|
Dutch Team opens tournament with victory; then wins milestone-game vs. Italy
 Nederlandse tekst
BOLLATE (Italy) -
The Dutch National Softball Team on Thursday, June 2, opened the Torneo 150 Anni Unitá d'Italia in Bollate with a 6-2 victory against the All Star La Loggia Team, which shares the tournament-participation with All Stars Caronno.
Both teams play three games.
The Dutch squad rallied for five runs in the third inning to take a decisive lead.
In the evening, the Dutch won 7-2 vs. Italy in a game which was the 100th in history between the two countries.
The win was the 60th for the Dutch Team vs. Italy.
On Friday, the Dutch Team continues the tournament in Bollate with two games vs. the Czech participating teams.
A live Play-by-Play of all games of this tournament is available through the website of the Italian Baseball and Softball Federation.
The day started sunny, but that didn't take long, as clouds covered the sky during the game, which ended with a little drizzle in the last innings.
Throughout the remainder of the day, the sky remained grey with an overcast.
However, in the evening, the sun came back and it became a nice evening to play softball.
Netherlands vs. All Stars La Loggia
In the first game of the tournament, the Dutch squad faced an All Star Team of La Loggia.
The team was formed by a majority of players who play for this Italian big league-softballteam, added with younger players from the club.
Including in this squad were Australian internationals Aimee Murch, Kelly Hardie and Brenda de Blaes and also Italian international Christina Rolla.
Murch and Rolla played for Iber Lengua Terrasvogels in the Dutch big league the last two seasons.
Initially, the Dutch were retired in order in the first and second inning, but then rallied for five runs in the third at bat.
Lead-off hitter Yonina Sint Jago reached second base when her hit was dropped by the centerfielder.
After stealing third base, she scored the first run on a single by Chantal Versluis.
The latter then stole second and scored on a single by Nathalie Gosewehr.
Next, Meike Witteveen also singled.
With two outs, Nathalie and Meike scored the next runs on a double by Saskia Kosterink, who then scored herself on a single by Nathalie Timmermans, which was the fifth basehit in this inning and increased the lead to 5-0.
The sixth run was scored in the sixth inning.
With one out, Karin Tuk singled and then her pinch-runner Areke Spel advanced on a passed ball and a sac-bunt by Yonina Sint Jago, then scored on a 2-out single by Chantal Versluis.
In total, the Dutch Team collected eleven basehits off two pitchers.
Dutch starter Dagmar Bloeming retired the first 10 batters she faced, including six with a strikeout.
She then (with one out in the fourth) gave up a single to Brenda De Blaes, who scored when Christina Rolla followed with a homerun.
But that was it for La Loggia, as Dagmar then retired the next two batters and was relieved by Rebecca Soumeru in the fifth, who retired all nine batters she faced.
Box Score game Netherlands vs. All Stars La Loggia
Cameraman Jeroen van Eijndhoven taped all activities
Also when Head Coach Craig Montvidas laces his shoes
In the meantime, the players are getting ready for the warming-up
Coach Mireille Gill'ard makes her game notes
The team warms up
Physical Therapist Ingrid Holstege shows her softball-techniques
Areke Spel during a hitting drill
Head Coach Craig Montvidas hits grounders before the game
End of the infield/outfield practice
Umpires Roberto Valentinis (field) and Dario Fior (home plate)
Team introductions
Elisa Brandino, who started for the La Loggia All Stars
Christina Rolla at short and Brenda De Blaes playing at second base for La Loggia
Meike Witteveen connects in the first inning
A view in the small and crowded dug-out
Dutch starter Dagmar Bloeming, who threw four innings
Australian internationals Aimee Murch (sitting with cap) and Kelly Hardie (standing with cap)
Nathalie Timmermans started as catcher
Karin Tuk, Fabienne van Uden, Anne Blaauwgeers
and Nadine Marinus cheer their teammates in the dug-out
Head Coach Craig Montvidas kept an eye on all activities
A meeting between innings
Concentrated faces of Nathalie Timmermans, Meike Witteveen,
Merel Oosterveld and Areke Spel
Rookie Yonina Sint Jago running at third base, moments before scoring...
...on a single by Chantal Versluis, who then...
...stole second base and also went on to score in the third inning
Craig Montvidas coaching at third base with Chantal Versluis on second base
Craig Montvidas sends Meike Witteveen home...
...on a 2-run double by Saskia Kosterink
Merel Oosterveld connects in the fourth at bat
Kelly Hardie took over the pitching for La Loggia in the fourth inning
3B Virginie Anneveld and 2B Meike Witteveen take their fielding positions
Christina Rolla (20) is greeted after hitting her 2-run homerun in the 4th inning
Rebecca Soumeru took over in the fifth inning
Anne Blaauwgeers entered the game in the 4th inning as catcher
Areke Spel was pinch-runner and scored in the sixth inning
Back in the hotel, there was a teammeeting in the afternoon
Opening Ceremony
Half an hour before the start of the next game, the official Opening Ceremony was held with all participating teams attending.
