...Netherlands National Team-players...
...Saskia Kosterink and Britt Vonk participated in the...
...Australian National Championship Tournament...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
On Saturday-morning, the three games in the Play-Offs were played which were originally scheduled for Friday.
Due to the heavy rain, the schedule was adjusted and these three games were moved to Saturday.
In the game for fifth and sixth place, Victoria Titans won 2-1 against Western Australia Flames.
Not only were there scored only three runs in this game, there also were only four basehits.
Western Australia was able to hit only one basehit, while Victoria collected three.
Dutch National Team-player Saskia Kosterink went 0-for-3 for Western Australia.
Victoria opened the score in the fourth inning when Jessica Bahn hit an inside-the-park-homerun with one out.
The team doubled its lead in the sixth.
Lead-off hitter Alys Young then reached on an error and scored on a 2-out double by Jackie Di Siervi.
Western Australia scored its lone run in the bottom of the seventh inning off of Jessica Tolmie, who had taken over the pitching in the fifth inning.
Leigh Godfrey then led off with a single, which was the lone basehit for her team.
She was able to circle the bases, as an outfield-error followed, enabling her to score.
But hereafter, two strikeouts and a flyout ended the game.
Western Australia had had a few baserunners early in the game, but had reached second base only once before the seventh inning.
The game between third placed South Australia Starz and fourth placed Australian Capital Territory Diamonds was won by the latter, 3-2.
With that, the Starz were eliminated, while the Diamonds advanced to the bronze medal (backdoor) game later in the afternoon.
Initially, the Starz appeared to be en route to a victory, as they led 2-0 in the sixth inning.
...Monica Perry pitching for Terrasvogels...
...in the European Cup Winners Cup...
...in 2013 in Italy...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
The team had scored twice with two outs in the fourth at bat off of starter Lana Tye.
Jasmine Lee led off with a walk and advanced on a sacrifice bunt.
With two outs, she scored on a single by Belinda White, who then scored herself when Madeline Cameron followed with a double.
This inning was to be the most productive of South Australia.
Monica Perry pitched for South Australia and did fine.
After having retired the side in the first inning, she was supported with defensive help in the second inning when a double play was turned with two runners on base.
In the third, Perry gave up a 2-out single, but then closed with a strikeout and retired the side again in the fourth and fifth at bat.
But in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Diamonds struck with three runs, two of which were unearned, as two defensive errors were made.
With one out, Clare Warwick and pinch-hitter Camille Richards hit back-to-back triples, which narrowed the Starz lead to 2-1.
Ella Ross, who had re-entered as pinch-runner for Richards, then scored the tying run when an error was made on a grounder by Clare Jones.
Italian Ilaria Pino then flied out, which would have been the third out when the error was not made.
In that case, the Starz would still be leading 2-1.
But now the score was 2-2, there were two outs and there was still a runner on first base.
Emily Smethurst then added a single, which brought Jones to third base, but as an outfield-error followed, she was able to score the go-ahead run and give the Diamonds the lead.
The Starz were unable to turn the game around again.
Italian pitcher Greta Cecchetti, who had taken over the pitching in the fourth inning, gave up an one-out single to Madeline Cameron in the top of the seventh, but two flyouts followed to end the game.
The semi-final between New South Wales Firestars and Queensland Heat was lopsided.
Queensland won 9-0 in five innings, thanks to an 8-run rally in the fourth.
They collected nine basehits, while NSW registered only one.
Britt Vonk went 1-for-2 for Queensland, scored once and also walked once.
Brenda De Blaes was 2-for-2 and batted in three runs.
Queensland opened the score in the third inning.
With one out, Carmelle Sorensen singled, then was brought into scoring position on a bunt-single by Britt Vonk.
With two outs, Sorensen scored on a single by Brenda De Blaes.
In the fourth inning, the Heat rallied for eight runs with two outs, highlighted by four consecutive runscoring basehits, including three 2-run singles.
With one out, the bases were loaded by Jade Wall (single), Erin Thras (infield-hit) and Tara Speakman (hit by pitch).
Hereafter, Kaia Parnaby was brought in as new pitcher and she struckout pinch-hitter Stacey Webber.
But Carmelle Sorensen then reached on an infield-hit that brought in two runs!
Britt Vonk then walked and Janice Blackman and Brenda De Blaes both followed with 2-run singles.
Another pitching change followed, but now it was Chelsea Forkin, who delivered a runscoring single, followed by an outfield-error resulting in an additional run, which made it in fact the fourth basehit in a row that produced two runs.
