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Dutch Team opens Holland Tour with double victory
CAPELLE a/d IJSSEL (Neth.) - The Dutch National Softball Team opened its 30-game Holland Tour 2009 with two victories on Sunday, winning 7-3 and 8-2 vs. Euro Stars, one of the eight teams playing in the Dutch Major League.
On Wednesday, May 6, the Dutch Team plays its next two games and then faces the Dutch National Junior Team in Nieuwegein.
Coming Sunday, the squad of Head Coach Craig Montvidas travels to De Bilt to play a double-header against Centrals, another big league-team.
Schedule Holland Tour 2009
In Sunday's double-header Anne Blaauwgeers, Judith Diepeveen, Nadine Marinus, Merel Oosterveld, Annmiek van Riessen, Solange Starrenburg, Meike Witteveen (all in Game One), Virginie Anneveld and Karin Tuk (both in Game Two) all made their debut in the Dutch National Team.
Three players made a comeback in the National Team: Areke Spel (who played her last game in 2006), Nathalie Gosewehr and Kirsten Scheele (who both last played in the Dutch squad in 2007).
Besides several parents of the Orange-players, amongst the spectators also were former National Team-players Bianca Hageraats, Debby Connor and Marloes Fellinger.
Debby and Marloes played in the National Team last year with the latter being one of the players who participated in the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Bianca is a player of Euro Stars, but was unable to play due to an injury.
Playing for Euro Stars were former National Team-players Ellen Venker (catcher) and Anouk van den Heuvel (short stop).
Like Marloes, Ellen last year participated in the Beijing Olympics.
Also on hand were Mary-Ann Hatt, who was a member of the National Team's coaching staff the last four years, and Caroline Theunissen, who last year was the team's Business Manager.
Also looking on were André Prins, the Head Coach of the Dutch National Junior Team and André van Overbeek, who was elected President of the European Softball Federation (ESF) in February and was a member of the board for the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) the last four years.
Currently, Van Overbeek also fills in as interim member of the board for the KNBSB, overlooking the softball affairs.
The first two games of this years Holland Tour were played on Sportpark Schenkel in Capelle a/d IJssel, where the Dutch Team was the guest of Euro Stars.
The players and staff of the Dutch Team thank Euro Stars for its fine hospitality on Sunday and the meal afterwards.
The Dutch Team also thanks Umpires Patrick Reus and Harm de Fonkert, Official Scorer Roger Huys and Public Address Announcers Loek Venker and Bob Gieskens for their contributions in the two games.
Head Coach Craig Montvidas talks with the team in the locker room
Ready to play ball!
Team Manager Paul Boonstra with pitcher Rebecca Soumeru
Catcher Anne Blaauwgeers prepares in the bullpen for Game One
Chantal Versluis takes grounders before the first game
Saskia Kosterink, Solange Starrenburg and Nathalie Gosewehr look on from the dug-out
Media Officer and Statistician Marco Stoovelaar exchange line-up sheets with Hans Vleugels,
the scorekeeper of opponent Euro Stars
Coach Nancy Evans in the bullpen with starting pitcher Kirsten Scheele before the opener
Head Coach Craig Montvidas hits grounders before the opening game
Head Coach Craig Montvidas goes over the details with Coach Nancy Evans
André van Overbeek, who was elected President of the European Softball Federation in February,
and currently fills in as boardmember for the KNBSB, attended the games in Capelle a/d IJssel,
at his right is André Prins, the Head Coach of the Dutch Junior Team
Physical Therapist Anouk Fermont talks with pitcher Ginger de Weert,
Merel Oosterveld listens
Game One: Euro Stars vs. Netherlands, 3-7
In the Holland Tour-opener, the Dutch Team rallied for four runs in the third inning, after already getting into scoring position in the first two at bats.
In the first inning, with one out, Meike Witteveen reached on an infield-hit in her first National Team at bat, then advanced on a single by Britt Vonk, but then a caught stealing a flyout followed.
In the second, Solange Starrenburg and Nadine Marinus also singled in their debut at bat, but this time a double play and line out ended the inning.
In the third, Nathalie Gosewehr singled with one out, then Meike Witteveen reached when an error was made on her sacrifice bunt to put runners on first and third base.
Next, the first run was scored on an infield-hit by Britt Vonk.
Meike and Britt then both scored on a double by Annemiek van Riessen, who moments later scored herself when an error followed a single by Nadine Marinus, who was 3-for-4.
The fifth run was added in the fourth inning off new pitcher Rebecca Antonissen, who had taken over for starter Mariëlle Vleugels, who in 2007 won the Riet Vermaat Trophy for the Best Dutch Junior Pitcher.
With one out, Judith Diepeveen and Meike Witteveen walked and in between Nathalie Gosewehr singled to load the bases.
Hereafter, Rebecca Antonissen left due to sickness and Mariëlle Vleugels came back and gave up an RBI-single to Britt Vonk, who was 4-for-4, including a double.
Dutch starter Kirsten Scheele threw three perfect innings and struckout six, before giving up four hits and three runs in the fourth at bat.
Former National Team-player Ellen Venker led off with a single, advanced on a single by Kim Donkers and went on to score on a single by Anouk van den Heuvel, another former National Team-player.
With two outs, Kim and Anouk both scored on a pop-fly infield-hit by Davinia de Kwant.
But these three runs would be the only ones Euro Stars scored in this game off Kirsten Scheele, who went the distance, struckout eight batters and gave up five hits.
The Dutch Team added two runs in the seventh at bat.
Lead-off hitter Nadine Marinus reached on an error and Judith Diepeveen singled with two outs.
