Haarlem Baseball Week 2018: All Asian final tomorrow

A must win game for both teams but it was Taiwan that stayed at the right side of the score as it beat the Kingdom of the Netherlands 7-5.

After a good tournament, the final appeared to be a bridge too far for the Dutch team. For three innings the two teams kept each other in check but in the fourth inning, After the Dutch had taken a 1-0 lead, two doubles, an HBP, a fielding error and a sac fly drove in three runs for Taiwan.

But in the fifth, the Dutch would show some flexibility as two doubles by Denzel Richardson and Dudley Leonora and a single by Dwayne Kemp drove in two runs to tie the game at three.

On their turn, the Taiwanese showed some flexibility as well as they scored thrice in the bottom of the fifth inning.

After the Dutch inched closer in the seventh when they scored twice, Taiwan scored their seventh run in the bottom of that frame to reach the final score. Chien Lung Huang, who entered the seventh inning with two outs, retired the side in the eighth and the ninth inning.

Diegomar Markwell took the loss as he gave up three runs after team Kingdom of the Netherlands tied the game in the top of the fifth inning. Markwell gave up three hits and walked one.

Best hitter for team Kingdom of the Netherlands was Dudley Leonora, who went 3 for 4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored.

Thanks to this result, the Dutch will finish in third place. Taiwan advances to face Japan in an all Asian final.