European Cup 2014: Dutch unbeaten to next round

There was never any doubt if the Dutch would beat Russia. But for a long time it looked like the Russians could force the Dutch into nine innings.

Dutch team manager Steve Janssen started a couple of bench players: Jurrian Koks (SP), Danny Rombley (RF), Gilmer Lampe (LF) and Dashenko Ricardo (C).

After three innings the Dutch had a 4-0 lead. Two doubles in the first inning drove in a run.A single by Urbanus and a homer by Smith drove in two more. A couple of fielding errors made Kalian Sams score the fourth run of the game.

But in the fifth the Russians scored one run with two outs when Shevchenko scored from second on a single by Kornev. This was the only run the Russians would score.

The Dutch answered in the top of the fifth with two more runs.

The real big inning came in the eighth inning. With two outs and a run scored already, Nick Urbanus, who was the only Dutch player without a homerun so far, hit a grand slam homerun followed by a solo shot by Curt Smith. This twelfth run was the last the Dutch would score. Since the Russians didn’t score in the bottom of the eighth, the mercy rule reared up it’s ugly head again and the game was called. 12-1 Netherlands.

Best hitter for the Dutch was Curt Smit, who went 3 for 5 with four runs scored, three runs batted in, a double and two homeruns.

Startng pitcher Jurrian Koks allowed one run on six hits in four innings of work. Koks fanned two.
Koks was replaced by Arshwin Asjes, who pitched two innings in which he allowed one hit, two walks and in which he struck out one.

Arshwin Asjes earned the win
(photo: courtesy of Henk Seppen)

David Bergman, who is normally the closer for the Dutch team, pitched in the seventh inning, allowing one hit and one walk.
Kevin Kelly pitched in the ninth in which he struck out one batter of the three batters that he faced.

It may be clear that the Dutch head to Brno undefeated. The teams that will join the Dutch into the next round are Spain and the Czech Republic.