British no Match for Kingdom of the Netherlands in U23 European Championship Gold Medal Game.

Where the Dutch had to go deep to beat Great Britain in the round Robin, today the British were no match by far. A team with plenty of players from the American continent couldn’t keep up with a patient Dutch lineup. The result was a lopsided 23 – 5 victory for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

In the first three innings, both teams kept each other in check rather well and this match could be called a game. The Dutch scored two runs in the second inning, the British two. In the top of the third inning, team Kingdom of the Netherlands tied the game at three when Makesiondon Kelkboom scored on a bases loaded walk.

But in the fourth, the British pitching and defense imploded. Nine walks, two errors, two wild pitches and two singles, a double and a triple, drove in thirteen (!) runs. The Brits used five pitchers in that thirteenth inning, but all struggled to find the strike zone.

In the fifth inning, the misery continued for the British team. The pitchers still struggled to find the strike zone and if they were hit, they were hit hard. This resulted in seven more runs for the Dutch.

Overall, the Dutch team collected six base hits and drew nineteen walks. The Dutch committed two errors, while the British committed five.

Matthijs Oosterbeek earned the win. In 1.2 innings in relief, he gave up a walk and struck out three. Thomas Flaherty took the loss, In 1.1 innings, he allowed five runs on no hits, six walks and struck out one.

The best hitter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands was Jeandro Tromp, who went 1 for 1 with three RBI and as many runs scored. He drew four walks.

By playing the gold medal game, both countries earned a ticket to the 2024 U23 World Cup.



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