After the playing of the national anthems and an opening word from club-president Dino Soldi, the first ball was dropped from the sky by a paragliding flying machine and then it was game time.
After arriving back at the field, part of the game in progress was watched
Head Coach Craig Montvidas writes down the starting line-up
The cozy terrace in leftfield had a lot of visitors tonight
Coach Mireille Gill'ard and Physical Therapist Ingrid Holstege have a chat before the game
The Opening Ceremony
Teams line up to present themselves to the spectators
The umpires listen to the Italian National Anthem which is sung by a youth player from Bollate
The first ball is approaching
The teams listen to the speeches
The seven umpires who officiate during the event
Massimo Parri, Dario Fior, Angelo Nearco, Manuel Cortes,
Roberto Valentinis, Martino Vargiu and Barbara Palumbo
livestream-coverage of the Opening Ceremony (13 minutes)
Netherlands vs. Italy
On May 29, 1960, the Netherlands played its very first international game and the opponent back then on the site of EDO in Haarlem (Netherlands) was Italy.
The Dutch won this first match-up between the two countries with a 4-3 score.
Tonight, the Dutch won its 60th game vs. Italy in the 100th game between the two countries.
Ginger de Weert started this historic game for the Dutch Team in her first career-game against Italy.
And she threw four fine innings.
She only saw Italy threaten in the second at bat.
With one out, the righthander gave up a single to Michela Vitaliani, then walked Lara Buila.
After the two advanced on a sac-bunt, a flyout ended the inning.
Ginger then retired the next six batters she faced.
In the fifth inning, Femke van Dusschoten took over and also had one inning in which the Italian were productive.
In the sixth (also with one out), she gave up two hits, then an error and a grounder led to two unearned runs.
The two pitchers got some nice defensive support, including caught line drives by 1B Nadine Marinus in the first, short stop Chantal Versluis in the fifth and centerfielder Solange Starrenburg in the seventh.
Ginger (three) and Femke (four) combined on seven strikeouts and gave up only four basehits.
The Dutch Team was retired in order in the first and second inning, then opened the score in the third.
Nadine Marinus led off with a single, but was forced out on a bunt by Yonina Sint Jago, who played in her first official international game for the Dutch squad.
She then stole second base and scored on a 2-out single by Chantal Versluis.
Two runs were added in the fourth inning.
With two outs, Solange Starrenburg walked, which led to a pitching change.
But new pitcher Greta Cecchetti then gave up a single to Karin Tuk and another one to Nadine Marinus, which was followed by a throwing error, leading to two runs.
In the fifth, the Dutch Team increased its lead to 6-0.
Dinet Oosting, who also played in her first international game, led off with a single, then advanced on a single by Chantal Versluis.
After Anne Blaauwgeers was brought in to run for Dinet, the two runners scored on a triple by Merel Oosterveld.
After another pitching change, Merel scored on an one-out bunt-single (squeeze) by Areke Spel.
After Solange Starrenburg walked, Karin Tuk singled, which loaded the bases.
A 7-run difference to end the game through the mercy-rule was not reached, as two outs followed to end the inning.
After Italy had scored its two runs in the top of the sixth, the Dutch answered with another run to make it 7-2.
With two outs, Merel Oosterveld singled and went on to score on a single by Fabienne van Uden.
Box Score game Netherlands vs. Italy
The Dutch Team is almost ready to take the field
The umpires for the 100th Netherlands vs. Italy game
Barbara Palumbo (home plate) and Massimo Parri (field)
Coaches Craig Montvidas and Marina Centrone meet the umpires
The Dutch Team is about to enter the field
The national anthems of the Netherlands and Italy are played before the game
And there comes the first ball of the tournament
And Meike Witteveen is the one who retrieved it
Starting pitcher Ginger de Weert threw four fine innings
A concentrated Ginger de Weert, who gave up only one basehit
Dinet Oosting playing at third base in her first official international game
Michela Vitaliani dives back into first base, while 1B Nadine Marinus has no play
Nadine Marinus is forced out at second base in the third inning
Femke van Dusschoten took over in the fifth, gave up 3 hits and earned a save
At left, Chantal Versluis at first and pinch-runner Anne Blaauwgeers at second base in the 5th inning;
Moments later, both scored on a triple by Merel Oosterveld, who rounds second base on the photo at right
More action on the basepaths in the fifth inning:
Solange Starrenburg at first and Areke Spel on second base
End of the game
The Dutch Team won the 100th meeting with Italy 7-2
livestream-coverage of the 100th Netherlands vs. Italy game (2:09 hours)
| 
