U15 World Cup: Aussies no match for the Netherlands
In a matchup between two teams with a 1-2 record, the Dutch took on Australia. The Aussies have a very good youth program so one might expect a tough opponent. But not this time. The Dutch needed only six innings in which they beat the Australians 22-7.
After Australia took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Kingdom of the Netherlands countered by scoring twice on three consecutive singles and a groundout in the top of the second inning. The Dutch scored twice in the third inning as well before they had a monster inning in the fourth in which they sent eleven batters to the plate. Two walks and back-to-back doubles drove in three runs. Two more walks loaded the bases before Jesse Velders was hit by a pitch. With another pitcher on the mound, the control issued were far from over as Emilson Haswell drew another bases-loaded walk. Luca Pastor and Jesse Velders both scored on wild pitches and Emilson Haswell scored on a passed ball.
The Australians scored seven runs in total of which three were unearned. Defensive wise this game was not a good one as the Aussies committed four errors and the Dutch four.
After that big fourth inning, the Kingdom of the Netherlands scored four more runs in the fifth inning and six in the sixth.
Manager Michael Duursma used three pitchers in today’s game. Yizreel Burnet started the game and pitched three innings in which he gave up two runs on two hits and six walks as he struck out four. Rick Rizvic entered the game in relief in the fourth inning. He pitched 1.2 innings in which he gave up five runs (two earned) on three hits and four walks. Gedionne Marlin pitched the final 1.1 innings as he gave up only two hits and struck out one.
With a score like this, one would expect a slugfest but the Dutch hit only three doubles as the rest of the fourteen base hits were singles. Average-wise Jesse Velders and Vincent Mevissen were the best hitters with a batting average of 1.000. Velders went 2 for 2 with two RBI and three runs scored, Mevissen went 1 for 1 with a run batted in.
Thanks to this victory, the Dutch are now in sole possession of the fourth place in the six-team group B. Tomorrow the Dutch will take on the Dominican Republic, that has only lost to Cuba and will face Japan later today.