European Cup 2014: Dutch still unbeaten
Mike Bolsenbroek going nine shutout innings and two homeruns. That’s the story of the game between the Netherlands and Italy in a nutshell.
Both teams didn’t score in the first inning. But the Netherlands took a small lead when Yurendell de Caster hit a mammoth solo homerun over the left field fence. It cleared the fence not just by a bit.
In the next two innings nothing really happened. But in the fifth, the Italian defense was a bit shaky and allowed some runners on base. Dashenko Ricardo reached first base on what should have been an easy out, but the Italian first baseman didn’t touch first base when he caught the ball thrown by the third baseman. When Randolph Oduber singled to center field, the Dutch got runners on first and second. Then Hainley Statia hit a dinger, after he had cleared the fences in the same at bat… at the wrong side of the foulpole. So the Dutch took a 4-0 lead.
Hainley Statia: Three run dinger (photo: courtesy of Rob Jelsma)
Eventually in the seventh with GIanison Boekhoudt on third base, Kalian Sams hit a ball deep into center field for the sac fly and the fifth run for the Dutch.
What did the Italians do at bat? Not much. They reached base five times; three times on a basehit and twice on a walk. Besides the fact that Bolsenbroek pitched a hell of a game, he got quite a lot of help from his fielders who were flawless. Nick Urbanus showed some pristeem fielding when Gabriele Ermini hit the ball down the third baseline in the eighth inning. Nick Ubanus dived and stretched his body completely and managed to field the ball. He fired the ball towards first base for the out. This ball was thrown so hard that the Americans would say: “You can hang some laundry down there.”
And then Mike Bolsenbroek. During the Haarlem baseballweek he couldn’t impress me. Besides that he is pitching in the German competition. With all due respect, but the German competition isn’t as strong as the Dutch competition or the Italian competition. Anyhow, earlier this week he pitched a perfect game vs Greece and now he went the distance and limited the Italians to only three base hits. I was never high on him but now I have to tip my cap to him. Apparently I have been wrong and I have to adapt my opinion on him.
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Mike Bolsenbroek: nine shutout innings vs Italy
Best batter for the Dutch was Gianison Boekhoudt, who went 2 for 3. The hitter with the most impact was Hainley Statia of course. His sole basehit out of five at bats was a three run dinger.
Due to this win, the Dutch will have the homefield advantage.
Somewhere down deep inside I fear that the Italians didn’t show their best game. Just to fool us. Sure we didn’t come up with our best catcher and our best pitcher, but you can bet that they rested a couple of players too.
One thing is sure. Manager Steve Janssen will use Rob Cordemans as a starter. Janssen rested him during the tournament for the sole purpose of pitching in the championship game. We will have some nice relievers available: Wendell Floranus, David Bergman and Kevin Kelly.