The two scored on a triple by Nathalie Gosewehr (who was 3-for-5) to make it 7-3.
Box Score Game 1 Euro Stars vs. Netherlands
Starting pitcher Kirsten Scheele during her wind-up; at left is 3B Judith Diepeveen
Euro Stars starter Mariëlle Vleugels, at right is 1B Kim Donkers
Solange Starrenburg ready to advance from second base
Moments later, Solange Starrenburg reaches third base on an infield-hit by Nadine Marinus
Head Coach Craig Montvidas coaches her, Short Stop Anouk van den Heuvel looks on
Umpire Harm de Fonkert takes his position in the back
Rebecca Soumeru, Saskia Kosterink and Dagmar Bloeming
discuss situations from the dug-out
Short Stop Britt Vonk retires a batter at first base
Head Coach Craig Montvidas meets with the team between innings
Head Coach Craig Montvidas in action coaching at third base
Meike Witteveen (front) and Britt Vonk both score in the third inning
on a double by Annemiek van Riessen
Nathalie Gosewehr and Meike Witteveen during a time-out in the 4th inning
Ton van Koeverden, who filled in as Head Coach today for Euro Stars, talks with
pitcher Mariëlle Vleugels, 2B Shulaika Balentina and Catcher Ellen Venker
Nathalie Gosewehr (who was 3-for-5) rounds third base in the fourth inning
Nadine Marinus hit three singles in her national team-debut
Ellen Venker hitting for Euro Stars with Anne Blaauwgeers doing the catching
Making the calls is Home Plate Umpire Patrick Reus
All smiles for Britt Vonk after hitting a double in the sixth inning,
her fourth basehit in four at bats
Head Coach Craig Montvidas sends Judith Diepeveen home in the 7th inning
Team Manager Paul Boonstra with the attending parents of Nathalie Gosewehr,
Ginger de Weert, Areke Spel and Chantal Versluis
Today's umpires: Patrick Reus (left) and Harm de Fonkert
Official Scorer Roger Huys filling in the scorecard in the scorebox
Game Two: Euro Stars vs. Netherlands, 2-8
In the second game of the double-header, the Dutch National Team won 8-2 vs. Euro Stars in a 5-inning contest.
The Dutch squad took charge of the game early on by scoring three runs in the first inning.
With one out, Petra van Heijst walked and later scored the first run on a single by Areke Spel.
With two outs, Areke scored the second run on two wild pitches, then Karin Tuk and Virginie Anneveld followed with back-to-back triples in their first at bat in the national squad to make it 3-0.
Euro Stars got one run back in the home of the first when MacKenzie Smith walked with two outs and scored on a double by Anouk van den Heuvel.
The Dutch Team added a run in the second at bat.
With one out, Judith Diepeveen walked, then advanced to third base on a single by Chantal Versluis, who moved on the throw to third base.
Next, Petra van Heijst hit the ball into leftfield for a sacrifice fly, enabling Judith to score, but Chantal was eliminated in a double play at third base.
However, the run counted, as it was scored before the third out was made.
In the third inning, the lead was increased to 6-1 when Saskia Kosterink singled with one out and Karin Tuk homered with one out.
Two more runs were scored in the fourth at bat.
Judith Diepeveen reached second base when an error was made, then scored on a 2-out triple by Saskia Kosterink.
Hereafter, Saskia made it 8-1 by scoring on a single by Areke Spel.
Euro Stars scored its second and last run in the home of the fourth when MacKenzie Smith reached on an error and scored on a double by Davinia de Kwant.
Dutch pitcher Dagmar Bloeming threw a complete game, struckout three and gave up only two basehits.
Starting for Euro Stars was National Team-pitcher Daisy Verstappen (who turned 21 on Saturday), who therefore threw for the team with whom she also plays in the regular season.
Box Score Game 2 Euro Stars vs. Netherlands
Physical Therapist Anouk Fermont with Catcher Karin Tuk
Media Officer Marco Stoovelaar checking things before Game Two
Petra van Heijst rounds third base in the first inning to score on a single by Areke Spel
Karin Tuk slides into third base after hitting a triple in the first inning
Moments later, Virginie Anneveld also tripled to bring in Karin
Daisy Verstappen started for Euro Stars in Game Two
Chantal Versluis runs towards third base in the second inning
Dutch starter Dagmar Bloeming delivers
Coach Nancy Evans between innings with Pitcher Dagmar Bloeming
Saskia Kosterink at first base in the third inning
Playing at first base is Kim Donkers
Leftfielder Intan van Casand sees the ball fly over the fence, as Karin Tuk homers
in the third inning in her second at bat during her national team-debut
Nancy Evans coaching at first base with Nadine Marinus running
Kim Donkers is playing at first base for Euro Stars
Annemiek van Riessen listens to Head Coach Craig Montvidas
2B Petra van Heijst catches a throw from Pitcher Dagmar Bloeming
on a bunt by Ellen Venker, while Virginie Anneveld goes back to third base
Looking on behind the fence are former National Team-players Debby Connor (standing in center),
Bianca Hageraats (sitting left) and Marloes Fellinger (sitting at right)
and last years Business Manager Caroline Theunissen (standing at right)
Coaches Craig Montvidas and Nancy Evans have a talk between innings
Areke Spel had two hits and two RBI's in Game Two
Saskia Kosterink slides into third base after hitting a triple in the 4th inning
3B Davinia de Kwant is looking towards the outfield for the ball
The day ended with a meal in the clubhouse of Euro Stars
(special thanks to Fred Versluis for submitting several photos)
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