(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Fred Versluis)
   Netherlands Softball Team wins third game of Canada Cup-tournament
Nederlands
 SURREY, British Columbia (Canada) -
The Netherlands Softball Team also won its second game on Day 2 of the Canada Cup International Softball Championship at Softball City in Surrey.
On Tuesday-afternoon (June 21), the team first won 4-1 against the Philippines.
In the evening, the Orange Team won again, this time with an 8-1 score against the Aussie Spirit Development Team from Australia.
On Monday, the Orange Team opened with a convincing 7-2 victory against Mexico.
With the double victory on Tuesday, the Netherlands moved closer to clinching a spot in the Play-Off Round.
The Aussie Spirit Development Team is a team that is compiled of players from both the Australian National Team, as well as the Development Program.
By being selected for this team, the players will experience international travel, as well as playing high-level games and also contributes in the transition from the younger teams to the international level.
Just as earlier in the afternoon against the Philippines, the evening-game started with some rain, as it drizzled throughout the day.
In the top of the first inning, the Australian team threatened to open the score, as it got the bases loaded with only one out.
Orange-starter Eva Voortman clearly had to find the strike-zone.
The lefthander hit lead-off hitter Moe Kurihara with a pitch, followed with a strikeout, but then got the bases loaded when she walked Kylie Steemers and Jenna Trim.
After a coaching-visit, Voortman recovered and struckout the next two batters to successfully end the at bat!
The Netherlands also got the bases loaded in its first at bat off of starter Amelia Fidge.
Did Australia left three runners behind, the Netherlands scored three runs to take an early lead.
Britt Vonk led off with a nice bunt-single, then Eva Voortman followed with a single.
Next, the bases got loaded when Jessie van Aalst also placed a perfect bunt-single.
All three went on to score.
First, Vonk scored when Maxime van Dalen walked, then Voortman scored on a wild pitch.
With runners on second and third base, Cindy van der Zanden reached on an infield-hit that brought in Van Aalst.
Van Dalen advanced to third base and Van der Zanden moved to second base in this situation.
That all led to an early Australian pitching-change.
Grace Wrixon took over and got a foul pop-fly, then two grounders ended the first Dutch at bat.
In the top of the second inning, Eva Voortman began with a walk, but the struckout the next three batters.
In the bottom of the second, the Orange Team rallied for four more runs.
With one out, Britt Vonk singled and stole second base, then Eva Voortman reached on an infield-hit.
With runners at the corners, Voortman also stole second base, then Jessie van Aalst delivered a sacrifice fly that brought in Vonk.
The ball hit by Van Aalst was caught by centerfielder Tahli Moore, who in 2018 was her teammate while playing for Olympia Haarlem in the Dutch big league.
Other teammates of Moore then also were Orange-players Brenda Beers, Dinet Oosting, Mariëlle Vleugels and Eva Voortman.
With Olympia Haarlem that season, Tahli Moore captured the Dutch Championship-title.
With two outs, three hard-hit extra-basehits followed, which also underscored the speed in the Netherlands Team.
First, Maxime van Dalen drove the ball into rightfield for an RBI-triple, then scored herself on a double by Cindy van der Zanden, who barely missed a homerun.
Suka Van Gurp then was inserted as pinch-runner for Van der Zanden at second base and she went on to score when next batter Laura Wissink also hit a triple into deep centerfield.
After having scored on this triple, Van Gurp again became a baserunner, as she replaced Wissink at third base as the Temporary Runner.
But this time, she was left behind, but the Orange Team had increased the lead to 7-0.
...Eva Voortman...
...winning pitcher, 11 strikeouts...
...2-for-3, 2 runs scored, stolen base...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
In the top of the third inning, the Aussie Team recorded its first basehit.
With one out, Kylie Steemers singled, but the inning ended with a double play.
First, Eva Voortman struckout Jenna Trim, but the ball was in the ground.
However, as first base was occupied, Trim was automatically out.
But Steemers took off towards second base and was caught stealing to complete the double play.
...Tahli Moore (left) with...
...Dinet Oosting in 2018...
...at Olympia Haarlem with...
...the Championship Shield...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
The Orange-offense was silenced in the bottom of the third and was retired in order, then the Australian Team got another baserunner in the top of the fourth.
With one out, Mackenzie Peebles walked, but again, a double play ended the at bat.
Next batter Shaylan Whatman hit a line drive, but that was caught by 1B Mariëlle Vleugels, who then completed an unassisted double play.
The Netherlands added another run with two outs in the bottom of the fourth.
With one out, Brenda Beers (who had entered the game in the top of the 4th) reached on a single and moved into scoring position on a grounder by pinch-hitter Lorraine Kieft.
With two outs, Beers scored the eighth Dutch run on a double by Suka Van Gurp.
In the top of the fifth inning, the first Australian run was scored.
With one out, Hirari Kurihara reached on an infield-hit and with two outs, pinch-hitter Madi Baker walked.
Next batter Kylie Steemers delivered a runscoring single.
Kurihara scored, but that was to be it, as Eva Voortman closed with her eleventh strikeout.
But the eighth run scored by the Orange Team in the fourth proved to be important, as the run--difference now was seven.
And that was enough to end the game via the mercy-rule.
Playing for the Netherlands in this game were Britt Vonk (SS), Sterre den Duijn (SS), Eva Voortman (SP), Jessie van Aalst (RF), Brenda Beers (CF), Maxime van Dalen (DP), Lorraine Kieft (PH/OPO), Cindy van der Zanden (2B), Suka Van Gurp (PR/2B), Laura Wissink (C), Annemiek Jansen (LF), Lizzie Clarijs (3B), Damishah Charles (CF/RF) and Mariëlle Vleugels (1B).
(June 21)
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