|
www.grand-slam.nl |
International Softball |
| Headlines |
| Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2016 by Marco Stoovelaar |
 |
(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Fred Versluis & Marco Stoovelaar)
   Sparks Haarlem qualifies for top-4 in Premiere Cup
Nederlands
 RONCHI DEI LEGIONARI (Italy) -
Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem registered a comfortable 10-1 victory in five innings on Wednesday-morning (August 17) on Day 3 of the European Premiere Cup-tournament in Italy in its lone game of the day.
At the end of the day, rain disturbed the schedule, as one game had to be halted and will resume on Thursday, while another one was cancelled.
With the win, Sparks Haarlem remained unbeaten and recorded its fifth victory of the event.
Despite that, a spot in the top-4 still was not secured.
Later in the day, the Italian teams Bussolengo Specchias and Forlì also raised their record 5-0.
However, at that moment, all three were still unsure of their final ranking in the top-four.
Almost surely, all three were to qualify for the final-four, but around 3:30 in the afternoon there still was a chance that of one these teams could miss the Play-Offs.
That all had to do with several crucial remaining head-to-head games and other confrontations that could create scenarios of possible ties between up to four teams.
Not only the final score of these remaining games therefore were important, but also the total of runs scored and given in those respective games, as that will determine the final ranking in case of a tie when the Team Quality Balance is needed.
The above scenarios appeared to stay in place for the remainder of the day, but it all changed just after 6 PM.
At that time, Les Comanches (France) was leading 6-4 against Wesseling Vermins (Germany).
A French victory would have kept all possibilities alive and would have moved all decisions to Thursday.
However, the Germans scored three runs on five hits in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 7-6.
And with that, Wesseling decided the fate for Sparks Haarlem, Bussolengo and Forlì, as they all qualified for the top-4.
Some of these teams can still end up in a tie with Skövde Saints, but all won their head-to-head game against the Swedish team.
Also by winning, Wesseling kept its own chances alive to become the fourth team to reach the top-4.
The final ranking of the top-4 is far from over, as in the coming Sparks Haarlem still has to face both Italian teams, who also has to play against each other.
Other scores today:
Bussolengo Specchias (Italy) vs. Wesseling Vermins (Germany) 8-1 (5 inn.); Les Comanches (France) vs. Hoboken Pioneers (Belgium) 6-4; Lucerne Eagles (Switzerland) vs. Joudrs Praha (Czech Rep.) 3-7; Skövde Saints (Sweden) vs. Forlì (Italy) 1-7; Wesseling Vermins (Germany) vs. Les Comanches (France) 7-6; Hoboken Pioneers (Belgium) vs. Skövde Saints (Sweden) game halted with one out in bottom 5th due to rain with Skövde leading 2-1, game will resume on Thursday-morning; Lucerne Eagles (Switzerland) vs. Bussolengo Specchias (Italy) game cancelled due to rain, re-scheduled for Friday-morning.
Highlights of these games
(August 17)
|
Joudrs Praha vs. Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem
Sparks Haarlem opened the score quickly with two runs in the top of the first inning off of Lucie Zappová, thanks to two extra-basehits.
With one out, Kehli Washington reached on a bunt-single.
Hereafter, Maxime van Dalen hit a runscoring double and Virginie Anneveld followed with a triple to make it 2-0.
In the bottom of the first inning, Joudrs got one (unearned) run back off of Ginger de Weert.
The righthander walked lead-off hitter Denisa Podzimková, who then advanced when an error was made on a grounder by Dina Pfeiferová.
The bases got loaded when next batter Apolena Výborná was hit by a pitch.
Podzimková then scored on a sacrifice fly by Veronika Pecková.
A strikeout and force out ended the at bat.
...Ginger de Weert...
...No-Hitter...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
In the remainder of the game, Ginger de Weert allowed only two more Czech batters to reach base, held the team hitless and recorded a No-Hitter.
The first batter that reached base was Julie Caufalová, who was hit by a pitch with two outs in the fourth, but she stranded at first base.
The second was Podzimková, who walked with two outs in the fifth, but De Weert then closed the inning and the game with a strikeout.
...Virginie Anneveld...
...double, 2 triples...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
Sparks Haarlem added a run in the second inning.
With two outs, Maaike Blaauwgeers reached on an error, stole second base and advanced on a throwing error.
She then scored when a bunt by Anne Blaauwgeers ended in a throwing error.
In the third inning, Virginie Anneveld hit another triple.
This time with one out, but she stranded on third base.
Sparks Haarlem was retired in order in the fourth, but then struck with seven runs on eight basehits in the top of the fifth inning.
The first six batters in the inning all hit a basehit.
Kehli Washington and Chantal Versluis led off with singles, resulting in runners on second and third base.
They scored on a single by next batter Maxime van Dalen, who then scored on a following double by Virginie Anneveld.
When next batter Karin Tuk also singled, a pitching change followed.
With runners on first and third base, Alyson Spinas took over, but she was greeted with a runscoring single by Kiki Draaijer.
Tuk was then forced out in a double play-grounder by Jenny Kinburn.
