In the first game for the Dutch today, the U12 team showed no mercy for the poor Lithuanians. So far the team from the Baltic state served as the punch bag of the tournament. In this game it wasn’t any different or perhaps even worse.
The Netherlands 34 – 1 Lithuania
After the top of the first inning, Lithuania trailed hopelessly. In that first inning, the Dutch collected thirteen hits of which three doubles (Raylano Clarke, Dean Moust, and Ryan Bosch), three triples (Jayden Stols, Binq Cashoek, and Camilo Araya Lemaire), and scored thirteen runs.
All Lithuania could do was scoring a run in te bottom of the first when Augustas Jansonas singled, advanced to second and third base on two wild pitches and scored on a wild pitch as well.
In the next two innings, it looked like the Netherlands slowed down a bit as they scored “only” three runs per inning. But in the fourth inning, they added another whopping fifteen runs. In the second inning, singles by Camilo Araya Lemaire and Reylano Clarke drove in three runs and in the fourth, three more runs were scored thanks to an inside the park home run by Camilo Araya Lemaire.
Eleven hits (of which two doubles) and four walks led to fifteen more runs.
On the defensive side, Lithuania did commit only one error but the pitching was simply not good enough. When you look at the game from the Dutch side, perhaps the Dutch hitters were very good. Anyhow, it was a very lopsided game in which Lithuania was outhit 30-1.
For the Dutch players this game was an excellent opportunity to pimp their batting average. Five players batted 1.000 (Binq Cashoek: 2 for 2 with a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored. Seger Veneman: 4 for 4 with two RBI, and three runs scored. Camilo Araya Lemaire: 5 for 5 with a home run, a triple, eight RBI, and five runs scored. Jayden Stols: 1 for 1 with a triple, an RBI, and a run scored. Seanriq Westerburger: 2 for 2 with a double, four RBI, and two runs scored).
Tom van den Brink earned the win. In 2.1 innings he allowed one run on one hit and four walks and struck out three. Simonas Zvirblis took the loss. He recorded only one out in the first inning and allowed thirteen runs on twelve hits and one walk and struck out one.
With this victory, the Dutch have clinched a spot in the semi-finals. This afternoon, the Dutch will face the other unbeaten team in Group B: Germany. The winner of that game will finish on top of the group.
[EDIT]
The game was forfeited afterwards because one of the Lithuanian hurlers had thrown too many pitches. Normally, in cases like this, a game is invalidated. But the CEB/officials opted for this solution. The official result of the game now is 6-0 in the favor of the Netherlands.
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