Justine Smethurst went the distance for Queensland.
With two outs in the fourth, she gave up a single to Stacey Porter, which was the lone NSW-hit in this game.
With the win, Queensland advanced to the all-deciding final in the evening, while New South Wales had to play in the following backdoor-game.
 |  |
...Italian National Team-players Ilaria Pino and Greta Cecchetti...
...played for the ACT Diamonds...
...On the photos, they participate in the 2013 European...
...Championship in Prague (Czech Republic)...
(© Both Photos: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In the late afternoon, New South Wales Firestars became the second finalist by winning 5-0 vs. Australian Capital Territory Diamonds in the bronze medal or 'backdoor'-game.
With the loss, the Diamonds were eliminated, finishing in third place, while the Firestars reached the final.
The Firestars scored their first run in the third inning off of Italian starter Greta Cecchetti.
Stacey Porter led off with a single, but that was followed by an outfield-error, enabling her to continue running and score a run.
Four runs were added in the bottom of the fifth inning off of Lana Tye, who had taken over the pitching in the fourth.
Stacey McManus led off with a double, then a walk for Rachel Lack followed.
Pinch-runner Katherine McVeity (running for McManus) then was caught stealing at third base by Italian catcher Ilaria Pino, but Lack moved to second base.
Next, the bases were loaded when Taylah Tsitsikronis and Belinda Barnes both walked, which led to a pitching change.
A run was then scored when Alexandra Casey also walked.
Hereafter, a wild pitch, error and another wild pitch led to three more runs and a 5-0 lead for the Firestars.
In the all-deciding final on Saturday-evening, Queensland Heat broke an 1-1 tie in the sixth inninng vs. New South Wales Firestars and went on to win 3-1 to win the Australian Championship, which earned them the Gilley's Shield.
Queensland collected five basehits in the game, but for the first time in the event, Netherlands National Team-player Britt Vonk was hitless, but she walked once.
Queensland opened the score in the bottom of the third inning off of Ellen Roberts.
With one out, Britt Vonk walked, but was forced out on a grounder by Janice Blackman.
The latter advanced to third base on a single by Brenda De Blaes.
She then scored in a double-steal situation, which brought De Blaes to second base, but she was left behind.
...Queensland Heat wins its first Australian title since 2009...
...Britt Vonk sits in front row, 3rd from left; sitting at right is Brenda De Blaes...
...Winning pitcher Justine Smethurst stand 3rd from left (#11)...
(© Photo courtesy of Softball Australia) |
New South Wales came alongside in the top of the fourth off of Justine Smethurst.
With one out, Taylah Tsitsikronis singled and advanced on a wild pitch.
She then moved to third base when the fourth ball in a walk for Rachel Lack also ended in a wild pitch.
Moments later, Tsitsikronis scored the tying run on a single by Sam Poole, but two runners were then left behind.
Queensland re-took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Brenda De Blaes led off with an infield-hit, but was forced out on a grounder by Chelsea Forkin.
After the latter had advanced on a wild pitch, Jade Wall followed with a 2-run homerun to give Queensland a 3-1 lead.
In the top of the seventh inning, Justine Smethurst gave up a lead-off single to Belinda Barnes.
Hereafter, short stop Britt Vonk turned a double play after catching a hit by Alexandra Casey, also eliminated Barnes at first base.
Smethurst then ended the game and the tournament with a strikeout to seal the championship.
Related articles:
 Britt Vonk in Semi-Final Australian Softball Championship; Schedule set for Play-Offs. (January 8)
Australian Softball Finals resume with abbreviated schedule. (January 7)
Australian Softball Championship hampered by heavy rain. (January 5)
Britt Vonk, Saskia Kosterink; more familiar names in Australian Softball Final. (January 3)
|
Britt Vonk wins Australian Softball-title with Queensland
BLACKTOWN, Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales (Australia) -
Netherlands National Team-player Britt Vonk has won the Australian Championship with Queensland Heat.
On Saturday-evening, the team won the all-deciding final with a 3-1 score against defending champion New South Wales Firestars, which hosted the event this year.
For Queensland, it was its first title since 2009 and its 18th overall.
In the previous two years, Queensland also faced New South Wales in the final, but then was left empty-handed both times.
In 2014, NSW won 3-2 and last year with a 5-3 score to capture the title.
Queensland had reached the final earlier in the day when it shutout New South Wales 9-0 in the semi-final.
In the late afternoon, New South Wales won 5-0 vs. Australian Capital Territory Diamonds in the bronze medal-game (backdoor) to become the second finalist.