Draaijer advanced to second base and scored the next run when Maaike Blaauwgeers reached on an error.
She then scored on a triple by Anne Blaauwgeers, who then scored on a single by Kehli Washington in her second at bat in the inning.
With that, Washington had hit two basehits in this at bat.
It also lifted the lead to 10-1, enough to finish the game moments later via the mercy-rule.
Sparks Haarlem collected 13 basehits, including four by Kehli Washington and three by Virginie Anneveld.
|
| Joudrs Praha - Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem 1-10 (5 in.) |
| R | H | E |
| Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem | 210 | 07 | | - | 10 | 13 | 1 |
| Joudrs Praha (Czech Rep.) | 100 | 00 | | - | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| pitcher Sparks Haarlem | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Ginger de Weert, W (1-0) | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | 1 | - |
| Ginger de Weert throws a No-Hitter |
| pitchers Joudrs | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Lucie Zappová, L (0-1) | 4 (*) | 3 | - | 10 | 7 | 7 |
|
| Alyson Spinas | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 | - |
| (*) - Zappová pitched to five batters in the fifth inning |
Umpires: HP-Luis Ignacio Pardo (Spain), 1B-Alen Magdalenić (Croatia),
3B-Giuseppe Laudani (Italy).
Official Scorers-Stefano Burlini (Italy), Matteo Curci (Italy).
Technical Commissioner-Mike Jennings (Great Britain).
Starting Time-9:00 AM.
Time-1:40 hr.
Site-Stadio Giordano Gregoret, Ronchi dei Legionari (Italy).
Game Notes:
Weather conditions at game time: Sunny, 22° C (71,6° F); wind direction east;
wind speed 8 kmh (4,2 mph); wind force 2 Bft; humidity 65%. |
|
|
Highlights other games
...Noa Brand...
...double, 2 runs scored...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Bussolengo Specchias vs. Wesseling Vermins
Bussolengo took an early lead, scoring two runs in the second and third inning and ending the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
The Italian squad had eight basehits, including three by Silvia Refrontolotto, which were two doubles and a homerun.
She scored three runs and batted in two.
Bussolengo opened the score in the second inning.
With one out, Silvia Refrontolotto doubled, then advanced on an infield-hit by Dutch player Noa Brand, who later stole second base.
A throwing error on a grounder by Valeria Bortolomai (former Tex Town Tigers-player) then led to the first run.
Moments later, Brand scored the second run on a grounder by 45-year old veteran Sabrina Del Mastio.
Noa Brand later also doubled, was 2-for-3 and scored two runs.
Les Comanches vs. Hoboken Pioneers
Les Comanches already led 6-0 after three innings, then gave up four runs in the fourth, but hold onto the lead.
Camille Riera led the French team with two hits (one double), two runs and an RBI.
Carrie Pitcher (who plays for HCAW in the Dutch Silver League) batted in two runs.
By the way, former Alcmaria Victrix-player Raina Hunter also plays for the French squad.
Lucerne Eagles vs. Joudrs Praha
Leading 1-0, Joudrs scored four runs in the third inning to take a decisive lead.
The Czech squad collected eleven basehits off of Danielle Bonnet, who pitches for Terrasvogels in the Dutch Golden League.
Veronika Pecková and Katerina Klimplová both batted in two runs.
Skövde Saints vs. Forlì
Forlì broke an 1-1 tie in the fifth inning, then rallied for five runs in the sixth at bat.
Jessica Moore hit three of Forlì's ten basehits and scored twice.
Winning pitcher Ilaria Cacciamani struckout ten batters and gave up five basehits.
Kathryn McEachern homered for Skövde in the fourth inning to tie the score at 1-1.
Wesseling Vermins vs. Les Comanches
With a 6-4 lead in the seventh inning, Les Comanches was closing on an important victory.
However, Wesseling then rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to win 7-6.
Lisa Marie Kollner and Marla Gooding led off with singles, then both scored on a following double by Nichole Toven, who herself was then eliminated in a rundown.
With the score now at 6-6, Alisha Theissen (who was 3-for-4) singled, then scored the winning run on a double down the rightfield-line by Julia de Jong.
Hoboken Pioneers vs. Skövde Saints
Skövde hit only two basehits in five innings off of Lindsey Meadows, but scored a run in the first and third inning.
In the first, Brooke Langeloh reached on an error, moved on a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt, then scored on a grounder by Kathryn McEachern.
In the third, two errors accounted for the second run.
Trailing 2-0, Hoboken scored in the bottom of the fourth when Meadows led off with a walk.
She advanced on an error, stole third base, then scored on a one-out single by Gwendy De Jaegher.
However, with Skövde leading 2-1, the game was interrupted by rain with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning.
It will resume on Thursday-morning at 9 AM.
Lucerne Eagles vs. Bussolengo
Day 2 was to be completed with this match-up, but it was cancelled due to rain.
The game was re-scheduled for Friday-morning, starting at 9 AM.
|
Thank you for visiting this site.
Mail your suggestions and questions to stoov@wxs.nl
Copyright © 1997-2016 Marco Stoovelaar / Grand Slam * Stats & News.
|
|
