Roef! vs. De Glaskoning Twins
The match-up between Roef! and Twins today is the result of two additional tiebreaker games that were needed in both the Golden League and Silver League and were played a week ago.
So, when one of these scores (or both) would have been differently, there might have been two different teams facing each other today.
At the end of the regular season in the Golden League, Twins shared fifth place with Tex Town Tigers.
Both were ahead of the Talent Team Holland, but that team cannot relegate (and also cannot qualify for the Play-Offs).
That meant that a tiebreaker game between Twins and Tex Town Tigers not only would decide fifth place, but also which of these teams had to play in the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off.
In the Promotion Pool of the Silver League, UVV had a strong finish of the season and moved into a tie for first place with Roef!, meaning they also needed to play a tiebreaker game.
Both teams ended ahead of Centrals, which had become the favorite to finish in one of the top-two spots, but in the end dropped to third place and with that, the team was eliminated for the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off.
On September 24, Tex Town Tigers registered a comfortable 10-3 victory against Twins to take possession of fifth place and secure its spot in next years Golden League.
With the loss, Twins finished in sixth place and had to play in the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off.
On the same day, UVV nipped Roef! 4-3 to win the championship-title in the Silver League and to qualify for the Promotion/Relegation Final, which is scheduled for Sunday.
Roef! finished in second place and had to play in the one-game Play-Off against Twins.
By winning today, Roef! now again will meet UVV in an important and deciding game.
...Winning pitcher Marjolein Merkx (back)...
...high-fives with Ilse van Kerkoerle...
(© Photo: Rein Merkx) |
The two teams from the southern province of Noord-Brabant had to travel to Haarlem to play their best-of-one, as it was part of the 'Season Finals Weekend', which was introduced last year.
Initially, the game appeared to go the way of Twins, which rallied for four runs in the top of the first inning off of Marjolein Merkx.
The righthander walked lead-off hitter Lieke Duffhues, then gave up a single to Minke Blok.
The two moved on a sacrifice bunt by Sandy Lauwers.
Twins then opened the score when Sophie Bugter followed with a runscoring single.
After the latter had stolen second base, it was Michelle van Bodegom, who delivered an RBI-single.
That scenario repeated itself moments later.
Van Bodegom stole second base, then Manon van Alebeek connected for a runscoring single.
Next batter Imane Allou Issa also batted in a run with a single.
Van Alebeek and Allou Issa advanced to second and third base on a wild pitch, but they stranded when the next two batters were retired.
However, Twins got an apparent comfortable 4-0 lead.
Roef! got one run back in the bottom of the first inning, which began with a rare moment.
Lead-off hitter Wies Ligtvoet drilled the ball into left-centerfield.
While rounding first base towards second base at full speed, she suddenly found 1B Umpire Arjan Mens in her basepath, couldn't avoid him and a collission followed.
The speedy Ligtvoet ended up on second base with a double, but Mens (who had fallen down) left the game out of precaution.
Hereafter, 3B Umpire Peter Vonk moved to first base and the game continued with two umpires.
With one out, Ligtvoet advanced to third base on a grounder by Eva van Knegsel, then scored on a single by New Zealander Jasmin Kaiaruna.
In the top of the second inning, Twins got into scoring position again when, with two outs, Sandy Lauwers and Sophie Bugter both singled.
However, they stranded on second and third base.
Trailing 4-1, it was Roef! that staged a 4-run rally in the bottom of the second inning off of starter Sheila van der Tang.
Sophie Mollee led off with a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Naftely Pietersz and then a single by Nathalie Hosten.
With runners on first and third base, Maureen van Poorten hit an RBI-double.
Now with runners on second and third base, a force play was set up by walking Wies Ligtvoet intentionally.
An error then followed on a force play-grounder by Ilse van Kerkoerle, resulting in two runs, that tied the score at 4-4.
Hereafter, Eva van Knegsel singled to give Roef! a 5-4 lead.
...Disappointed Twins-players get together afterwards...
(© Photo: Rein Merkx) |
After Van Knegsel's single, Femke Duffhues took over the pitching for Twins and eliminated the next two batters.
She also would retire the side in the next two at bats.
After having retired eight batters in a row, she gave up two additional runs to Roef! with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Eva van Knegsel led off with a single, moved on a sacrifice bunt by Jasmin Kaiaruna, then reached third base on a 2-out single by Sophie Mollee.
The bases then got loaded when pinch-hitter Shauni Thys walked.
Nathalie Hosten followed with a 2-run single and the two insurance runs gave Roef! a 7-4 lead.
The suspense was building again in the top of the sixth inning when Twins scored twice and got the bases loaded thereafter.
Lead-off hitter Kelly De Lannoy reached on an error and advanced on a passed ball, then Kate Geldof walked.
A single by Lieke Duffhues then loaded the bases and Minke Blok followed with a 2-run double down the leftfield-line that narrowed the deficit to 7-6.
With runners on second and third base and no outs (!), Twins got the bases loaded when Sandy Lauwers walked.
Hereafter, Duffhues was forced out at the plate on a grounder by Sophie Bugter.
That kept the bases loaded and also led to a pitching change, as Griet De Schrijvere took over from Marjolein Merkx.
She retired the next two batters on a flyout and groundout respectively to end the inning and secure the minimal lead, as three runners were left behind.
There was more suspense in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Roef! failed to add a run and also stranded three runners.
With one out, pinch-hitter Ennia Ballardini doubled, then moved on a grounder.
With two outs, Jasmin Kaiaruna was walked intentionally, but then the bases got loaded when Charlotte Haen singled.
The inning ended with a force out and so, three runners stranded.
In the top of the seventh inning, Marjolein Merkx returned as pitcher for Roef! and she 'saved' her own game, as she retired the side.
The righthander ended the game with a strikeout and with that, Roef! advanced to the next game, while Twins ended up empty-handed and relegated after only one decisive game instead of playing a best-of-series...
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Twins relegates after losing to Roef! in Promotion/Relegation Play-Off
HAARLEM (Neth.) -
In a suspenseful best-of-one Golden League/Silver League Promotion/Relegation Play-Off, Roef! trailed 4-0 in the first inning, but went on to win 7-6 against De Glaskoning Twins on Saturday (October 1).
In the Promotion Pool of the Silver League, Roef! closed the season in second place, trailing UVV, whom they now face on Sunday-afternoon (1:30 PM) in the Final.
Best-of-One.