaard, 1B-Peter Vonk.
Official Scorer-Leo van den Brun.
Play-by-Play Scorer-Feiko Drost.
Public Address Announcer-Wout Isbouts.
Time-1:57 hr.
Game Notes:
Game Two best-of-five Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Golden League/SilverLeague.
Twins leads Series 2-0.
Game played at the site of Gryphons in Rosmalen.
Weather conditions at game time: Overcast, 17,1° C (62,8° F), northern wind 11 kmh (6,8 mph), wind speed 2,3 Bft, humidity 68%. |
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Copyright © 1997-2015 Marco Stoovelaar / Grand Slam * Stats & News.
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