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Updated: August 15, 2019
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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)

Netherlands Under-19 Team outscores Botswana to record second win
Nederlands

IRVINE, California (USA) - The Netherlands Under-19 Softball Team outsored Botswana 12-7 on Wednesday (August 14) on Day 5 of the U19 World Cup. For the Orange Team, this was its second victory of the event after shutting out Ireland 6-0 on Tuesday in its first game in the Placement Pool for 13th through 16th place.

In the Preliminary Round, the Orange Team was shutout in each of the three games it played. On Sunday, the Netherlands opened with a fine game against Canada, but lost 2-0. Later on the day, the team was shutout 7-0 by New Zealand. On Monday, the team lost 9-0 and was left hitless against Chinese Taipei in a 4½ inning game.

Today, its wasn't the best game defensively, as the Orange-squad committed five errors. Three of them contributed to a 5-run rally for Botswana in the fifth inning. However, the Botswana-defense made nine errors in this game.

The Netherlands decided the game with an 8-run rally in the second inning. The team collected ten basehits, including three by Isa Smit.

The team plays its final game on Thursday and then meets South Africa.

(August 14)




The Netherlands got into scoring position right away in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Nicky Uytendaal walked. Her temporary runner Yindi Beekveldt then stole second base and advanced on a throwing error. But with Beekveldt at third third, Botswana-starter Boitshepo Arone closed with a strikeout.

Botswana also got into scoring position with two outs in its first at bat off of Orange-starter Lisa Meyering. Tshegofatso Gaetepele then singled. Next batter Thero Swasing then didn't hit the ball hard, but it stayed in fair territory, close the the first base foul-line. There, it was picked up pitcher Lisa Meyering, who threw the ball to first base. A close play followed, but Belgian 1B Umpire Sara Dielen made the correct call and ruled Swasing safe (infield-hit). Like the first Dutch at bat, the inning then ended with a strikeout.

The Orange Team was more successful in the top of the second inning and staged a productive rally with two outs, scoring eight runs. Only three runs were earned, as the Botswana-defense made four errors. With one out, Isa Smit singled and stole second base. With two outs, Michelle Schuur walked, while Smit stole third base. After Schuur also had moved into scoring position by stealing second base, the two runners were awarded a next base when an illegal pitch was called. That enabled Smit to score the first run. Moments later, Schuur scored the next run on an infield-hit by Reganied Franka, who was able to advance herself to third base on a following throwing error. Hereafter, Nina Oomes walked and stole second base. Yindi Beekveldt doubled the lead when she added a 2-run single and later also stole second base. She went to score the fifth run in the inning when a pop-fly by next batter Nicky Uytendaal ended in an error. Uytendaal ended up on seocnd base, then her temporary runner Yindi Beekveldt moved on a passed ball. With an 1-0 count on batter Marijn Crouwel, Botswana made a pitching change. Wame Odirile took over and completed the at bat of Crouwel, who walked. Three more runs were added hereafter when grounders by Tess Remmers and Isa Smit also ended in errors. The long inning finally ended when Isa Smit grounded out.

Botswana got one run back in the bottom of the second inning. Kedibonye Mogatusi and Molibiemang Abetha led off with walks, then moved on a sacrifice bunt by Onkokame Tlhakoyakgomo. Next batter Ndapiwa Mothakaja grounded out, but Mogatusi was able to score.

The Orange Team scored again in the top of the third. With one out, Reganied Franka reached on a bunt-single, stole second base and scored on a single by pinch-hitter Jacky Huijben.

With one out in the bottom of the third inning, the Netherlands also made a pitching change with a 9-1 lead. Isanthe Rouwenhorst was brought in to take over for Lisa Meyering, who therefore couldn't be credited with the win. In order to do so, she had to pitch at least three complete innings (at this moment in the game), unless the game ended with a big enough score and two innings would have been enough. In the end, Meyering would have needed four complete innings, as a complete 7-inning game was played. Moments later, Botswana scored its second run. Tshegofatso Gaetepele and Thero Swasing both singled, which resulted in runners at the corners. The first then scored on a grounder by Refilwe Mosepidi. A flyout ended the at bat.

The Netherlands added another run in the top of the fourth. With one out, Tess Remmers walked. A single (followed by an outfield-error) by Isa Smit led tot runners on second and third base. Hereafter, pinch-hitter Julia van der Meer delivered a runscoring single to make it a 10-2 score.

Another Orange-run was scored in the fifth inning. With one out, Amy Felix singled, moved on a grounder, then scored when Marijn Crouwel reached on an error.

Botswana also was able to score again in its fifth at bat when the Netherlands encountered some problems. Thanks to three defensive errors, the African team rallied for five runs. Tshegofatso Gaetepele and Thero Swasing were both successful again and led off with their third basehit in the game. Both scored when a grounder by Refilwe Mosepidi ended in two errors. Initially, it appeared that Gaetepele interfered with short stop Reganied Franka while running towards third base, but nothing against the rules was noted. Hereafter, pinch-hitter Baone Sephiri also reached on an error, which led to runners on first and third base. The bases then got loaded when Molibiemang Abetha walked. Botswana then added three more runs when pinch-hitter Matlhogonolo Ramoruswana delivered a baseclearing double. That led to a pitching change, as Margot van Eijl was brought in. With still no outs and a runner on second base, a pop-fly led to two outs. The inning ended with a strikeout when the next batter bunted foul on the third strike. But Botswana had narrowed the deficit to 11-7.

The Netherlands took some distance in the top of the sixth. Isa Smit then led off with a single (her third in the game), stole second base, moved on a sacrifice bunt and scored with two outs when Sterre den Duijn reached on an error. Den Duijn had entered the game in the top of the at bat as new short stop.

Margot van Eijl (who took over the pitching well and struckout three batters) held Botswana scoreless in its final two at bats. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, she got a baserunner after an error, but the next two batters flied out. She then retired the side in the seventh.



Botswana - Netherlands 7-12
RHE
Netherlands0811110-12105
Botswana0110500-779
pitchers Netherlandsinn.SOBBHRER
Lisa Meyering2.122211

Isanthe Rouwenhorst, W (1-0)1.2 (*)12564

Margot van Eijl, SV (1)33----
(*) - Rouwenhorst pitched to six batters in the fifth inning

pitchers Botswanainn.SOBBHRER
Boitshepo Arone, L (0-3)1.223363

Wame Odirile5.113762
Umpires: HP-Sipho Mothobuka (South Africa), 1B-Sara Dielen (Belgium), 2B-Maria Urdaniz (Argentina), 3B-Natasha Restrepo (Colombia).
Clock Operator-Sarah Eve Jacob (Canada).
Official Scorers-Fuka Nakamura (Japan), Desiree Jacobsen (USA), Michael Vallant (Austria).
Technical Commissioners-Roberto Castro (Costa Rica), Sandy Tudor (USA).
Starting Time-12:30 PM.
Time Played-2:11 hrs.
Site-Field #3, Bill Barber Park, Irvine, California (USA).



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