(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
  Successful first day Dutch softball-clubs on European Cup-tournaments
Nederlands
  HAARLEM (Neth.) / CASERTA (Italy) -
Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem, Terrasvogels, FysioExpert Olympia Haarlem and DSS have all won their games on the first day of the European Premiere Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup.
Last year, Sparks Haarlem won the Premiere Cup and Olympia Haarlem captured the Cup Winners Cup.
On Day 1 of the Premiere Cup in Haarlem, Terrasvogels was the first team to get into action recorded a 12-0 win in four innings against Leksand (Sweden) in the morning.
Terrasvogels collected 10 basehits, highlighted by a grand slam homerun by Victoria McFarland, who batted in six runs and scored three.
Leksand hit only one basehit.
In the evening, Terrasvogels won 9-0 against Les Comanches (France).
After four scoreless innings, Terrasvogels scored twice in the fifth, then rallied for seven runs in the sixth inning.
The team again had ten basehits, including two triples by Ella Krommendijk.
Host Sparks Haarlem played its first game in the afternoon and then won only 7-6 against Therwil Flyers (Switzerland).
In the morning, the Swiss squad also played a strong game against Bussolengo (Italy), leading 5-2 after five innings.
But Bussolengo came alongside and won 8-5 in eight innings.
Against Sparks Haarlem, the Swiss team lead 4-2 halfway the second inning.
Sparks Haarlem then scored three runs and took some more distance in the fourth, but was outhit 11-10.
Virginie Anneveld batted in three runs.
In the evening, Sparks Haarlem won 3-0 against Brasschaat Braves (Belgium).
The team scored all three runs, which were all unearned, in the seventh inning.
Sparks Haarlem had six basehits, including a triple by Anne Blaauwgeers.
Monica Perry, who went the distance, gave up only one basehit and struckout 14 batters.
In Caserta (Italy), DSS was the first Dutch team to play.
In the morning, the Haarlem-squad won 7-0 against Hrabiny Wroclaw (Poland) in five innings.
DSS collected ten basehits, including three by Feline Poot, who also scored three runs.
Svenja de Lincel went the distance, struckout seven batters and gave up only two basehits.
Defending Cup Winners Cup-champion Olympia Haarlem won 14-2 in four innings against BCF Paris (France) in the afternoon.
The team rallied for six runs in the first inning to decide the game early.
Olympia Haarlem collected 11 hits, including two by Jessie van Aalst, while Emma Wójcik (who celebrated her birthday) batted in three runs.
The French team recorded only three hits.
Later in the afternoon, Olympia Haarlem won 17-1 in three innings.
Leading 5-0, the squad rallied for 12 runs in the third inning on 10 basehits, including a 3-run homerun by Mariëlle Vleugels, who was 3-for-4 and batted in four runs.
Shareday Christina also batted in four runs.
(complete recaps will be added later)
(August 21)
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