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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar) European Cup Winners Cup: Olympia Haarlem closes Championship Round with big win Nederlands SARONNO / LEGNANO / BOVISIO-MASCIAGO (Italy) - Olympia Haarlem shutout Chicaboo's Stabroek (Belgium) 11-0 in 3½ inning on Friday (August 20) to close the Championship Round (Group X) of the European Cup Winners Cup-tournament with a big victory. On Monday, Olympia Haarlem won its first two games in the First Round. The team shutout Zürich Challengers from Switzerland 11-0 in 3½ inning, then outscored Chicaboo's Stabroek from Belgium with an 8-2 score. On Tuesday, the Haarlem-team recorded a convincing 8-0 shutout-win in 4½ inning against Crazy Chicklets (Austria) in its first game in the Second Round. On Wednesday, Olympia Haarlem added two victories. The team first recorded a 13-0 shutout-win in four innings against Carrousel (Russia). In the evening, another mercy-rule victory was added by winning 10-2 in five innings against Viladecans (Spain). On Thursday, Olympia Haarlem won 7-6 against Eagles Praha (Czech Republic) in the afternoon, then lost 8-5 to host Inox Team Saronno in the evening. After conclusion of the games on Thursday, it was clear that both Olympia Haarlem and Saronno had secured a spot in the Final. As such, they will face each other on Saturday-evening. In today's game, Olympia collected 13 basehits, including a homerun by Dinet Oosting. The Olympia-pitching threw its fourth one-hitter in the tournament. (August 20) Other scores Day 5: Group X (1st through 8th place): Chicaboo's Stabroek vs. Viladecans 0-3; Saronno vs. Carrousel 3-8; Eagles Praha vs. Viladecans 3-2 (8 inn.). Group G (9th through 14th place): Zürich Challengers vs. Fireballs 17-14; Les Pharaons vs. Neunkirchen Nightmares 2-7; Medvednica vs. Zürich Challengers 5-3; Gepardy Zory vs. Fireballs 2-4; Medvednica vs. Les Pharaons 7-6. 7th-8th place: Trnava Panthers vs. Crazy Chicklets 0-1. Final Standings Group X: 1. Saronno, 2. Olympia Haarlem, 3. Eagles Praha, 4. Carrousel, 5. Viladecans, 6. Chicaboo's Stabroek. Final Standings Group G: 1. Medvecnica, 2. Neunkirchen Nightmares, 3. Les Pharaons, 4. Gepardy Zory, 5. Fireballs, 6. Zürich Challengers.

Olympia Haarlem vs. Chicaboo's Stabroek Olympia Haarlem decided its final game in the Championship Round with an 8-run rally in the bottom of the first inning. Belgian opponent Chicaboo's Stabroek was kept scoreless and almost also hitless. Olympia struck early with two extra basehits in the first inning off of starter Tine De Jongh, which started an 8-run rally. Five of the runs were scored with two outs. Brenda Beers led off for Olympia with a triple, then scored when next batter Dinet Oosting homered. Hereafter, both Jessie van Aalst and Lizzie Clarijs connected for singles. The team got runners at the corners when Van Aalst moved to third base after Rachel van Veen flied out. Hereafter, Van Aalst scored on a wild pitch which brought Clarijs to second base. She was unable to advance on a following single into shallow left/centerfield by Cindy van der Zanden. After next batter Anna Prins struckout, a run was added on a single by Quilen Dirksz. Van der Zanden and Dirksz both advanced on the throw to the plate. Shortly thereafter, both scored on two wild pitches with Yindi Beekveldt in the batter's box. With the bases now empty, Beekveldt walked, then scored when Brenda Beers connected for her second triple in the at bat, which is a very rare accomplishment. Beers scored the eighth run in the inning on a single by Dinet Oosting, who later was forced out. In the second inning, Lynn Van Den Brande took over the pitching for the Belgian team. She got two quick outs, then gave up a single to Cindy van der Zanden. Her pinch-runner Michelle van der Meer then tried to advance to third base on an infield-hit by Anna Prins and was eliminated, which ended the at bat. In the bottom of the third inning, Olympia added three more runs to take a comfortable mercy-rule lead. Quilen Dirksz led off with a single and Yindi Beekveldt walked. They moved on a grounder by Brenda Beers, then Dirksz scored on a single by Dinet Oosting, which was her third basehit in the game. With two outs, pinch-hitter Machteld Rector delivered a 2-run double that raised the lead to 11-0. Chicaboo's, which had Dutch players Nicky Uytendaal, Lizzy Uytendaal (both Quick Amersfoort), Lisa Meyering (Onze Gezellen) and Eva Versloot (Roef!) in its line-up, was unable to do something back. Olympia-starter Alyson Spinas-Valainis retired the side in the first inning. She then walked lead-off hitter Eva Versloot in the second, but the Olympia-defense turned a double play on a grounder by Lisa Meyering. Spinas closed by striking out Lizzy Uytendaal in this all-Dutch Belgian at bat. Spinas also retired the side in the top of the third inning, then LIndsey Meadows closed the game in the fourth. The veteran righthander began with a strikeout, then got a flyout. But with two outs, the No-Hitter ended when Nicky Uytendaal reached on an infield-hit. She stranded on first base, as a grounder ended this lopsided game.

Olympia Haarlem - Chicaboo's Stabroek 11-0 (3½ inn.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Chicaboo's Stabroek 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 0 Olympia Haarlem 8 0 3 X - 11 13 0 pitchers Chicaboo's inn. SO BB H R ER Tine De Jongh, L (0-3) 1 1 1 8 8 8 Lynn Van Den Brande 2 - 1 5 3 3 pitchers Olympia Haarlem inn. SO BB H R ER Alyson Spinas-Valainis, W (3-0) 3 1 1 - - - Lindsey Meadows 1 1 - 1 - - Homerun: Olympia: Dinet Oosting (1)(1st,2-run,0 outs,off De Jongh). Box Score Play-by-Play Umpires: HP-Jan Svatos (Czech Rep.), 1B-Tomasz Plutarski (Poland), 3B-François Mays (France). Official Scorer-Paolo Lugarini (Italy). Play-by-Play Scorer-Fausto Nardi (Italy). Technical Commissioner-Anna Battigelli (Italy). Starting Time-5:30 PM. Time Played-1:13 hrs. Site-Campo Comunale Baseball Softball, Saronno (Italy) (complex Saronno Softball). Game Notes: European Cup Winners Cup 2021. Weather conditions at game time: Sunny, 30° C (86° F); wind direction south-southwest; wind speed 8 kmh (4,9 mph); wind force 1 Bft; humidity 38%.

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