U-12 European Championship 2018: Dutch clinch hard fought victory over Germany

The final score did not really show the course of the game. The game was much closer than the score implicates. In the final inning, the Dutch scored two insurance runs to reach the final score of 4-1.

A bases-loaded wild pitch in the first inning allowed the Dutch to score the opening run. Two innings later the Dutch extended their score to 2-0 when Otis Ward scored when the hit by Junairo Ostiana was misplayed by the German left fielder.

But the Germans cut the Dutch lead in half in the bottom of the third inning on a solo home run by Darrion Richards.

In the next three innings, the Dutch pitching limited the German lineup to only two hits. In general, the Dutch pitchers played a good game as they gave up only three hits in this matchup. The Dutch offense did not get many hits (only three) but they took advantage of the lack of control (four walks) and three errors the German defense committed.

The German starting pitcher Jack Schuman kept the Dutch in check rather well but thanks to the two runs he gave up, he took the loss.

Otis Ward and Junairo Ostiana both went 1 for 2 but Ward scored three of the four Dutch runs.

Thanks to this win, the Dutch advance to the semi-final in which they will face the unbeaten Czech Republic. As Italy had clinched a semi-final spot yesterday, the fourth spot was clinched by Russia today. The Russians took last year’s finalist France by surprise and beat them 12-2 in six innings.