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A good day to go to bat
 Nederlandse tekst
AMSTERDAM (Neth.) - The Dutch National Softball Team continued its series of practices and ended another week today with an intersquad game, the ninth played so far during the winter indoor season.
The tenth intersquad game is scheduled for next Friday, February 26.
This might be the last indoor game so far, as the team will conduct it's Friday-practices at the site of Nieuwegein Diamonds in Nieuwegein, starting on March 5, going outside, weather permitting.
In case, the weather is not cooperating, the team will return indoors.
New intersquad games will be announced after completion of next Friday's practice.
Today, no players from the Dutch Junior Softball Team were with the team, but they will be in upcoming practice sessions.
Joining the team today were Maaike Blaauwgeers and Anne Vlietstra, who were part of the prelimimary roster of the Dutch squad until January 18, when they belonged to a group of five players, who were cut.
Despite not being on the active roster, these players remain on the list as alternates and always can be added to the team when needed.
In today's intersquad game, Team Black came from behind to win 11-6.
Initially, the team trailed 4-0 in the third inning.
Team Grey had a 3-run rally in the second bat bat when runs were scored on a single by Areke Spel, a wild pitch and a double by Solange Starrenburg, one of the doubles that were hit over the rightfield-fence.
According to the used indoor-rules, balls hit over the rightfield-wall are doubles and balls hit over the leftfield-fence are homeruns.
Team Grey added a run in the third inning on 2-out back-to-back doubles by Petra van Heijst and Britt Vonk.
In the home of the third, Team Black got two runs back when Merel Oosterveld scored in a stolen base-situation and Anne Vlietstra scored on a single by Fabienne van Uden.
After Nadine Marinus singled in a run in the fourth inning, Team Grey rallied for four runs in the fifth at bat to take over the lead.
Nathalie Gosewehr reached on an infield-hit, then should have been called out for runner's interference moments later and went on to score the tying run on a double by Fabienne van Uden.
The interference, however, wasn't called, as both umpires were unable to see correctly into the action from the positions they were in at that moment.
Next, Chantal Versluis hit a big 2-run homerun to give Team Grey a 6-4 lead.
Another RBI-single by Nadine Marinus made it 7-4.
In the sixth inning, Team Grey added three runs on back-to-back doubles by Nathalie Gosewehr and Fabienne van Uden (whose double was a 2-run), followed by an RBI-grounder by Meike Witteveen.
Team Grey scored twice in the eighth and last inning.
First, a basesloaded force play-grounder by Anouk van den Heuvel led to a run.
Next,a double play followed, but then Solange Starrenburg added an RBI-single to make it 10-6.
In the home of the eighth, Team Black scored one more run on a single by Karin Tuk.
It was a good and productive game, as the players collected 17 runs and 19 basehits in the 8-inning game, including seven extra basehits.
For the record, there is no competition between Team Black and Team Grey, as both teams have a different compilation of players each week.
The players and staff of the Dutch Softball Team thank today's umpires Bianca Dweelaard and Bob Gieskens for their participation in the intersquad game.
Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, Team Manager Paul Boonstra underwent surgery to repair his damaged knee ligaments and meniscus, which was the result of a fall he made on January 23.
Since then, Paul is unable to be with the team, but follows all the action and keeps informed by phone, e-mail and of course this site.
But it will take awhile, before Paul will return with the team, as he has daily physical therapy to get mobile again.
The traditional teamtalk before the start of the practice
Another meeting follows shortly before the start of the intersquad game
Today's umpires Bob Gieskens and Biance Dweelaard
Petra van Heijst hitting for Team Grey
Bianca Dweelaard makes the calls; Karin Tuk is the catcher
Pitchers Femke van Dusschoten, Dagmar Bloeming, Rebecca Soumeru
and Kirsten Scheele all start their wind-up in their own way
Back with the team today: Maaike Blaauwgeers (running) and Anne Vlietstra
The Grey-infield high-fives after retiring a batter
A concentrated Petra van Heijst playing at second base
A look into the relaxed dug-out
Areke Spel running at first base after singling in the first run for Team Grey in the 2nd inning
2B Meike Witteveen is ready for action; so is umpire Bob Gieskens
Petra van Heijst and Britt Vonk running at second base
after hitting back-to-back doubles for Team Grey in the third inning
Coach Nancy Evans checks the action from centerfield
Nadine Marinus moments before hitting an RBI-single for Team Black
Anne Blaauwgeers is the catcher; Bianca Dweelaard the umpire
Kim Donkers playing at first base
Short stop Chantal Versluis retires a batter
Between innings, Head Coach Craig Montvidas goes over several details
Fabienne van Uden running at second base after hitting
an RBI-double that tied the score in the fifth inning
Next, Fabienne scored when Chantal Versluis followed with a 2-run homerun
Here, Chantal is congratulated by Head Coach Craig Montvidas
While the game continues, Coach Nancy Evans goes over some details
with pitcher Femke van Dusschoten
Anouk van den Heuvel grounds in a run in the 8th inning for Team Grey
Bob Gieskens had taken over the umpiring; Karin Tuk is the catcher
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