(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Neptunus Softball)
  Neptunus repeats as winner of Roef! Pre-Season Tournament
Nederlands
 REUSEL (Neth.) -
The women's softball-team of Neptunus won the 14th edition of the international Pre-Season Tournament, which is organized annually indoors by Roef! since 2008.
In the Final on Sunday (February 13), Neptunus shutout Onze Gezellen, 4-0.
All games were played in the indoor-facility of Optisport Sporthuis Reusel in the village of Reusel, which is close to the Belgian border, south of Moergestel, where Roef! is located and plays its home-games.
Two years ago, the Neptunus also won the tournament.
This year, the Rotterdam-team will make its debut in the Dutch big league after promoting last season.
...Neptunus again won the Pre-Season Tournament...
(© Photo: Neptunus Softball) |
Last year, the tournament was cancelled due to regulations for the coronavirus-pandemic (COVID-19).
In 2020, the thirteenth edition of the tournament also was held early February and then was the last activity that was held before all exhibition games and regular season-games were cancelled and/or postponed.
An abbreviated exhibition season then opened on July 4 and the regular season then began on July 18.
However, in early October, the season was abruptly ended due to new regulations and no champion was crowned for the 2020 season.
Earlier this year, the organizing committee at Roef! decided to organize the new edition on February 12 and 13.
In a statement, the club said:
,,We have looked critically at the capacity in the sports hall in Reusel and taking into account the enforcement the current corona measures, we can allow a limited total of spectators with a fixed seat.
The most important thing is that we can play games.''
Every team was allowed to bring six additional (and registered) persons to attend the games, which made it possible for the players to also be seated in the stands.
It was mandatory to wear a facemask and to keep a social distance of 1,5 meters.
Some foreign teams were cancelled, except for Antwerp Eagles from Belgium.
The other seven teams in field of participants all came from the Netherlands.
Three are playing this season in the big league, being Neptunus, Onze Gezellen and Roef!.
Three others will play in the First Division: Euro Stars, Hoofddorp Pioniers and Red Lions.
Host Roef! also participated with its second team.
In total, 25 games were played in the 2-day event in two halls in Reusel.
The tournament was the first softball-activity of the year, as the annual international Indoor Cup-tournament in Schiedam in January was cancelled again due to the measures against the coronavirus.
On Saturday, in the preliminary round, Roef! and Onze Gezellen shared first place in Pool A to advance to the Championship Pool.
Roef! and Onze Gezellen played an 1-1 tie against each other.
Hereafter, Roef! shutout Hoofddorp Pioniers 2-0 and won 10-3 against Antwerp Eagles.
Onze Gezellen recorded a 9-0 shutout against Eagles and won 6-3 against Pioniers.
In Pool B, Euro Stars, Neptunus and Red Lions finished in a tie for first place.
Based on the run-difference in the games played between these three teams, Euro Stars and Neptunus advanced.
Euro Stars had won 7-3 against Neptunus, then won 11-2 against Roef! 2, but lost 3-1 to Red Lions.
After losing to Euro Stars, Neptunus recorded two big shutouts against Red Lions (10-0) and Roef! 2 (16-0).
During the Opening Ceremony on Saturday, there was a moment of silence, as well as applause in remembrance of Belgian player and former Roef!-player Griet De Schrijvere, who passed away on February 4 at the much too young age of 41.
In the Championship Pool, Onze Gezellen shutout Euro Stars 7-0 in the first game on Saturday.
The next day then began with an interesting pitching-duel between Roef! and Neptunus, which ended in a scoreless tie.
Australian Jessica Tolmie went the distance for Roef!, Lisa Hoeverts pitched for Neptunus.
Next, Neptunus ended up short against Euro Stars, losing 1-0, in what also was a pitching-duel.
Mariëlle Vleugels, who was a guest-player in the team of Euro Stars, was the winning pitcher.
Hereafter, Onze Gezellen won 2-1 against Roef! to advance to the Final.
In the following game, Neptunus recorded an important 6-1 win against Onze Gezellen, but then had to wait for the outcome of the game between Roef! and Euro Stars.
With a win, Euro Stars would become the second finalist.
However, Roef! won 4-0 to end up in a tie with Neptunus.
As the head-to-head result was 0-0, the final ranking was based on the run-difference of all games played in the Championship Pool.
Neptunus had a run-difference of four, Roef! of three and so, Neptunus reached the Final.
In the Final, Neptunus shutout Onze Gezellen 4-0 to win the tournament.
Neptunus reported that the team scored three early runs, while a solid defense supported pitchers Nienke Weis (3 innings), Kirsten Fischer (2 innings) and Lisa Hoeverts (2 innings).
On March 19 and 20, Roef! organizes the youth-edition of the Pre-Season Tournament.
Final Standings:
1. Neptunus, 2. Onze Gezellen, 3. Roef!, 4. Euro Stars, 5. Antwerp Eagles, 6. Red Lions, 7. Hoofddorp Pioniers, 8. Roef! 2.
(February 13)
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