Women’s Baseball World Cup 2018: Dutch fall to Korea in high scoring game

In a high scoring event, the Dutch Women’s national baseball team lost their opening match of this year’s Women’s Baseball World Cup. In the full seven innings, Korea was just too strong: 9-8.

In the first two innings, everything seemed to go smoothly as the Dutch ladies took a commanding 5-0 lead. But that lead appeared not to be big enough as Korea came back into the game as the Koreans scored three runs in the third inning. Until then, Loes Asmus had pitched two good innings in which she did not give up a hit but struggled a bit with her control as she hit one batter with a pitch and threw a wild pitch. Nevertheless, she kept Korea from scoring in those two innings. Also in the fourth inning, Asmus did very well as she struck out the side.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Esther Maliepaard managed to score a run all by herself without the help of her teammates. With a leadoff single she got on base. Then she stole second and third and thanks to a throwing error by the catcher, she could score another run for the Dutch ladies.

After Korea inched closer in the top of the fifth as they scored two runs, the Dutch countered with the same number of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Thanks to consecutive errors, the Dutch got runners on the corners. Then Winke Verdick stole second base to give the Dutch runners in scoring position. The Korean pitcher struggled with her control as she gave up back-to-back walks and threw a wild pitch that led to two runs for the Dutch ladies.

With a three-run lead, things looked sunny but it wouldn’t after the sixth inning. Pitcher Berber Jansen replaced Loes Asmus and started with giving up consecutive singles. Then three consecutive walks allowed Korea to score two runs. Another single and a bases-loaded wild pitch allowed Korea to score two more runs to give them a one-run lead.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Dutch ladies had a huge chance to tie the game. With the bases loaded and only one out, all they needed was a single but instead, the next two batters struck out to end the game.

This close game perhaps represented the world ranking as the Dutch ladies are ranked eighth and Korea is ranked seven. Nevertheless, it was an exciting game in which the outcome could have been different if the Dutch had used the opportunities they were given in the seventh inning. But that’s baseball. You win some, you lose some.

Loes Asmus pitched five innings in which she gave up five runs (two earned) on one hit and five walks and struck out eight. Berber Jansen took the loss as she could not record an out and gave up four runs on two hits and two walks.
The Dutch collected eight hits of which Famke Gildemacher had two (2 for 4) with three RBI.

Today, the Netherlands will face a tough American team that beat Puerto Rico 14-0.